Hand Aerator vs. Machine: The Math Behind Lawn Aeration

Hand aerators look like great exercise—until you do the math. To properly aerate compacted soil, you need about 10 holes per square foot. A half-acre lot is roughly 21,000 square feet. That's 210,000 holes. With a two-tine hand aerator, you'd step 105,000 times. At a brisk 4 steps per minute, that's 26,250 minutes—437 hours. Working two hours a day, you'd finish in 7 months.

And your back would hate you.

The Smarter Option

Rent a core aerator for about $70 and knock it out in an afternoon. You'll still be sore, but you'll reclaim your summer. Reserve the hand tool for small patches or spot treatments.

Motorized core aerator—worth every penny of the rental fee.