Hyundai 2-in-1 Lawn Scarifier Review

I had already assembled a few scarifiers from other brands before moving on to the Hyundai. For most, the assembly process was minimal and took about 10-15 minutes (the Bosch UniversalRake 900 offered the simplest assembly), so I was expecting things to be even faster and easier with Hyundai’s scarifier. 

Sadly, I was very much mistaken. Assembling this scarifier was tedious and took around 30 minutes. I started by assembling the bag, which most other scarifiers didn’t require. While relatively easy to do, inserting the metal frame is a fiddly task. It can also help to have a second person to hand when clipping on the plastic tube at the bottom of the bag. 

The next step is to attach the handles with the six flip latches provided. These take a little more getting used to than the standard screws that other scarifiers use. It didn’t help that the instructions weren’t very clear either – if you’ve never assembled or used a scarifier before, then you may find yourself struggling to put this one together.

Just like Hyundai’s other garden tools, their electric scarifier sports the brand’s signature black and blue colour palette, making it easy to instantly see that this is a Hyundai product. 

When it comes to design, Hyundai usually stays a step ahead of its competition, and this scarifier is no exception. It has five height settings, from -12mm to +10mm, where most others have three or four. There’s just one lever to adjust height, which is much more convenient than scarifiers that have two, such as the Einhell. 

The Hyundai scarifier also has a wider operating width than most of the other scarifiers I tested (the only one that was wider was the AL-KO). At 36cm, rather than the 32cm that most other models offer, the Hyundai promises to make quick work of larger lawns. 

The collection bag that comes with this scarifier is adequate in size, with a capacity of 45 litres. That said, the canvas bag does feel a little flimsy – I’m surprised that Hyundai never went with a hard plastic collection box, like the Bosch scarifier has. 

Thankfully, it manages to shine once again when it comes to the design of its handles. Just like the other scarifiers I used, these handles are foldable to allow for easy storage. However, unlike most of the other scarifiers I reviewed, handle height is also adjustable, with two height settings to choose from. Being petite, this is something that I very much appreciate, as it enables me to bring the handles down to my height.

As mentioned, Hyundai’s electric scarifier is a 2-in-1 model, meaning that it aerates too. It comes with two interchangeable drums to allow for this; one that scarifies and one that aerates. 

The design of this scarifier definitely didn’t disappoint. There are a few design features here that you won’t find from other brands, but designing a product that stands out from the crowd seems to be something that Hyundai excels at.

Scarifier

As impressive as this scarifier’s design may be, it all comes down to performance in the end. So, after adjusting the machine to its highest height setting (always do this before you start scarifying to save you from churning up more soil than you need to), I was ready to get started. 

Turn the machine on and you can immediately feel that it has been fitted with a powerful motor. At 1500W, this is larger than many of its competitors.

After adjusting the height once again (I ended up keeping it at -9mm), I started to scarify. The machine did a great job of removing moss and weeds. Over the course of testing these various scarifiers, I noticed that even when two machines were set to the same height, the severity of the results varied quite significantly. At -9mm, the Hyundai was able to scarify just as well as the Einhell GC-SA 1231 did at -12mm. I didn’t need to go down to the Hyundai’s lowest setting, even on the parts of my lawn that were dense with thick moss. 

Aerator

Switching over to the machine’s aerating roller couldn’t be easier. Most of the other scarifiers that I tested required an Allen key for this, but the Hyundai didn’t require any tools at all. 

That said, once I had finished scarifying, the lawn didn’t really require another once-over with the aerating roller. So, rather than testing the aerator out across the entire scarified lawn, I just used it on a smaller section instead. 

The results were great – this was probably the most effective aerator out of all of the machines that I tested.

At 11.5kg, this scarifier was slightly heavier than most of the others – the only heavier one that I used was the AL-KO. However, that’s not necessarily a bad thing – the extra weight gives the machine a sturdiness that the others don’t have. It doesn’t bounce around in the same way when it’s being used, yet it’s still light enough to easily manoeuvre, as well as to lift up and down steps or in and out of a vehicle. 

As mentioned, the adjustable handle height makes using the machine much more comfortable, especially for someone like me who isn’t as tall as the average user!

However, when it comes to ease of use, this scarifier’s grass collection bag lets it down. For starters, it’s a little awkward to re-insert the bag into the machine. Granted, it may be larger than most of its competition, meaning that you won’t need to empty it quite as often. However, in reality, this just means emptying it every 90 seconds instead of every 60 seconds, so it doesn’t actually save you a noticeable amount of time, especially since the bag doesn’t seem to fill to full capacity. 

It also doesn’t help that the bag is angled downwards. I think this is why small amounts of thatch kept falling out of the bag as I moved the machine around the lawn, which made the bag seem a little pointless. 

Obviously, you can get around this by doing away with the bag altogether and simply raking up or running a mower over your lawn once you’re done scarifying. This is something that I always recommend anyway to save time, but that’s no excuse for the bag not functioning in the way that it should – none of the other scarifiers that I tested had this issue.

With a sound level of 102dB, this was one of the loudest scarifiers that I tested. If you have neighbours nearby, they might find the noise a little annoying. That said, this is a machine that you’ll only be using once or twice a year, so the noise level is unlikely to be an issue for many.

This Hyundai scarifier offers safety features that are on par with competing models. It has been designed with a safety button that needs to be pressed before you can pull the trigger to turn the machine on, and its power cable is bright orange in colour, meaning that you’re unlikely to accidentally run over it while scarifying. It’s also 10 metres in length, which gives you enough leeway to keep the cable well out of the way while you’re working. 

It’s worth noting that the instruction manual advises users to wear protective gear when using this scarifier. I personally didn’t find this to be necessary – at no point during the scarifying process did I feel that any part of my face or body could potentially be in harm’s way. However, if you decide to scarify without using the collection bag, then protective clothing and accessories would be useful, just in case the machine throws anything towards you.

Although not the most expensive scarifier that I tested (Bosch wins that award), the Hyundai isn’t cheap either. This is why it’s such a shame that there are a few flaws in relation to its collection bag – for the price you’re paying, you’d expect better. 

However, collection bag aside, this machine really is all about quality. Many scarifiers are marketed as 2-in-1 models, yet they fail to effectively aerate – this is one of the few scarifiers out there that truly is a worthwhile 2-in-1. 

To sweeten the deal, Hyundai has included a three year manufacturer’s warranty with this scarifier. They’ve also thrown in a free wall bracket, which you can use to store the machine out of the way when it’s not being used. This is a nice touch that none of the other scarifier brands have offered.

Compared to its competition, the Hyundai 2-in-1 Lawn Scarifier is noticeably faster and wider, making it the top choice for large lawns. It may require a slightly larger initial investment, but this pays for itself when you consider its superior design, as well as the fact that it aerates just as well as it scarifies. If aerating isn’t on your lawn maintenance to-do list, then by all means, go with a cheaper model. However, if a multi-purpose machine is what you’ve been looking for, then this is one that ticks all boxes.