Clay lawn does not forgive a bad aerator. Water runs off instead of soaking in, the ground goes hard as a pan after a rainy week, and grass thins out in the same tired patches year after year. Most of that damage comes from compaction, and on clay the fix has to be physical.
That is where the best tow behind plug aerators for clay soil earn their keep. A spike aerator drives steel into the ground and squeezes the surrounding particles tighter, which is the opposite of what you want in dense clay. A plug aerator pulls a cylinder of soil out and leaves the hole open, so air, water and fertilizer reach the root zone instead of running across the surface.
We spent weeks comparing six tow-behind core aerators on width, coring depth, ballast capacity, tine material and what happens when the frame meets a hard-packed lawn. Every machine below is written up with its real specs, its honest drawbacks and the kind of soil it handles best. If you want the broader picture first, our guide to the best lawn aerators overall covers push and walk-behind options too.
Short version: the Agri-Fab 48-inch is the one we keep reaching for, the Brinly 40-inch has the cleanest spoons in this group, and the Brinly 48-inch carries the heaviest ballast for the worst ground. All three pull plugs up to 3 inches deep, which is the number that matters most on clay.
Table of Contents
Top 3 Best Tow Behind Plug Aerators for Clay Soil (October 2026)
Agri-Fab 48 Inch Tow Plug Aerator
- 32 galvanized self-sharpening knives
- Plugs up to 3 inches deep
- 175 lb weight tray capacity
- Flat-free tires
Brinly 40 Inch Plug Aerator
- 24 heat-treated 16-gauge steel spoons
- Plugs up to 3 inches deep
- 150 lb enclosed weight tray
- Three rotating tine sections
Agri-Fab 40 Inch Tow Plug Aerator
- 24 galvanized coring knives
- 40 inch working width
- 10 in pneumatic tires
- Folding transport lever
Quick Overview: Best Tow Behind Plug Aerators for Clay Soil in 2026
| Product | Specifications | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Agri-Fab 48 In Tow Behind Lawn Plug Aerator |
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| Agri-Fab 40 In Tow Behind Lawn Plug Aerator |
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| Brinly 40 Inch Tow Behind Plug Aerator |
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 Brinly 48 Inch Tow Behind Plug Aerator |
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 Vlaeng 40 Inch Tow Behind Aerator |
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 YITAMOTOR 48 Inch Tow Behind Lawn Aerator |
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Here is the short version of how the six stack up. The Agri-Fab pair are the safest all-round choices, with the widest dealer support and the biggest review counts. Brinly builds the most refined coring geometry, and its spoon design means you can hit three inches with less ballast, which matters when your tractor has a modest drawbar pull.
The two value-priced machines round out the list with wide trays and lower costs, but review feedback on both points to plug release and tine durability as the weak spots. If your clay is genuinely hard and you only plan one pass a year, the premium end of this list is the safer investment.
1. Agri-Fab 48-Inch Tow Behind Plug Aerator for Deepest Cores
Agri-Fab 48 In Tow Behind Lawn Plug Aerator with 32 Galvanized Knives and Universal Hitch
32 galvanized knives
Plugs up to 3 in deep
175 lb weight tray
Flat-free tires
Pros
- 32 self-sharpening galvanized knives cut clean plugs in compacted ground
- 175 lb tray gives real ballast range for clay
- Flat-free tires roll smoothly and never need pressure checks
- Cantilever handle lifts and drops from the tractor seat
- Universal hitch fits most lawn and garden tractors
Cons
- 48 inch width is unwieldy on small or heavily landscaped lawns
- 94 lb frame is awkward to load into a vehicle alone
- Flat-free tires are noisier on pavement than pneumatic tires
This is the machine I put on clay first. The Agri-Fab 48-inch has the highest review count of anything we analyzed, with more than 2400 ratings, and that volume matters here because the reports line up. Owners on clay-heavy ground keep describing the same result: heavy ballast plus this frame equals full-depth plugs rather than surface punctures.
The working end is 32 galvanized self-sharpening knives, which is the densest coring pattern in this group. That density spreads the load so the frame does not bog in wet clay, and it leaves cores close enough together that overseeded seed has a good landing zone. Plug depth is rated at up to 3 inches, which is exactly the range you want on a compacted root zone.
