In a nutshell

Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for Budget, the Powerbase 1400W electric Lawn Rake and Scarifier is light, compact but fairly noisy. It removes moss and thatch from lawns effectively, and features a dual start system for safety, folding handles for storage and comes with a two-year warranty.

What we tested

  • Preparation
    A star rating of 4.0 out of 5.
  • Performance
    A star rating of 4.0 out of 5.
  • Handling
    A star rating of 5.0 out of 5.
  • Value for money
    A star rating of 5.0 out of 5.
Overall Rating
A star rating of 4.5 out of 5.

Pros

  • Easy to manoeuvre
  • Lightweight and compact
  • Folding handles and removable collection box for storage
  • Dual start system for safety
  • Four depth settings

Cons

  • Plastic collection box cover catches on handles
  • Comparatively noisy
  • Collection box doesn’t pick up all the debris
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What are the Powerbase 1400W Lawn Rake Scarifier's main features?

The Powerbase 1400W Lawn Rake Scarifier is a compact, corded 2-in-1 machine, which works effectively to remove moss, thatch and other debris. Its body is made from plastic, which feels sturdy, although the cover on the collection box is flimsy and catches on the handle as you close it. It features a dual switch for safety, which is simple to use – push the start button and pull the lever to turn it on, and has a working width of 32cm, the standard size in the group we tested. There are also four depth settings. Although it’s lightweight, at just 10.8kg, it doesn’t feature a soft grip on the handle and is likely to feel uncomfortable after long periods of use. It’s also quite noisy compared to most of the other models tested, which reach between 93-94 dB levels.


What’s the Powerbase 1400W Lawn Rake Scarifier like to use?

As with all the scarifiers in the group we tested, the handles need to be assembled and attached to the body, which is straightforward to do. You also have to clip the fabric collection box onto the metal frame. This corded machine feels nifty and is easy to move around the garden, even though the 1400W motor isn’t the most powerful in the group we tested. Both of the interchangeable drums, which are simple to attach and remove with the allen key provided, lift thatch and moss efficiently. The blades are strong and effective in the aerating mode, slitting the top layer of soil, and will help keep your lawn healthy. However, if your soil is compacted or you need to improve heavy clay, a manual aerator is a better option, and we’ve tested some in our best lawn aerator round up. It has a generous 40L collection bag, but does miss some of the debris, which needs to be picked up with a mower or rake.


Who is the Powerbase 1400W Lawn Rake Scarifier most useful for?

With its 10m cable, this model is best suited to a small- to medium-sized garden. As it’s compact, it can be stored easily and the handles fold too, which is helpful if space is an issue.


Is the Powerbase 1400W Lawn Rake Scarifier good value for money?

This machine is only £24.02 more than than the manual Wolf Garten Multi-Change® Roller Moss Removal Rake, but as it lightly aerates too, we feel it represents great value for money. It also comes with a two year warranty.


Looking for help to get your lawn in tip top condition? We've tested the best lawn aerators and best lawn scarifiers, and have put together expert tips on lawn care, while Alan Titchmarsh shows the best way to scarify a lawn. You might also want to check out our round ups of the best cordless mowers and best robotic mowers.

For more cordless garden tools, read our best hedge trimmers and best pressure washers guides.

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This review was last updated in November 2021. Unfortunately, prices change and things go out of stock so we apologise if anything has changed.

Product Specifications

Product
BrandPowerbase
NamePowerbase 1400W electric Lawn Rake and Scarifier
Model1400W
Price£89.00
Lawn mower typeElectric - corded
Features
Powered byElectric - corded
Power1,400W
Cable reach10m
Cutting width32cm
Collection capacity40l
Warranty2YEAR
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