Lawn aeration: varieties, how to choose an aerator and scarifier

Many owners of summer cottages and private houses, instead of growing various kinds of garden crops, prefer to plant a lawn. It allows you to give the site additional decorative qualities; it will be very comfortable to relax on it, play active games, and so on. However, only a lawn that is properly and properly cared for will be beautiful. It includes more than just regular trimming and watering.

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The soil requires close attention. It can become covered with moss, fallen leaves, lichens and the like, as a result of which there will be less and less useful substances in the soil and moisture levels will be disrupted. Accordingly, the condition of the lawn will begin to deteriorate sharply. To prevent this from happening, they resort to aerators - special devices that allow the soil to receive everything it needs for high-quality lawn growth.

There are plenty of similar models on the market, so it’s easy to get confused in such a wide range. To help you avoid this problem, we have compiled a rating of the best aerators of the year. In it we will talk in detail about the key characteristics of the most popular designs, and also give a number of useful recommendations that will certainly help you when purchasing a similar device.

Lawn aeration: specifics and methods of aeration, verticulation and scarification of lawns

A neat, thick and well-groomed lawn is a kind of face of the local area, which quite often forms the basis of landscape design. It doesn’t matter whether the project was developed by a design firm or implemented with your own hands.

Aeration, verticulation and scarification of lawns.

However, to maintain the lawn in proper order, several conditions must be met.
Thus, lawn grass requires regular watering, fertilizers and access to oxygen. Lawn aeration can provide all this. Lawn after winter: (read more)
Lawn aeration is piercing the turf, aimed at improving gas exchange between atmospheric air and soil.

You need to combat compacted soil with tubular aeration - using a mechanical aerator.

Aeration is carried out twice a year, in spring and autumn.This procedure has a beneficial effect on the growth and development of the lawn, helps prevent diseases, rotting of the lawn (in case of excessive moisture during the rainy period) and allows It is better for the lawn to renew itself, maintaining a fresh and healthy appearance.

In the spring, this procedure is carried out at a time when the snow has just melted and the surface of the earth has begun to dry out. If there is stagnation of water on the lawn or pieces of it are trampled, then aeration is carried out in the spring, and in summer.

Note! In rainy weather, aeration helps dry out excess moisture and prevent rotting of roots, and in drought, it will increase the efficiency of irrigation.

Where does thatch come from in the lawn?

Straw is dead old grass. Most types of lawn grass reproduce not only by seeds, but also by division, with the plant producing side shoots, “offshoots.” They are divided into two types

• Stolons grow above the soil surface.
• rhizomes grow slightly below the soil surface.

This ability to reproduce vegetatively allows herbs to quickly grow into a lush carpet; the grass grows tightly together and becomes a healthy lawn. This is good.

But “only good” is the first two or three years, then problems begin. During this time, old shoots die off and new ones grow. Dead grass decomposes at a snail's pace - decomposition is prevented by the chemical compound lignin in its composition. A layer of dry grass accumulates in the lawn, intertwines with new shoots, rolls up, and becomes compacted.

What determines the need for aeration?

The full development of grass on a lawn requires oxygen, which promotes the oxidation of mineral substances and the decomposition of organic substances. Drainage, or aeration, will help enrich the soil under the lawn with oxygen and help remove carbon dioxide.

Like all living things on earth, the lawn and the soil beneath it must breathe. The main idea of ​​aeration is to help them with this.

This type of maintenance is required for soil that has become compacted due to watering and grass growth. A cushion of sand and gravel, often used in summer cottages, also plays a significant role in soil problems.

The compacted layer of soil interferes with the normal growth of lawn grass; in addition, the roots cannot fully develop in such conditions. During the process of aeration, voids are formed in the soil and filled with oxygen. To carry it out, special devices are used - a foot lawn aerator (or otherwise - a hedgehog) or devices on wheels.

Tools that will come to the rescue with aeration

You can create ventilation in the soil of a perennial lawn using several useful tools listed below:

• hollow or serrated forks;
• spike roller;
• mechanical aerator;
• special rakes-aerators.

