With well-placed time and effort, your garden can be the crown jewels of your house. It’s all well and good having a selection of flowers, maybe bushes and trees too, but all these things are brought together by the grass itself. Making sure your lawn looks tip-top is essential in a gorgeous garden.

Mowing the lawn is undoubtedly a key part, but so is scarifying (also known as raking). If you’re not familiar with the word, don’t worry – it doesn’t involve trying to spook your grass. Scarifying involves raking the top layer of the grass to lift moss, thatch and other unwanted weeds from the surface to make sure your grass stays healthy.

So, whether you’re already a seasoned gardener or looking to step up your lawn care, and with autumn approaching, a good scarifier is a worthy investment. We’ve got a selection here of powered and manual options for you to choose from, so that whatever your level you can keep that grass looking great.

1. VonHaus 2in 1 Lawn Scarifier and Aerator

This wired electric scarifier and aerator combination from VonHaus makes use of a powerful yet efficient 1500W motor to tidy up your grass. Coming with 2 rollers that are interchangeable, you can easily scoop up debris with the scarifier and use the aerator to help encourage air, water and nutrients to get to the lawn. These are also adjustable to 4 different depths, giving you plenty of year-round versatility.

You can detach the lightweight 28-litre grass box for simple disposal of waste grass. The whole unit also comes in at less than 10kg in total, which makes manoeuvring it a straightforward process. This low weight is thanks to a tough plastic body and metal frame. It looks good too, with a smart black/grey/orange colour scheme, so simply plug in and tidy up your lawn with no fuss.

2. Black & Decker B/DGD300 Lawnraker

This simple and well-made appliance from DIY giants Black & Decker makes the job of picking up garden debris a cinch. Small and easy to manoeuvre, and in the classically bold orange and black colourway synonymous with the brand, this is designed to make the scarifying process super simple. With a 30-litre front-mounted grass bag, it’s suitable for collecting everything a medium-sized garden can throw at it. The 3 rows of metal tines on the rake itself make short work of whatever your garden has and is height adjustable for greater versatility.

Also using some neat safety features, the handle includes a safety lock that switches off the machine as soon as you let go of the handle. Additionally, there’s a tidy cable guide to prevent the 10-metre cable from getting tangled or caught in the mechanism, and the handle folds down for fuss-free storage.

3. Bosch AVR 1100 Verti Cutter Lawn Raker

Bosch’s AVR 1100 is a serious piece of machinery, with a powerful motor and large capacity sure to make short work of any garden mess. The 1100W ‘Powerdrive’ electric motor ensures that the cutter, with 14 steel blades, picks up moss and other debris quickly, with additional airflow inlets in the cutter drum itself to help prevent any clogging. The drum is also adjustable to 4 different heights to allow you to fine-tune your level of raking.

One of the main features of the Bosch is the ample collection box, which at 50 litres, should be more than enough for all but the biggest patches of grass. Even with the large collection box and powerful motor, it manages to remain a convenient size by folding down to just 40cm high when not in use and is surprisingly light.

4. Popamazing Heavy Duty Rolling Scarifier/Aerator

The Heavy Duty Rolling Scarifier from Popamazing is a zero-nonsense piece of equipment for those of you who like to get really hands-on with your gardening. Nonetheless, for a simple piece of kit, it is well-made and good at what it does. The handle, which breaks down into 3 parts for easier storage, is made from a tough, durable steel. The roller itself is also built from similarly tough steel and is heavy enough to ensure that the 35mm spikes can penetrate your grass well enough. The wheels on the end of the roller are constructed from a hardened BPA-free plastic with a proven lifespan and grippy tread.

When used in the right conditions, on softer ground, this proves a very effective tool for aerating and scarifying. With replacement parts easily sourced, it’s a super simple solution for your gardening needs.

5. VonHaus Electric Lawn Rake

A straightforward solution to collecting up moss, thatch and other assorted debris from your lawn surface, this compact electric raker from VonHaus works efficiently and effectively. Primarily functioning as an appliance to pick up waste from the surface of the grass, the rake (which spins at up to 3600RPM) quickly scoops up the waste and deposits it into the 40-litre collection bag. You can also adjust the height of the rake via a small lever to the front of the machine, with 4 preset heights to pick from.

Running on a 1200W electric motor, and operating via a 10-metre cable, this comfortably has the power and range to cover a relatively large garden. Robustly built, this also comes with the inbuilt safety feature of a dual position switch to prevent accidentally turning it on. The handle also folds down for compact storage.

