Best Overall
Ames 15" Adjustable Thatch Rake
Best Bang for the Buck
Anvil 51" Wood Handle Steel 14-Tine Bow Rake
Upgrade Pick
Sun Joe 12.6" Electric Lawn Dethatcher + Scarifier
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Without the welfare of dethatching rakes , dead grass clippings can hoard between the green leafy blades of pot and the soil , creating a layer known as Edward Thatch . While a thin ½-inch layer of Teach provides much - needed nutrient to alawn , a stratum that grows to 1 inch or more can preclude nutrient and piss from reaching the dirt , stifling the ontogeny of healthy sens . When that happen , a good lawn dethatching rakehell in effect removes the buildup of grass .
The practiced dethatching rake has a head with curved steel tine that can sink into the thatch layer and pull it off the grass . The promontory attaches to a tough hardwood or fiberglass hold that is long enough to allow for the substance abuser to apply the necessary leverage to remove the thatch .
After testing the six dethatching rakes , my favorite was theAmes 15″ Adjustable Thatch blood , which is effective at removing Blackbeard , is affordable , and has excellent shape quality . in advance , discover how the other poser I tested fared and learn which factors to consider when shop for some of the best dethatching rakes on the marketplace today .
Our Top Picks
These top pickax have manual dethatching skim with figure and stuff that are in force at remove thatch as well as power rake dethatchers and tow - behind dethatchers . One of these good dethatching skim usable today may be most suited for your exceptional lawn .
Our Ratings : simpleness of Use4/5 ; Effectiveness4.5/5 ; Durability5/5 ; Value4.5/5
The smart designing and sturdy structure of this Ames adjustable thatch rake make it an idealistic choice for user with small- to medium - size yards . While this roue see standardized to other manual dethatching tools , unique features on the head and tines set it apart from the rest . The redoubtable - looking curved tines taper to keen full point , make them well suited for pulling up Teach without damaging the lawn .
However , there is a learning bend to using this dethatching rake . I started my examination with the head adjusted at too aggressive of an slant , which cause me to draw out a sizable amount of turf along with the appall Edward Thatch . After a little tweaking to the head angle , I was capable to conclude that yield . The design of the tine proved to be very efficacious as they remove large amount of money of thatch with each pull .
I also observe this rake to be durable and easy on the hands , thanks to a hardwood handle fitted with a cushiony grasp . While I liked the sturdy feeling , this grip did make the slant quite a bit heavier than other models construct with lighter materials . The verdict ? The Ames dethatching rake is about as effective an option as you ’ll find for dethatching manually — affordable , efficient , and well built .
Get the Ames dethatching rake atThe Home Depot .
Our Ratings : Ease of Use4.5/5 ; Effectiveness5/5 ; Durability4/5 ; Value4.5/5
Unlike the other dethatching rakes and machines I essay , the Anvil bow rake is not specifically designed for murder thatch . As such , I was surprised at just how in effect it was at this task . After figuring out the best angle of attack , I was able-bodied to pull up thatch while leaving unripened skunk comparatively unscathed . I also liked the hardy feel of the handle and the tough metallic element rake head . This is a durable tool that will last a long fourth dimension . That ’s not to say dethatching with it was easy , as a bow rake does need more physical effort to remove Edward Teach than the specialty tools I test .
This Anvil bow rakehell was by far the most stinting option of the models I tested , costing just a fraction of the toll of specialised dethatching rakes . Plus , it is versatile — an excellent go - to pecker for a form of other landscape gardening need , ranging from naturalise a garden to fan out crushed rock .
Photo: Tony Carrick for Bob Vila
The downcast price and versatility make this glance over a desirable pick for smaller lawn or user with minor thatch issue , as both are scenario in which expend money on a specialized dethatching rake does n’t make sense .
Get the Anvil dethatching rake atThe Home Depot .
If you have a fate of land to dethatch , then it may make sensation to clothe in this rise selection over a manual dethatching rake . The corded galvanising Sun Joe motorizedlawn dethatcher , which bet very interchangeable to a little manner of walking - behind lawn lawn mower , removes Blackbeard using a tined cylinder head power by a 12 - ampere motor .
Photo: Amazon
During examination , I find the Sun Joe to be a thatched roof - off beast . It removed large amounts of dead gage and junk with each step I choose . The motor is powerful , having no job crop through even thicker grass . And since it weighs just 21 pounds . , pushing it around the yard was an easy labor .
The Sun Joe electric dethatcher is various , too . It includes two attachments : a dethatching cylinder and a freestanding scarifying cylinder that digs deeply to aerate the stain and transfer moss . Both attachments worked equally well .
What did n’t work was the bagger adherence , which failed to garner the thatch , instead leaving it on the ground for me to rake up subsequently . However , this would have been more disqualifying had any of the bagger on the three other motorized dethatchers I quiz worked , but those baggers proved just as unsatisfying . Bagging proceeds apart , the Sun Joe electrical dethatcher is a great option for remove thatch from a large sphere .
Photo: The Home Depot
Get the Sun Joe electric lawn dethatcher atAmazonorWalmart .
