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Hollow tines pull a core; spikes just make a hole

Hand lawn aerators, compared

Aerating a lawn means opening the soil so that water, air and roots can move through it, and there are two ways to do it that are not equivalent. A hollow-tine fork pulls a plug of soil out and leaves a hole that stays open; solid spikes push soil sideways and compact the walls of the hole they make, which on a heavy clay lawn can make the problem worse rather than better. Every listing on this shelf is one of the two, and the type column says which. The shapes are simple. A hollow-tine fork with four cores and a footplate, sometimes with a tray to catch the plugs. A spiked roller on a handle for larger areas. A sprung rake sold as an aerator, which combs thatch out rather than opening the soil and is really a hand scarifier. And spiked overshoes, strapped to boots and walked across the lawn, which are the cheapest thing here and the most often mocked — they work on a small lawn and they are tiring on any other. The working width is what separates an afternoon from a weekend: 10 cm on a fork, 30 to 40 cm on a rake or roller. The tines column carries their number and whether they are hollow or solid; the handle is either a D-grip, a T-bar or a long shaft, and it decides whether the tool is pushed with a boot or pulled with the back. The material is steel everywhere that matters, and plastic where it does not. We compare type, working width, tines, handle and material.

Every part here, laid out figure by figure

  1. Gardena combisystem lawn aerator head without handle

    Gardena 3391-20

    A galvanised tine head for a modular handle system — the cheapest item here, and the handle is extra.

    Type
    Cutting-tine head for a modular handle system
    Working width
    Not published
    Tines
    Galvanised cutting tines — count and length not published · depth: Not published
    Handle
    Not included — fits all handles in the maker’s range, wood or aluminium
    Material
    Galvanised steel cutting tines
    Amazon reference
    B0001E3W7S (one reference across 6 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    4078500339100
    • The cheapest item on this shelf, and a fraction of a complete tool
    • Fits a handle range that includes long, back-sparing versions
    • The handle is a separate purchase, which changes the real price

    Best for: Somebody who already owns handles from this modular range

    Check price on Amazon
  2. Spiked aerator overshoes with straps and steel nails

    Briliantwerk NS-000

    Spiked overshoes with 55 mm and 40 mm nails supplied, sized 37 to 48 by a movable front strap.

    Type
    Spiked overshoes, strapped over your own footwear
    Working width
    Not published — the width is your stride
    Tines
    Solid nails, two lengths supplied · depth: 55 mm with the long nails; 40 mm with the short ones
    Handle
    None — hook-and-loop straps, front strap repositionable for sizes 37 to 48
    Material
    Steel nails on plastic soles, with hook-and-loop straps
    Amazon reference
    B0915Z2LH9 (one reference across 5 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    4270001293268
    • Two nail lengths in the box, and the listing names both
    • One of only two published tine depths on this shelf
    • Solid nails displace soil rather than removing it

    Best for: A small lawn, and somebody who would rather not store another tool

    Check price on Amazon
  3. Dethatching rake with spring steel tines and adjustable stainless handle

    YEELOR YLUS1173

    The only item here that publishes a working width — and it is a dethatching rake rather than an aerator.

    Type
    Dethatching rake — it removes thatch from the surface, it does not make holes
    Working width
    43.2 cm
    Tines
    21 pairs of manganese spring-steel tines, half-round hook profile · depth: Not applicable — a rake works at the surface
    Handle
    Segmented stainless handle, extends to 167.6 cm; total weight 1.1 kg
    Material
    Manganese spring-steel tines on a reinforced PP body; stainless handle
    Amazon reference
    B0FQBZSP9J (one reference across 6 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    0721545159861
    • The only published working width on this shelf
    • 1.1 kg, and it strips down for storage
    • It is a dethatcher, not an aerator — no holes, no cores

    Best for: Pulling dead grass and moss out of the surface before feeding or overseeding

    Check price on Amazon
  4. Manual hollow-tine lawn aerator with T-handle and foot bar

    easimo 116-001

    The only tool on this shelf that removes soil instead of displacing it, with a cleaning rod for the tines.

    Type
    Hollow-tine aerator — pulls cores out of the sward
    Working width
    Not published
    Tines
    Hollow spoons — count not published · depth: Not published
    Handle
    Non-slip T-grip with an integrated foot plate; cleaning rod included
    Material
    Steel hollow spoons; non-slip T-grip
    Amazon reference
    B0GS3HY6J2 (one reference across 6 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    4068455000361
    • Hollow tines, which is the only real answer to a compacted soil
    • A foot plate, so your weight does the work rather than your arms
    • No tine count, no depth, no width — nothing measurable is published

    Best for: A compacted patch, a worn path across the grass, a heavy clay soil

    Check price on Amazon
  5. Pre-assembled spiked lawn aerator shoes with hook-and-loop straps

    RASENKÖNIG Nagelschuhe Pro

    Spiked overshoes supplied ready to wear, with a sprung dual sole meant to shed soil from the nails.

    Type
    Spiked overshoes, strapped over your own footwear
    Working width
    Not published — the width is your stride
    Tines
    Solid nails, secured with lock nuts; length and count not published · depth: Not published
    Handle
    None — tear-resistant hook-and-loop straps; supplied pre-assembled
    Material
    Steel nails with lock nuts on a sprung dual sole
    Amazon reference
    B0D4HYR19H (one reference across 5 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    4170000177012
    • Supplied assembled, which on spiked shoes is a genuine saving of an evening
    • Lock nuts on the nails — the fixing that works loose on these
    • No nail length published, which is the one figure that matters

    Best for: Somebody who wants spiked shoes out of the box with nothing to screw together

    Check price on Amazon
  6. Manual spike lawn aerator with three rows of steel spikes and a T-handle

    Walensee GT-LCA006

    Fifteen spikes of 5.8 cm on an 88 cm shaft with a foot lever — a stand-up tool rather than a walked one.

    Type
    Spike aerator on a shaft — solid spikes, pressed in by foot
    Working width
    Not published; 3 rows of spikes
    Tines
    15 solid spikes · depth: 5.8 cm — the longest published spike on this shelf
    Handle
    88 cm powder-coated shaft, padded T-grip, foot bar; assembly parts itemised
    Material
    Powder-coated iron, with a padded T-grip
    Amazon reference
    B0B1M88HBV (one reference across 6 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    0734257028523
    • 15 spikes per press, against one row on a shoe
    • The deepest published spike here, at 5.8 cm
    • Powder-coated iron, not galvanised — a chip will rust

    Best for: Working a whole lawn standing up, rather than walking it in spiked shoes

    Check price on Amazon