The AET 36/60” does everything you could ask of a towable aerator. Hate having to lift up the tines in turns? With this aerator, you can leave them down. Need something that covers wide and narrow areas? Thanks to its folding wings, you can adjust the AET 36/60’s size to the job. It’s even set up so you can tow it with a ball or a three point hitch. That just leaves one problem: How do you use all these features? These tips will help you get started with your aerator trailer.
Connecting the Aerator to a Tow Vehicle
To connect the aerator to a three-point tractor hitch, first slide the inner and outer tow bar sections together. Swing the bar up against the aerator. Insert Clevis pins into the holes on the middle and bottom of the bar, then lock these pins in place with cotter pins. From here, you can connect your tractor using the brackets on the bottom corners of the aerator frame and the bracket on the tow bar.
If you want to tow using a single hitch, remove the Clevis pins holding the tow bar against the aerator. Lower the bar, then slide it out until you have the right length to keep the trailer level behind your tow vehicle. You may need to adjust the bar length if you fold the wings or add weights to the trailer. Install Clevis pins and cotter pins in the holes at the back end and middle of the hitch. Make sure the Clevis pins go through both the inner and outer parts of the tow bar.
Locking and Unlocking the Tines
The tines should be locked in place when pulling the aerator. Unlocking the tines lets the tine wheels swivel, so you can make turns without lifting the tines out of the soil.
Remove the lock pins from the tine arms to unlock the tines. Once you’ve made the turn, pull the trailer forward to line up for you next pass. This should straighten the tine arms, making it easy to insert the pins and lock the tines in place.
Using the Wings
The AET 36/60” can be used with both wings down, both wings up or one wing up. With both wings up, the trailer is 36 inches wide. With both wings down, it’s 60 inches wide. With one wing down, it’s 48 inches wide. You can leave either wing folded down, letting you choose the side that works best for the area you’re aerating.
Folding the wings increases the weight on the tines, which helps them penetrate hard soil. If you need more penetration with the wings out, you can place cinder blocks or water jugs on top of the trailer to weigh it down.
Changing Tine Height
If you want better soil penetration, prepare the land by watering the area the day before. Setting tine depth only limits the maximum penetration depth. It won’t compensate for problems caused by dry, compacted soil.
To set the height, turn the crank on the front of the trailer to drop the tines into the soil. The crank on the back of the trailer sets the caster. Turn this crank until the trailer is level.
Need Something for Your Aerator?
Billy Goat Parts carries everything you need to repair or upgrade your Billy Goat lawn care equipment. For quick ordering, we have sections for commonly requested parts, like new tines. Need something more specific? Our search engine can find parts specific to your model. Visit us at www.billygoatparts.com. We can ship your order to any address in the U.S. or Canada.