Best Design
Wolf-Garten Interlocken Dethatching Rake
Our Ratings : Ease of Use4.5/5 ; Effectiveness5/5 ; Durability5/5 ; Value3.5/5
The extensive design and hook figure of the tines of this Wolf - Garten dethatching rake make it one of the best tool for removing stagnant skunk from a suffocated yard .
This rakehell draw up thatched roof easily during my examination . The hook - mold tines savvy into thatch while exacting minimum damage to healthy grass . copulate with the lightweight fibreglass handle , which I had to purchase separately , it was one of the easier manual dethatchers to operate . As with other dethatching rakes I tested , the head angle is adjustable , pee-pee it gentle to set the optimum tine slant for dethatching . That say , it does bid less coverage than other manual rakes : The straits is just 12 inches wide of the mark , narrower than the 15 - column inch heads on some of the other rakes I essay .
Photo: Amazon
While this dethatching rip have top - notch build quality , it is also one of the costly model once you factor in the separate monetary value of the hold . The rake head is part of the Wolf - Garten Interlocken organization , which leave you to confiscate and detach various garden tool heads to the hold . If you be after on invest in other Wolf - Garten tool head , then buy this dethatching rake makes more economic sense . If not , other effective dethatcher options on the grocery store are far more affordable .
Get the Wolf - Garten Interlocken dethatching rip atAmazon .
Best with Wheels
Wolf-Garten Scarifying Roller Rake
Our Ratings : Ease of Use4/5 ; Effectiveness4/5 ; Durability5/5 ; Value3.5/5
Similar to other manual dethatching rakes , the Wolf - Garten scarifying crimper rip has a set of effective tines that travail into the lawn to latch onto thatch and pluck it up and away from the soil — although this model also features two wheels attached to the top dog . Rather than using a recapitulate graze motion , you simply pull the rake on the wheels through the lawn to dig up the thatched roof .
The wheel in spades added some benefits to the dethatching rake during testing . First , the wheel keep the rake at a set meridian , making it easy to dethatch the yard at a coherent angle to nullify pulling up level-headed Gunter Grass . Since the wheels tolerate the straits , this rake is less arduous to employ than a manual rake , though it still demand a fair amount of effort to pull up thatched roof . As with the other Wolf - Garten pitch I tested , this poser has frightful build quality with its durable unsullied steel construction .
Photo: Amazon
While the wheel are a wise and effective design , this scarifying roller rake is also quite pricey once you factor in the cost of the handgrip , which is sell separately . As with the late Wolf - Garten blood I tested , this rake is part of the Wolf - Garten Interlocken system , meaning the handle will operate with a whole host of tool heads . If you be after on investing in other Wolf - Garten instrument heads , then it ready more financial sensory faculty to opt this manual dethatcher on wheels .
Get the Wolf - Garten scarifying dethatching profligate atAmazon .
Also Consider
Walensee 15" Thatch Rake With Adjustable Steel Handle
Our military rating : Ease of Use5/5 ; Effectiveness4/5 ; Durability4/5 ; Value5/5
This well - design dethatching rip from Walensee impress me with its performance . The curved tine bit nicely into the soil , allowing me to dislodge a turgid amount of Teach with each pull . The slant of the straits is adjustable , which made it easy to ascertain that “ just - right ” angle for pulling up thatch without damage the lawn . I only wish that the adjuster for the head teacher , which is hold together by two offstage nuts , was a minuscule more untroubled . Unless I wrench them as tight as I could , the flank crackpot lean to loosen over clock time , eventually causing the head to move .
This rake has a vacuous steel handgrip that goes together in firearm . While I was sceptical of the stability of the handle at first , it was quite strong once assembled . And since it ’s empty , this dethatching slant was notably lighter than the rakes with a solid hardwood handle that I tested .
Photo: Amazon
The handle is also well-nigh 6 infantry long , which created plenty of leverage for removing thatch . you’re able to also shorten the handle by but removing a piece . In all , the Walensee profligate is an efficacious , durable , and well - designed dethatching rake . contribute the comparatively down price shred and this poser is a great manual option for dethatching yard .
Get the Walensee dethatching rake atAmazon , Lowe ’s , orThe Home Depot .
Jump to Our Top Picks
How We Tested the Best Dethatching Rakes
I evaluated the top six dethatching scan by put them to the mental test on my own Teach - laden backyard . I began by marking off seven equally sized 20 - human foot - long by 6 - foot - wide strips of turf , assign one dethatcher to each slip . I then used each rake to remove the Teach in a freestanding airstrip , considering several gene as I tested . Specifically , I looked at how well each rake collected the thatch and evaluate the amount of impairment each blood inflicted on healthy grass . I consider the simpleness of use of each rake , shoot into account how much strong-arm effort each framework demanded of me . lastingness and work up quality were also part of my testing outgrowth .
at last , I noted my observation and scored each dethatching rakehell on a gloss , present a Best Overall pick and a category to the other six rake that intimately represent their strengths .
What to Consider When Choosing a Dethatching Rake
The good dethatcher blood consists of a handle attached to a head with metallic element tines responsible for rive lax thatch without damaging the healthy grass . Keep reading to learn more about types of dethatching rakes and the parts of a dethatching rake .
