It doesn’t take much to maintain a lawn. With the right amount of water, regular mowing, and edging, you should have a lawn that looks like a million bucks. But it’s not unusual for the grass to start looking sickly after several months. And nothing you do can reverse the situation.
This could simply be an SOS cry for help to remove dead organic matter and other debris below the lawn’s surface preventing water and nutrients from reaching the soil. Known as thatch, this organic lawn muck can effectively scuttle your plan of having the lawn your dreams.
Fortunately, removing that thatch, known as lawn dethatching, is pretty straightforward with the best rake for thatch. And to make the job even easier for you, we’ve lined up some of the best rakes for lawn dethatching after hours of researching the top products in the market. The article also includes a dethatching rake shopping guide and answers to some burning questions users are asking about thatching rakes and much more.
Top 10 Best Rake For Thatch [2021]
#1. Bully Tools 92312 Leaf & Thatching Rake
Kicking off this review of the best garden rakes for thatch is this Bully Tools Leaf and Thatching rake that allows you to pick up old and entrenched garden debris as well as rocks with the type of efficiency expected from a premium garden tool. The triple fibreglass handle construction makes it simultaneously lightweight for easy handling and tough for long-term use.
Completely American-made, its tines and rake head are made from high quality, commercial-grade steel for durability. The lifetime warranty underlines Bully Tools’ faith in the enduring quality of the rake. That faith is echoed by many users who consider this one of the strongest rakes for thatching.
However, at about 5.5 feet long, the handle might be too short for users over 6 feet tall especially if they are not comfortable bending over for long. And despite the fiberglass handle, some users still find the rake a bit heavy.
#2. Ames True Temper 163115800 Thatching Rake
This 15.5 inches wide True Temper Thatching Rake is the perfect garden equipment for quick and efficient dethatching jobs on small gardens. It comes with 19” steel tines capable of burrowing deep into the ground. The end result is the complete elimination of build-up thatch and other debris from the yard
The simple classic rake design features a 4.5 feet long handle made from high-quality wood ensuring that the rake’s handle isn’t going to break easily. The wooden handle is long enough for most people of average height to clear the garden of accumulated muck without putting too much strain on the back. And with the 10″ end grip, it is just the right size for holding without causing cramps no matter how long the job is.
There are a couple of downsides to this rake though. For a basic rake for garden thatch, it is rather expensive. And the handle, at four and a half feet, might be too short to prevent crouching by tall users. This could be stressful on the back when working in medium to large garden spaces.
#3. Truper 32120 Tru Tough Thatching Rake
Next up is one of Truper’s best-selling products in the company’s line of tools. The Tru Tough 32120 Thatching Rake is that dream rake that delivers everything every homeowner with a garden needs from a thatching rake. With 19 durable, curved, and sharp steel tines, it is unbeatable when it comes to getting your garden in pristine condition once again.
It features a non-toxic coating on the metal components for protection against rust while simultaneously making it easy to clean. Simply spray it with water using a garden hose to get it looking shiny again. The handle is made from strong ash wood that is also easy to grip while working. The decade-long warranty is just one way Truper are assuring you this is one investment you’d never regret.
However, the rake fall shorts in a couple of ways. Firstly, it isn’t the cheapest though it delivers long-term value. Secondly, damage to lawns is a rather frequent occurrence, a direct consequence of the sharp tines. So you’d have to be very careful when using it.
#4. AMES 2915100 Adjustable Thatch Rake
If you are looking for the best budget rake for thatch, this AMES adjustable thatch rake should be one of your best options. The made in America thatch rake comes with an adjustable head so you can make the head smaller or bigger for tight spaces or faster raking action respectively. It does this effectively with 19 curved tines, each one 15″ long, that delivers exceptional service when it comes to the elimination of dead turf on the lawn.
As well as thatch, the rake can also handle surface weeds and leaves making it a very versatile garden tool. You’d love the hardwood handle that stands out for its durability while the 10″ rubber, cushion grip on it is all about ensuring comfort when raking your garden.
