John Deere 40-inch aerator-spreader 2020 Review

There’s nothing quite like a 2-in-1 machine that helps people save time and money by completing two tasks in one pass, and John Deere’s 40-inch aerator spreader is one of those units.

Catering to turf and lawn care specialists, the implement can easily be hitched to a variety of lawn tractors and mowers, such as the John Deere X350 ride-on mower I purchased late last year.

As its name suggests, the implement is capable of doing two jobs – aerating the soil and spreading fertiliser for turf care purposes. The heavy-duty spike aerator tines perforate the soil while the calibrated steel drop spreader disperses seed, lime or fertiliser directly into the soil. Operators can opt to just use the unit to aerate the soil if they wish.

The aerator-spreader combo machine was built for John Deere by reputable American plough and lawn care implement manufacturer, Brinly-Hardy, who designs and manufactures all their products in Jeffersonville, Indiana.

The company has been designing farm implements for over 180 years starting with a one-piece steel plough in the early 1800s which revolutionised agriculture production.

As expected, the quality of the implement is outstanding. It is finished with a generous thick baked powder coat of John-Deere-green to ensure product longevity. The heavy-duty tine drive chain is fully enclosed in a rugged plastic case to eliminate clogging from dirt and mud.

A large lever to the right side of the hopper bin raises the tines off the ground for when towing the implement to and from the work area. The same lever is used to lower the tines.

The aerator has two depth settings - 25.4mm (1-inch) and 50.8mm (2-inches).

The lever at the front of the hopper bin controls the flow rate of the product to be spread from the hopper. There is a chrome calibrated bar with a wing nut which allows operators to lock the flow rate lever into the desired position.

The drawbar of the unit comes complete with a tow pin and chain to lock the implement in place when towing.

First of all, it is important to know what aerating does and when one should do it.

Aerating describes the procedure of creating small holes in the soil. Once the soil is aerated, it is easier for nutrients, water, and air to get deep down into the root system of the grass. Aeration also breaks up soil that has been compacted – which happens to almost all lawns over time.

Aeration also cuts through the thatch layer that can build up and interfere with the grass’s roots. Thatch is the term used to describe a layer of dead and living grass shoots, stems and roots that are typically found between the soil and grass blades in the lawn. Excess thatch build-up normally occurs when the turf produces organic debris faster than it can be broken down.

Depending on the soil condition, additional aeration may be required in some lawns more so than others. An example of such a lawn requiring more work would be one with different layers of soil.

These layers can interfere with drainage as water can be trapped in the finer soil layer. Aerating allows water to drain properly and prevents soil compaction that can damage the grass.

If your lawn often has children or pets playing on it and has experienced some heavy foot traffic, annual aeration is recommended to reduce soil compaction and promote healthy lawn growth.

The compact size of the John Deere 40-inch aerator-spreader make it ideally suited for domestic and small-to-medium commercial aerating applications.

The general consensus is to aerate the lawn in early spring or late winter, during the growing season. This way, the grass can heal quickly and fill in any open areas left by the tines.

If you believe that your lawn requires aeration, there are several things to take note of before and during the aeration process.

1.   Ensure the soil is moist enough

It can be extremely frustrating and costly to try and aerate bone dry soil. One handy hint is to water the lawn the day prior to aerating or wait until the day after a good rain fall.

The best way to test whether the soil is too dry or too wet is to dig a small amount of soil about 76cm (3-inches) deep. If the soil is powdery and brittle, it’s too dry.

Conversely, if the soil appears damp, roll a small amount into a ball in the palm of your hand, if it forms a ball, it’s too wet. Ideally, the soil should fall apart when rolled in the palm of your hand.

2.   It won’t affect herbicide effectiveness

One aeration myth is that if you’ve previously applied a pre-emergent herbicide on your lawn in early spring, then aerating your lawn will destroy the herbicide "barrier." The good news is, this is not true as research has shown that aeration will not affect crabgrass control or weed prevention.

However, after aerating, it's important to continue basic lawn care practices such as proper fertilising, mowing and watering.

3.    Don’t overload the machine

It's vitally important not to exceed the weight tray or hopper capacities to try and increase penetration in overly dry conditions as this can damage the machine.

The machine can be used as an aerator only by adding a ballast load such as a cement bag to the weight tray and leaving the hopper empty.

To get the tines to rotate, lower the right-hand lever from the travelling position to the required depth. The spreader agitator is driven by an enclosed heavy-duty chain from the aerator tines.

It’s good practice to test the operation of the tines and spreader by towing the implement forward approximately 3m (10-feet), to observe the operation and check for uniform hole patterns, depth and product spread. Adjust the flow control setting or ground speed to achieve the desired results.

Humidity and the amount of moisture in the product can affect fertiliser application. If the product has been exposed to moisture or packed in the hopper, then poor spreading results can occur.

Avoid stopping the machine when the flow control is in the open position as material will continue flowing out of the machine.

If a large amount of fertiliser is deposited heavily in a small area, thoroughly soak down the area with a garden hose to prevent the lawn from being burnt. Periodically, check the tines for debris that might build up and restrict the operation.

John Deere’s tow behind 40-inch aerator spreader arrived from Midland Tractors in Longford, Tasmania, and proved to be an easy implement to operate.

I used a large wheelbarrow to mix a bag of fertiliser with a small bag of grass seed, then filled the aerator hopper with the mixed product with a scoop.

I calculated the spreading rate from the data that came with the fertiliser, which was 0.10kg/10m2, then looked up the flow rate in the spreader’s operator handbook, which indicated a flow control setting of seven. After a couple of short test runs to check the spreading rate with the tractor’s ground speed, I had the implement delivering the recommended amount of product.

Aeration is certainly beneficial towards achieving a beautiful lawn, yet most people don't realise or understand the process.

If you are serious about caring for your lawn, you should consider adding John Deere’s tow behind 40-inch aerator-spreader to your equipment range.

There is little doubt that your lawn will enjoy being able to breath once more.

Weight (empty): 35.5 kg (76lbs)

Length: 120.6cm (47.5 inches)

Width: 45.7cm (18 inches)

Height: 45.7cm (18 inches)

Working width: 102 cm (40-inches)

Wheels: 254x44.5mm (10x1.75inch) Diamond Tread tyres

Hopper volume: 48.1litres (1.7cu.ft)

Hopper Safe Load: 45kgs (100lbs)

Ballast Tray Capacity: 34kgs (75lbs)

Penetration Depth: 25.4mm (1-inch) and 50.8mm (2-inch)

Star Tine: 12-points

Tine Diameter: 203mm (8-inches)

No of tines: 11 (total 132 tips)

Tine Drive: Direct

Paint:  Baked Powder – John Deere Green

Lift: Manual

RRP: $830.36