Picture it: early spring. Birds are chirping, flowers are blooming, and your grass? It's brown and dry. You, my friend, skipped putting that dethatching rake to use, didn't you?
If you don't know what a dethatching rake is, let me spill the beans on this handy tool. It removes thatch from your lawn.
Yeah, okay, but what is thatch?
Thatch is a lovely, thick, tough layer of dead turfgrass. And it's choking off the nutrients and water your lawn desperately needs. So back to that dethatching rake.
If you want to get rid of the muck that's slowly killing your lawn, you're going to need one. These rakes are sturdy and sharp with a convex design that helps snatch up and rip the thatch out of your grass. It's a good idea to mark items in your yard such as sprinkler heads before you get too rake-happy, though. Otherwise, you could very well rip those out, also.
You can, technically, use a leaf rake if you already have one. However, it likely won't do as good as a true-blue dethatcher. These rakes do come in a few different designs that work well for different lawns.
- A manual rake is fantastic for a smaller yard and tight spots, but if you have a large area to work, you're going to be there awhile. And, likely, have a sore back when you have finished.
- A tow-behind rake can hook up to your riding lawnmower, making it a good choice for larger areas.
- A power rake is a riding machine similar to a lawnmower. It's fast and effective, but it's also hard on your lawn as well as expensive.
If you think you might want to check out some dethatching rakes, keep reading for 10 of the best we've seen!
1. AMES Self-Cleaning Rake
Introducing the AMES adjustable dethatching rake. This has a 15-inch self-cleaning rake head that's sturdy and robust, perfect for pulling loose all that dead turf. The row of 19 curved tines will easily dig into your lawn and pull out the thatch that's wrecking it. You can easily adjust the head of this rake, making it a bit longer or shorter as you like. The hardwood handle is durable and topped with a 10-inch rubber grip to make the job a little easier.
Click here to find this dethatcher on Amazon.
2. Tru Tough Thatching Rake
This rake has 19 steel tines that are durable, sharp, and curved. Perfect for getting that yard in tip-top shape! A clear coating on the metal makes it easy to clean and also protects the rake from rust issues. Spray it off with the garden hose, and you're good to go. The ash wood handle is strong and durable as well as easy to grip when dethatching the lawn. Tru-tough tools also offer a ten-year free replacement warranty on all their products, which inspires a good bit of confidence from a buying perspective.
Click here to find this dethatcher on Amazon.
3. Agri-Fab Dethatcher
The Agri-Fab Dethatcher is a tow-behind version of the dethatching rake. This comes with a universal hitch to make hooking it to your riding lawnmower a piece of cake. The dethatcher has 20 rust-resistant tines that cover 40-inch wide stretches of lawn. These tines are also replaceable, so if one gets damaged, it's no problem. The 7-inch wheels on this tow-behind make it easy for it to travel over your yard. This rake has a cantilever that can be operated from the lawnmower, and a weight tray that holds up to 70 pounds to make the tines dig in deeper.
Click here to find this dethatcher on Amazon.
4. Brinly Tow-Behind
With two rows of 12 steel tines and 48 inches of width, this tow-behind dethatcher is sure to make your job much easier. This is an excellent choice for larger yeards, and the spring tines will work quickly to pull up the thatch that has worked its way below the surface of your grass. This is made of all steel metal and is highly durable. In the event a tine does manage to break, though, there's a safety rod that catches it to prevent it from getting tangled in the mower's blades.
Click here to find this dethatcher rake on Amazon.
5. True Temper Rake
If you're looking for something you can both pull up some thatch with and dig up some compacted dirt easily, this is your rake. Curved tines line one side for dethatching, while on the other side, you'll find straight for tilling. A cushioned grip makes for an easier job, while a 54-inch hardwood handle is strong and durable to ensure a great tool for many years to come.
Click here to find this dethatcher on Amazon.
6. GreenWorks Dethatcher
For the more eco-conscious gardeners out there, the GreenWorks power rake runs off a rechargeable battery rather than gas. This dethatcher is 14 inches wide and runs for 30 minutes on a full charge. Stainless steel tines are sharp and durable. As a bonus for this dethatcher, it requires no maintenance, such as gas, oil, or tune-ups. You can also use an extension cord hooked up to an outdoor plug to keep you going even when the battery loses its juice.
Click here to find this dethatcher on Amazon.
7. Brinly Dethatcher and Sweeper
Once you get done dethatching, you still have to clean up the thatch all over your yard. Not with this nifty tow-behind! A sweeper and rake combine to create the easiest yard day ever. Steel tines can be raised or lowered by the lever that's easy to access from the riding mower, making it easy to lift when you only want to sweep your yard. And if it's fall, move the dethatcher to transport mode to avoid piling up leaves. A 20 cubic foot hamper collects anything the six brush sweeper can pick up. This leaves you with a yard free from thatch, leaves, sticks, pine needles, and more in a fraction of the time you'd spend collecting it yourself.
Click here to find this dethatcher on Amazon.
8. Precision Dethatcher
Looking for a heavy-duty dethatcher? This tow-behind from Precision has what it takes to get down in the nitty-gritty of even the toughest lawn. A weight plate that withstands up to 150 lbs allows the tines to get up under even super-thick thatch. Steel construction is durable, while a cantilever enables the operator to adjust the height of the tines even while still sitting on the mower. This dethatcher also has a universal hitch, meaning you can easily attach it to just about any mower.
Click here to find this dethatcher on Amazon.
9. Sun Joe Electric Dethatcher
This electric dethatcher has a 12 amp motor to quickly get rid of all the gunk choking your grass to death. A long extension cord keeps this running on electricity, which makes it a much more environmentally friendly option. Too, you don't have to stop for fill-ups in the middle of your yard day. You can easily adjust the depth of the tines from a quick skimming down to 'scarified' that cuts grassroots. This dethatcher also has a collection bag on the back, so you don't have to clean up after you get finished. Everything is in the bag for a quick trip to the garbage can.
Click here to find this dethatcher on Amazon.
10. Yard Tuff Acreage Rake
This acreage rake dethatches easily in 48-inch wide paths. The hitch is constructed as a pin-style attachment to allow it to hook up to a riding lawnmower easily. A 'v' style design carries four tine reels that each have 20-inches of diameter with built-in bearings. These reels are reversible to allow for more prolonged use. The reel arms can be lowered and lifted manually separately to allow for greater variation that matches the landscape you're working with.
Click here to find this dethatcher on Amazon.
Take Out The Thatch
Finding a dethatching rake is easy. Deciding which one you need may prove a little more difficult. However, if you consider the size of your yard and the areas you need to work on, as well as whether you want to sweat or not, you can easily find exactly the right one. Use this list of our top 10 lawn dethatching rake finds to get started bringing your yard to the top.
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