This again does put it slightly ahead of the Flymo Lawnrake Compact 3400. Features found on some lawn rakes don’t make the job easier but are “nice to haves”. The Jet Collect system is clearly a feature that makes a real difference to the job in hand, the collection box capacity is increased and the ability to collect the debris is improved – Great job Bosch!

Take your replacement kit (you can get these from a hardware store, your lawn raker manufacturer, or online) and insert the new tines carefully into their holders. The Bosch ALR 900 is one of the best selling lawn rakes in the UK right now, but does it live up to the Bosch reputation for quality and functionality? Well, find out in my review below! Out of the lawn scarifiers I tested, the AL-KO Comfort 38E has the widest lawn raker width at 38 cm.

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Petrol lawn scarifiers are powerful, versatile and great for large lawns. They are ideal to use in areas with lots of weeds because they aerate effectively and are heavy duty. An electric scarifier may just “bounce off” in dense, heavily weeded spots. Whereas a petrol scarifier will grind it out and finish the job. However, petrol scarifiers are heavy, emit fumes, and can be time-consuming to start. They are noisy, so you may want to wear ear defenders, and will require maintenance such as filter and spark-plg changes. So what does it stand up to? When I compare performance I have to say I prefer this over the Netta. Now I appreciate the Netta is a 2 in 1 and offering value in a different way but when strictly comparing the lawn raker / scarifier component I feel this has it edged, and at much less money! Being a relatively quiet machine makes this scarifier suitable for urban settings – you won’t have to worry about your neighbours complaining about the noise it’s making, and ear defenders are definitely not needed. I also appreciated the machine’s safety features, from its bright orange lead that remains visible even in dark grass to the button that needs to be pressed before the machine can be turned on. Regular scarifying of your lawn promises thatch removal and eliminates moss and unwanted mulch. Afterwards, the soil breathes better and consumes an adequate amount of water to nourish future plantations.

Lawn sands can be used, as they contain granules of ferrous sulphate (sulphate of iron) that directly kills moss. However, lawn sand can also discourage earthworms and should be used with discretion – to level low areas, cover exposed tree roots and fix particularly heavy thatch build-up. The sand particles contain no nutrients, so applying layers year after year will eventually reduce your soil’s fertility, as will excessive application of pesticides. Scarifying is the process of removing debris (moss and thatch, leaves, grass cuttings) from the lawn by catching it in bladed teeth. You can choose from 4 different working depths for working at different times of the year, and also included is a simple, yet decent grass collection box.
This product comes with a 10 metre long power cord and should be long enough for most gardens. Pros: Petrol: If you own an area of more than 500 m2, then it’s better to invest in a petrol engine. These are the most powerful scarifiers and hence seeks more maintenance than the manual and electric options. Also, a petrol version is comparatively costly than the other categories. This is one of the simplest and least demanding lawn care techniques of them all. It is a completely different process from scarifying, but it also plays a significant part towards improving the health of your lawn.

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Only 4 height settings. This is a shame as most of the Bosch’s competitors have at least 6 height settings. Derek has real-world tested 61 products for DIY Garden, and is one of our most experienced testers. If you fancy a cordless electric scarifier: Cobra S3840V 38cm (15in) Cordless Battery Scarifier & Aerator [personally tested and proven] Something else that sets the Bosch scarifier apart from other brands is its collection box; note that I said box, not bag. Unlike the flimsier fabric collection bags that other scarifiers come with, this box is made from hard plastic, meaning that it’ll last a lot longer. It’s also notably larger, with a capacity of 50 litres. About BoschSince the humble beginnings in Stuttgart, 1886, when Robert Bosch formed his own business manufacturing electronic components, the ‘Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering' has become one of the biggest and best known manufacturers of domestic and industrial electrical products in the world. The willingness to improve on established designs started almost immediately and it is this ethos that has kept Bosch GmbH and Bosch lawnmowers ahead of their rivals ever since. This innovation is quite apparent in the present range of Bosch lawnmowers and garden products that include tools no other garden machinery manufacturer produces.

When it comes to finding the best lawn scarifier, the more teeth the better! The teeth do exactly what you’d expect – pierce down into the lawn aerating it and collecting debris. The scarifying attachment has 24 spring tines that swiftly removes unwanted weeds, moss, and thatches that can starve the soil of crucial nutrients including air and sunlight. Next comes its aerator, which is built with 14 hardened steel blades to perforate soil bed and provide extensive care to your lawn. It improves the circulation of air and water to the grassroots so that they can develop in the best possible shape and colour. The machine collects all the waste in its 45 litres’ storage box. It’s worth paying attention to the number of cutting heights the scarifier has , as this affects how deeply it’ll cut into your soil. Our recommendations below range from 3 to 5, and it’s certainly a case of the more the better.

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Also, the power system is completely electric so it produces zero emissions and is one of the more quiet lawn rakes. Which is quieter? well there’s not much between them but I would say the Bosch is slightly quieter than the Flymo. Assembly Ease: The first test I conducted was how easy each scarifier was to assemble. Scarifiers that took me 30 minutes or more to assemble were marked down, as these would likely take the average gardener a long time to put together. Models with minimal assembly requirements that took 15 minutes or less to assemble and had detailed instructions were rated high in terms of assembly ease. The extra features like the Bosch Powerdrive and the ‘Jet Collect’ system are not just nice to have features but features that improve the performance of the lawn rake and make that job that little bit easier, besides you want features that will help achieve a lovely looking lawn with least amount of work and effort.