The main thing is to choose the right soil treatment so that it is not too time-consuming and is carried out with the highest quality. You can read about the features of aeration in the next section.

Aeration methods and lawn care tools

The types of aerators are divided into mechanical and motorized, as well as factory-made and home-made.

Aeration methods and tools for lawn care.

Features and methods of lawn aeration:

• piercing the soil with metal pins (solid) to form holes in the soil without displacing the soil layer;
• using hollow tooth aerators.With this method of aeration, soil with a diameter of 1-2 cm is extracted and then scattered over the lawn.

More effective is the use of core aerators, which do not compact the soil too much during operation and better remove the layer of dry straw.

Aerator rakes made of thin steel rods in the shape of a sickle will also do a good job: They lightly cut the soil horizontally, combing out the accumulated remnants of dead grass.

There are also original “aerator soles”, in which you can simply walk on the grass, and the teeth are built into the “boots”.

For large areas, it is necessary to use self-propelled machines for deep aeration with high productivity, equipped with an electric or gasoline engine.

Specifics and types of mechanical aerators

This category of lawn aerators consists of sandal aerators, roller aerators and rake aerators. The first type of device - sandals - looks like a flat sole equipped with spikes, which is attached to the shoe with straps. After this, just carefully walk around your area in these lawn aerators. Of course, it is worth considering that such a device allows you to treat a small area due to the rapid fatigue of your feet in these sandals.

Sandals for lawn aeration.

Roller aerators are, in essence, classic rakes, but on rollers. The difference between them is that you do not need to hold the handle with your own hands and constantly walk in a half-bent position.

For processing small areas, a manual rake aerator, designed in the form of thin plates on the handle, is ideal. Thanks to these plates, you can carefully and carefully trim the top layer of soil and comb the lawn. By the way, a similar device can be easily made with your own hands.

Motor aerators

The presence of a lawn over a large area necessitates a more efficient lawn aerator, and this can be a device with a motor, divided into electric and gasoline.

Motor aerators.

Verticutters , or electric aerators , will delight you with their quietness, ease of operation and absolute environmental friendliness. In addition, they do not require regular maintenance or fuel. However, significant disadvantages of electrical devices include the limited operating radius by the length of the cable. In addition, voltage surges in the network can damage them.

A gasoline-powered device does not have these disadvantages of an electric lawn aerator. At the same time, having high maneuverability and being devoid of a cable, it has the ability to process large areas of the lawn. However, such devices are more demanding on maintenance - they require regular cleaning and lubricating the parts. Before work, you should prepare a fuel mixture of oil and gasoline.

What characteristics should you pay attention to when choosing an aerator?

When choosing an aerator for treating large areas, you will probably consider electric or gasoline models. These are not cheap devices, so you want them to last you a long time. To do this, we will list what features you should pay special attention to when choosing a unit.

Engine power. You need to correlate it with the area of ​​your lawn or plot. The larger it is, the more powerful the engine must be, otherwise you will have to give it frequent breaks during operation.

The width of the working surface is the area of ​​soil grip during processing. On average, this parameter varies between 32–35 cm.

The body of the model can be metal or plastic. Even with the most advanced modern technologies, plastic remains a less durable material. However, metal naturally gives the aerator more weight.

A garbage bin is a special container into which collected grass and leaves are collected. It is attached to the body and requires periodic cleaning. The larger the capacity, the less often you will have to stop the process to empty the garbage disposal.

Types of knives. This parameter depends on the specifics of the model you choose. For example, to pierce the soil you will need one type of thorns, while cutting roots and clearing turf from the soil requires knives.

Aeration with a pitchfork: an effective method or a waste of money

Many companies offer lawn aeration using “sandal aerators,” or simply pricking the soil with a garden fork.

Aeration is carried out using different tools; for a small lawn at the dacha, the most ordinary pitchfork will do.

Note! These aeration methods are extremely ineffective in comparison with a professional aerator, and if the efficiency of conventional piercing is tens of times lower, then its price may practically not differ from the price of aeration with a professional unit.