6. Flymo Compact 3400 Electric Lawnrake

Flymo’s venture into the world of lawn raking equipment is a compact electric machine designed to make the task as simple as can be. By merit of a 750W motor, it’s no more powerful than it needs to be and uses the cylindrical rake to grab moss and thatch from the lawn’s surface and funnel it into the collection box, which is actually one of the unit’s most distinctive features. Thanks to clever design, the collection box compacts what it collects, so that the 34L volume holds more and reduces the need to empty it so often. A small window to the rear also allows you to see when it’s full.

It also gains extra levels of versatility thanks to 6 adjustable height settings for the rake, which you can quickly switch between via a single lever. Therefore, whether you need to dig a bit deeper or just scratch the surface, you’re covered.

7. Spear & Jackson Neverbend Carbon Adjustable Rake

If you thought handheld rakes were basic equipment, then take a look at the Neverbend Carbon from Spear & Jackson. For what is fundamentally a very simple premise, a lot of versatility has been built into this rake. The rake head, built from 15 durable forged carbon steel tines, can expand from the base 178mm width to a maximum 610mm width via a simple sliding mechanism. So whatever raking challenge your garden presents, this can handle it and will allow you to get fully hands-on with it.

The handle of the rake is constructed from aluminium, so is strong and light, and is topped with a PVC grip to ensure you can keep hold of it no matter how much elbow grease you put in.

8. Bosch ALR Electric Lawn Raker

This electric lawn rake from Bosch, with a 900W motor, will effectively rid the surface of your lawn from whatever weeds may gather there. Utilising the company’s ‘Powerdrive’ system, the motor works together with the gearing to ensure consistent torque from the rake cylinder. This way, even in more difficult conditions, you can be sure of a steady and even rake.

The rake cylinder itself uses some intuitive technology, with spring steel tines and carefully shaped airflow inlets to help prevent clogging from the waste collected, also improving the efficiency of the collection. This, paired with a 50-litre collection box, means that it’ll cover large gardens without frequent emptying. Altogether with the 15mm adjustment range for cutting mean that you have good levels of control over the raking process.

9. Qualtex 2 in 1 Electric Lawn Aerator & Scarifier

With its powerful 1500W electric motor, Qualtex’s 2 in 1 Aerator and Scarifier competently lifts thatch, moss and other debris from grass and aerates to encourage water, air and nutrients into the soil. The aerator works via 16 blades and the scarifying roller with 20 spikes, both constructed from durable steel, and are easily swapped out. You can also adjust the height of the blades/spikes, with 4 settings from deep to shallow.

A 30-litre collection bag is enough to handle most gardens and is removable for quick waste disposal. There is also the useful safety feature of a 2-point starter switch to allow added control and avoid accidental starts.

10. Koolle 2 in 1 Lawn Rake

The stylish green and black figure of the dual-purpose rake and scarifier from Koolle aims to make garden upkeep a simple proposition. With detachable blades for scarifying, which can be swapped out for the rake attachment to pick up debris and deposit it into the removable 30-litre collection bag, keeping your grass looking in great condition is made easy.

The scarifier/rake can also be height-adjusted, with 4 different settings allowing you to make changes depending on what you need. The 1400W electric motor also ensures that the blades have enough power to handle even the trickiest of conditions. Additionally, the compact design aids manoeuvrability, and with a foldable handle as well, storage is simple.

Which Lawn Scarifier should I go for?

Best quality & features – The Bosch AVR 1100 Verti Cutter is the most expensive option on test here but justifies the price with exceptional features and technology. The best side of the design is centred around the drum itself; firstly, with 14 steel blades, you’re guaranteed a clean cut in the lawn. Next, and probably the niftiest design feature, are the carefully shaped airflow inlets. The purpose of these is twofold; to help prevent the machine from getting clogged with lawn debris, but also using the movement of air to lift the unwanted stuff from the grass more efficiently.

The other main feature that puts it on top is the cavernous proportion of the collection bag, which at 50 litres, is sure to handle up to the largest gardens. Ultimately, it’s the combination of these features, along with the powerful motor and well-thought-out folding design that set this apart.

On a budget – Of all the products, the manual Spear & Jackson Neverbend is the cheapest and best for those who want to look after their garden when every penny counts. With a great quality build, thanks to an aluminium shaft and carbon forged steel tines, it has the quality, just at a very low price.