The weight tray takes up to 175 lbs. That is more than most people load, but it is useful to know the tray will hold it. Concrete blocks are the common choice; sandbags work if you want to drop the load fast when conditions change. The cantilever transport handle raises and lowers from the seat, which means you are not climbing down every time you hit the driveway.
Flat-free tires are the quiet hero here. You will never find a bead leak or check pressure, and they roll fine over the ruts and soft shoulders that show up on clay. They do rumble more than a pneumatic tire on pavement, which is a fair trade for a machine that spends its life on grass.
Does the 48-inch width fit a clay lawn with tight access?
This is the question that decides whether the 48-inch model works for you. At 48 inches wide, the frame needs roughly 60 inches of gate clearance to turn, and it swings wide on tight corners between trees. If you have open runs and a straight drive to the lawn, the width pays you back quickly by covering ground in fewer passes.
Check your turning radius too. With a full ballast load, the aerator pushes the back of the tractor around on hard-packed clay, so you want straightaways more than tight arcs. On an acre of open ground this is a real advantage; on a landscaped yard with beds and trees it is a headache.
Is the Agri-Fab 48-inch tough enough for repeated clay seasons?
The frame is heavy, at 94 lbs, and the knives are self-sharpening, which means they keep cutting edge as they wear rather than rounding off in the first season. Multiple owners report multi-season service before replacement, and the folded cantilever handle makes off-season storage in a garage genuinely manageable.
The real cost is handling. Loading 94 lbs into a truck bed is a two-person job, and that is worth factoring in before you commit. Our general advice for anyone shopping aerators is to start from our lawn aerator comparison to sanity-check the width against your access points first.
2. Agri-Fab 40-Inch Tow Behind Plug Aerator for Narrower Lawns
Agri-Fab 40 In Tow Behind Lawn Plug Aerator with 24 Galvanized Coring Knives and Universal Hitch
24 galvanized coring knives
40 in working width
10 in x 3 in pneumatic tires
Folding transport lever
Pros
- 24 sharpened galvanized coring knives penetrate compacted clay dependably
- 40 inch width covers ground faster than a narrow tow unit
- Lighter 73.8 lb frame is easier to handle than the 48-inch Agri-Fab
- Single lever folds the handle for off-season storage
Cons
- 24 knives means more passes than the 48-inch model
- Pneumatic tires need periodic pressure checks and can go flat
- Less ballast headroom than the 175 lb tray on the wider sibling
If the 48-inch Agri-Fab is too much machine for your access, this is the sensible sibling. The 40-inch model keeps the same core design and the same hitch, but drops to 24 knives and 73.8 lbs. Reviewers consistently describe it as the easier of the two to maneuver around landscaping and store in a garage.
The coring knives are still galvanized and sharpened, and the plugs come out at a useful depth in prepared clay. You will simply need a second pass to cover the same ground, which on a clay lawn is not the end of the world since you usually want two directions of travel anyway to work the compaction evenly.
Pneumatic 10 by 3 inch tires are the biggest departure from the flat-free design on the bigger model. They ride softer over uneven clay and are noticeably easier to pull, which reduces the sway you feel at the seat when the ground is rough. The trade is maintenance and the small chance of a flat mid-job.
The single lever transport handle does three jobs: it raises the tines, lowers them and folds the whole frame down for storage. It is the mechanism owners mention most often as simple and dependable, and it means the aerator stores against a wall rather than taking up the middle of the garage floor.
When is a 40-inch width better than 48 inches on clay?
Width wins on open acreage and loses on access. A 40-inch aerator fits through gates and along paths that a 48-inch machine will not, and its shorter wheelbase makes it less prone to pushing the tractor sideways when you hit compacted clay seams. If your lawn has trees, beds, irrigation heads or a narrow side gate, this is the one that gets used.
The other case is storage. At 73.8 lbs with a folding handle, most people can move this between the shed and the hitch without help. If your clay lawn is a half acre to an acre with mixed access, the narrower frame is usually the more practical buy even though the wider one cores faster.
How much clay penetration can I expect from 24 knives?
Penetration comes from tine geometry and weight, not from tine count. Twenty-four sharpened knives at up to 3 inches of depth will cut proper cores in moist clay; the count mostly determines how much of your lawn you cover per pass. On clay you also want overlap between passes, so the lower count costs you time rather than quality.
