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Best Dethatcher to Help You Grow a Lush Lawn

Published May 18th, 2021 12:10PM EDT

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It’s never too early to start thinking about spring. Something every home owner can be proud of is looking out onto their lawn and seeing a lush, green landscape staring back at them. But in order to enjoy a healthy looking lawn all year round, it takes effort and not only mowing it when it gets long. You may have heard of dethatching, which is described as vertical mowing. It cuts through the lawn’s thatch layer and brings it to the surface, turning up any dead roots and plant stems. Dethatching can help restore the air flow to your grass and help get moisture in, resulting in more green grass. You don’t need to go to a hardware store and rent equipment or pay a landscaper a ton of money to treat your lawn for you. With a dethatcher, you’ll be able to handle that portion yourself and turn your grass from brown to green in no time. If you’re looking to turn around the outside of your home, we’ve highlighted three of our favorite dethatchers to help you look out proudly over your lawn.

Drive and have it behind you

Best to TowImage source: Brinly/Amazon

 

If you’re looking at your large piece of land and realize it needs some major work, you should consider the Brinly DT-48BH Tow Behind Dethatcher. This is great to pull up behind your trailer or mower and drag along your land. With a 48″ working width and two rows of 12 flexing spring steel tines, they will comb your lawn. This will help promote a healthier root system. This helps you cover more space. Built from full steel construction, the tines are made from durable spring steel. A safety rod is included to catch the tine and prevent contact with mower blades. There are 24 tines and the transport wheels measure 8″ and never go flat. A single, heavy-duty universal hitch pin is used to hook up to your mower or trailer.

Key Features:

  • 48″ working width
  • Built from full steel construction
  • 24 tines
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Do it yourself

If you don’t have a lawn large enough to require a big machine, then a handheld dethatcher could be right. Remember, the key to dethatching is the sharp tines or spikes that allow you to turn up the lawn’s thatch layer. With the Yard Butler Lawn Coring Aerator Manual Grass Dethatching Turf Plug Core Aeration Tool, you can handle your lawn one movement at a time. You’ll be able to reduce the soil compaction just by using this tool, as it removes two 0.5″ x 3.5″ grass plug lawn cores. You’re letting air, water and fertilizer in to get down to the roots of your yard by using this tool. It has two tines on the bottom and a ledge for your foot to fit on, so you can stomp down and groove it in to the ground. Using this reduces runoff and promotes turf growth. You won’t need to use as much fertilizer or water with an aerated and dethatched lawn. This will help promote vigorous root growth and will help strengthen the lawn’s tolerance to drought and heat. The tool measures 37″ tall and is designed to reduce strain on your back.

Key Features:

  • Removes two 0.5″ x 3.5″ grass plug lawn cores
  • Two tines on the bottom and a ledge for your foot
  • Measures 37″ tall
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Push it yourself

But if you do have a large lawn that is going to take you forever to do with a manual dethatcher, then the GreenWorks 27022 10 Amp 14″ Corded Dethatcher/Scarifier is a solid option. It covers 14 inches across, helping you cover that wide path to make your job shorter and go quicker. You can move the tines to three different positions to give yourself greater control by removing matted layers. You can churn up more of the lawn the deeper you go. This machine features a 10 Amp motor that’s powerful in order to work through your lawn faster. The stainless steel tines are reliable and stay sharper longer. Plus, GreenWorks even provides you with a spare set of tines to make sure you’re covered longer. You’re going to need an extension cord of 50 feet or less and a wire gauge size of 14 to ensure you don’t have a loss of power. It has an easy push to start button on the ergonomic handle, making it easy to start and use.

Key Features:

  • 10 Amp motor
  • Needs a 50′ extension cord
  • Churn up more of the lawn the deeper you go
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Don’t go back over with a rake

Best with a BagImage source: Earthwise/Amazon

You’ll be able to choose how deep you want to go when you have the Earthwise 13-Amp 16-Inch Corded Electric Dethatcher. This has a 13-Amp motor with bail wire sketch for safe and easy starting. The lawn scarifier gives you similar power like a gas-powered tiller. This features a 16″ working width and a convenient 10-gallon debris catcher, so you don’t have to rake up your thatch yourself. This grass aerator machine can be adjusted from 0.4″ to -0.4″ working depth to help you. This has 45 spring pins for loosening up matted layers.

Key Features:

  • 13-Amp motor
  • 16″ working width
  • 10-gallon debris catcher
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Add it to your cultivator

Best AttachmentImage source: Earthquake/Amazon

The Earthquake DK43 Dethatcher Attachment Kit for Cultivators will remove excess thatch from your lawn. You’ll be promoting healthy growth and will remove matted layers for your lawn to receive water and nutrients that it needs. This is compatible with many Earthquake cultivators (sold separately). This is more effective than using a rake for this task. The tines dig up thatch without digging up the soil.

Key Features:

  • Attaches to cultivators
  • More effective than a rake
  • Tines won’t dig up the soil
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Chris Hachey Commerce Editor

Chris Hachey is Senior Commerce Editor for BGR. With over a decade of editing and journalism experience, plus thousands of hours of product testing and research, he has helped millions of consumers find the best products and deals to fit their lifestyles.

When he's not searching for top deals, he's likely watching his favorite sports teams or walking around his hometown with his wife and his dog.