Aireators if you prefer.

seems like a good idea. Are they effective?

Short answer is yes.

The kind that pull a plug out of the grass/dirt seem to work pretty well. I used to have it done once in awhile when I lived in house that had a yard (I live on a farm now).

My son bought a very inexpensive one from Lowes. I fastened a couple of tractor weights on it, and it helped some, but still wouldn't really penetrate the ground deep enough to help. I try to hit my yard with one every few years, and usually rent a heavy duty one from a store that has them. They are actually pluggers, and do a better job than the little rinky dink ones that just scratch the surface.

Ive rented one that plugged pretty good. Looked like I had a chihuahua ranch for a while. I think it helped but hard to tell. Might do it again this year.

bender, I'd think you just paint the snow green for the two weeks of summer?

At the place where we used to live, the lawn was sod bound and compacted. The aerating seemed to help a fair amount. A landscape guy told me that with the condition of my soil and grass, spring and fall aeration would be a good idea.

I only ever did it in the spring, but as soon as I would aerate, it wouldn't rain for months it seemed.... I was left with plugs dried hard as rocks and it took a couple months for them to break down.

I am in Zone 4. I pay a guy 50 bucks cash in late August to doe it, then over seed before rain and cooler weather in the fall. I works wonders on our lawn. He has a unit that pulls out some good sized plugs.