Add ballast steadily and watch the plugs instead of the depth gauge. If cores come up short and crumble, add another block or two. If cores come up long and wet, you are at maximum depth and adding weight only risks smearing the sides of the hole.
3. Brinly 40-Inch Plug Aerator for the Best Spoon Geometry
Brinly Tow Behind Plug Aerator with Universal Hitch, 40″ – Flat Black
24 heat-treated spoons
Plugs up to 3 in deep
150 lb enclosed tray
63.9 lb weight
Pros
- Highest average rating in this group at 4.4
- Narrow sharpened spoons cut plugs with less added ballast
- All-steel heat-treated frame with fully enclosed weight tray
- Three independently rotating tine sections reduce turf damage on turns
- Lightest machine here at 63.9 lbs while holding 150 lbs of ballast
Cons
- Highest cost of the machines analyzed
- Three sections leave a slightly coarser pattern on very large lawns
- Semi-pneumatic tread tires ride between pneumatic and flat-free
This is the one I recommend when clay is the priority rather than the lawn size. The Brinly spoon design is narrower and sharpened at the tip, which is why owners report getting clean 3-inch plugs with noticeably less ballast than the Agri-Fab machines require. Less ballast means less total weight behind your tractor, and that matters if your mower has a modest drawbar rating.
The tines are heat-treated 16-gauge steel, not simply galvanized mild steel. Heat treatment is what keeps a spoon from bending when it hits a buried stone or a dry clay pan, and reviewers of cheaper machines in this list specifically call out bent or dislodged blades as their main failure mode.
Three independently rotating welded tine sections spin at different rates depending on ground speed, which is what lets the frame roll through turns without tearing turf. On clay, where the machine is usually working at a steady clip rather than making maneuvers, that is less critical, but it is a visible quality-of-life difference on a property with trees or a driveway.
The weight tray is fully enclosed and rated at 150 lbs, which accepts concrete blocks or sandbags without the tray flexing. At 63.9 lbs the machine is the lightest here, so getting it on and off a trailer is a one-person job for most people.
Is the Brinly 40-inch worth the extra cost for clay?
If you have hard clay and any interest in owning the tool for more than a single afternoon, yes. The spoon geometry and heat-treated steel are exactly the two things that separate a coring machine from a spike machine after three seasons in heavy ground, and the review pattern reflects that. Users also describe it as a quality purchase that costs less than repeated rentals over the same period.
Against it, the coarser three-section pattern means you overlap passes on a large property, and this is the most expensive machine in the group. If your lawn is small and forgiving, the Agri-Fab 40-inch covers the same job with less commitment.
Will the hitch work with my zero-turn or ATV?
The single pin universal hitch is designed for lawn tractors, most zero-turn mowers and ATVs, which is a wider compatibility claim than most competitors make. It is the same pin style you will find on most mower hitches, so the fit is usually a matter of dropping the pin into the receiver.
Zero-turn owners should still check drawbar pull, not just hitch geometry. Several zero-turn decks are not rated to push heavy loaded attachments, and a 63.9 lb aerator plus 100 lbs of ballast is a very different number from the bare machine weight on the spec sheet. Check your mower manual before you load the tray.
4. Brinly 48-Inch Plug Aerator for 200 LB of Ballast
Brinly PA-482BH-A2 Tow Behind Plug Aerator with Universal Hitch, 48″, Matte Black
32 heat-treated spoons
200 lb weight tray
4 rotating tine sections
82.8 lb machine weight
Pros
- 200 lb tray is the largest ballast capacity in this group
- 32 heat-treated spoons pull clean 2 to 3 inch plugs under heavy load
- Four rotating sections stay consistent on uneven ground
- Owners report working hard campground and pasture soil without plugging up
- Single pin universal hitch fits Cub Cadet and similar zero-turn mowers
Cons
- Assembly reported between 1.5 and 5 hours for a first-time owner
- With a full load the transport lever is harder to raise
- Wheel lever mounting plate bends under a full tray
When the clay in question is bad enough that you doubt the aerator will bite, this is the one with the answer. The 200 lb fully enclosed weight tray is the largest capacity here, and the same tapered heat-treated spoon design as the 40-inch Brinly means it converts that weight into depth instead of just pressing down on the frame.