Let's try to figure out what the real advantages of a professional aerator are over the usual piercing of the soil with a pitchfork or “sandals” filled with nails.

The aerator makes a strong impact on the soil , which allows you to break up even the most compacted soil. If the soil is heavily compacted in sandals, you simply do not have enough weight to break it to a sufficient depth, and breaking it with a fork will take a lot of time and effort.

The aerator makes deeper penetrations . The depth at which the aerator operates can be adjusted depending on needs, up to 40cm, which is significantly greater than the depth of conventional piercing.

The hollow fingers of the aerator not only penetrate the soil, but also lift it out , which significantly increases the efficiency of aeration on very compacted soils. After such aeration, sanding is carried out using fertilizers. This significantly reduces soil density even on the hardest soils.

Hollow aerator fingers.

The speed and frequency of soil piercing with an aerator is significantly higher than manual piercing. The aerator fingers penetrate the soil at the same distance (about 5cm). For comparison: one, not the largest, aerator can process an area equal to two football fields (about 1.6 hectares) per day. Manual piercing in this case will take about a month. Now imagine how much they will ask you for a month of “piercing” the lawn.

Sometimes it is not enough to simply pierce the soil - different types of aeration are required at different times of the year. Therefore, a number of add-ons are provided for aerators: aeration depth, type of fingers (solid, hollow, cone-shaped or triangular, etc.).

The price difference is not that high. In fact, the average cost of aeration with a pitchfork on plots of 10 acres or more is practically no different from the cost of aeration with a professional unit.

The question arises: is it worth paying for an operation that will not bring the desired result, or will you still turn to specialists?

How to carry out aeration correctly: detailed instructions

Having figured out how lawn aeration is performed, what it is and what its frequency is, you can proceed directly to the process itself. It is performed according to the following algorithm:

• First of all, the surface is completely cleared of weeds and debris, stones are removed, and weeds are pulled out.
• Then the area where the lawn was sown is thoroughly watered. Leave for several days to allow moisture to be absorbed.
• Choose a day that is not too hot so that the soil does not dry out too much. Loosening is performed in cross rows every 3-4 cm.
• Forks or aeration tubes must be driven to a depth of 10-15 cm. Manipulation is carried out over the entire area at once.
• The aerated lawn is left for several days. After the knocked out lumps of soil have dried a little, the lawn is loosened and the soil is distributed evenly. Over time it settles.
• Next, the lawn is filled with water (in moderation), and seeds of cereal plants are sown (if bald spots appear in some places).

At this stage, the lawn aeration process is complete. All that remains is to wait until the plant begins to absorb a sufficient amount of nutrients and oxygen.

Affected type of lawn that needs aeration Source rbirrigation.net

DIY aerator

Some lovers of landscape design believe that spending money on purchasing a factory aerator is stupid, since if you have the simplest tools you can make it yourself.

You can make a lawn aerator with your own hands at home.

For a modest-sized lawn, a do-it-yourself hedgehog aerator is quite suitable. To do this, you will need a piece of pipe that is filled with weighting material. Nails are welded onto its outer part using a welding machine, and the order of their arrangement should be staggered. The pipe is then attached to the shaft with bearings. This allows for unhindered rotation. A bracket is placed on the shaft, to which a wooden handle is attached to guide the device.

It is somewhat more difficult to make an aerator for a relatively large lawn, although in the end the effort spent will be more than repaid.

Hedgehog type lawn aerator.

One of the options for such homemade equipment is a wheeled device equipped with a V-belt drive. To make it yourself, you will have to arm yourself with a frame made of steel pipe with a square section of 45x45x490 mm. Using spacer bushings, a rod and nuts, rippers in the form of a sickle (length - 150 mm) made of sheet metal are attached to it, which are equipped with square holes - 16 by 16 mm - in the center.

The drive is supported by two supports: the first one has a drive pulley bearing measuring 52x25 mm, and the second one has a double-insulated electric drill with a power of 500 W. Thanks to the V-belt, the rotation of the electric drill is transmitted to the axis where the rippers are attached. The handle of this DIY lawn aerator comes with a power outlet.