While this self-cleaning rake reduces most of the stress that comes with maintenance, the rather weighty rake can strain the arms while working with it.
#5. Agri-Fab 45-0294 Tow Dethatcher
If you have a large yard and frequently mow it, chances are you already have a riding lawnmower. This tow-behind dethatching rake is an outstanding riding mower accessory that attaches to a riding lawn mower via the integrated universal hitch for a fast and effortless dethatching of large yards. The replaceable tines that get the job done are arranged in a 40″ wide rake head easily covering large swathes invariably cutting down the time it takes to fully dethatch the yard.
Other awesome features include two 7″ wheels for easy movement across all types of terrains, a cantilever transport handle to lower or raise the tines without fuss, a 40″ weight tray to help dispose of the removed thatch, and 20″ rustproof tines to ensure efficiency and durability.
Apart from the high price tag, which is rather modest considering the quality, another downside is linked to the hitching system. With some riding mowers and lawn tractors with high connections, the hitching process can become very tedious or even complicated that you’d need extra tools and supplies.
#6. Greenworks DHF301 Cordless Dethatcher
The Greenworks DHF301 Cordless Dethatcher is a stress-free, battery-operated yard power rake that comes with a 14-inch dethatching path for fast and efficient tasks. Powered by a 40V motor and 4Ah Li-Ion battery with a runtime of half an hour, it is the perfect tool for small to medium-sized lawns.
The 16.5 lbs machine is designed with stainless steel tines for durability; 3 position tine adjustment to handle all types of lawn dethatching tasks; 7-inch wheels for easy movement even on rough and bumpy surfaces; and a reliable easy-push startup system to get you going immediately.
When the battery has completely run down, you can juice it up fully in about 2 hours with the included battery charger. You’d love the quiet, relatively noiseless sound of this battery-operated rake. However, the 30 minutes battery runtime is rather small for large jobs. This can be frustrating if you have to wait for 2 hours before you can resume.
#7. Yard Tuff ACR-500T Rake
Our second tow-behind rake for thatch is the uniquely designed ACR-500T by Yard Tuff. It is made of 6 tine reels arranged in two sections of 3 tines each to form a V-shaped, 5 feet wide working path. The efficiency is enhanced by the built-in ball bearings in the tines for consistently smooth operations. And you also have the option of reversing the reel tines to ensure extended use.
Designed with a universal hitch to fit all riding lawn mowers, the working path can easily be cut in half by manually lifting any of the two sets of 3 tines. Also, the 12″ pneumatic tires are engineered to promote excellent mobility on all types of terrain. And to guarantee the durability of this garden equipment, it is constructed from 1″ tubular steel.
While this dethatching rake ticks all boxes, keep in mind that it is very pricey. And though it works excellently most of the time, the presence of objects like pinecones and needles from pine trees might jam up the works.
#8. Wolf Garten Urm3 Dethatching Roller Rake
The beautifully-designed Urm3 ripper rake by Wolf Garten seems more like something you’d use for indoor decoration. Make no mistake though, this is a sturdy and efficient garden dethatcher that moves with a stable, smooth pendulum motion thanks to the easy-roll wheels and tine blades that penetrate to just the right depth to remove all the muck buried in your garden.
As well as buried lawn thatch, it is perfect for removing old grass clippings, moss, and other lawn debris. The heavy lifting is done by 10″ specially hardened tines that require zero resharpening over the lifetime of the product considerably cutting down on maintenance.
However, even with the awesome wheels, this would be tedious to use on medium to large lawns. And it’s a bit of a let-down that the handle is sold separately.
#9. Brinly STS-42BHDK-A Lawn Dethatcher & Sweeper
With the Brinly STS-42BHDK-A Dethatcher & Sweeper, you have a garden tool that combines two of the most important elements required for a consistently beautiful lawn: dethatching and sweeping. With its multiple tines system that can be raised or lowered using the adjustment handle, it can easily pick up accumulated thatch as well as other garden debris like pines, leaves, sticks, grass clippings, etc., at impressive speeds.
