the craftsman IS the agrifab.

put a couple on there and see. there is no universal answer as you adjust the weight based on soil type and compaction. put some weight and if it does not throw up good plugs add some more. if it goes too deep, remove some.

go over the yard in each direction. make your first set of passes north/south, then the 2nd set east/west or vice-versa. this will give the most efficient coverage pattern.

you want the soil to be a little moist, but not soaked. if the area is clay liek we have, it will jsut abotu HAVE to be moist! you don't want to use it when the ground is wet enough to leave tire tracks/ruts, but also not when it is so dry your mower kicks up dust just from driving with teh deck off!

if the mower strains, then it won't pull it. if it does not strain, then it should be safe.

thanks, on the Sears site they sell both the AgriFab and Craftsman and they both look the same and the manuals are very similar.

...not sure what you meant about taking my deck off...I was not planning on removing it...but I do understand the rest of your post...wish me luck.

Anyone think now is the optimal time to aerate, seed and feed or should I wait until late september or October...I live in Eastern PA.

Generally aerating can be done at any time of year, but the soil conditions matter (see above).

I would do it now, then do it again mid mid to late Octoberish (depending where you are)and seed at that time.

Do you have worms? If not you should look into adding organic matter when you seed it - milorganite or seed meal to help get the soil organisms active.

Repeat in the spring and then aerate at least once during the summer (but not if there is drought conditions).

Best of luck.

You can core aerate any time the grass is actively growing. I use sand bags on my aerator (4 x 40lbs. = 160lbs.), and it works very well on my clay soil. You want to pull 2-3 inch plugs. You can adjust this by moisture content of soil or by adding weight (in my clay soil you could add 1,000lbs and it wouldn't penetrate if the soil was too dry). D&K wasn't suggesting removing the deck, he just said if the deck throws up dust, it is probably too dry to aerate. I leave the deck on because the extra weight helps with traction. I pull my 48" plugger with a 15 HP John Deere with absolutely no problems (once in the fall and once in the spring before putting down preemergent).

i did not mean removing the deck, i meant leaving the blades turned off! sorry for the confusion. i reread my post and thought you might think that, and then never posted a clarification.

thanks all...I was thinking of the best time for overseeding after aeration but it likely does not matter if I do it now or in a month at this point....aerating and over seeding that is...likely will repeat in the spring.

It depends what zone you are in.
If you are in zone 5, now is the time to core aerate and then broadcast your seed and starter fertilizer. I don't know about the other areas, but I have had success overseeding with straight Midnight KBG the past few years in Z5.

Since the unit is used, make sure you check to make sure the black plastic bushings are all in place. On the ends of each of the tine assemblies, there should be a bushing allowing it to rotate smoothly around the shaft. The nice thing is Agri-fab has parts available for the whole unit in the even you need it. After two years, a had to replace 2 bushings and look like will be replacing a couple more next year.

thanks all...update: The ground was bone dry and I gave it a whirl with 4 of those 8 X 8 X 16 cynder blocks. The Toro felt a little shaky riding but I do not think it was the 12hp engine straining. It says up to 140 lbs can be placed in the tray. 4 Blocks fit perfectly...I doubt its 140 pounds though. It pulled 1/2" to 1" plugs...again the ground was bone dry. I can only assume after a good rain it will pull deeper plugs. Looks like a winner so far...

Question about aerating/overseeding...are you just spreading the seed after you aerate, or are you raking the ground also? I've never had much luck just throwing seed out without raking down to the bare soil.

Thanks.

If you make enough cores, you do not need to rake. I aim for anywhere from 20-30 cores per sq.ft. The cores will break down and serve as topdress. This method is great for overseeding!