Vibrant Yard Step ’N Tilt Lawn Aerator 3 Operating instructions

Step ‘N Tilt™Lawn Aerator 3
The Easy Way to Revitalize Your Lawn
Installation & Owner's Manual
Vibrant Yard Company LLC
625 N. Washington Ave, Wichita, KS 67214, USA
Please email [e-mail] for customer support
U.S. Patent No. 8,714,275 and other
patents pending
With optional soil
core container
IMPORTANT: READ THIS MANUAL CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THE
STEP ‘N TILT
™
LAWN AERATOR
May be used with one or two pairs of tines
Model SNT3C
Model SNT3

U.S. Patent No. 8,714,275 and other patents pending SNT3, Rev 7/5/2019
Copyright © 2019 Vibrant Yard Company LLC, Wichita, Kansas, USA. All rights reserved. Page 2of 8
1. INTRODUCTION
Congratulations on your purchase of the Step ’N Tilt™Lawn Aerator 3. We are confident that you will be amazed by its
capabilities. For your safety, please read and understand all installation and operating procedures in this manual before
attempting to install and use your Step ’N Tilt ™. It is designed for operators weighing at least 90 lb and up to 6 feet, 6
inches tall. In addition to lawn aeration, your Step ’N Tilt™ is also a very capable 60 lb capacity hand truck.
WARNING: The use of Step ’N Tilt™involves physical activity similar to climbing stairs and requires a sense of
balance. Do not use if you are unable to climb stairs without holding onto a handrail. Although moderate physical
activity such as using the Step ’N Tilt™is safe for most people, health experts suggest that you talk to your doctor before
you start a new physical activity or an exercise program. Do not use when the ground is wet or on slopes where you
might lose traction, slip, or fall.
Important Helpful Hints:
1. Although the tines are designed to prevent clogging in clay soil, the tines may still clog if the soil is too wet. Please
aerate two or three days after at least one inch of rain or irrigation. Please wait one or two more days if the tines clog.
The tines will be able to aerate heavy clay soil without clogging if the soil is not too wet.
2. If the tines are unable to penetrate the ground, the soil may be too dry. The tines may wear prematurely if the ground
is too dry. Therefore, the soil should not be too dry or too wet.
3. If your area has experienced prolonged drought, a short rain or irrigation may not provide sufficient moisture for
aeration. It may take a few days for water to be absorbed into compacted clay soil.
4. The soil cores left in your lawn as a result of using the Step ’N Tilt™ will promote beneficial biological activity that
helps decompose thatch and grass clippings. The soil cores will disintegrate back into the soil within a couple of
weeks.
2. INSTALLATION
Note: Please use metric size wrenches or adjustable wrenches.
Step 1: Install the wheels to the baseplate. Two bolts and two
nuts are required for each wheel. Use a 14mm wrench to hold
the nut and a 12mm wrench to tighten the hex head bolt.
Nut (14mm wrench)
hex head bolt
(12mm wrench)
baseplate

U.S. Patent No. 8,714,275 and other patents pending SNT3, Rev 7/5/2019
Copyright © 2019 Vibrant Yard Company LLC, Wichita, Kansas, USA. All rights reserved. Page 3of 8
Step 2: Let the U-tube lay horizontally on a flat surface such as
a table or floor. Slide the bent tubes into the U-tube. Install the
shorter Phillips head screw and locknuts to hand tightness
only. DO NOT tighten the nuts yet; you will tighten them in
step 3.
Step 3: Install the upper handle bar onto the baseplate. Take note of the
orientation of the handle bar; it should be tilted forward as shown in the
picture. Secure the hex locknut with a 10mm or adjustable wrench while
tightening the Phillips head screw with a screwdriver (four locations).
locknut
long
Phillips
screw
The Phillips head will recess in the large
circular cutout.
locknut
short Phillips
screw
short Phillips
screw
locknut
large circular
cutout
long Phillips
Screw
locknut
large circular
cutout
large circular
cutout
bent tube
U-tube
baseplate

