Petrol Scarifier Buyer’s Guide
Scarifying your lawn is a great way to get it looking green and healthy year-round. Scarifying your lawn will give the soil space to breathe and grow by removing debris and thatch. Scarifiers help to aerate the soil, while giving your garden a tidy up.
Petrol scarifiers are the most powerful of the bunch, delivering fantastic results with very little effort needed on your part. Not sure what to look for when it comes to the best petrol scarifier? Check out this buyer’s guide.
Engine
Petrol scarifiers are very powerful and usually boast a 4 stroke engine. These engines are more efficient than 2 stroke models, and they are also a lot quieter. The size of the motor can range from 53cc to 210cc. If you have a large lawn, look for a more powerful engine. If you’re scarifying a smaller lawn, you won’t need so much power.
Tank Capacity
The tank capacity refers to the amount of fuel that can be put in the machine at one time. If you have a large lawn, look for a larger tank capacity to prevent you having to constantly refill the tank. If you have a smaller garden, the tank capacity isn’t so important.
Remember that in most cases, scarifiers with a very large tank will be a lot heavier, so keep this in mind if you place a high value on ease of use and movement.
Working Width
The working width refers to the width you can work through at one time. This ranges from around 35cm up to 50cm. If you have a large garden, look for a bigger working width.
However keep in mind that larger scarifiers will be harder to manoeuvre around obstacles, plus they will be trickier to store. Smaller working widths aren’t so efficient in big open spaces, but they can be easily manoeuvred around obstacles.
Ease of Use
Petrol scarifiers are generally very easy to use, but those with large wheels and a lightweight design are the easiest to move in and out of storage, and around the garden. Most petrol scarifiers are easy to start, and it should be simple to adjust the working depth.
Petrol Scarifiers FAQ
How to use a petrol scarifier?
Before scarifying your lawn, you should first mow your lawn on a very low blade setting so that any moss and thatch is exposed. Use the scarifier in the same way you would a lawn mower, following the straight lines you have created while mowing.
To start, we recommend working at a higher setting so the grass isn’t shocked. Once you’ve passed over the lawn a few times, lower the blades a little to go deeper into the soil. Work at an angle after the first few times.
Once you have worked across your entire lawn, we recommend adding grass seed. Cover the seed with fine compost and sharp sand to protect the seeds as they germinate.
Conclusion
Getting your lawn in great condition is something of an art, and many people miss out the crucial step of scarifying! A petrol scarifier is a great option for large gardens, delivering fantastic power and making the process a fraction of the effort. For the 3 in 1 functionality, large collection box and ease of manoeuvrability, the AL-KO Combi-Care Petrol Scarifier is our top recommendation.