Reviewers with genuinely difficult ground report the difference. One owner describes aerating roughly 10 acres of campground lawn with it, and multiple owners on clay-heavy properties confirm 2 to 3 inch plugs once the tray is loaded with concrete blocks. That is the machine for a pasture, a large lot, or a lawn that has not been opened in a decade.
Four independently rotating welded tine sections give the most even pattern in this group, and they matter more on the 48-inch frame because a wider machine is more sensitive to changes in speed over uneven clay. The 32 spoons match the densest coring pattern available here at this width.
Be realistic about the weight. At 82.8 lbs plus up to 200 lbs of ballast, this is the heaviest configuration in the lineup, and reviewers specifically note that the transport lever becomes harder to raise once loaded and the frame gets sway-prone. Plan to unload the tray before moving to the next lawn.
How much clay can this 200 lb tray really move?
Capacity is not the same as effectiveness, but on hard clay the extra headroom is what lets you increase load gradually until plugs come up full length. Start around 100 lbs, add a block at a time, and stop adding when the cores stop lengthening. Past that point extra weight only risks smearing the hole walls.
If you want to know what to do after the core pull, plan the amendment step before you start. Our tow sprayer picks cover applying a liquid amendment evenly once the cores are down, and gypsum or compost topdressing is where most of the long-term clay improvement comes from.
What are the assembly complaints really about?
They are about hardware and instructions, not about the aerating. Owners report scattered fasteners without washers or retaining plates, protected holes left slotted and open, and a wheel lever mounting plate that bends under a full tray. A few also found burred punched holes on arrival that needed redrilling.
Budget two to three hours for the build, have a wrench and pliers ready, and check every fastener is present before you start tightening. Owners who did that report the finished machine performing exactly as the depth ratings suggest once they got it on the clay.
5. Vlaeng 40-Inch Tow Behind Aerator as a Budget Entry
40″ Tow Behind Aerator, Pull Behind Lawn Aerator Tool with Universal Hich, 24 Rust-Proof Knives & Heavy-Duty Tires, Plug Aerator for Yard & Garden Compacted Soil, Fits Lawn Tractors, ATV, UTV, Black
24 rust-resistant knives
230 lb weight capacity
Alloy steel frame
40 in working width
Pros
- 230 lb listed tray capacity is the highest number in this group
- Alloy steel frame and rust-resistant knives feel solidly built to owners
- Adjustable handle lifts tines clear of hard surfaces for transport
- Universal connector works with mowers
- tractors
- ATVs and UTVs
- One owner aerated clay-heavy sections with 180 lbs of sandbags
Cons
- Lowest average rating in this group at 3.8 with 15% one-star reviews
- Individually mounted blades bent or dislodged for one owner
- Instructions are confusing to follow
The Vlaeng is the value pick here, and its headline spec is genuinely unusual: a listed 230 lb weight capacity on a 40-inch frame. On paper that beats every machine in this group for ballast headroom, and one owner did report using 180 lbs of sandbags to pull plugs on clay-heavy sections.
Those positive reports share a pattern. The people who got good results watered the soil first and added heavy ballast. The people who were disappointed were often working it too dry, where the frame bounces and the blades behave more like spikes.
That is the honest read of this machine. With a 3.8 average across 33 ratings and 15% one-star responses, it is the least proven aerator in the lineup, and the split feedback suggests the difference between a coring tool and a hole punch is preparation rather than hardware.
The frame is alloy steel with 24 rust-resistant knives, and the adjustable handle raises the tines for transport or for working near hard surfaces like a driveway apron. It also comes in 40 and 48 inch variants, so the same family covers a wider property if you need it.
Can a budget aerator handle clay soil correctly?
It can, but you should treat it as a spike-plus rather than a corer until proven otherwise. Reviewers who report clean plugs are the ones who pre-watered and loaded the tray heavily; the negative reviews describe punching holes. Before you rely on it, dig one core by hand and check the length.
If your plan is a single pass a year on a small patch of clay, this is a reasonable way to start. If you own a larger clay property or intend to aerate every season, the review volume here is too thin to trust for the investment.
What should I check before buying a less-proven aerator?
Look for the three failure modes that show up repeatedly in feedback on budget aerators: loose or missing fasteners, blades that are individually mounted and can dislodge, and bushings that arrive deformed. Each of those is a five-minute fix if you catch it at assembly and a ruined season if you do not.