Studded roller

A roller aerator is the easiest tool to use and does not require extra effort from the owner of the site. You should roll a roller studded with spikes in front of you to quickly fill many ventilation holes over a large area.

The device, however, has several drawbacks. Firstly, the rods are not removed from the soil at a right angle, which is why the holes are sloppy. And secondly, the skating rink does not know how to remove old grass. But, given the highest performance, this can be neglected.

Lawn aeration technique

Properly carried out aeration of the lawn implies compliance with certain rules that allow it to look fresh and neat throughout the warm season. Aeration time is key to the effectiveness of this process. It depends on what type of grass was planted.

The timing of aeration and its quantity per season can be determined using the following rules:

• on a lawn with a high load (strong “trampling”), aeration should be carried out 2-3 times a year;
• in unfavorable weather conditions (prolonged rains or severe drought), additional aeration may be required;
• on sandy soils, one aeration per season is sufficient, and on clay soils, two or three aerations of the lawn;
• on trampled areas of the lawn, in places where the grass has turned yellow or moss has formed, it is necessary to organize aeration;
• grasses of late cool seasons (fescue, bluegrass) need to be “ventilated” with the onset of autumn, warm-season grasses (Bermuda grass) - at the end of spring.

Note! Lawn grass that actively grows in the cool season (fescue, mint grass) should be aerated at this time. But Bermuda grass is aerated in early summer, when this heat-loving variety enters the active growth phase.

The type of grass used in the lawn also affects the timing of aeration.

It is necessary to aerate the lawn by adhering to the following rules:

• one day before aeration, the lawn should be watered to slightly soften the soil;
• each strip drawn by the aerator should overlap the previous one by 3-4 cm;
• if the lawn soil is too compacted, then it is necessary to re-aerate.In this case, the aerator should move in a perpendicular direction with the previous procedure;
• immediately after aeration, it is advisable to fertilize the lawn, and in places where the lawn has begun to thin out, sow the grass;
• after the soil dries out (usually a couple of days after aeration), the soil must be leveled with a rake.

Lawn Verticulation

A well-maintained, healthy lawn is the result of proper maintenance.One aspect of your lawn care routine is to address the problem of felt buildup.

What is felt and how to deal with it?

Felt is the layer of living and dead stems, roots and other plant parts between the soil surface and the layer of growing grass. A layer of felt that is too thick, two centimeters or more, can keep air and moisture out of the grass's root zone. This leaves your lawn vulnerable to the hot summer months and fungal diseases.

What is felt and how to deal with it.

How can you tell if there is felt on your lawn?

If you walk on the grass and feel like a soft sponge under your feet, or after mowing the lawn, dry yellow spots appear, you suspect the presence of felt.

To check this, you need to cut out a piece of soil and turf about 8cm thick. If the brownish felt layer between the soil surface and the green grass layer is more than 2cm thick, then your lawn needs verticulation.

Oxygen-saturated soil allows the roots of the plant to actively develop, which contributes to the intensive growth of the lawn.

Lawn verticulation is a vertical cut of the turf using a verticutter to remove felt and partially rejuvenate the lawn. Where the blades of the machine passed, new roots and stems of grass sprout.

A verticutter is a machine for removing felt, it has a shaft on which knives are installed at intervals of about three centimeters.

During operation, the knives thin out excessively thick grass cover, which impedes aeration and moisture absorption, at the same time cutting through the turf, loosening the soil, removing moss, old grass, weeds and lichens.

Verticulation of the lawn.

The first verticulation using a verticutter is carried out in the spring. After this event, the grass begins to actively grow and bush. During the final verticulation in the fall, lawn felt is removed from the remnants of mown grass, fallen leaves, moss and weeds.

The resulting plant debris must be removed with a rake.After this, the lawn must be watered, and the water will be absorbed very well.

As a result of verticulation, the soil becomes loose, the access of water and nutrients to plant roots improves, and space is freed up for growing young grass.

