Biggest Problem With Electric Dethatchers & Thatch Rakes

The biggest problem with using electric dethatchers or thatch rakes is that although they remove surface debris from the ground they don't actually remove much (if any) true thatch.
In this video I demonstrate how much material I can remove from the lawn using both my thatch rake and my Greenworks electric dethatcher then I pull cores to show just how much thatch remains even after "dethatching".
Here is an affiliate link to the core puller I use in the lawn and in this video: www.amazon.com...
I have no problem recommending the Greenworks tool (or the competing SunJoe & WORX versions) for the purpose of power raking a larger large space. I also have no problem recommending people to buy and own a thatch rake for spot work in the yard but for true thatch remediation, you have to implement liquid thatch digesters into your lawn care regimen.
I have used three different liquid dethatchers which I have documented thoroughly on this channel but I have settled on using only N-EXT D-Thatch on my property for the foreseeable future. You can price that out through this affiliate link if you like: turfmech.link/...
Make sure to see this page on my website for a comparison of the most common electric dethatchers (power rakes) on the market: turfmechanic.c...
For the best results in powered dethatching or scarifying you should look into renting or buying a Billy Goat which can slice 3/4" into your lawn with every pass; this is much more than inexpensive electric dethatchers that many homeowners buy. Here's a link for more info: www.powerequip...
Here are a few videos from my 2020 experiments on the different liquid dethatchers. You can learn a lot about how these products work in these videos:
► How Liquid De-Thatch Works: • How Liquid Thatch Remo...
► How Fast Do Liquid Thatch Digesters Work: • How Fast Do Liquid Tha...
► Can You Apply Liquid DeThatch in Cold Weather: • Can You Use Liquid D-T...
► Electric vs Manual DeThatching: • Electric Dethather vs ...
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[@TurfMechanic]

►►► Want to fix your lawn for the long haul but don't know where to start? I can help! Click here right now and get started today: turfmech.link/dont-know-where-to-start ◄◄◄

[@vazz22]

I dethatched my yard .... it looked a wreck 2 months ago after I did it...but the yard is breathing now a the yard is looking sweet.....time and patience was the key (I used a SunJoe electric machine)

[@wiredawg2005]

Same here with my Bermuda lawn. The wife got me the Sun Joe (Corded) for Christmas and used it early spring (extra warm in my parts and the grass was well into 50% greening) collected a ton of debris. I just used the rake attachment and it cleaned it up, dirt was somewhat exposed (able to breathe as you say), I did my fertilization and pre-emergent and is looking good by Mother's Day.

[@johnsmithson8020]

Or course it's not going to "dethatch", because you're using the rake drum. The Sunjoe has a scrarifier that removes the thatch. You have to make sure you're on the right height setting as well. That Greenworks machine is subpar to the Sunjoe as well. Go watch some comparison videos, and see for your self.

[@diverdave4056]

AGREE the Sun Joe RULES

[@l9ikjam]

I went over my yard 3 or 4 times and I could see the dirt after I got done. I wasn't worried about pulling up some of the green grass because I was going to overseed right after. After overseeding, my grass grew think and green and has been looking good since.

[@vespaman101]

I think what should be considered is the removal of dead grass prevents it from becoming thatch and allows your current thatch to break down without being replaced with with as much newer thatch.

[@lithgowlights859]

I have the Greenworks that has both the rake drum and scarifier attachments. The rake is great for quick removal of dead grass, and the scarifier for yearly deep thatch removal, and overseed, maybe a liquid thatch removal as well.

[@familybarton]

Dethatcher is a misnomer. It really is an electric rake that does a great job removing surface debris. That said, I LOVE them for that exact purpose. They definitely fulfill a job...just not removing actual thatch.

[@larryseibold4287]

I totally agree. power rakes, scarifiers, aerators, and dethatchers are all different. I purchased the SunJoe for the power rake for the exact same reason that you did. It is great. I could not find a power rake to rent, so i purchased one. The rental yard only had the big spinning de-thatchers and plug aerators. I would actually call these spinning tine machines scarifiers as well, but semantics. Almost every time i have used the big rental de-thatchers, it has made a mess of my lawn. this is usually because of a confluence of issues. I tend to want to use it in September to October, but that is when grub had done the most damage to the roots, so the grass pull up easily in sections, making a big mess, and since grub correction cant be done in the fall, it turns into a viscous cycle. I am planning on a better year this coming year. I think that the only good way to get rid of thick thatch is to burn it after a deep scarification and drying. The grass will recover with a boost of neutrients. Not a reality for most of us, however, so we are stuck with lesser solutions like frequent aeration, biological acceleration (liquid de-thatch), or full till and replace. @turf mechanic is right that power rakes do not de-thatch, but they do fix the color by removing the yellow dying or dead grass on top. they also tend to comb the grass upright a bit to help with the lay down clump holes that i get with my KBG.