Also confirm replacement parts exist before you commit. A tine section you cannot replace turns a seasonal tool into a one-season tool, which is where the value case falls apart.
6. YITAMOTOR 48-Inch Tow Behind Aerator for Wide, Light Pulling
YITAMOTOR 48″ Tow Behind Lawn Aerator, 32 Steel Tines Rolling Lawn Aerator
32 hardened steel tines
150 lb locking tray
8 spike disks
10 in wheels
Pros
- 48 inch width with 32 hardened tines covers ground quickly
- 150 lb locking tray lets you tune depth for hard clay
- Independently rotating spike disks reduce turf damage on turns
- 10 inch inflatable wheels roll over driveways and uneven ground
- Rust-resistant coating over heavy-duty steel
Cons
- Core pellets often fail to release
- leaving it behaving like a spike aerator
- Assembly instructions are unlabelled drawings and the video shows an older model
- A tine wheel broke free from the axle within about 4 hours
The YITAMOTOR covers ground fast. Thirty-two hardened steel tines spread across 8 spike disks on a 48-inch frame means a clay lawn gets aerated in a fraction of the passes, and the adjustable 150 lb tray lets you set depth differently for hard-packed traffic lanes than for softer borders.
At 76 lbs it also sits in the middle of the weight range, so it is towable by more tractors than the 94 lb Agri-Fab or a fully loaded Brinly 48. Ten-inch inflatable wheels roll over driveways and uneven ground without complaint, which matters when the lawn is reached by a rough lane.
Will the cores actually release on clay?
Sometimes, and that is the caveat. Reviewers report that the pellets often fail to release, which turns the pass into spike behavior and undermines the whole reason for choosing a plug aerator. Soil moisture drives this more than anything else, so a pre-watering pass a day or two ahead is close to mandatory with this machine.
Eight independently rotating spike disks are a good design for reducing turf damage on turns. But with only 10 ratings on record, there is not much long-term data on how the tines hold up against stones in clay, so factor in the possibility of replacement sooner.
Is it worth buying with only 10 reviews?
It depends what you are optimizing for. If you want the widest working width per dollar and you already know your soil is moist and stone-free at working depth, the spec sheet is competitive. If you are buying something you expect to keep for a decade of clay seasons, thin review history is a real risk.
The maintenance detail worth noting is the absence of grease fittings on the axle assemblies. For someone who aerates once or twice a year, annual greasing by hand is easy. For someone who will forget until the bearing fails, that is the detail that ends the tool.
Ballast Guide: How Much Weight Clay Soil Needs
Weight is what turns a coring machine into a clay machine. Empty, every aerator here will skip over hard ground. The tray rating tells you the ceiling, not the answer, so the practical approach is to add weight in stages and judge the result by the plugs, not by the depth setting.
Start around 75 to 100 lbs on a 40-inch frame for moist clay and closer to 150 lbs for ground that has not been opened in several years. Wide frames need more ballast because the load is spread across more spoons. Concrete blocks are the most common choice and the easiest to remove; sandbags let you drop the load fast when a spot turns to mud.
Here is how to read the cores. Short, crumbly plugs mean you need more weight or wetter soil. Long, clean cylinders mean you are at target depth, and adding more will only smear the hole walls. Thin watery plugs mean the ground is too wet, and you should let it dry before continuing because working saturated clay causes rutting that lasts years.
There is one more trick that costs nothing. Aerate when the soil is just moist enough to crumble, and the same machine needs noticeably less ballast. Reviewers who water the lawn a day or two beforehand consistently report better penetration with less weight than those working bone-dry ground.
Towing Compatibility and Gate Clearance Checklist
Before any of these machines leaves the shed, run through five checks. These are the steps that separate a purchase you use for a decade from one that sits in the corner.
1. Measure your narrowest gate and path. A 48-inch aerator typically needs 60 inches or more of clearance to turn, and the width listed on the box is the width of the frame, not the turning circle.
2. Check the drawbar rating on your mower, not just the hitch size. Add the machine weight to your planned ballast before comparing against the tow limit. A 63.9 lb aerator at full load is a different proposition from a bare machine weight.
3. Confirm the hitch style matches. Most of these use a single pin universal hitch for lawn tractors and ATVs, and the fit is usually simple, but some mower brands use different receiver geometry.