Note! Unrooted grass is partially removed from the soil, so this procedure is not carried out on young lawns.

Practice shows: the first verticulation can be carried out after the lawn reaches 3 years of age.

To achieve the best result you must:

• Before verticulation, the lawn must be cut short;
• optimal mowing height - 4 cm;
• Verticulation should be done in dry weather;
• The required working depth of verticulation depends on the thickness of the lawn felt, the degree of soil compaction and the age of the lawn.

For a well-groomed lawn, the depth of verticulation is approximately 3 mm, for an overgrown lawn - about 5 mm. There is an important rule: it is better to carry out verticulation several times with a break of several weeks. a shallow depth of 3 mm, rather than performing a single verticulation to a greater depth.

The process of treating a lawn with a verticutter

The verticutter needs to be set to the depth you require. You can determine the cutting depth by trying verticulation on problem areas of the lawn. The verticutter needs to be adjusted so that the knives do not tear the turf into pieces, but only cut out felt and partly grass. Walk the verticutter correctly in one and the other direction, and do not make sudden movements to the left or right. When turning the machine, you need to put the knives in the non-working position so as not to damage the turf. After processing the lawn, the cut felt and grass need to be raked and removed.

The process of treating a lawn with a verticutter.

Recommendations for verticalization:

1. Start work in dry, not hot weather
2. If you have automatic watering, be sure to check the boxes next to the nozzles
3. The lawn needs to be trimmed, the grass should be no higher than 3cm.
4. After verticulation, it is recommended to sand and feed the lawn
5. If vertical cutting of the lawn is done in combination with other work, such as aeration or herbicide treatment, then vertical cutting should come first to maximize the benefits of each task.

Rating of lawn scarifiers 2022

Black & Decker GD300-QS

Budget scarifier for treating the lawn in the local area. The device is equipped with a small-sized, low-power motor of 600 W. During operation, the nozzle creates a dense network of soil punctures and slightly cuts the turf. The working width here is only 30 cm - this is a small figure, but for a small area it is quite suitable. Plus, this width is convenient when passing through narrow areas between paths.

A 3-position adjuster for the immersion depth of the antennae is installed here. They can sink to a maximum of 8mm, and the maximum height for collecting old lawn is 2mm. During operation, the cut turf is collected in a fabric grass catcher with a capacity of 30 liters. The Black & Decker GD300-QS is a networked model, so it can only be used when connected to a power outlet.

Gardena ES 500

Another compact scarifier for cleaning turf and trimming the root system of the lawn. It is equipped with a small 500 W motor, which provides shaft rotation up to 2250 rpm. The shaft is equipped with wear-resistant tendrils that quickly and efficiently comb the lawn, facilitating access of oxygen and water to the lawn root system. The working width of the working nozzle is 30 cm – this is enough to clean an area of ​​500 m2 in one working day. Also, with such a small grip, it is convenient to navigate narrow areas of the lawn between paths and borders.

The device is equipped with a combing depth regulator. The depth can be adjusted in 3 positions - the maximum is 9 mm. Please note that this model does not come with a grass catcher, but it can be purchased separately. A grass catcher will cost about 3,500 rubles. The control handle is adjustable in height, so you can customize it to suit your needs.

Greenworks GDT 35

Greenworks is famous for its quality garden equipment, and the GDT 35 scarifier is no exception. It is equipped with a powerful 1100 W motor that accelerates the shaft to 3200 rpm. This is one of the few models that can work both from the mains and from a battery. This feature allows you to treat distant areas of the lawn where the extension cord cannot reach. The scarifier's working width is 32 cm.

The lawn tillage depth can be adjusted in 3 positions. The maximum “rake” can be lowered into the ground by 10 mm. By adjusting the depth of treatment, you can choose whether you need to trim the root system or simply remove old moss and dry grass. The device comes with a 20-liter plastic grass catcher, which you can simply rinse with water after use and it will be clean. The height of the handle can be adjusted to suit you. This scarifier is one of the best in terms of price/quality ratio in our rating.

