Lawn scarifiers work to cut through soil, removing debris and other unwanted things. Unlike rakes which have wired tines and manually operated, scarifiers have blades and are often motor-powered, which means they’re able to cut through more stubborn materials like moss.
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Contents
Best Selling Lawn Rakers Compared and Reviewed
Last update on 2023-12-01 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Black & Decker GD300 Lawnraker review
Features
Height adjustable: The Black & Decker GD300 Lawnraker has an adjustable central height offering three different settings. The lower the setting, the more intense the lawn raking or scarifying will be. The lowest setting is primed to remove tough thatch while the two lighter settings are designed for more everyday tasks such as raking autumn leaves.
Efficient: The best lawn scarifier is an efficient lawn scarifier and the GD300 has top-notch efficiency in large part due to its 30cm (11.8in) raking width. Moreover, the grass box in the front holds a whopping 30 litres (8 gallons) of debris, so if you’re scarifying an average-sized lawn, it’s highly unlikely you’ll have to stop to empty your bag.
Easy to use: The 600-watt motor on the Black & Decker GD300 provides for easy manoeuvrability and usage, even when you’re raking up hard-to-remove moss and thatch. Moreover, the cable management system ensures that the cable won’t get trapped in the cutting mechanism, which keeps you safe and takes away the stress of worrying about the scarifier’s cable.
Pros
One of the cool things about the Black & Decker GD300 is that it has a special safety feature where it stops working as soon as you take your hands off of the handlebar. While three height settings may not sound like a lot, they’re actually really versatile and are more than capable of handling your scarifying needs. Also, the high-capacity grass bag is a big deal, because not once did we have to empty it out during our testing, which absolutely makes this a contender for best lawn scarifier for that count alone.
Cons
Even though we’re already really happy with the grass bag, we wouldn’t mind if it were bigger. After all, a lot of people have different ideas about what constitutes an “average-sized lawn”. Some people grossly underestimate the size of their lawn, which is why the main complaint we’ve heard from people is that the bag is too small. Again, we found the size to be perfect while removing thatch and dead leaves from a medium sized lawn.
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Bosch AVR 1100 Verticutter Lawnraker review
Features
Jet Collect System: Our favourite feature on the Bosch is, hands down, the Jet Collect system. We like the way it uses air flow to lift moss and debris into the grass box. Anything to simplify cleanup is a bonus in our book.
Bosch Powerdrive Motor: The Verticutter’s powerful motor runs at 1100 watts, which allows it to dig deep and root out even the clingiest of thatch. Also, the good motor makes manoeuvring a lot easier, cutting down on user fatigue.
Adjustable cutting height: The height cut is adjustable for maximum versatility for a variety of scarifying applications whether you’re digging deep to get rid of moss or skimming the surface to rake up autumn leaves.
Pros
As previously mentioned, we think the air flow in the Jet Collect system helps keep debris in check in the grass box, which is pretty nice. We also like how compact and storable the Verticutter is; it can fold down to 40cm (15.7in), making it extremely easy to store even in the smallest of tool sheds. As with all lawn scarifiers, height adjustment is key and the Verticutter delivers nicely on that front too.
Cons
For a scarifier with a powerful motor and a lot of height adjustments, we feel like the Bosch Verticutter has a bit too much trouble on the more intensive scarifying applications like dethatching—especially on bigger lawns. But if you have a small to medium-sized garden and don’t plan on letting moss and thatch get too out of hand, this is still a sturdy scarifier.
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Flymo Lawnrake Compact 3400 Electric Lawnrake review
Features
Powerfully efficient: The Flymo Lawnrake Compact 3400 has a 750-watt motor and 34cm (13in) of cutting width, making it an efficient choice for a medium-sized lawn. The motor is powerful enough to do the trick while the 13-inch cutting width allows you to take fewer passes through the lawn, further upping efficiency.
Six adjustable heights: The lowest setting goes below the lawn’s surface to get rid of thatch and moss while the higher settings are perfect for raking leaves. Though leaf-raking isn’t the primary application of a scarifier, it’s good to go for versatility when you have a need for scarifying and raking your lawn and want a multipurpose tool that can do it all.
Collection box: The collection box features what Flymo calls a “Vision Window” which allows you to see when the 34-litre (9 gallons) box is filled up.
Pros
We like the versatile height adjustment as well as the level of efficiency the Flymo yields on a medium-sized lawn.
Cons
The motor is powerful but has been known to overheat. We recommend calling the company if you’re under warranty so that they can work on a solution with you.
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Bosch ALR900 Electric Lawnraker review
Features
Powerful motor: The ALR Electric Lawnraker features the Bosch Powerdrive 900-watt motor, a motor tough enough to tackle thatch and keep on ticking.
Compact storage: Like other Bosch scarifiers, this model can be folded down to a height of 40cm (15.7in), making it a master of small spaces.
Height cut adjustment: There are ten adjustable heights which are controlled by two levers for easy use.
Pros
For starters, we like the two-year manufacturer’s guarantee. A lot of customers feel like scarifiers have built-in obsolescence, but that’s mainly because they have a super tough job to do and thus don’t live as long as, say lawnmowers. This two-year guarantee will soothe some minds. Of course, we like the product itself as well, the 50-litre (13-gallon) grass bag making it the best lawn scarifier in terms of efficient debris emptying.
Cons
We find that the tines on this model just aren’t as good as other Bosch models. However, if you don’t need deep lawn scarification, this won’t be too big of a problem.