What length extension cord is recommended?

The goal is to use the minimum length extension cord required to do the job. You will need a 12 gauge extension cord for up to 100 feet. I do not recommend getting a single 100' extension cord, but rather (2) 50' extension cords. One, until you get past 50 feet, it is much easier to manage a shorter cable, and two, when you are putting the extension cords away or pulling the out to use for the next time, it is so much easier to bundle and untangle a 50' cord than a 100' cord, and if you use the extension cords for other items, you'll likely need a single 50' cord more often than 100', so it is easier all around. Using a cord that is a lighted duty cord is going to damage or kill this Sun Joe machine. Most breakers in an electrical panel that drive the outlets in your home are 15 amp. These Sun Joe devices pull either 12 or 13 amps, so that is already close to maxing out that circuit breaker. I have a degree in electronics and the longer the wire, the more resistance there is to push electricity/amperage through it, so if you use less than a 12 gauge cord, you'll burn up the motor in the Sun Joe.

Does anyone use this for picking very small leaves from lawn?

This machine works great for hatching your lawn. I don't use the bag because it fills up so fast. I go over the lawn with it then go over it again with the mower to pick up all of the stuff it pulls up. I have had multiple neighbors use it and it is by far worth to money.

So, what does a scarifier do? Is that the aeration function?

The scarifier blade seems to remove the thatch and it cuts a little groove in the dirt. It seems to aerate some but nothing like one of those plug aerators. Once I got the handle mounted (the included screws strip easily) I used this on a section of my lawn that was very thinned out, had a lot of thatch, and had hard packed soil. I was impressed. I got about 35-40 pounds of thatch from an area about 10x20 feet. It is very effective. (Once you get the handle mounted!)

does the motor cut out on this one like on the AJ800E? lots of complaints about that one. Please let me know thanks.

I never experienced that but my lawn is only 40 x 80 ft so I may have not run it long enough for the motor to overheat. Or maybe the others are using it without the bag and cutting deeper. I got about 120ft into my lawn and it was time to stop and empty the bag. I was very pleased with the result (it dug up the dead grass without laying waste to the live grass) and it performed much better than the one I got from the rental company. If I run it one more time, it will have paid for itself. Your results may vary but I am happy with its performance!

Cutting width	13 Inches
Item Dimensions D x W x H	24"D x 20"W x 12.5"H
Item Weight	27 Pounds
Material Type	Alloy Steel
Style Name	13-Inch
Color	Green
Operation Mode	Manual
Number of Positions	5
Power Source	Corded Electric

Sun Joe Corded Electric Dethatcher & Scarifier with 8-Gal Bag, 12.6-Inch Cutting Width, 12-Amp Motor - Heavy-Duty Yard Trimmer for Gardening Care and Lawn Maintenance, AJ801E

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