Bosch ALR 900

This “German” is designed for clearing old grass and cutting turf over a large area. For waste collection, the unit is equipped with a capacious plastic container with a capacity of 50 liters. This container has a collapsible design, making it easier to store in the garage. The 10 double teeth are made of high quality spring steel, which can withstand heavy loads (especially when the ground is slightly compacted). And the roller itself is made using Jet-Collect technology, thanks to which (according to the manufacturer) the lawn is quickly and effectively cleaned of old grass without clogging the tool.

The grip width of the working roller with teeth is 32 cm. The processing depth can be adjusted in four positions: +10/+5/0/-5 mm, that is, the teeth can go into the ground up to 10 mm or be raised 5 mm above the ground. The device is equipped with an average power motor of 900 W. Despite the large grass catcher, the fully assembled device weighs only 9.4 kg.

STIHL LRE 240

This device is a hybrid of a verticutter and a scarifier, since it contains two rollers at once: with spring antennae (22 pcs) and with knives (20 pcs). Using the first, you can comb the lawn, removing moss and dry grass from it, and using the second, trim the root system so that the lawn grows better. Please note that the unit comes with two rollers, and before starting work, one must be removed (unscrew two bolts with the hexagon included in the kit). There is a 1500 W motor here. In one pass, the device is capable of passing a strip 34 cm wide.

The height of the teeth can be adjusted in six positions, and they can be lowered to a maximum depth of 15 mm into the ground - due to this, better grass harvesting and loosening of the soil occurs. In one working day, up to 800 m2 of area can be processed. The device is equipped with a fabric grass catcher with a capacity of 50 liters. This model is an excellent option for maintaining garden plots and golf courses. A plus is the large number of service centers in major cities of the country.

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Why are aerators and scarifiers needed?

Aerators are devices that automatically remove accumulated contaminants from an earthen area - moss, household waste, weeds, wind-blown seeds and much more. This tool will save you from labor-intensive raking work, and will also loosen and fertilize the soil.

Why are aerators and scarifiers needed?

In addition, the aerator not only loosens the soil, but is also capable of making holes in the ground for planting plants. As you know, the better the soil is loosened, the better oxygen saturates the soil; this is very useful for plants that lack moisture.

Main characteristics

• Power and performance - the higher these parameters, the longer the service life of the device and the less need for cooling breaks.
• the working width , the faster the area can be processed.
• Case material - inexpensive models are mounted in plastic cases. Higher quality units are made of steel or aluminum.
• The presence and volume of a container for grass and debris - a large volume tank greatly facilitates the work.
• The presence of adjustable handles is especially important if people of different heights will operate the device.
• An area within four acres can be easily processed with a conventional rake or mechanical device. An electric scarifier will allow you to cope with fifteen hundred square meters. For a larger area, you cannot do without a powerful unit with an internal combustion engine.

Types of aerators

There are several types of aerators: gasoline-powered, powered (electric) and mechanical. Aerators are also divided according to the principle of operation:

• with metal teeth (spokes) that grab parts of the earth and then pour it out (the disadvantage is the possibility of cracks forming in the ground);
• with teeth in the form of knife blades displacing soil. The operating mechanism of this type of device is a drum, which cuts off the top of the shoots, removes unnecessary objects from the work site and levels the ground, making it smooth and clean.

Manual scarifier.

Operating principle

Scarifier Makita UV3600
The design of the working mechanism is a shaft with spring teeth installed on it, which are used to trim and remove the dried grass layer.

The position of the working device relative to the ground surface is set by a regulator installed on the device. The scarifier moves across the lawn and combs the grass cover. When the shaft is in the lower position, the springs scratch the top layer of soil.

In gasoline and electric devices, trimmed organic waste is automatically collected in a plastic container or fabric bag. As the container is filled, the contents are disposed of or burned. It is not recommended to place the collected material in compost heaps, as it may contain fungal spores, bacteria or larvae of garden pests.

What are scarifiers?

