Finest garden aerators to purchase in 2024: handbook, electrical, cordless
We reviewed the most well-liked aerators available on the market, placing them via their paces to deliver you a listing of the perfect aerators, each handbook and powered. Every mannequin has an in depth checklist of professionals and cons for readability and has been rated in response to ease of use, dealing with, efficiency, and worth for cash. Every aerator has scored a minimal of 4 out of 5 stars, so you should buy with confidence.
Leap to:
In each overview we award the excellent merchandise our coveted Finest Purchase award. To see these and the others we suggest, browse our choose of the perfect hedge trimmers beneath:
Finest garden aerators in 2024
Kent & Stowe stainless-steel 4 prong garden aerator
RRP: £36.99
Our ranking: 4.3 out of 5
Out there from: Marshalls Backyard (£32.99), Amazon (£36.99), Bents (£40)
Professionals:
- Light-weight
- Snug
- Removes good entire soil plugs
Cons:
- Wants robust treading to work
Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Journal Finest Purchase for handbook hole tined aerating, this easy aerator from Kent & Stowe works nicely. The sleek, FSC-grade ash deal with is comfy, light-weight and doesn’t rub, even after utilizing it for some time. The deal with runs right into a single-riveted metal socket above extensive metal treads and these treads are nice for placing and pushing into soil. Nonetheless, the 9cm, stainless-steel tines do not go in easily each time, regardless of being pointed. Its finest characteristic is that it produces good, strong plugs of soil which are nice for breaking down and reusing as topsoil.
Greenkey Rolling garden aerator
RRP: £45.99
Our ranking: 4.5 out of 5
Out there from Amazon (£46.95) and Crocus (£57.99)
Professionals:
- Adjustable peak
- Straightforward to make use of
- Light-weight
- Good for storage
- Plastic caps to cowl the spikes when not in use
Cons:
- Wants assembling – although it’s easy
- Onerous work, so finest suited to small gardens
Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Journal Finest Purchase for handbook aerating, the Greenkey Rolling garden aerator is primary however does the job nicely. Light-weight with sturdy spikes, it’s simply the instrument in case your small garden wants aeration. Created from aluminium and plastic, it’s light-weight however feels substantial and includes a T-bar grip in addition to an adjustable shaft to go well with totally different peak customers. The drum is 30cm extensive, which covers a garden rapidly and simply, and there are 30 x 4.5 cm spikes to make sure deep, even aeration. It comes with a two 12 months guarantee.
Learn the complete Greenkey Rolling Garden Aerator overview
Powerbase 1400W electrical garden rake scarifier
RRP: £89
Our ranking: 4.5 out of 5
Out there from Homebase (£89)
Professionals:
- Straightforward to manoeuvre
- Light-weight
- Compact
- Folding handles and detachable assortment field for storage
- Twin begin system for security
- 4 depth settings
Cons:
- Plastic assortment field cowl catches on handles
- Noisy at 103dB
- The gathering field doesn’t choose up all of the particles
Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Journal Finest Purchase for price range, the Powerbase 1400W Electrical garden rake scarifier is a 2-in-1 mixture machine that is gentle and compact however pretty noisy, reaching 104dB. The interchangeable drums are straightforward to connect and take away with the allen key supplied, and have blades for shallow aeration, designed to assist enhance garden well being, relatively than relieve compacted soil or open the construction of heavy clay and spring tines for scarification. It has a twin begin system for security with a working width of 32cm extensive and 4 depth settings. The physique is comprised of plastic, which feels sturdy, and it has a beneficiant 40L assortment bag, plus the handles fold for straightforward storage. It comes with a 10m cable and is barely £24.02 greater than the Wolf Garten Multi-Change® Curler Moss Removing Rake that we examined, so it’s an important, labour-saving different. It comes with a two-year guarantee.
