‘Don’t sacrifice the quality of your aeration programme by fitting machinery with spurious tines’

By Alistair March 9, 2019 07:09 Updated

It is well documented that aeration is a key task for any turf manager. It can take many different forms – from Verti-Draining; linear aerating with a Verti-Quake or indeed Verti-Coring – but all have the same aim, to allow air movement through the surface providing a healthy environment for the grass plant. A regular aeration programme, conducted with well-maintained equipment, will pay off in both the health and the presentation of the grass surface. Nick Darking, sales manager at Charterhouse Turf Machinery explores why turf managers shouldn’t sacrifice the quality of their aeration programme by fitting machinery with spurious tines.

‘Often as a result of an attention-grabbing price, the purchase of inferior tines could be considered a false economy. Whilst they are perhaps a little cheaper to buy in the first instance, it is rare that these parts will deliver anywhere near the lifespan, wear tolerance or performance of the genuine article. The time and money spent on repairing or replacing clogged, bent or broken tines often outweighs the initial cost saving. Not only that, but the precision and quality of hole produced by an inferior tine can then require more time and money to be invested, to repair any surface damage and achieve the all-important recovery of the plant,’ he writes.

‘Looking at the bigger picture, these compatible tines often don’t accurately fit the machine they are intended for. I have seen cases of incorrectly fitted tines damaging the tine heads, with the subsequent vibration causing further, avoidable damage to integral parts of the unit.

‘Charterhouse’s genuine replacement tines are manufactured to the highest standards, ensuring the optimum performance of your aeration equipment. Plus, with no charge for standard delivery either direct to customers or through our nationwide dealer network, the cost difference to buy ‘genuine’ really is minimal – a small price to pay for peace of mind and better value for money!’