Great review, one of the best and most honest I have seen! You can adjust the tension on the parking brake. Look at the brake rods, they are threaded to adjust brake tension to your preference. The brake cleats are also designed to be rounded so they don't damage tires when employees drive around with the brake on...not that any employees would ever do that.
Thanks for the feedback David! The Tension of the brake isn't the issue we are seeing, it just that when the break is disengaged, there's only like a inch space between it and the tire, and the mud from cores gets all jammed up in there, usually doesn't affect performance, just a little messy!
The only thing I don’t like about these Stingers is 2 things: 1) The parking break/mud build-up issues and 2) It would be nice if the front hand bar was adjustable as it really makes the hands ache after running day-in/day-out for anyone with smaller hands. A good example of the adjustable hand bar is on the Ferris stand on mowers (Z2/Z3, etc)
Great video. Been using this “Stinger” for several years now. The chains and belts breaking sucked on the older Exmark/Toro models for sure! I feel you on that. What ride on granular fert spreaders do you use/prefer?
We have been using the chariot spreaders for years now, this year we upgraded to a T300 from lesco. We had some kinks to iron our with it but overall, its a great machine.
Hands down that Stinger came out with this. I’ve been operating mine for three seasons. The seed hopper is a no brainer and you don’t waste seed either. The parking brake sucks, not a good design at all. It needs to lock the hydraulics and it would eliminate any employee from driving with it applied, plus it won’t move as easily in the trailer. Yes, awesome machine.
Dannng!!! I still think it's worth it! We did 100 hours with zero grease, maintenance and zero downtime. We just dropped it off at a local place to have it fully serviced
@@nathanjamesDewey has the broadcast spreader on the front? Those are cool and all I think the drop spreader makes the most sense. With the broadcast spreader, unless you have it at a very low rate, you can't do seed and aeration at the same time like you can with this machine. We spread 250 bags of seed last season and it takes about 15 -20 minutes per bag with our chariot spreader. So it saves us at least 40 man hours being able to spread the bulk of the seed with the drop spreader while aerating.
I hate chains on all the other units. I bought a classen sa30 stander in 2018 and its okay but starting to break chains fairly regularly. Its hard to justify 15k though
Not hard to justify at all. Being the only guy on our company’s aeration operation it’s so nice to aerate and seed simultaneously; while using the broadcast spreader to hit the spots the drop seeder miss. Much much faster with hours used and lack of down time. Over several seasons time saved added up
Odd there's no cover over the tines, seems dangerous to me. You can make or buy a simple wheel spacer for the back wheels to open up that gap that mud gets caught in. Pretty neat stuff! Had no idea they were that pricey! No chains!!
Are you doing a single pass aeration/seeding at 5 lb./k or double pass? Conceptually it would seem easy to have gaps as with any drop seeder vs. broadcasting. We have just purchased the same machine. Any tips would be appreciated. Thanks.
The front wheels and casters don't have zirc fittings. I disassembled to add grease. There wasn't any grease present. I'm used to Z Spray machines for fertilizing and greasing the bearings. We can't locate our manual. Are these "sealed bearings" that don't require grease to be added? I'm not familiar with this setup. Any help appreciated.
Lol The chain's matter! a broken chain can cause major down time in prime season and sometimes you can't even move the machine when one breaks. We had used our exmark aerator for about seven seasons. Had to grease once a day and lube the chains multiple times per day to keep them from breaking. Huge headache.
Just bought this identical lesco aerator today. I noticed the plugs were smaller or skinnier. Are these lesco tines different then the stinger tines? Thx
@@benschutman8133 The stinger tines are different from regular aeration tines. You have to buy stinger tines. Lesco might brand the stinger tines as their own but regular larger tines will not fit without modification
the company i work for has several exmark units and switched to the stingers because of the chain issues with the exmarks.how hilly the terrain is combined with the yahoos running them probably didnt help.
That’s because chains are a weak link…pun intended. And when something breaks that means down time and lost profits. That is what it is, unless there is a better option and the stingers are the better option. Well worth the money in my opinion.
I bought a stinger. Same machine. Well worth the money, hands down
Def worth the money. Chains & belts breaking halting progress on older stand-on aerators sucks!
Great review, one of the best and most honest I have seen!
You can adjust the tension on the parking brake. Look at the brake rods, they are threaded to adjust brake tension to your preference. The brake cleats are also designed to be rounded so they don't damage tires when employees drive around with the brake on...not that any employees would ever do that.
Thanks for the feedback David!
The Tension of the brake isn't the issue we are seeing, it just that when the break is disengaged, there's only like a inch space between it and the tire, and the mud from cores gets all jammed up in there, usually doesn't affect performance, just a little messy!