It comes with a unique 2-in-1 design that ensures you can simultaneously dethatch and sweep your yard to cut the time it takes to complete the task by about 50 percent. There is more – you could also simply choose to disable the tines if you want to sweep your lawn without removing the dethatcher. And a cutting-edge design concept ensures that debris from the ground comes up quickly to be captured by the large hamper. And without moving from your seat on the lawn tractor or riding mower, you can conveniently empty the storage hamper.
Other awesome features include large wheels for easy movement, an upright design for convenient storage, 2 rows of rust-resistant tines for maximum thatch extraction, and a universal hitching system. This equipment though doesn’t come cheap and the installation instructions are subpar for such an expensive product. The less-than-premium material used in making the storage hamper is another downside. It isn’t sturdy enough for serious garden work.
10. Gardena 3395 Combisystem Thatching Rake
One of the stated missions of Gardena, the makers of this thatching rake is to, ‘Manufacture reliable, quality gardening equipment to make light work of your gardening tasks…’ With the 3395 Combisystem, it is safe to say they over-delivered on that promise.
The rake features stainless steel tines that give the impression they’d be around for the long haul no matter the working conditions. The rake can effortlessly dig and cut through unwanted debris such as matted grass, moss, weed, etc., to leave the lawn looking refreshed. The uniquely smooth sliding backs and height design of the tines ensure that the tines can cut through to the thatch layer easily and stop short of the soil effectively preventing soil damage. And with the supporting axle and wheels, considerably less effort is required to work with the rake across all types of surfaces.
However, for some reason, Gardena decided to market this awesome rake without the handle. You’d have to purchase that separately. And compared to many of the products in this review, we feel the 1-year parts warranty is too short for a product that costs much more than comparable models.
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Buying Guide: Best Rake for Thatch
When it comes to shopping for the best rake for thatch, it’s best to be armed with vital information about what to look for or you’d end up with a tool that isn’t up to scratch.
Lawn dethatchers can range from simple dethatching rakes that look like standard-issue rakes with long longer, sharper, and more pointed blades or tines, to more complicated tools attached to a lawn tractor or riding mower known as tow-behind dethatching rakes that are more suitable for larger yards.
If you don’t like the idea of pulling or pushing a manual dethatching rake and don’t have a riding mower or tractor to use a tow-behind dethatcher, you also have the choice of using a battery-operated power dethatcher.
These power dethatchers are also great for large lawns. But the runtime is dependent on how long a full battery can supply power.
The tow-behinds and power dethatchers are usually more expensive. The price tag can further increase depending on the complexity of the dethatcher or on additional features and accessories that come with the package.
No matter the type of garden dethatcher you want, there are certain factors you need to consider to get the best from your investment. Some of the most important ones are outlined below.
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Factors To Consider When Choosing A Rake for Thatch
The size of your lawn
How big or small your lawn is something you need to take into account before choosing a lawn dethatcher.
Basic dethatching rakes are perfect for small lawns while for bigger lawns, you want a tow-behind lawn dethatcher you hitch to a tractor or riding mower.
However, the tow-behind dethatcher must come with a hitching system that is compatible with either your tractor or riding mower. Without that, it is practically useless or you’d likely have to spend more money constructing a suitable adaptor for proper hitching.
Another option for bigger lawns is a power dethatcher. Operated like lawnmowers, the self-propelled machines are faster and less stressful to use but are more expensive and can inflict comparatively more damage on lawns than manual rakes for thatch.
The rake head size and tines
This is the most important part of the dethatcher. The rake head’s size or width can determine its dethatching efficiency. Basically, wider rake heads can cover more ground than smaller heads.
That said, some rakes come with adjustable heads for users to vary the working width. This is a cool feature that works well for dethatching small spaces.
All the best thatching rakes have tines that are long, curved, and sharp. The tines need to be sharp so they can easily break through or penetrate accumulated thatch and pull them up to the surface. You’d appreciate this feature if the soil is covered with an unusually thick layer of dead organic matter that needs to be removed.
