Renting an aerator is a great way to ensure a healthier lawn. Here's a guide for picking the lawn aerator rental that's right for you.
Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. We may earn a commission from your purchases.Learn more.
One of the best ways to care for your lawn is with core aeration. Pulling out those little plugs of earth allows water and nutrients to penetrate deeper below ground, resulting in less watering and fertilizing. Best of all, aeration gives roots room to grow, so your lawn will be more resilient when faced with harsh conditions such as drought or high temperatures. “Aerating provides many benefits, including alleviating compaction, managing thatch and improving water, oxygen, and nutrient uptake to the rootzone,” Matt Cameron from CMS Landscaping says.
The bad news? Lawn aerators are costly, difficult to store and only used once or twice a year. While those with small yards might get by with an inexpensive, easy-to-store hand aerator, it makes more sense for the vast majority of DIYers to rent a lawn aerator instead of buying one.
On This Page
In general, you should aerate your lawn shortly before growing season. Early-growing, cool-season grass should be aerated in late fall or early spring, while a lawn with warm-season grass should be aerated in late spring. If you’re not sure when your grass’s growing season is, err on the early side of spring.
Use your lawn aerator on the day after a moderate rainfall— when the ground is damp but not saturated. Too little water makes for a rough day as you struggle with a bouncing, jolting machine. Too much water makes it messy, with water spraying out of the machine and the plugs turning into mud.
If you rent during a dry spell, water the lawn the day before to guarantee good conditions.
Be sure to look for a plug aerator, which pulls a small cylinder of soil from the ground. Spike aerators don’t remove the plug. While they do allow water and nutrients into the hole, spike aerators leave the soil immediately around the hole even more compacted than when you started.
There are three types of aerators to consider when renting.
Affordable and less expensive to rent than a powered aerator, these are a great choice if you already own a riding lawn mower. A pull-behind model such as this one from Brinly hitches to the rear of a riding lawn mower and can be dragged around as you are cutting the lawn or making a lawn aeration tour. They’re great for larger lawns that would take forever to do by hand. Look for one with at least two height settings — one for aeration and one for transport — so you won’t leave pockmarks when you cross the driveway or sidewalk.
These machines may look like a push mower or snow blower, but they’re more difficult to control. Because they’re penetrating the ground with significant force, they will buck and kick as they hit rocks and dense patches of soil. They’re heavy, noisy and can be difficult to transport, but they’re the best option for DIYers without a riding lawnmower. “These are the type of aerators we recommend to homeowners,” Mercer says, “Just make sure you have a helper to unload it from your vehicle and load it back up when you’re done.”
Electric lawn aerators run on a battery or power cable. Lacking the power of gas-powered machines, they also don’t have the weight required for effective coring, so most are spike aerators intended for light-duty work. It’s much easier to transport and use an electric aerator, and they’re often less expensive to rent than a gas aerator.
Lawn aerators are available from rental centers such as:
No matter where you rent from, be sure to call ahead to verify they have one in stock. Consider reserving one ahead of time if you’re renting during peak springtime usage.
Expect to pay between $35 to $65 to rent a lawn aerator for a half day, and $65 to $100 for 24 hours, depending on the model.
Most rental centers rent lawn aerators for four hours or a 24-hour period. How long you’ll need will depend on the size of your lawn. “I tell people that aerating your lawn will go a bit faster than mowing. So if it takes you two hours to mow your lawn, that gives you an idea of how long to rent an aerator,” Mercer says.