[@laurapalmerTDGE]

Pro-advice : stop using heavy duty quick pushing high loads of N. Instead use CRF controlled release fertilizer. CRF allows the grass to grow slower but better, unforced. Also use fertilizer with bacteria. Have a look at Compo Expert - Floranid. The best on the market.

[@account2292]

Untrue. I've been using the Sunjoe for 2 seasons. It absolutely dethatches as advertised. If you haven't dethatched in 30 years, yeah you might have an issue lol.

[@SteveVitez]

@@account2292 But it depends which drum are you using? I think all Sunjoe come with 2.. One called the dethatcher (prongs with springs) and the 'scarifier' drum (stationary slicers). The scarifier is what will get into the thatch layer.. What they are calling dethatching drum is more or less just a power rake. It does however help keep thatch from increasing. I was misinformed when I first ran my 'dethatching drum', but still happy with removing all the dead grass. But I now need to run the scarifier.

[@joemarchand8313]

All of the tools that you've shown us simply remove surface debris only. As other commenters have mentioned, the SunJoe has a Scarifier attachment that will actually bust into the thatch layer and remove some of it. And as to your claim that some good, healthy grass will be removed, you're correct. But that's why you over seed immediately after scarifying.

[@hudsonjamesc]

Depending on where you live it may be better to set your grass on fire before spring to be more effective

[@stump1897]

That’s why I went with sun joe. While not perfect the scarifier drum goes a little deeper than the tines.

[@oldstocks]

The electric rakes expose the thatch to air and water which will allow microbial breakdown of thatch. The splitter does this more so. Adding the organic treatments (e.g. liquid dethatch) adds to effectiveness. I use the power rake to thin out dead or weaker grass to make room for seeding and spreading grass.

[@spartanchirho]

Good video! Some semantics involved I believe. But liquid dethatch does males sense. What about sunjoe scarifier? That is what I used for a lawn renovation. Took a few different angles but seemed to open soil and get most of weeds and previous grass out of the way. Scarifier seemed to go deeper than dethatcher but both were great.

[@freddyn2192]

The reason the thatch layer can get really thick is because of watering short periods of time and too often. Compaction is also a big culprit. For these reasons the root system stays too close to the surface causing a thick thatch layer. And in reality dethatching is only one step in line of steps for a healthy lawn. If you want to do a real lawn renovation you have to first dethatch, then aerate, and then overseed. To continue to promote to deeper roots the lawn needs to be watered deeply (1 hour of watering) 2 to 3 times a week. Shallow watering (10 to 20 minutes) every day will only promote shallow roots causing a thick thatch layer.

[@NancyThompson-i4z]

Thank you for the detailed response. I’m quite disappointed with the electric dethatcher. Additionally, had concerns on how thatch is distinguishes between thatch and grass.

[@atchafalaya2835]

Forget then thatch rake unless you are Superman. The Greenworks thatcherizer will do the job for a regular size neighborhood yard but you are going to have to go over it many times to get the stuff out. The thatch removal is a huge job maybe into tonage worth of stuff will come up. Made many trips to the dump with a pickup truck full of dead grass. Took me a week to complete the job. Thatcherizing is almost equivalent to replacing shingles on a house. Big job not for sissies.

[@padraics]

I always thought thatch was the dead grass debris that was not rooted, the stuff you pulled up, and that they brown grass still rooted is dormant grass. First year with a lawn so shows what I know!

[@stephenmcallister2169]

love the obstacle course in your backyard. thanks for doing a side by side of the rack and motor rack.