Durability
The durability of the products is linked to the type of material used in constructing the rake. Basically, you want to avoid dethatchers that look flimsy and can’t stand up to hard garden jobs.
The best products are made with stainless steel tines and rake heads. A. consequence of using stainless steel is that it’s very resistant to corrosion. The rake head too should be made from similarly tough metals that can stand the test of time.
For manual handheld rakes for thatch, you also want to make sure the handle is made from tough material. This is to ensure that only considerable force or pressure can cause the handle to snap. Most of the handles, though, are made from tough wood.
For power dethatchers, simply ensure the machine looks and feels sturdy with strong metal handles.
Weight
When it comes to most garden tools in general, the rule of thumb is that lighter is always better. The same principle applies to thatching rakes.
One could get tired faster with heavier rakes and since maneuverability is important while working, lighter tools equate to improved handling.
Length of handle
The length of the rake or handle is a buying consideration that is mostly about the physical well-being of the user.
For people over 6 feet, a rake handle not less than 60 inches is recommended to prevent excessive crouching while working. A shorter handle can lead to pains around the back or make an existing situation worse.
On the other hand, if you are not so tall, you want a rake that is less than 60 inches long. A longer rake would be very uncomfortable to use.
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FAQ: Best Rake Thatch
Can You Remove Thatch with a Rake?
Yes, you can.
There are different models of rake specially designed to remove thatch manually. These come with sharp tines that can penetrate the accumulated thatch and pull them out from the soil for eventual disposal.
How Do I Dethatch My Lawn with a Rake?
The first step is to ensure that the area that needs to be detached has been mowed. Essentially, mow the whole garden if you want to dethatch the whole yard.
Then, simply angle the tines in such a way that they cut through the thatch right down to the soil.
Next, start raking back in one direction to pull up the thatch. Keep doing this all over the garden until there is no more thatch coming up.
Finally, gather up the dead organic matter and use a garbage bag or dump cart for disposal. Then wash or clean the rake.
Can I Use Regular Rake to Detach?
In theory, and in practice too, you can certainly use a regular rake to dethatch your lawn. The main issue, though, is that because the tines on regular rakes are not sharp, only a small amount of thatch can be pulled up at a time.
You’d have to do many passes to remove all the thatch. This takes considerably more time and would certainly hurt the garden in the process.
Can Dethatching Hurt My Lawn?
Yes, it can, especially when it is done with the wrong tools or at the wrong time.
For instance, using a regular leaf rake to dethatch can hurt the lawn. Also, it is bad lawn care practice to dethatch a cool-season lawn at the end of spring. You risk damaging the grass.
How Often Should You Detach Your Lawn?
While dethatching is good, doing it frequently is not good because a little thatch on your lawn is beneficial to the grass and soil. The problem is actually too much thatch.
The expert recommendation is to dethatch your lawn when the layer of thatch is over half an inch thick. Sometimes, it can take up to hear to accumulate that much thatch.
What Time of Year is the Best Time To Detach My Lawn?
This depends on the type of grass you have.
For cold season grass, the best time to dethatch the lawn is in early spring or early fall.
If you have warm-season grass, the most convenient time for dethatching the mean is late spring.
Would Cut Grass Clippings Cause Thatch on My Lawn?
By definition, lawn thatch is incompletely decomposed plant parts covering the soil. But grass clippings, on the other hand, are predominantly water and typically break down and disappear completely adding nutrients to the soil.
In essence, grass clippings are good for your lawn and don’t cause thatch.
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How Can I Prevent Lawn Thatching?
Lawn thatching is basically the result of the imbalance between decomposing old organic matter and the build-up of new ones. Sticking to the best practices when it comes to lawn care would mitigate or even prevent this problem.
For instance, never overwater the grass and only do it when it is necessary. And when you fertilize, use only products that are very high in nitrogen.
Also, don’t be tempted to use pesticides on healthy lawns. Unnecessary use of pesticides can kill beneficial pests such as worms that promote the decomposition of organic matter.