If, however, you’re not one for manual labour and want a bit of electrical assistance, the VonHaus Electric Lawn Rake is still a very reasonable wallet-friendly choice. With a solid level of build quality, ample sized collection bag and sufficiently powerful 1200W motor, as well as a drum adjustable to 4 different heights, it does everything an electric rake needs to without putting a serious hole in your finances and serves as a good upgrade to the handheld rake.

The best compact option – The Black & Decker B/DGD300 is the top choice for when you need something that takes up minimal room but remains an effective piece of equipment. With the main unit coming in at around 24cm high, and 50cm wide/deep, it’ll take up minimal room in the garage or shed – the handle folds down too, while the collection bag is fabric and will also fold right down. With its small form, it’s naturally very light and easy to move around as well.

Best for big gardens – While the Flymo Compact 3400 is not the biggest raker/scarifier here, it wins out for the efficient manner in which it deals with the waste that it does collect. By using a uniquely clever collecting box which compacts the moss and thatch as it picks them up, it makes the absolute most of what is initially a decent capacity box, at 34 litres. This then works for bigger gardens by reducing the number of times you have to empty the box, so you can spend more time on the garden and less time trudging back and forth from the appliance to the compost pile. Plus, the light weight of the Flymo means less work for you to push it around the garden.

The hands-on approach – Popamazing’s Heavy Duty Rolling Scarifier/Aerator is the DIY enthusiast’s dream. For some, the greatest satisfaction comes from starting from scratch and doing it all by hand from beginning to end. Enter the roller by Popamazing, which does need putting together, but is therefore easily deconstructed if replacement parts are needed. As a garden tool, it’s very effective, being light enough for easy movement while the business end is weighty enough to ensure that the spikes press down sufficiently.

Lawn Scarifier Buying Guide

There are a few differences in what some of these appliances do. Deciding what kind of gardening equipment you’re going to require needs you to consider what your garden needs. This comes down to the different functions of the various bits of machinery on test here, in terms of what they do, size and range as well as, of course, what you want.

That said, read on below for a breakdown of what to look out for when shopping for lawn scarifiers and rakes to help make sense of the different things on offer.

What’s the difference?

Scarifying is the process of cutting out unwanted debris from the lawn, predominantly moss or thatch that grows on the surface. Aerators create cuts in the surface of the grass to help try and introduce more air, water and nutrients into the soil so that the grass grows better. Rakes help to lift debris like grass clippings and leaves, as well as moss and thatch that’s already been lifted.

Identifying which of these processes your lawn is going to need will play a big part in dictating what kind of machine you buy. Some do just the one process, some are 2-in-1 or even more than that.

How big is your garden?

Understanding the relative size of your garden/grassy area relative to the gardening tool you choose is an essential consideration. While the majority of the units covered here are more than capable of handling smaller gardens, when your lawn area starts to get bigger you need to start thinking more about the range of your tools.

Of course, if you have a truly huge garden, your best bet might be to just hire someone to do it for you! All jokes aside, larger gardens typically require a bigger collection box. Otherwise, you’ll end up making an unnecessary number of trips back and forth from your machine to the compost pile/wherever you get rid of your lawn waste. So, whether you plump for the largest box available, or a box that packs waste more efficiently, make sure you pick the one that’s right for you.

How easy is it maintaining your equipment?

Like any tool or piece of machinery, scarifiers/rakes are going to need a degree of upkeep to guarantee that they’re always working at 100%. Therefore it’s worth asking a few questions before you buy.

Are the parts replaceable? Things like blades and tines, in particular, bear the brunt of the work, so making sure that you can get hold of new ones is key. Within this is also the question of how easily you can get to these parts that need replacing. Some of the machinery here has interchangeable drums, indicating that accessing these swappable parts is designed to be straightforward.

Also considering the initial build quality of the whole unit should be a prominent thought. Whether it’s built from hardened plastic or metal(s), investing in a product that’s going to last obviously means that you’re not going to be worrying about whether it’s up to the job or not.

What kind of gardening do you do?

As a consideration, this one’s a little more straightforward. While, sadly, none of these are automatic, you may be the type of person who enjoys the more traditionalist manual labour side of things. In these cases, absolutely go for one of the handheld manual rakes. It’s fair to say that, at times, there isn’t much that beats the satisfaction of working up a sweat and doing things by your own hand.

With those considerations in mind and the range of products on test, picking the right piece of equipment ought to be a simple process. Knowing what does what, and the considerations to make in terms of garden size, ease of maintenance and how you garden, you’ve got all the information you need to make the most of your gardening. Here’s to green fingers!