Two cylinders in one machine, and only one of them scarifies
A scarifier cuts vertically into the turf to pull out the mat of dead grass and moss that stops water and air reaching the roots. That is the job, and it is violent: a lawn looks worse after scarifying than before it, and the whole point is what grows back. The shelf is dominated by two-in-one machines, and this is the first thing to understand about it. Eight of the nine machines surveyed name both jobs in the title — « Vertikutierer » and « Rasenlüfter » — and all nine ship with two interchangeable cylinders, one carrying fixed steel blades that slice the turf, the other carrying spring tines that comb it. Only the first is scarifying. The second is raking, gentler, and what most lawns need in a year when they have not been neglected. The working width runs 30 to 40 cm — narrower than a mower of the same class, because the machine has to push those blades into the ground — and it sets the number of passes more brutally than it does on a mower, since scarifying is done twice, at right angles. The working depths are set in four or five steps, usually from a few millimetres above the soil to a few below it, and the difference between « removes thatch » and « destroys the lawn » is one notch on that dial. Then the power source, where this shelf runs corded at 1 200 to 2 000 W and cordless on 36 V platforms, the catcher volume of 28 to 55 litres, and the functions: the hand-pushed rakes at the cheap end of the shelf do the same work on a small lawn for a tenth of the price and ten times the effort. We compare working width, power source, blades, working depths, catcher volume, functions and weight.
32 cm, 1500 W, 16 blades + 36 claws, 4 depths, 30 L
Both cartridges in the box — 16 blades and 36 aerator claws — on a 1500 W mains machine with a 30-litre catcher.
Best for: A small to medium lawn being scarified for the first time, where both operations will be tried
38 cm, 1.4 kW / 79 cm³, 14 blades + 48 tines, −14 to +6 mm, 55 L
A 79 cm³ petrol machine with 14 blades or 48 sprung tines, a −14 to +6 mm depth range and a 55-litre catcher.
Best for: A large lawn out of reach of a socket, scarified properly once or twice a year
40 cm, 2000 W, 20 blades + 24 tines, −12 to +6 mm, 55 L
A 2000 W machine with a stated depth range of −12 to +6 mm, a 55-litre bag and both rollers — sold as one of three models in a range.
Best for: A large lawn with real thatch, where the depth needs setting rather than guessing
40 cm, 2000 W, 20 blades + 24 sprung tines, −12 to +6 mm, 55 L
Tool-free roller changes, a −12 to +6 mm depth range, a 55-litre bag, and the option of working with no bag at all.
Best for: A large, genuinely thatched lawn where the first pass will be run without the bag
1.6 kW mains, 2-in-1 blade system, adjustable depth
A 1.6 kW corded machine with both blade sets and an adjustable depth — described in five lines and almost no numbers.
Best for: A homeowner doing one or two seasonal passes who wants a known name and will not be comparing figures
400 mm, 4.1 kW / 212 cc, 15 blades, −15 to +5 mm, 40 L steel body
A 212 cc four-stroke with 15 blades, a −15 to +5 mm depth range, a steel housing and 7-inch wheels.
Best for: A large, rough lawn where the machine will be worked hard and the engine has to have something in reserve
40 cm, 182 cm³ four-stroke, 32 swinging blades, −15 to 0 mm, 40 L
Thirty-two free-swinging blades on a 182 cm³ four-stroke, with a depth range that stops at ground level and an easy-start engine.
Best for: A large, stony or rough lawn where a fixed blade would find something hard
Cordless, bare tool, 2-in-1, 4 heights, 40 L bag
The only cordless machine on this shelf, supplied without pack or charger, with a curved base stated to reduce pushing resistance.
Best for: A medium lawn away from a socket, in a shed that already holds this maker’s packs
46 cm, 212 cc / 5.4 PS four-stroke, 48 blades
The widest machine on this shelf at 46 cm, with 48 blades on a 212 cc four-stroke, described by the maker as suitable for commercial use.
Best for: A very large lawn, or somebody scarifying more than one of them a season
Only the specifications at least four models out of five state. A column that is more empty than full compares nothing.
| Model | Price | Amazon reference | Blades | Catcher volume | Functions |
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Specifications: manufacturer sheets and Amazon product pages. Prices and availability: Keepa. No product on this site has been physically tested.
Most recent revision in this category: September 26, 2026.
