reply by theodocus struck me as coming from the desk of the ad agency of MTD. No mention of the actual operation that involves rolling over uneven terrain and jarring action from bumps and uneven spots and the fragile fabricated axles that bend and crack easily. Oh, there is also the bushings used in place of ball bearings: bushing use requires higher horsepower to move the newer units. The Deere has points and condenser; cost $5.00 and 9.00 respectively and the sears is a solid state igntion. Newer technology is wonderful as long as it is coupled with quality assemblage in a product. I have a 1968 Sears GARDEN tractor with a 12HP Tecumseh Heavy duty cast iron engine with ball bearings and cut with a 42 inch deck and also have a 1976 John Deere GARDEN tractor with a cast iron 10 HP engine with ball bearings and cut with a 42" deck and use both alternately for mowing two acres and for tilling and moving earth, etc.. Each has cast iron axles and mutli-speed hi-lo transmissions and EACH is used for plowing, snowblowing, tilling earth, hauling 1100 lb loads in attached large carts. EACH will run circles around the new 20 plus HP light LAWN tractors made today. Spend 5,000.00 and you will have a comparable heavy duty GARDEN tractor. By the way, good luck on getting even 10 years of use with the new wonders.

Pay a teenager (or bully able bodies offspring if you have any) to simply poke a border fork, at 6inch intervals, straight downwards into the sward, then top dress with fine sand (brushing into the holes)..This will maintain enough aeration for most purposes and is a standard method for smaller urban lawns. You can also buy a hand scarifier, which will remove thin cores of turf (but harder than using a fork) and has an even worse tendency to compact the soil rather than lifting out neat cores. Mechanical aerators will remove soil and also moss and other surface gak, and are really for heavily trafficked areas and groundskeeping...but personally, I love powerful plant machinery and would hire one if I could defray the costs somewhat.

Hey everyone. I'm looking for some advice as a first time homeowner who moved into a house with a neglected front lawn. Pictures below. I applied weed killer 2 weeks ago and it killed the mass of dandelions but there still seems to be alot more then grass growing. I have CIL golfgreen one step lawn makeover and schultz lawn fertilizer I can use but am hesitant applying either with whats growing in there. Any advice on making this mess a nice lawn again?

Every clay across the world is different, because every clay is derived from different types of rock. The commonality of clay is particle size, plasticity, swelling or shrinking when wet or dry, and a tendency for compaction. Your clay could have an acidic pH or a neutral to alkaline pH. And, some nutrients could be tied up and unavailable. Plants (from grasses to trees) have shallow root systems in clay soil. The fix is to till the soil, then apply a total combination of 3 inches of compost, manure and gypsum. Till the soil again so the additions are well mixed in. Then lay new sod or seed the area. Check with you local county extension agent for specifics on the amounts. You should be able to find yours HERE. Now, the above is best done for new lawns or where the existing lawn is on its last legs. For lawns that are salvageable continue to aerate and de-thatch if needed, but use a Humic Acid Product for lawns. These come in either granular or liquid form, and they work by increasing the bacterial life in your soil. Topdressing with a thin layer of compost in the fall of each year will also help keep bacteria happy. Compost for topdressing should be fine screened. You can screen your own using 1/8 inch hardware cloth on a wood frame. The point is, the compost needs to be able to filter down between the grass blades. One final piece of advice is to set your mower to a higher level. This is especially true for hot and/or dry climates. You still have to mow once a week, but the taller grass shades the soil better and preserves soil moisture.