How wide of an aerator do you need? With Billy Goat’s AET 48/72” towable aerator, you can put together blocks of tines to make a trailer that maximizes productivity, while still fitting in all the areas you need to reach. How do you use one of these trailers? Here’s everything you need to know, including how to replace tines, get the right cutting depth and make turns.
Setting Tine Height
To set the tine height, you need to adjust the height of both wheels. These wheels must be at the same height, or the added stress on the frame will damage your aerator.
Release the tension on the lift rod by pushing down on the wheel guard or sliding the lift rod into the square slot and pushing it in. Pull the pin out. Move the wheel up or down to the desired height, then insert the lift rod. Repeat this process on the other wheel.
Once the tine height is set, your aerator will return to this height each time you raise the wheels.
Engaging the Tines
Tow the trailer to the area you want to aerate. Lift the wheels by pushing on the wheel guards or pulling out the lift rod pins. This drops the tines into the soil. Both wheels must be lifted, or the added pressure on the lifted side may bend the trailer.
Penetration depends more on the weight on the aerator and the compaction and humidity of the soil than the tine height. For the best results, water the ground the day before aerating. If you still aren’t getting good penetration, add more weight to the trailer by filling the included water canisters, or piling cinder blocks on top of the aerator sections.
Turning
You can leave the tines engaged while making turns. Just take it slow when you line up for the next pass, and avoid making tight turns. Otherwise, the side-to-side movement of the tines may tear up the soil.
Replacing Individual Tines
Have a bent, cracked or worn tine? You can replace it in a couple minutes, even if you’re in the field. Even broken tines are sharp. Always wear gloves when you’re working on this part of your aerator.
1. Raise the tines. Use wheel chocks to keep the trailer from rolling.
2. Loosen the outer nut and carriage bolt holding the tine to the tine wheel, then the inner nut and bolt. Leave these parts in place.
3. Use a pry bar to push the tine plates away from the tine. You should be able to pull out the old tine.
4. Slide the new tine into place, then tighten the inner nut and carriage bolt, followed by the outer bolt and nut.
Need Something for Your Aerator?
Whether you just need some new tines, or a few parts to repair trailer damaged, you can find everything for your Billy Goat at www.billygoatparts.com. Our site has sections for commonly ordered parts, and our search engine can find parts specific to your model. We ship across the U.S. and Canada.
