Scarifying!! !!!!!

[Hobbsurf]

The business model that the bigger franchised companies work to mean that scarifying is the most profitable service they offer - hence the scenario that is this thread.

 

They also start doing the scheduled "feed & weed" treatments in March which mean they will be doing as much scarifying and hollow tine aeration as possible before hand.

 

If you are looking to scarify a lawn which a customer has "treated" by one of these companies - a guide to what they will charge is:

 

A 200 Sq Mtr lawn is worth £20 as a "treatment value" - this is what they charge for a treatment on a lawn this size typically 4 times a year. The square meterage to cost is roughly based on £10 for every 100 Sq mtrs after the £20 example.

 

The scarification cost is a multiple of 3.75 x the treatment value. A 200 mtr Sq lawn will be £75.00 which would take you less than an hour. A good day on a couple of really big lawns will see you do £800 with two guys, one on the machine the other raking. Cost = 3 litres of fuel and labour and a roll of bin bags. They don't even take the waste away.

 

Good scarifying machine will cost around £800 + VAT. It does have to be up to constant use for 5 hours a day. Cammon with a Honda engine is such.

 

Put those margins on a day of easy labour (compared to climbing) and you start thinking maybe? BUT - there is only really 2 months in late Summer to Autumn, beyond that you are at risk of falling into the risk of being shamed on here! :-)

 

Russ

Edited February 7, 2015 by Hobbsurf

[dogman]

Thinking of getting a scarifier myself, any other models worth looking at ?.

 

Rob

[Hobbsurf]

Can't really comment other than the Camon I'm afraid.

 

Bit like saws - lots of brands & models available but the line in the sand is when you go to Pro usage. 5 hours a day / 6 days a week for 8 weeks.....

 

Russ

Edited February 7, 2015 by Hobbsurf

[Hobbsurf]

CAMON LS42 Lawn Scarifier: Remove Moss & Thatch from your Lawn

 

Russ

[Burgess]

Eliets are great but are more money. They do a collecting one as well squeezes it through some rollers I think so it packs the bag like a mower rather than doing about 2 metres like the camon with a bag.

[Hobbsurf]

Yeah - forgot to mention the bag! Bin it!!!!! Have a bungee lift the rear flap up a tad and rake / blow behind.

 

Russ

[IVECOKID]

Well I dread too think what this lawn looks like after the scarifying has the bottom end of the garden was riddled with surface roots and has cable/sky cable very shallow barely covered in the lawn .

 

 

 

Ste

[Hobbsurf]

PM me for lawn seed prices - sounds like it will be required!

 

Russ

[gensetsteve]

I am no lawn expert but I do know if I don't get time to get the sisis out end of September it stays in the shed till next year. The other big no no is scarifying in spring it tears the side shoots of the grass and leaves it bare yet everyone sees the moss and gets out their.

[Gnome]

I am no lawn expert but I do know if I don't get time to get the sisis out end of September it stays in the shed till next year. The other big no no is scarifying in spring it tears the side shoots of the grass and leaves it bare yet everyone sees the moss and gets out their.

 

I don't have any problems scarifying in spring especially after horribly long winters. For me it's about judgement, are the conditions suitable ?, what is the lawn going to look like 10 weeks down the line?.And is it necessary this year?

Obviously autumn is what I aim for but if I had scarified/aerated in autumn the last few years I would have had more issues.

 

If clients have got the money for so called professional lawncare businesses and like having the fancy van sitting outside their house that's their business. IME of watching these professionals operate I have nothing good to say of them.

 

At college one of the lecturers jokingly said if we fail the course we can still get a job with the local professional lawncare company, garden centre at B&Q and if we were just unlucky not to pass we will still manage to get a job at McDs.