[Yorkie]

I've just acquired one of these at a knock-down price, so have high hopes ...

Just checking: do I rake before scarifying?

Anything else I need to know before I take my lawn's life (what's left of it) into my hands? 

[arugula]

In this week's episode of Beechgrove Garden, to be aired on BBC2 tomorrow morning, they scarified using an electric scarifier then went round after it with the mower to pick up the material the scarifier pulled out.

I'd be interested to hear how you get on with it, as scarifying with the rake is a job I do not like doing on a lawn the size of mine.

[JayG]

I've borrowed one more than once and would buy one tomorrow if it was a bargain (and if I had somewhere to put it!)

The amount of dead grass and moss they remove is astonishing - even after about 6 passes you will still be filling the box every few minutes and wondering whether you will have any grass left afterwards (you will!) 

Only problem is getting rid of all the material - some say it makes a good lining for hanging baskets but the amount you get is likely to be much more than you will need - it does compost eventually but it literally takes years.

(Sure I don't need to mention that if you used moss/weedkiller on the grass beforehand it will have to be dumped.)

[Yorkie]

Thanks, both.

Would you not bother with the rake bit first, then?  Or rake afterwards?

I did apply weed/mosskiller some weeks ago, and have composted the lawn cuttings, but they are OK to use after 6 months as compost.  Just not as fresh mulch.

[JayG]

Neither  - no point barking when you have just bought a dog! 

[Yorkie]

Ta - I think   

When might the rake be used, then?

[Yorkie]

Ah, just seen the RHS site - scarify in autumn, rake in spring.

[JayG]

Are you saying your machine gives you the choice between raking and scarifying Yorkie?

If I thought about it at all I probably assumed they did both jobs at the same time, but without all the effort (trying to scarify rather than just removing leaves using a spring-tined rake is much too much like hard work for me!)

[smud6ie]

One mows the lawn and then scarifies,the motor has less work to do this way.
smud6ie

[fatcat1955]

I have a small lawn about40sq mts, i get about 10 large bin bag's full whenever i scarify . I usually apply weed/feed/mosskiller in April and wait for the moss to go black. You will have nightmare's when you see the initial result's but wait 2 week's and it will look great.

[Yorkie]

It has two attachments - one for raking, the other for scarifying.

It's this one, although I got it for half that price.

I mowed first with my lawnmower (the feed in the feed / weed / mosskiller is definitely making a difference!).

Then used the rake. Parts of my lawn are now just earth - the moss was so widespread, and it's a couple of years since I did anything with it, so it had taken over.

You're right about the volume of moss etc, fatcat!  The grass box falls off after failing to collect anything, so I had to rake it up separately with one of those lightweight plastic lawn rakes (far easier than doing the whole thing manually with a spring tined rake though).

I also had to do a (successful) search for a needle in a haystack.  The screw holding one of the handles to the main body doesn't catch properly on the hole in the handle, as the hole is a bit too big.  I'd replaced it with an alternative screw with wider thread, but suddenly realised it had disappeared.  Cue fingertip search through the moss to locate it, and more importantly, the washer 

Ideally I'd ask for a replacement but at the discount I got, I'm not going to risk it.

Now just need to wait for some rain before I start reseeding.

[JayG]

Your link to the raker/scarifier seems to have a screw loose too Yorkie (probably just as well as I might start WANTING ONE!) 

User CMN3101E The system is unavailable due to "{0}".
System The product reference number attribute of the command was not set

[Yorkie]

How odd about the link 

It's definitely the link you get if you search for lawn scarifier in Homebase - must have something in it which breaks when you copy and paste it?

http://www.homebase.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=110&storeId=10151&partNumber=610624

[dalemellor]

that's very much like my alko 32vle... i tend to use the rake (springs) in spring and then the blades in Autumn to aerate aswell

[Yorkie]

Thanks Dale