U.S. Patent No. 8,714,275 and other patents pending SNT3, Rev 7/5/2019
Copyright © 2019 Vibrant Yard Company LLC, Wichita, Kansas, USA. All rights reserved. Page 4of 8
Step 4: Let the Step ’N Tilt™rest horizontally as shown to install the aerator tines. Please begin by using
the one pair of tines only. Two pairs of tines may be used after you have become familiar with its
operation, if faster aeration is desired.
Step 5a: The height of the latches, which is adjustable,
controls the tightness of the latches. The following
procedures have been shown to achieve an acceptable level
of tightness. Install the latches using the hex bolts,
washers, and nuts as shown on the right. Tighten the nuts
to the bolts by hand only and then back off the nut by a
quarter turn so that the latches can slide freely on the
container. DO NOT tighten the bolts and nuts yet; you will
tighten them in step 5b below.
latch body
One pair of tines is intended for general purpose use and recommended for troubled areas and bare spots.
Two pairs of tines will require significantly more force to push the tines into the ground. It is intended for
maintenance of healthy lawn only; it works well on grass with a very healthy root system only. Soil may stick to the
spaces between the tines if the root system is poor.
FOR OPTIONAL SOIL CORE CONTAINER ONLY
Step 5b: Place the container on a table or floor as shown below. Allow the latch body to slide down to its
lowest position by gravity. Push the latch arm against the container. Make sure that latch arm is in contact
with the edge and bottom of the container and the floor or table as shown. Tighten the bolts with your
hand to temporarily secure the latches. Finally, tighten the bolts and nuts with 10mm wrenches.
PUSH
contact
latch
latch arm
latch handle
OPTIONAL: Install the second pair of
aerator tines only after you have
gained enough experience with using
one pair of aerator tines.
REQUIRED: Begin by using
one pair of aerator tines only
Nut (14mm)
bolt
Bolt (12mm)
nut
washer
hex
bolt
aerator tine

U.S. Patent No. 8,714,275 and other patents pending SNT3, Rev 7/5/2019
Copyright © 2019 Vibrant Yard Company LLC, Wichita, Kansas, USA. All rights reserved. Page 5of 8
3. USING THE STEP ’N TILT™
Always wear leather shoes or rubber boots while operating the Step ’N Tilt™. The Step ’N Tilt™aerator tines are very
sharp. Serious injury to legs and feet can occur if it is not handled carefully.
Aerate your lawn two to three days after an inch (or more) of rain or irrigation. The tines may clog if the soil is too wet or
muddy. On the other hand, the tines will not be able to penetrate the ground if the soil is too dry. If the tines clog, please
wait one to two days before aerating again. The Step ’N Tilt™lawn aerator tines are designed to aerate clay soil but the
moisture content must be at a correct level. The grass leaves should be dry so that you can walk on the lawn safely
without losing traction, but the soil should be moist. Note that the soil cores are usually shorter than the depth of the holes
because the soil is compressed during the core removal process.
Helpful tips for aerating highly compacted clay soil: If your clay soil is highly compacted or has never been aerated, water
may not readily absorb into the clay soil. Water will simply run off the surface of the clay soil during rain or irrigation.
Highly compacted clay soil may seem moist at the surface after rain or irrigation but remains dry and compacted
underneath the surface. A compacted soil plug may stick to the tip of the aerator tine and impede soil core extraction. We
suggest you proceed with aerating the lawn anyway although no soil core is extracted. Use one set of tines only. Note
that the tine tips may wear more quickly, especially if the soil contains rock. The tines will create holes in the ground
which will serve as little reservoirs to collect water during the next rain or irrigation and allow water to reach deeper into
the ground. A second aeration should yield better results and may extract soil cores successfully. The tine tips may be
sharpened with a grinding stone if they become dull or chipped.
If you wish to leave the soil cores on the ground, adjust the deflectors to the open position as shown in
the right picture above. To open a deflector, (1) lift the deflector up above the rear deflector slot, (2)
swing the deflector open, and (3) push the deflector down to insert it into the front deflector slot as
shown in the left picture above.
(2)
SWING
OPEN
(3)
PUSH
DOWN
(1)
LIFT
UP
deflector in
open position
rear
deflector
slot
deflectors in open
position
deflector in
open position
deflector
in closed
position
front
deflector
slot
front
deflector
slot
rear deflector
slot for use in
closed position
only
HOLD HERE
TO LIFT
HOLD HERE
TO LIFT