The only thing I don’t like about these Stingers is 2 things: 1) The parking break/mud build-up issues and 2) It would be nice if the front hand bar was adjustable as it really makes the hands ache after running day-in/day-out for anyone with smaller hands. A good example of the adjustable hand bar is on the Ferris stand on mowers (Z2/Z3, etc)
I agree with the parking break, although the mud doesn't seem to slow it down. The adjustable hand bar would be a nice upgrade
I’ve put 300 hours on this machine and have never had mud build up like this.
Operating Turfco Xt8 I imagined smaller tines would offer greater penetration & our Stinger confirms it.
Smaller tines?
Great video. Been using this “Stinger” for several years now. The chains and belts breaking sucked on the older Exmark/Toro models for sure! I feel you on that. What ride on granular fert spreaders do you use/prefer?
We have been using the chariot spreaders for years now, this year we upgraded to a T300 from lesco. We had some kinks to iron our with it but overall, its a great machine.
Hands down that Stinger came out with this. I’ve been operating mine for three seasons. The seed hopper is a no brainer and you don’t waste seed either. The parking brake sucks, not a good design at all. It needs to lock the hydraulics and it would eliminate any employee from driving with it applied, plus it won’t move as easily in the trailer.
Yes, awesome machine.
Just got quoted yesterday at site one in Iowa the same machine is 17 grand now
Dannng!!! I still think it's worth it! We did 100 hours with zero grease, maintenance and zero downtime. We just dropped it off at a local place to have it fully serviced
@@locallandscapers3257 I honestly still want the Z plug aerator
@@nathanjamesDewey has the broadcast spreader on the front? Those are cool and all I think the drop spreader makes the most sense. With the broadcast spreader, unless you have it at a very low rate, you can't do seed and aeration at the same time like you can with this machine. We spread 250 bags of seed last season and it takes about 15 -20 minutes per bag with our chariot spreader. So it saves us at least 40 man hours being able to spread the bulk of the seed with the drop spreader while aerating.
@@locallandscapers3257 Yes it has a cedar on the front and I like the Z plug because it has more weight on the tines
Great video!
I hate chains on all the other units. I bought a classen sa30 stander in 2018 and its okay but starting to break chains fairly regularly. Its hard to justify 15k though
Not hard to justify at all. Being the only guy on our company’s aeration operation it’s so nice to aerate and seed simultaneously; while using the broadcast spreader to hit the spots the drop seeder miss. Much much faster with hours used and lack of down time. Over several seasons time saved added up
Odd there's no cover over the tines, seems dangerous to me. You can make or buy a simple wheel spacer for the back wheels to open up that gap that mud gets caught in. Pretty neat stuff! Had no idea they were that pricey! No chains!!
looks like the tine cover is laying on the ground behind the machine.
He took cover off for video
Remove the tine cover for increased horsepower 😂
Thanks for the video it’s a nice machine any luck on doing a video on the Lesco ride on spreader and how they do?
I'll do one on those as well, they are fantastic machines!
How wide is it from wheel to wheel? 42in?
Are you doing a single pass aeration/seeding at 5 lb./k or double pass? Conceptually it would seem easy to have gaps as with any drop seeder vs. broadcasting. We have just purchased the same machine. Any tips would be appreciated. Thanks.
I would do majority of seed with drop spreader and then come through with the remainder of seed with a broadcast to help prevent the gaps.
@@locallandscapers3257Double pass aerate with 1/2 the rate of seed you want to apply. Problem solved.
The front wheels and casters don't have zirc fittings. I disassembled to add grease. There wasn't any grease present. I'm used to Z Spray machines for fertilizing and greasing the bearings. We can't locate our manual. Are these "sealed bearings" that don't require grease to be added? I'm not familiar with this setup. Any help appreciated.
He said sealed bearings in the video and yes, bearings are sealed.
What do you charge for a 10,000 sq foot lawn to aerate and overseed?
$425 with fescue seed and fertilizing
Does the seed come out in front or behind the tines? Looks like in front
It comes out in front of the tines
@locallandscapers3257 notice any difference in germination with the seed coming out in front vs broadcasting after you have aerated?
You know some how it still finds its way into the holes. Its pretty surprising.
Good review.. but you are fixated on chains! Maybe you've had bad luck with them or defects but we have never had any problems with chains, ever
Lol The chain's matter! a broken chain can cause major down time in prime season and sometimes you can't even move the machine when one breaks. We had used our exmark aerator for about seven seasons. Had to grease once a day and lube the chains multiple times per day to keep them from breaking. Huge headache.
Just bought this identical lesco aerator today. I noticed the plugs were smaller or skinnier. Are these lesco tines different then the stinger tines? Thx
@@benschutman8133 The stinger tines are different from regular aeration tines. You have to buy stinger tines. Lesco might brand the stinger tines as their own but regular larger tines will not fit without modification
the company i work for has several exmark units and switched to the stingers because of the chain issues with the exmarks.how hilly the terrain is combined with the yahoos running them probably didnt help.
That’s because chains are a weak link…pun intended. And when something breaks that means down time and lost profits. That is what it is, unless there is a better option and the stingers are the better option. Well worth the money in my opinion.