Scarifiers are machines that are somewhat similar in functionality to aerators, but their main difference is that they can cut off old grass along with weeds and fallen leaves. This procedure is also necessary for plants, as well as timely loosening of the soil. In addition, this device is suitable if you do not have enough time to care for the area.

Gasoline scarifier.

What is an aerator in a modern economy?

An aerator is a device/unit that is designed to change the structure of the soil. It can be equipped with peaks, knives or special knitting needles. The principle of operation of the aerator: using special nozzles, the operator pierces the lawn cover and thereby ensures the supply of sufficient oxygen and moisture to the roots of vegetation.

Why do you need to pierce the soil? This procedure is recommended in the following situations:

• dry weather - moisture does not reach the roots of vegetation;
• heavy rainfall - moisture does not evaporate from the soil, which can lead to the death of the root system;
• vegetation disease - after loosening the soil, fertilizers and “feeding” fully reach the roots.

When answering the question of how an aerator works, you should initially understand the existing types.

How to choose an aerator and scarifier?

• First of all, pay attention to the teeth. It is best to choose a device with steel teeth; it is more durable and not susceptible to corrosion. The second selection criterion is the automatic or mechanical type of engine of the device.
• The mechanical type is used for small areas. Its advantage is that during operation there is no release of harmful gases into the atmosphere. They are also silent, do not take up much space and have no wires.
• The gasoline type has a powerful engine, can be used over large areas and does not overheat. Among the disadvantages is the prohibitive weight due to the fuel tank, so transporting it will be a difficult task.
• The electric type is a bit similar to the mechanical type - easy to use and carry, and operates quietly. One of the disadvantages is the dependence on electricity, so if you have frequent power surges in your area, this will have a bad effect on the operation of the device. In addition, wires can interfere with the operation of equipment.
• What else should you pay attention to when choosing an aerator and scarifier? These are functions and operating modes. Of course, the main function of the device is to aerate (that is, loosen) the soil. A ten-centimeter penetration of the tines into the soil is considered normal; this will ensure proper and deep loosening. On the most common devices you can find three operating modes and even more. They differ from each other in the degree to which the teeth extend towards the ground. For example, the first mode is the lightest - 2-3 cm for removing light debris. Then the mode with 3-5 cm extensions. And so on up to 10 cm. This is necessary in order to evenly remove all debris and level the ground without making cracks in it.

Gasoline or electric scarifier?

Electric scarifiers are convenient for treating relatively small areas of the lawn. To operate, you must be connected to the network, so you can only use it where there is electricity. However, such devices are easy to maintain, cost less than gasoline ones and do not make as much noise. They also do not emit exhaust gases, so they are absolutely harmless to the environment. Some models are additionally equipped with battery compartments.

The gasoline unit is more powerful and productive. They can even treat a neglected lawn. Among other things, gasoline models are very mobile and do not require electricity, so they can be used in the garden or on golf courses. Most often, gasoline garden tools are purchased by landscape designers who need to transport the device to sites. If you need a scarifier exclusively for a small area, it is better to take an electric model.

Surface treatment width

This characteristic will be needed to choose the right device for a particular area. If the area is large, then choose a device with a larger working width (about 5 cm). Or, conversely, if the work area is very small, then the width should be smaller. In addition, when choosing equipment, pay attention to the grass catcher; this is a useful function for those who do not want to collect garbage and weeds themselves after harvesting.

How to choose an aerator and scarifier.

The modern choice of lawn care products is so wide and rich that it allows you to choose, at a low cost, a device that is suitable in functionality and type, which will greatly facilitate your work around the yard.

Device power

Power affects the performance of the device and what size gripper can be used. We can say that the more powerful the scarifier, the faster it will clean the old lawn. But this statement is only true if the lawn has been cared for. If it has been abandoned or trampled for a long time, it may take quite a long time to put it in order using a scarifier.

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Note that electric scarifiers themselves have low power, up to 1000 W. Only some of the best models have a 1100 - 1500 W motor. The choice for this indicator depends on the size of the plot and how well-groomed the lawn is.