U.S. Patent No. 8,714,275 and other patents pending SNT3, Rev 7/5/2019
Copyright © 2019 Vibrant Yard Company LLC, Wichita, Kansas, USA. All rights reserved. Page 6of 8
If you wish to collect the soil cores, close the deflectors and place the container (an optional accessory) onto
the baseplate. To secure the container using the latches, (1) push the latch arm against the bottom of the
baseplate while (2) lifting the latch handle up against the container as shown in the left picture above. The
latch handle will snap securely into place if the height of the latch has been adjusted correctly. If needed,
readjust the tightness of the latches by adjusting the height of the latch bodies (see step 5b).
(1) PUSH
(2) LIFT
latch handle
latch arm
latch arm
latch handle
baseplate
baseplate
latch body
OPERATING PROCEDURES
Tips: The aerator tines will penetrate the ground
only a few inches so it will not damage
underground sprinkler pipes because they are
typically buried much deeper. However, the
aerator tines may damage sprinkler heads. We
recommend flagging the sprinkler heads prior to
aerating so that you can avoid hitting them during
aeration.
Lawn aeration procedures are as simple and
effortless as POSITION-STEP-TILT as follow:
POSITION: Determine a safe location to aerate,
position the aerator tines vertically, and place your
foot on the baseplate. If you are using the optional
soil core container, place your foot on the top plate
of the container.
top plate
top plate
aerator tine

U.S. Patent No. 8,714,275 and other patents pending SNT3, Rev 7/5/2019
Copyright © 2019 Vibrant Yard Company LLC, Wichita, Kansas, USA. All rights reserved. Page 7of 8
STEP: Step on the baseplate directly above the aerator
tines (do not push down on the handle with your hands).
Soil cores will stay inside the aerator tines the first time
you perform this task. The second time you perform this
task, the second soil cores will push the first soil cores out
of the aerator tines through the top opening, as shown in
the figure on the right. Note that the soil cores are usually
shorter than the depth of the holes because the soil is
compressed during the core removal process. The
deflectors will prevent soil cores from dropping onto the
baseplate so your shoes will stay clean. If the optional
soil core container is used, step on the top plate of the
container. The soil cores will be deposited directly into
the container.
TILT: Remove your foot from the baseplate and take a small step back. Tilt the
handle back to remove the tines from the ground. Repeat the steps POSITION-
STEP-TILT to create holes that are between 2 to 6 inches apart. Alternate your left
and right feet occasionally to reduce fatigue.
Tips: If the aerator tines clog, remove the clog in accordance with the procedures in
the next page. If the tines continually clog, the soil may be too wet or muddy. Wait
1-2 days before aerating again. If the tines cannot penetrate the ground, the soil may
be too dry.To avoid excessive tine wear, do not use the Step ’N Tilt™lawn aerator
when the ground is too dry.
S
T
E
P
TILT
soil core
deflector

U.S. Patent No. 8,714,275 and other patents pending SNT3, Rev 7/5/2019
Copyright © 2019 Vibrant Yard Company LLC, Wichita, Kansas, USA. All rights reserved. Page 8of 8
4. MAINTENANCE
Remove soil cores from the tines using the soil core remover prior to storage. Spray a thin coat of oil (WD-40 or
equivalent) on the inside surfaces of the tines after each use to prevent corrosion/rust. Corrosion on the inside surfaces
of the tines may impede core removal and cause clogging.
Occasionally, the fasteners may become loose. Tighten the fasteners as needed but do not over-tighten.
Through the normal use, the powder-coated finish on the aerating tines may deteriorate due to abrasion. In addition,
the aerator tines may become dull and require sharpening. The steel tines may be sharpened with a grinding wheel.
Due to its high hardness, the tines cannot be easily sharpened with a file. Alternatively, you may purchase replacement
tines from https://vibrantyard.com.
5. LIMITED WARRANTY
Vibrant Yard Company, LLC. will repair or replace without cost to the owner any part or parts of the Step ’N Tilt™
found to have manufacturing defect for a period of one year from the date of purchase.
HOW TO USE THE SOIL CORE REMOVER
CORRECT: Tilt the Step ’N Tilt™to a horizontal position if the soil core is to be removed while the aerator
tine is installed on the Step ’N Tilt™. Push the soil core from the bottom opening of the aerator tine. Do not
use a screwdriver or any sharp object to remove the soil core as this will cause the soil to stick to the inside
surfaces of the tine, which will cause further clogging.
INCORRECT: Never push the soil core from the top opening of the aerator tine; doing so will cause the soil
to stick to the inside surfaces of the tine, which will cause further clogging.
NO, do not insert soil core
remover from the top opening
safety guard
CAUTION
Sharp Edges!
bottom opening
soil core remover
aerator tine
top opening
soil core remover
YES, please insert the soil core remover
from the bottom opening only
hold here only
to avoid injury
DO NOT hold here
tine tip is very sharp!