11 Best Lawn Dethatchers (Review) In 2020

This Sun Joe model is our best dethatcher choice. Sun Joe 13″ 12 Amp Electric Scarifier & Lawn Dethatcher is an electric dethatcher, ideal for small to medium lawns and is equipped with an adjustable depth function to tackle thatch of various thicknesses. You can go as deep as 0.4 inches below the soil and as high as 0.4 inches above the soil. This means you can achieve light scraping of the thatch, or dig more deeply into the soil if necessary.

This product has a 12 amp motor, making it one of the most powerful motors for a lawn dethatcher, so clearing small to medium gardens can be done in no time at all. The main reason it is not suitable for large lawns is due to the size of the collection bag. While it is a very useful feature to collect the debris, this bag needs emptying very regularly. If you are dethatching a large area, it could be a huge frustration for you.

Our best value choice is the 14-inch, corded, electric dethatcher from Greenworks. Greenworks are a reputable brand when it comes to garden tools and they offer a four-year warranty on all their equipment, which gives you a lot of reassurance.

As Greenworks 14″ 10 Amp Corded Lawn Dethatcher is a lower-priced model, it doesn’t come with all the bells and whistles of some higher-priced options or the Snow Joe and Sun Joe choice. For example, there is no long cord, collection bag, or ultra-powerful motor. It does, however, have three different settings to tackle your thatch, spare stainless steel tines and it folds down easily to make it great for storage. It is also worth noting that this product has some of the best-designed wheels for an electric dethatcher, so it is very smooth to maneuver.

If you have a large area of ground to dethatch then this model is worth considering. The Agri-Fab 40″ Tine Tow Dethatcher is a large lawn dethatcher (40-inch swath) designed to attach to the back of a tractor or ride-on mower. Despite its size, the Agri-Fab is easy to assemble and comes with a video for further, clear instructions. It is designed for durability, with heat-treated spring tines and a rust-proof coating to withstand heavy-duty use and damp conditions. There is also a cantilever transport to make raising and lowering the platform simple and 7-inch wheels for smooth transportation.

Using this dethatcher without any added weight will scrape lightly accumulated thatch, but it will bounce around quite a lot, giving you inconsistent lawn care results. If you add weight, not only does this stop the bouncing but it will allow the tines to get further into the soil and pick up deeper thatch. There is a weight capability of 70lbs.

Another Agri-fab model, this lawn dethatcher is much the same as the 40-inch version, except it has a larger swath area. The Agri-Fab 45″ Tine Tow Dethatcher can tackle grass swathes of 48 inches and comes with 24 heat-treated spring tines, instead of the 20 tines in the smaller model.

Again it is versatile enough to fit onto any tractor, regardless of the brand, and has a simple cantilever handle to raise and lower the dethatcher without having to leave the tractor seat. You will still need to collect the deposited thatch once it has been scraped from the lawn, and additional weight is recommended to minimize bounce and maximize the effectiveness of this dethatcher. If you have a vast area of lawn to treat, then this product could be the best option as it is one of the largest detachers available.

This particular lawn dethatcher connects to a Mantis Tiller, most of which are gas-powered but you can find one or two electric versions. If you already have a Mantis tiller, you will need to verify which model you have before buying this dethatcher as it doesn’t fit all products. Equipped with 60 steel spring tines, the Mantis 5222 Power Tiller Dethatcher Attachment will allow you to dethatch a 15-inch swath in just one go, making it a highly effective product. Thanks to the gas-powered motor on the tiller, it is also a pretty powerful option.

There is, however, no option of altering the depth of the tines, and there is no collection bag for the thatch so you will need to allow extra time to sweep or rake up the debris you have loosened. Many reviewers have also said that they find it difficult to maneuver around, not because of the weight of the machine, but because you have to pull it back to operate, so you can’t see where you are going.

The Craftsman 40″ Universal Tow Lawn Dethatcher is almost identical to the Agri-Fab 40″ we reviewed, and that is because Agri-Fab manufactures Craftsman branded products. It comes with 20 spring tines, all heat-treated, and is again built for durability with a heavy-duty steel deck. The universal stainless steel hitch means it will attach to all tractors and can be easily lowered and raised from the tractor seat. The weight capability of this tow behind is 70 lbs, so you will be able to lift most deeply embedded thatch.

This particular Craftsman seems to be harder to assemble than other dethatchers due to the complexity of the instructions. It isn’t too difficult to put together, but the instructions are a little confusing and misleading at times. As with the agri-fab model, you will need to collect the thatch separately.

Another tow option for a dethatcher, this Agri-fab version is designed to attach to Agri-fab lawn sweepers, although it is also compatible with many other leading brands of sweepers.

The Agri-Fab Tine Dethatcher for All Tow Lawn Sweepers is easy to attach to the sweeper and works best for light raking of the thatch. If you want the tines to dig deeper, then this will require manual adjusting to lower the platform. Like most tow-behind models, this doesn’t collect any thatch, only scrapes it up, but for this version, you can at least buy a compatible bag to collect the thatch as you go. A fitted bag would speed up the whole process considerably.

The True Temper 15″ Adjustable Thatching Rake is a manual rake with a simple design. It is highly durable, comfortable to handle, and can be used for both dethatching and tilling by turning it over.

There is no doubt that this rake does the job, as it has enough well- positioned tines to scrape up thatch. It is an affordable option if you have a small area of lawn that doesn’t need aerating or dethatching very regularly.

Our premium pick for the best lawn dethatcher is the Brinly Tow behind 2 in 1 model. The Brinly Tow-Behind Lawn Sweeper with Dethatcher has 24 spring steel tines that flex independently, and they are distributed across two rows, helping to make it more efficient at removing the thatch.

You can choose which level of depth you operate it on, without needing to add any weights. This means it can scarify the soil when fully lowered, or act as a simple dethatcher if you raise the wheels. Best results seem to come from passing over the area twice, first to dethatch and then later to scarify. There is also a transport mode that fully lifts the dethatcher, so it doesn’t come into contact with the ground when crossing pathways or hard surfaces.

If you don’t like the idea of investing in heavy lawn dethatchers or using rakes for several hours, then our budget choice of a liquid lawn dethatcher is worth considering. The LawnStar liquid is environmentally friendly, suitable for all grass surfaces, and works by encouraging the decomposition of thatch. It naturally digests the dead turf.

The LawnStar Natural Liquid Lawn Dethatcher can be added to either a pump-up spray or hose-end sprayers and simply applied to your lawn in the evening or early morning. You simply spray on to your lawn and then water 15 minutes later. Bear in mind that you won’t get immediate results from this, it will require multiple applications over several weeks before you start to see an improvement. The best results will be seen when there is only light dethatching to be completed.

From the same manufacturers as our premium choice for best dethatcher, this Brinly 48 inch tow-behind model is another highly efficient tool. The Brinly 48″ Tow Behind Dethatcher is ideal for large lawns due to its 48inch width and heavy-duty frame with a weight platform to allow you to add up to 70lbs more mass should you want to tackle thatch that is deeply embedded. There is no automatic adjustment option; the level of depth is controlled by the weight you manually add.

The Brinly DT 48BH has the same flexible tines that are distributed across two roles and move independently, so works more effectively. And if, in the unlikely event that a tine breaks, this detacher has a safety rod that will catch the broken part, so it doesn’t clash with your mower blades.