Learn the complete Powerbase 1400W Electrical Garden Rake Scarifier overview
Stihl RLA 240 cordless garden scarifier
RRP: £439
Our ranking: 4.5 out of 5
Out there from Simply Lawnmowers (£209)
Professionals:
- Glorious security options
- Straightforward to make use of
- Snug
Cons:
Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Journal Finest Purchase for security, this mixture machine is powered by a 36v, 4.8Ah battery. It takes 205 minutes to cost, however is simple to plug in and has a useful cost indicator, though that is faint in daylight. The battery additionally has nice security options – it gained’t work with no security key, and there’s a lock on the powerbar for an efficient dead-man swap – and it lasts lengthy sufficient to cowl a 250m2 garden, concerning the dimension of a tennis courtroom. Because of clean, high-quality wheels, it feels light-weight and straightforward to manoeuvre, which is stunning on condition that it weighs 15kg. Highly effective aerating blades reduce via the highest layer of soil nicely, to assist enhance garden well being, relatively than relieve compacted soil or open the construction of heavy clay, and in doing so, additionally deal with a lot of the thatch and moss within the garden. The scarifying drum attachment was efficient on moss too, although not as environment friendly with thatch. Though, this machine struggles with inclines, catching on the floor and shutting itself off in case your garden is not stage, this isn’t an excessive amount of of an issue, as a result of you’ll be able to simply modify the heights – +7.5 mm to -9.5 mm – to keep away from this drawback, and this automated shutdown can also be an important security characteristic.
Better of the remainder
Though some fashions didn’t fairly obtain a BBC Gardeners’ World Journal Finest Purchase award, they nonetheless have options that make them value recommending. Browse our choose of the perfect of the remainder on take a look at.
Stiga Important SV 213E electrical garden scarifier
RRP: £159
Our ranking: 4.3 out of 5
Out there from Mowers On-line (£155), B & Q (£159)
Professionals:
- Straightforward to make use of
- Light-weight and compact
- Folding handles and detachable assortment field for storage
- Interchangeable drums are straightforward to take away and set up
- Twin begin system for security
- 4 depth settings
- Quiet at 91dB
Cons:
- The 15m cable isn’t included
- Assortment field doesn’t choose up all of the particles
The Stiga Important SV 213E Electrical Garden Scarifier is gentle, compact and environment friendly with regards to tackling moss and thatch within the garden. It has two interchangeable drums, one with spring tines for scarification and the opposite with blades for shallow aeration, which is designed to assist enhance garden well being, relatively than relieve compacted soil or open the construction of heavy clay. It additionally has a twin begin security system and could be adjusted to 4 depths, starting from -6mm to +4mm, which is shallower than the opposite fashions we examined. We discovered that the 40L assortment bag left some particles behind and the 15m cable – the longest within the group we examined – is a further price of £21.71. It’s compact and straightforward to fold the handles for storage, and comes with a two 12 months guarantee.
Learn the complete Stiga Important SV 213E Electrical Garden Scarifier overview
Cobra S3840V Cordless Scarifier
RRP: £360.99
Our ranking: 4 out of 5
Out there from Eager Gardener (£329.99)
Professionals:
- Snug to make use of
- Very efficient
- Fast to cost
Cons:
- Scalps the garden
- Very poor directions
The Cobra S3840V Cordless Scarifier handles nicely. It’s huge, and the wheels are vulnerable to being somewhat stiff, but it surely’s light-weight and has a soft-grip deal with, which makes it comfy to make use of. At 92dB, it’s comparatively quiet, too. The 40V 5Ah battery costs rapidly in simply 90 minutes, and gives 40 minutes’ use. The machine itself is simple to make use of, and we liked having the ability to see the cost indicator via the clear window. The aeration blades and spring tine scarifying drum could be set at 5 heights, which vary from -10mm to +5mm. Sadly, the directions are poor, so it takes some time to get this machine up and operating. On the plus aspect, at 38cm extensive, it covers a big space of garden, decreasing how lengthy you spend on the job, however its dimension makes this mixture machine very cumbersome and tough to retailer.
What’s a garden aerator and what does it do?
Aerating your garden is a part of a spring and autumn garden care regime and there are two totally different strategies of aerating your garden:
- Spiking – this entails utilizing strong spikes to create holes within the garden, that are a few millimetres in width and a number of other centimetres deep, to assist relieve compacted soil.
- Hole tining – because it sounds, hole tines are pushed into the bottom to take away cylindrical plugs of turf, round a centimetre extensive and some centimetres deep. Relying on the soil sort, you could want to fill these holes with a sandy combine or go away them to let the soil broaden and shut the holes, which helps with waterlogged clay soil.
