Making a lawn look good is one thing, but making it perform is another. When you have to take care of grass for sports, recovery times need to be minimal and consistency needs to be uniform to get a quality playing surface. JRCO’s turf attachments are designed for the needs of professionals who care for golf courses, sports fields and other areas where perfection is a must. Even if you don’t need this level of quality, the hooker aerator and electric broadcast spreader are great alternatives to traditional implements.
Hooker Aerator
Compaction is a major problem on fields, but hollow tine core aeration leaves a mess that isn’t just unsightly, it can hinder playing performance. Spike aerators don’t leave cores, but they aren’t as effective at relieving compaction and can actually increase it around the holes they create. The hooker aerator gets around these problems by using a method that bridges the gap between spikes and hollow tines. Its curved tines dig into the soil, hook onto it and pull it out. This leaves small, uncompressed holes and uncompressed soil that blends into the grass. With no hard cores left over, turf is ready for use immediately after aeration.
The benefits don’t stop there. This simple method of aeration is faster than using hollow tines, and lower force eliminated the need for a separate engine or heavy weights to push the tines into the soil.
Each tine is a half inch wide, 1 ¼ inch long and up to three inches deep, removing about as much soil as a 5/8 inch core aerator. 5 tines are built into a one-piece rotor, reducing maintenance. The 10 rotors are grouped in pairs, each with its own moving support. This lets the tines glide over rocks and other obstacles for a clean finish. The aerator mounts to the mower using two-point hitch. Together with support from swiveling caster wheels, the tines track the tow vehicle with no jackknifing. A pair of sight flags at the corners of the unit makes it easy to track from the operator’s position.
An electric actuator is built into the aerator. The switch for the motor can be positioned next to the operator, making it easy to lift and lower the tines when moving between lawns and over pavement.
Electric Broadcast Spreader
A broadcast spreader can be little more than a hopper and a spinning cone on a pair of wheels, but it takes more than that to get precision seeding. JRCO’s electric broadcast spreader mounts up front within view of the operator and has a sophisticated spreading system that works equally well with seeds, granular fertilizer, pelletized fertilizer and ice melting products.
No matter what type of salt is used, ice melt can be corrosive. To protect this device, every component that will touch the material is made out of stainless steel. The hopper holds up to 2.2 cubic feet or 120 lbs. of material. A vibrating agitator keeps material of any diameter flowing freely.
The spreader can be set from the base of the hopper to drop materials at a width of 5 to 24 feet. Once underway, the drop rate can be changed using an electronic speed control that mounts next to the operator. The electric motor is mounted to the base of the attachment, counterbalancing the weight of the hopper. While it is out in the open for cooling, the motor is protected from collisions by a 180-degree metal bumper.
JRCO makes three versions of this spreader. The 503 uses a foot-operated gate, which is perfect for mowers with mid-mount decks, while the 504 has a push/pull cable gate to put the controls within each reach on walk-behind and front mount mowers. Both spreaders are designed to work with a JRCO mount bar. The 504U is designed for use with UTVs. It has a longer push-pull cable and attaches using the company’s 1 1/4” hitch receiver mount. The wiring uses a quick disconnect, making it easy to mount and remove the spreader.
Get More from Your Mower
Shank’s Lawn Equipment is a certified dealer for JRCO along with most major mower manufacturers including Exmark, Wright, and Scag. If you’re looking for ways to major lawn care jobs easier or you need parts or service for your current equipment, visit us at 4900 Molly Pitcher Highway in Chambersburg, PA. To get here from Interstate 81, take Exit 10 to Marion.
We can also ship the OEM parts you need to maintain your JRCO attachments to any address in the US or Canada. To order, visit our website, www.shankslawn.com.