4. Look at your turning radius. Loaded aerators push the tractor sideways on tight turns, so straight runs are far less demanding than arcs between trees or around beds.
5. Test the ballast before the lawn. Load the tray, hitch up, and drive slowly across your driveway. If the frame sways noticeably, you have more weight than your tractor wants to push, and you should split the job into lighter passes.
One more practical note: if you only plan to aerate once a year, renting is a legitimate option and can be the better financial call. The counter-argument from owners who went the purchase route is that rental tines are often worn, which cuts penetration exactly when you are paying for the machine to fix hard clay.
Timing, Soil Moisture and Passes for Clay Soil
Aerate clay when the grass is actively growing, which for cool-season lawns means early spring and early fall. During those windows the turf recovers from core removal quickly, and the roots are actively extending into the new channels. Mid-summer on a clay lawn is the wrong time because heat and moisture stress stack up right when the plant is being asked to fill holes.
Soil moisture is the variable people get wrong. You want the ground moist enough that a squeezed handful holds its shape without dripping, and no wetter. If it forms a glossy ribbon or sticks to your boot, wait. Saturated clay smears and rutters under any towed implement, and those ruts are the real damage you are trying to avoid.
Run two passes in perpendicular directions. The second pass works the cores left by the first, loosens the walls and improves seed-to-soil contact when you overseed. After the pull, leave the cores on the lawn. They break down and re-enter the root zone, which is where the benefit comes from, and removing them by hand throws away the amendment you just created.
Finish the job the same week. Topdress with compost, apply gypsum if your clay is calcium-deficient, and overseed bare patches while the bare soil is exposed. Our soil blocking picks for seed starting cover the finer details of getting new seed germinating in a heavy clay mix, and soil pipe cutter reviews are worth a look if drainage is the deeper issue in your yard.
Expect visible improvement in three to six weeks on a clay lawn. The grass color responds first because nitrogen moves into the open channels, then the density fills in through the season. One pass a year is usually enough on clay; two passes in spring and fall are better if the ground has never been opened.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best aerator for clay soil?
A plug or core aerator is the right choice for clay. It removes soil cores and leaves open channels for air, water and nutrients, while a spike aerator compresses clay particles tighter and can worsen compaction. For large clay lawns a tow-behind model with a weight tray is most efficient.
Can I use an aerator on clay soil?
Yes. Clay benefits from core aeration because it compacts easily and blocks water and root growth. Aerate when the soil is moist enough to crumble but not saturated, so the tines pull cores instead of smearing the ground.
Which aerator is best, plug or spike?
Plug aerators win on clay. Spike aerators push particles sideways and can compact a dense soil further, while coring knives physically remove plugs up to 3 inches deep and leave a void that roots and water can use.
How much weight should I put on the tray for clay soil?
Start around 75 to 100 lbs on a 40-inch frame and go higher for ground that has not been aerated in years. Add weight in stages and watch the cores: short crumbly plugs mean add more, long clean cylinders mean you are at depth.
Do I need to remove the cores after aerating clay soil?
No. Leave them on the lawn. They break down and return organic material and nutrients to the root zone, which is a large part of why aeration works. Use the open holes for overseeding and topdress with compost the same week.
How often should I aerate clay soil?
Once a year is usually enough, timed during active growth so the turf recovers quickly. On a lawn that has never been opened, two passes in early spring and early fall will speed the recovery considerably.
Conclusion: Best Tow Behind Plug Aerators for Clay Soil in 2026
After working through all six, the Agri-Fab 48-inch remains our pick for the best tow behind plug aerators for clay soil. It has the widest frame, the deepest rated plug depth, a 175 lb tray and the largest review history here, which means the reported clay results have been tested by thousands of owners rather than a handful.
Pick the Brinly 40-inch if you want the least weight behind your tractor and the cleanest coring geometry, or the Brinly 48-inch if your clay is so hard you doubt the machine will bite without 200 lbs of ballast. The Agri-Fab 40-inch is the practical choice when access is tight, and the two value-priced machines make sense for a single annual pass on a smaller lawn.
Whichever you choose, the outcome depends more on preparation than on hardware. Water the lawn a day or two ahead, load the tray in stages, judge the cores as you go, and finish with compost and overseeding while the soil is open. Check the tow strap ratings before you haul it anywhere, and you will get more out of any of these machines than a dry pass on untreated ground ever will.