I had a lot of crap too, lol. thank god my neighbor let me put everything in his garage.
As far as the flakes, thats why the pros use spiked shoes. I waited til the last minute and figured HD or Lowes would have some aerator shoes. But they didnt, so I made my own for he price of a box of screws.
Go for it man... Everyone loves mine, and so do I. It even glows in the dark at night!