In smaller gardens, you can use hand-tool plug aerators to save money . These are relatively slow to use, but work well on small patches of lawn. You might even consider spiked shoes so you can walk around the garden whilst aerating the soil.

Low cost and easy to operate, roller spike aerators are quite popular products, but there are some common issues. Firstly, some of the cheaper models are not all that well put together and may be a bit on the flimsy side. On top of that, they are sometimes too lightweight and so the pines hardly penetrate the ground without some alteration to the design to make them heavier, or manually pushing down on the handle. They are all pretty similar in design: Roller spike aerator – they are all pretty similar in design The Hyundai HYSC1500E Electric Lawn Scarifier & Aerator is one of the best aerators for medium and large gardens. It’s 2-in-1, working as both an aerator and a scarifier.Aerating is only supposed to be done a couple of times a year, in spring or Autumn, so you have to ask yourself if it is worth spending a lot of money on something that you will not be using all that often. It’s best practise to aerate your lawn now in late Autumn, as that will give your lawn a few weeks for it to recover before winter strikes. By using this type of tine aerator, it will allow water and air to circulate better through it. It also ensures heavy rainfall won’t ruin your lawn, which can easily be caused by waterlogging. There are 4 working depths to choose from, but I found all but the shortest one too deep for aerating and definitely more suited for scarifying, but that’s usually the case with these types of aerator. Changing depth is very easy though and there is a handy lever for just that purpose. Larger gardens will probably require you to get a rolling aerator, whether that is electric or push powered. You could use aerator nail shoes for any sized garden as long as you are prepared to do the exercise. Type of soil

Loosening the soil, improving the supply of oxygen, and creating good drainage creates a good environment for new grass seed, whilst benefitting any existing lawn. The hollow tines are long, removing plugs of soil to a depth of 13 cm, and reasonably wide at 1.6 cm across. The holes they create allow water, oxygen and fertiliser to get deep into the soil and improve the health of your lawn.

Choosing an aerator type – hollow tined, spiked, manual or machine?

Removing plugs of soil can also help with drainage in compacted ground. If the ground is too compact, water can end up sitting on top of the soil, unable to drain. Not only can this make the garden unpleasant to walk in, but it can damage the grass and soil. Removing plugs of soil will help water drain better. It has 30 spikes to ensure aeration of the soil is effective using the long and very strong 5cm inch spikes. By appearance, the Kingfisher RC401 resembles a pitchfork. However, there are certain features that make it different. First things first, unlike regular pitchforks, the tines on this tool are hollow inside and have pointed tips, which allows you to push them deeper into the ground for better aeration. And secondly, it has a sturdy horizontal crossbar above the spikes where you can rest your foot to push the fork, making the whole process much more convenient. These shoes are a one-size-fits-all-type aerator sandal and are the best ones I found amongst the many types available. The sandal is made from durable material and seem to be well-built.

Fitted with a 300-mm roller, the Greenkey rolling aerator covers quite a wide area at a single path. However, it best suits for aerating smaller and middle-sized lawns since it is not powered by electricity. If you do decide to treat larger areas, it will be a more challenging task that will require more time and effort from you to complete it, given its manual operation. While it is acceptable to aerate when damp, don't do it after heavy rains; you'll end up with a muddy mess that makes it hard for the lawn to recover. This lawn aerator/ scarifier has adjustable working heights and there are 3 levels to choose from. This is handier for the scarifier than the aerator but it is still a nice feature to have. Just be careful to get the settings right and maybe try them out on a separate patch of grass first so you don’t destroy your lawn accidentally.Assembly takes just 15 minutes and it comes with a 28 L grass bag as well as a generous 10 m cable. The power cable is bright orange which means it is visible in the grass as well. This product was easy to assemble and the instructions weren’t totally horrendous, which is usually the case these days, and the adjustable handles and collection bag all fitted on without any bother.

Cordless aerators: Lightweight, quiet and an environmentally-friendly alternative to petrol types, the downside to buying cordless tools is that they can cost more, and the batteries and chargers are sometimes an additional cost. While they don’t have a restrictive cable and are therefore ideal for accessing all areas of the garden, it’s important to be aware of their charge and run times, as this could limit their effectiveness if you have a larger garden.For smaller lawns and irregularly-shaped grass spaces, choose a push aerator, handheld model, or aerator shoes. We think the Yard Butler Lawn Coring Aerator is a great manual option for small yards with clay soil. There are anti-slip pads on the part of the shoe that connects to the sole of your own shoes, helping to prevent slipping. Labor-Saving & Lightweight Tool: The length of the handle is about 103cm which can free you from bending down low to push the lawn aerator. And the width of spike aerator is 43cm to increase the extent of soil turning. In addition, it can be pushed around easily because of lightweight design.