Manual aerators - although these are useful tools, which can do specific jobs (see above), using them requires a lot of effort as it gets tiring, even on a small lawn. But they’re cheap, and a great idea if you’re after a workout. Whilst not the most comfortable of shoes, they can be slipped on over gardening boots without much difficulty. They usually have adjustable straps so will fit almost any shoe size. If you’ve got a small to medium size garden and you’re after an electric machine, the Einhell GC-SA 1231/1 Electric 2-in-1 Scarifier And Lawn Aerator is well worth considering. This model works as both a scarifier and a lawn aerator and has a 31 cm width. Basically you just push this up and down the lawn. Hard soil or boggy surfaces should be avoided but otherwise this will cope, and is safe to use on slopes as well. It’s also quite a fast operation so ideal for the larger lawn and even though the spikes are not as dense as for the sandals, you can repeat the operation as often as you like. Sarel Rolling

This lawn aerator won’t do much in terms of removing thatch, but it’s a cheap, easy way to improve aeration on a small lawn.The maximum working width of both attachments is 32 cm, which allows the aerator to make wider paths in one go and cover bigger areas in a shorter amount of time. Don’t overlook the possibility of adjusting the working depth, an ergonomic handle with a non-slip grip, and manoeuvrable wheels for hassle-free navigation. 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.

It’s worth noting that this aerator isn’t ‘hollow-tined’. The 8 cm spikes don’t remove any earth, so the ground isn’t any less compact. However, it’s still very effective. The spikes are 6 mm wide and create holes that allow air, water and nutrients to get deeper into the soil. This type of aerator has an additional benefit over hollow tine models – there’s no need to remove plugs of soil from the tines after use. Instead, simply insert the spikes into the soil and remove.

Petrol Strimmer Brush Cutter

If your garden is anything like mine and you’re unfortunate enough to have soil with high levels of clay, then regular aeration is an absolute must! If you’re planting new grass seed, aerating before sowing the seeds can give them the best possible start. This is just as true when overseeding as when planting grass seed for the first time.

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. The metal prongs that do the digging could maybe be a little longer but as they are they do what they’re supposed to if you remember to wet the soil first.As you can see, there’s a lot to love about this machine. It’s relatively hard to find flaws with its performance, but there are a couple of points to mention in terms of design. Firstly, the power cable is only 4.5 m long, so an extension cable will almost certainly be required, and the 28 L collection box is also relatively small. For these reasons, despite its powerful motor, it’s only suitable for smaller spaces. 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.