BOSCH AVR 1100 Verti Cutter Lawn Raker

Product Information

A scarifier has tough steel tines that can penetrate into the ground. This removes both the moss from the surface and the layer of thatch that builds up under the grass. Is a scarifier the same as an aerator? The scarifier roller attachment uses strong steel blades to penetrate into the soil to remove weeds and pull out deep embedded thatch and moss from the lawn. The blades penetrating the soil also aerate the soil, which lets in moisture and nutrients down as far as the grass roots system. How do you know you have a thatch problem? Lawns with an undergrowth and thatch problem tend to feel excessively bouncy and springy. And if you try to look through the grass and into the soil, all you see is a confounding mess of dried grass, moss and decaying plant matter.

The Bosch AVR 1100 Verticutter is one of the best selling verticutters in the UK, but does it live up to the Bosch reputation for quality and functionality? Well, find out in my review below! Scarifier and aerator with a very impressive 40cm working width for very few passes across the lawn.

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Normally I would complain that levers mounted on the front wheels of a lawn rake are always more difficult to adjust than those mounted more centrally, however the design of the height adjustment lever on the Bosch seems to work very well. Bosch have managed to mount the lever out of the way in the front but still allow for the height to be adjusted easily, very nice!

As the name suggests, aeration involves poking plenty of holes into the soil all over your lawn. This is done to allow fertilizers, water, and air to penetrate more easily through the thatch and into the soil where they can all be easily absorbed into the root system. Aeration is most commonly done early on in the spring or fall when the lawns are still as not heavily compacted. The Bosch AVR 1100 has a very impressive 50 litre grass box, now this may not sound large, but when compared the Flymo at just 34 litres you will see this is large for a lawn rake of this size.That said, verticutting is technically a type of scarification. It removes moss, the top layer of thatch and it discourages shallow rooting weed grasses and creeping weeds. Other features in this electric scarifier include working height adjustment. Just by turning the knob you select which of the five heights are perfect for the job. This model has a cutting width of 38cm which takes care of small to large-sized lawns easily. It has a 12 metre power cable, so you don’t need to think about extension cords for some distance. 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. 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. The Bosch has 4 height adjustments which range from +5mm down to -10mm and 14 pivoting blades which won’t break in tough patches or if they hit hard debris.

After all seasonal work is finished, clean both the machine and the collection box and store in a dry area, such as garage or garden shed. A lawn rake usually has steel tines and only removes the top layer of organic matter without damaging the lawn. As moss grows on the surface, it usually just removes the moss and leaves from the surface.

Then, turn the machine around, move it a few inches to the side and guide it across in a straight line, making another strip. Repeat this process until you complete the entire lawn. Make sure that you cut the grass in straight lines and that you don’t miss any section of grass. If there’s a group of gardening tools that have people confused, it’s these three right here. But let’s get a few facts straight before we begin – There’s no difference between today’s range of scarifiers and lawn rakers. It’s just that when people refer to rakes, they mean those simple, long, light leaf rakes operated manually. The Weibang WB384RB Push Petrol Lawn Scarifier is powered by a 163cc Briggs & Stratton 750 engine which makes it well worth considering for professional use.