What is this grass watering tool, and how can I purchase another one?
May 16, 2022 10:15 AM   Subscribe

Several years ago my dad gave me this old gardening tool, that I've always referred to as a lawn water aerator. This particular tool that I owned was very cheaply made and could use some design improvements, but the concept is great and works very well in my dry climate. I need to buy a new one now, but my word searches aren't turning up what I need.

In the photo I've shared, the red arrow is pointing to the part of the tool where I screw in my garden hose. There's a dangly bit off the middle with a yellow plastic piece--this was broken before I came into possession of it but I think it acted as a foot press? The way I use it is to walk across my lawn, and every 12-16 inches or so I use my foot to press the two prongs into the soil and water shoots out of the prongs several inches below the surface of my soil. As you can probably see in the photo, the two prongs on my tool are no longer parallel to each other--they've bent out so they don't press into the soil as nicely and I can't bend them back into a straight position. The sticker on the tool with what I assume was company/tool information is no longer legible. I use this tool usually once a year in the Spring as a sort of lawn aerator, or occasionally throughout the summer on brown patches.

This seems to be the exact replacement I need, but it is no longer being made. I do not want this single-prong deep root irrigator. The PNA Tool Lending Library (not my city, just what came up in Googling) calls this a water injection aerator. I want a tool that 1) hooks up to my hose 2) has two (or more?) prongs that are designed to be pressed into soil with a foot. We have the technology! Why can't I find this!
posted by shornco to Home & Garden (4 answers total)
 
Best answer: Here's a lead: this site sells one called a "wetting fork." https://accuproducts.com/wetting-fork-ii.html
posted by purple_bird at 10:37 AM on May 16, 2022


Best answer: This company sells a "turfjector." https://www.miltona.com/store/Turfjectors/Turfjector-P231C46.aspx
posted by purple_bird at 10:43 AM on May 16, 2022


Response by poster: These are both great answers! I was hoping to spend a bit less, but these both have a water control valve which is a big upgrade from my old one that had me frantically moving to each new spot to avoid spraying water everywhere, so I might be able to justify the price.
posted by shornco at 10:47 AM on May 16, 2022


I didn't search yet, but I also wonder if you could turn up similar old tools on eBay. A tool library near me also had one like the photo you posted, which makes me think that this was a more popular design a decade or two ago. You could put an aftermarket hose valve on it as a cheap upgrade. Would be easiest to use on a model with the hose attachment higher up but might be tolerable?
posted by purple_bird at 11:25 AM on May 16, 2022 [1 favorite]


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