Bosch 060088A070 ALR Electric Lawn Raker, 900 W, 240 V

Product Information

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. The lawn rake attachment has 24 steel spring tines to work against all the elements that might choke your lawn. These tines attach to the thatches and collect them to a large 50-litre box. Due to a large thatch collection, you don’t have stop too much for emptying it. Then, this machine has a scarifier attachment with 14 steel blades. It’s suitable for tough conditions when there are lots of weeds, dead leaves and mosses covering your yard. A manual lawn scarifier is quiet, easy to store and doesn’t require any maintenance other than scrapping the rust off.

Derek has real-world tested 61 products for DIY Garden, and is one of our most experienced testers. Look for lawn scarifiers with good-quality metal teeth. Stainless steel or tempered steel teeth will last longer than plastic ones, for example. However, modern lawn rakers are mower-like machines complete with dozens of accessories and functionalities. People in the UK refer to these lawn rakers as scarifiers because, well, we invented the language and will play with it as we see fit. Electric: Corded and cordless versions of lawn scarifiers are the most common. These machines either draw power from mains or a rechargeable battery.With a sizeable 1500W motor, this machine is pretty powerful. It feels faster than the others I tested, and it’s also noticeably wider (36cm instead of the standard 32cm) meaning that it won’t take you quite as long to scarify your lawn. Not only will it save you time, but it does a great job too. Once you find the right height setting for your lawn, it’ll pull up moss and thatch without damaging healthy grass. It doesn’t leave the lawn quite as churned up as some of its competition, yet it effectively removes what it needs to. Does this make it more practical than it’s closest competition? well, yes I think it does for people with smaller lawns and limited space for storage with the ability to get the job done without emptying the collection box as often. There is also a very handy and well positioned central handle that makes carrying the almost 10 kg rake to the garage or shed very easy. The compact size really will make lawn care much easier and really makes the entire experience much less dependent on you struggling with a heavy over sized lawn rake. Is it smaller and lighter than the Flymo? well, smaller yes, but roughly the same weight. The integrated collection box does make the Flymo smaller for storage but the comprise is the smaller collection box and the need to empty more often. Bosch have tried to compensate for the larger box by making the collection box dismantle into two pieces for smaller storage. To give you some guidance on which type of customer would suit this model best, below I’ve got a list of the categories they would fall under:

From its colours to its design, this is very clearly a Bosch product. Yes, it’s made from plastic, but it still feels strong and durable. With a width of 32 cm and four different height settings (+10mm to -5mm), its design gives it great versatility.Bosch is a brand that just about everyone is familiar with. I’ve personally used several Bosch products across my garden and home and have always been happy with how they have performed. According to the fuel types, there are three different categories of lawn scarifiers available in the market. Advantages and disadvantages depending upon your requirements. So, let’s know them so that you can make an informed and smart investment. 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. This is because they don’t dig into the ground pulling out weeds in the same way as the scarifiers. Scarifiers generally have blades to dig into the soil

One thing to bear in mind, however, is that a wider width tends to mean a bigger machine. Which also generally results in a heavier machine. You’ll just need to weigh up the pros and cons of width vs. weight and see which model best fits your needs. Finding a comfortable lawn scarifier But why is that important? Well, the more oxygen in the soil, the healthier your grass will be! In addition, the best lawn scarifiers also help keep weeds at bay. They really are exceptionally useful little machines! Understanding ‘Working Depth’Scarifying is nothing less than an invasion over a soil bed. So, you always help your lawn to recover well. It could be an easy process if your timing is right. In other words, if the lawn is getting enough sunlight and oxygen after scarifying, the recovery process will speed up. So, you might want to read the given guide and know how to choose a suitable scarifier for your garden. Types: Petrol, Electric or Manual Scarifier? 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. Assembling garden tools often feels like a chore, so I always appreciate products that require minimal assembly. This is what VonHaus promises with their 2-in-1 electric scarifier, and that’s a promise that they’ve managed to keep. Assembly took about 15 minutes overall– you simply need to attach the handles and the trigger, then swap over the aerating roller for the scarifier when necessary. The only tools you’ll need for assembling this machine are a Philip’s screwdriver and an Allen key (the Allen key comes included).

There is no level indicator or vision window on the Bosch ALR 900 so it can be little difficult to know when the collection box is full. The Flymo Lawnrake Compact 3400 does have a collection box window, this is a nice touch – well done Flymo. You can easily find grass scarifiers and aerating tools along with an interchangeable head at a lower price point. Budget machines are the ones that attract the attention of buyers. Buy such budget models only if you have to use them over a small garden. Aerating drums of lawn scarifiers have blades which can make slits in the surface of the soil. Don’t set the machine for too low since it may cause undue stress on the functioning, and may have operational issues in the long term. Of course this is open to interpretation so if you don’t fall under every single one then don’t worry I’m sure you’ll still love this product. It has loads of great features that I’m sure you make use of even if you’re not its perfect customer. This lawn rake and scarifier is advertised as a 3-in-1 model, but this is really just some clever marketing. It has two main functions; scarifying and aerating. As mentioned, it scarifies well, and it’s also very easy to swap the scarifying drum over for the aerator. However, I wouldn’t bother doing this again because the aerating roller isn’t very effective. It works in pretty much the same way as the scarifier and doesn’t really aerate the ground. There are variations of scarifiers on the market, you could opt for a simple garden rake or a manual scarifier with wheels if you want to do it by hand. Though many gardens are quite big and it can be a tough job by hand, so we recommend using an electric scarifier for small to medium gardens and a petrol scarifier for larger gardens.So with that said, let’s look at what you need to consider when buying a lawn scarifier / raker: What to consider before buying a lawn raker and scarifier? The ‘Jet Collect’ system on the Bosch does seem to, perhaps, just make it the slight winner when it comes to collection of wet leaves on the lawn for example. The flow of air produced by this system seems to help prevent clogging of the collection box inlet and slightly improves compaction. It has five heights to choose from, along with a 38cm working width, which is wider than all of the other scarifiers I tested. The height of the handles is adjustable too, or you can easily fold them down if you need to store the machine.