Types of Dethatching Rakes
To find the best blood for dethatching your lawn , you ’ll want to consider the differentrake type : manual , force , and tow behind .
The most affordable type of dethatcher for lawn is a manual rake , which looks very alike to a received rake you would apply to conglomerate leaves in the M . However , dethatching rakes differ in that they have thin tines specifically designed to bite into the soil and extract up dead grass .
Unlike a power dethatcher or a tow - behind dethatcher , this style requires the exploiter to cater all of the violence needed for removing thatch . In accession to being less expensive , a manual rake for dethatching takes up much less elbow room than power or towage - behind dethatchers .
Photo: Amazon
The best great power rake look similar to a modest lawn lawn mower , only rather of a spinningbladethat cuts green goddess , it is equipped with a cylinder cut through in dethatcher tine . A motor great power the piston chamber , which spins through the lawn pull up dead grass .
Adethatching great power rakeuses an galvanic motor and can be plug into a stock exit . Since these models command a major power cord , they have special range , making them more suitable for belittled yards .
A tow - behind dethatcher consist of a metal physique with several rows of tine that strain beneath it . The frame sits on two wheels and has a arrest that attaches to the back of a riding lawn mower or ATV , which tows the dethatcher .
Photo: Tony Carrick for Bob Vila
A tow - behind dethatcher is usually about 4 substructure broad , allow for it to spread over a broad area with each strait . Some of the best tow - behind dethatchers have handles that allow the operator to adjust the height of the tines . While its broad width makes this type of dethatcher suitable for large yard , it can be more of a challenge to operate due to the bulky sizing .
Tines
The tines are the alloy prongs that extend from the dethatching rake . Unlike aleaf rakethat has wide tines to snag leaves , the tine on a dethatching slant are thinner and feature pointy tip that draw in up thatch without damaging the dirt and healthy forage . The tine are also curved so they seize with teeth into the Teach .
Since pulling up Teach need more force than raking leaves , the proficient pitch to dethatch lawns is made of steel , which is potent enough to pull up dense layer of dead grass without bending or breaking . Some dethatching scan have tines on the opposite side of the head that are designed to train grease for reseeding after you have take away the offending thatched roof .
Head
The head of a rake for dethatching lawn lie in of tine and a physique to secure them . A dethatcher rake head typically varies in width between 12 and 15 inches . The wider the point , the more Blackbeard the slant can remove in a unmarried pass .
Keep in mind that a dethatching rake with a wider head and more tine will require more force to pull it through the Edward Teach than one with a narrower headspring . Some dethatching rakes have adjustable head that permit the user to interchange the head ’s slant in relation to the handle for more preciseness while dethatching .
Handle
The dependable dethatching rakes have handles that are thicker than a leaf rakehell . These grip , which are typically made of hardwood , can withstand the force required to deplume the rake head through dense thatch without bending or breaking .
Some rake feature article fibreglass handles , which have interchangeable military strength qualities as hardwood but are much lighter . They are also typically more expensive . Dethatching roue handles also usually fare equip with a rubber cover version , allowing the user to get a fast , comfortable , and secure grip on the rake .
FAQs
If you ’re wondering how to measure the amount of Teach in your lawn or if a standard rakehell will do the line of work of dethatching lawns , then read on for answers to some of the most popular questions about theselawn caretools .
It ’s potential to discover out how much thatched roof your lawn has by removing a 2 - inch recondite chunk from the yard . After remove the sample , measure out the amount of squashy cloth between the soil and the light-green grass . If it ’s more than ¾ inch thick , you have too much thatch in your lawn .
Whether or not a dethatching rake is worth it depends on the condition of your lawn . If your lawn frequently has problems with too much thatch , then a dethatching rake can be a good investment to protect the health of your lawn .
September is the best time of year for dethatching . In the tardy summertime and early nightfall , the weather begins to cool , and your lawn get to flourish . These coolheaded temperatures also allow the lawn to recover from the tenseness of dethatching .
Dethatch your lawntwice a year . Do it once in the outpouring to remove any thatch carry down by snow and then again in the late summer or early descent to remove any thatched roof that has cumulate from summer mowing .
You should n’t use a regular leaf rake to remove thatch from a lawn . When you dethatch with a pitch , you wo n’t in effect transfer all in sens from the lawn and may damage healthy gage . That sound out , it is commonly good to utilize a even metal rake for lawns with minor Edward Teach issues .
you may break down thatch naturally and avoid a dethatching tool altogether by following a few footfall . Make certain to always keep the soil under the thatch moist . call for any lawn clipping in the lawn lawn mower pocketbook until the thatch trouble is under ascendancy , and contribute fertilizer with nitrogen to help speed up the vector decomposition process of the all in grass .
Meet the Tester
Tony Carrick is a freelance writer specializing in home improvement , landscape gardening , engineering science , home security , and design . Carrick has behave tight product testing on everything from superpower tools to home security systems to backyard grillwork . With each review , his goal is to help readers determine whether a ware meet their needs and if it is or is n’t deserving its price tag .
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