Varieties of garden aerators: the alternative ways to aerate your garden
There are 4 forms of aerator, every with their very own professionals and cons:
- Spike sneakers – these are low-cost and straightforward to make use of and best on mushy – however not soggy – floor in small gardens.
- Guide aerators – though these are helpful instruments, which might do particular jobs (see above), utilizing them requires loads of effort because it will get tiring, even on a small garden. However they’re low-cost, and an important concept should you’re after a exercise.
- Guide Rolling Drum Aerators – these are time and labour saving, as you merely stroll throughout the garden pushing the curler
- Powered Aerators – the plain benefit of utilizing these is that they’re labour saving. They’re additionally nearly at all times accessible as a part of a 2-in-1 mixture machine that scarifies as nicely, so that you get two jobs performed for the value of 1. Nonetheless, it’s necessary to notice these mechanical aerators don’t aerate in the identical method {that a} handbook aerator does – they use metallic blades relatively than spikes or tines. These blades create shallow slits relatively than deep holes, and though they are going to assist preserve a wholesome garden, by permitting air and water to maneuver via this prime layer of soil, they gained’t enhance your garden if it’s compacted or you have got heavy clay. Mechanical aerators are fairly an funding too, as you’re utilizing them twice a 12 months on the most – even when they’re a 2-in-1 mixture of aerator and scarifier – they usually require extra space to retailer than the opposite alternate options.
In terms of selecting whether or not you go for an electrical, cordless or petrol aerator, contemplate the professionals and cons which are related to every sort:
- Electrical corded aerators: Light-weight, quiet and sometimes on the budget-end, these are finest suited to small and medium-sized gardens with an influence provide. Most include a set field, which is a helpful, time-saving characteristic, however the wire size could be restrictive in addition to probably hazardous.
- Cordless aerators: Light-weight, quiet and an environmentally-friendly different to petrol sorts, the draw back to purchasing cordless instruments is that they will price extra, and the batteries and chargers are generally a further price. Whereas they don’t have a restrictive cable and are subsequently very best for accessing all areas of the backyard, it’s necessary to pay attention to their cost and run occasions, as this might restrict their effectiveness if in case you have a bigger backyard.
- Petrol aerators: Typically probably the most highly effective fashions, this comes with the inconvenience of utilizing messy, costly petrol. Like cordless, they do imply you’re free to roam wherever wanted, however they’re noisier than the battery-powered different, not nearly as good for the surroundings and can want extra in the best way of normal upkeep, with common servicing to maintain them in tip prime working order.
How to decide on the perfect garden aerator
Relying on the kind of aerator you’re going to decide on, there are a number of key options to search for:
- Guide hole tine – look out for robust, strong tines that can address compacted turf, a good tread to stop your foot from slipping, and a soft-grip deal with for consolation.
- Guide rolling drum – ideally you desire a good variety of metallic spikes on the drum to create loads of holes – as a information, 27 spikes provides you with about 180 spikes per sq. metre. The spikes must also be not less than 5cm lengthy to make sure they penetrate the bottom deeply.
- Mechanical aerator – go for robust, good-sized blades and a set field. If space for storing is a matter search for handles that fold down and a collapsible assortment field relatively than a strong one.
How we examined garden aerators
To see how nicely garden aerators carry out, the GW opinions workforce examined a variety of fashions throughout a variety of backyard conditions – creating holes and slits in numerous turf and floor situations. Earlier than we began, we checked for any wildlife within the grass and natural particles on the garden floor. The garden aerators have been in contrast, and the next standards used to calculate the scores, with equal weight given to every:
- Set-up & storage: We appeared on the meeting wanted, ease and readability of directions, any storage options and, the place related, the cable size.
- Dealing with: We assessed ease of use, weight, noise ranges, consolation and security options.
- Efficiency: Thought-about the power of the tines or blades, in addition to how nicely they created holes and slits within the garden. For the 2-in-1 machines, we additionally evaluated how nicely the spring tines eliminated moss and thatch within the scarifying mode.
- Worth for cash: We reviewed all the above, plus high quality and design, the RRP and the size of guarantee.
For extra data on our testing course of see How we Evaluate
This overview was final up to date in April 2024. Sadly, costs change and issues exit of inventory so we apologise if something has modified.
