Ideal for maintaining your lawn and affording yourself a beautiful lawn at a lower cost, the scarifier is the perfect tool to promote the growth of the lawn by eliminating parasitic elements and aerating the soil. Thus ventilated, the grass is better able to receive the beneficial effects of the sun’s rays and rainwater, the ideal cocktail for a lawn worthy of the most beautiful parks. Let’s take a look at the features of this handy tool and discover our tips for choosing the right model.
What is a scarifier?
The scarifier is a gardening tool relatively unknown to individuals. However, it contributes to the maintenance of the lawn and to promote its good growth by removing the upper layers and eliminating certain parasitic elements such as weeds, mosses and lichens. By its cutting action, the scarifier allows the sun and water to penetrate better into the lawn, the two ingredients necessary for its good development. In short, if the scarifier is a great forgotten by private gardeners, it is nevertheless your ally to obtain a beautiful, elegant and harmonious lawn.
The operation of this machine is relatively simple. It has a roller equipped with teeth, knives or claws. When you pass this scarifier over your lawn, the roller tears off the layer of grass that hinders good regrowth and natural growth. Weeds, clippings and moss that hinder your lawn are removed. They are then collected in the collection box of the device or you will have to collect them yourself if your scarifier is not equipped with one.
This handy tool should be spent in spring and autumn, which are the two key seasons for turf and for vegetation as a whole. Remember to equip yourself with protective glasses, gloves and noise-canceling headphones. Indeed, the scarifier is a noisy machine and can project elements likely to be dangerous for your eyes and your face.
How to choose your scarifier?
To choose your scarifier, here are the criteria we advise you to take into account.
The type of scarifier
There are three types of scarifiers: the manual model, the electric model and the thermal model.
- The manual scarifier: this machine is the least expensive, but it is only suitable for very small gardens. Indeed, the use is entirely manual, so quickly exhausting on large surfaces and uneven or uneven terrain.
- The electric scarifier: this model is the most common, because it is the lightest, the easiest to use and maintain, but it is also very efficient and comfortable. If it is suitable for the maintenance of spacious gardens, it will imperatively be necessary to provide a connection and an electric cable accordingly, because it only works connected to the mains. In addition, these are noisy machines that require hearing protection. Count at least 1000 to 1800 W for a large area.
- The thermal scarifier: for gardens of more than 800 m², the thermal model is the most appropriate. These machines are indeed very powerful and pleasant to use, but they require more maintenance. They are also heavier and can be difficult to maneuver in tight corners or on uneven terrain.
The way of cutting
You can opt for a claw scarifier or a knife machine.
- The claws, made of metal or plastic, only remove the surface layer of lawn to preserve the deep layer. It is therefore a gentler and less harmful maintenance for the lawn.
- Sharp blades are more effective because they allow the lawn to be well ventilated. Opt for hardened steel knives for optimal durability and prefer a model with as many blades as possible. Top performers have 48.
The collection box
This tray is an option that is not fitted to all scarifiers. Nevertheless, it is advisable to invest in this purchase, because it will save you from having to collect the mowing by doing it for you. In addition, to avoid multiplying the round trips, prefer a model of at least 50 liters of capacity.
The working method
A scarifier must treat the superficial vegetable layer and not work in depth. We therefore recommend that you avoid devices with a depth of more than 2.5 cm, or else ensure that the blades of the machine are interchangeable to use it as a soil aerator.