[@juzoli]

I had a similar realization recently. I moved some bigger kid toy, which killed the grass, so I reseeded that small section. I loosened up the dirt with a rake, put the seed down, raked again, and put peatmoss on the top. I saw no dead grass, it looked like dirt. But not a lot of grass has sprouted… I was disappointed. I also saw that the water is running off, and not into the soil… To save the day, I bought a single roll of sod to cover it, which requires to remove the top layer of dirt. THAT’s when I saw, that the top inch can be lifted in one piece, like a carpet, and it is not soil, but thatch. Coincidentally, right next to it, there was a damage where a removed shrub accidentally pulled the top layer of the lawn next to it. That area got new layer of soil 2 inches deep, and grew beautiful grass from seed. That’s how I learned why last year’s overseeding was not working well in some areas, even I thought I was detaching. So thatch is not dead grass, but dead roots. I have no idea how to remove it mechanically, without killing the grass, so I’m also stuck with liquid detacher. But I might just dig up and reseed the worst portions of my lawn.

[@emerickscott]

I feel like the best way to do something about it other than to rip out the entire yard or to liquid dethatch for years, is to grow it a bit longer, do a very heavy top dress. So much that the grass blades barely stick out. That will bury the thatch so deep that it'll decompose and the new seed will have dirt to root into.

[@chrisweidmaier3619]

Great information again! I'm going to do both this year.

[@kathy8590]

Electric dethatchers rake but do not dethatch. Thanks for the demo! So, is there any use for the electric "dethatchers"?

[@emerickscott]

You are completely right. these machines should just be called power rakes, but for some reason they get labeled dethatchers. That thatch is a tough issue. Core aeration helps get water and nutrients into the subsoil layer, but otherwise short of ripping up your entire lawn it's tough. I'm going to try to use liquids in my few high thatch areas, as recommended.

[@joshuaroyal3272]

Bro... Thatch is mainly just surface debris. I don't understand the point of this video or why people such as yourself are talking as if what the machines in this video and the rake are doing are somehow something else other than dethatching? What do you call it then? (& If you say "power raking" lol) What are you power raking then? Reference - definition: "In lawn care, thatch is a layer of organic matter that accumulates ON a lawn around the base of the grass plants. Thatch is a combination of living and dead plant matter including crowns, stolons, rhizomes, and roots."

[@clp6418]

@@joshuaroyal3272 I am ordering the Rock&Rocker 16" path today. $152. with no taxes

[@iwayned]

Brian (Wayne here). Thatch: Is it only because the grass is not bagged when cutting? Or it only gets a small portion of what is cut? Like your channel. Just stumbled onto it yesterday. Keep up the good education.

[@TurfMechanic]

Hey Wayne! So glad to have subs that care about details like this! Thatch can be caused by a number of things but rarely is it because of plain mulched clippings. Grass that is mowed regularly with a mulching mower should break down and reincorporate into the soil quickly, problems arise when too much water create an anaerobic environment, too little water creates shallow root systems, rhizomatic and stoloniferous grasses aren't verticut often enough, and soil microbiology isn't active enough. In my case my lawn was underwatered after a sod install a few years back. Slowly I'm fixing the problem without doing the remove and replace option.

[@DaddingAllDay]

A lot of good info in this video. SunJoe has the scarifier attachment, but it’s not powerful enough to make a huge difference. Liquid D-Thatch is a big help like you said.

[@JRM8047]

I’ve got similar thatch issues to yours. Moved into a new house a couple years ago and there’s 2-3 inches of roots growing above the soil in some spots due to poor watering patterns and sprinkler coverage issues. Lawn was only about 6 years old and it had already gotten thatch that deep! The first year I used a Greenworks with the spring tines. The unit’s motor burned out on the 3rd pass and so many of the tines broke and had to be replaced but I did get lots of dead grass out. However the thatch remained. Several aerations and one commercial power rake from a landscape company later and I’m still at the same place. Here’s my plan going forward. First is to fix my sprinkler coverage to make it more consistent. Second is find out exactly how much water goes down for each cycle. Third, I just bought both a sunjoe scarifier and a commercial Bluebird PR22 with the flail reel. Yes $2k for it but this is a life long investment and with Kentucky bluegrass it’ll be used regularly. You can also get a delta reel (aka verticutter, slicer, scarifier, etc) and a spring tine reel for it. I’m very curious to test out the differences between the flail and delta reels. The sunjoe is nice and light, and removes debris well but it’s narrow (I’ve got about 5000 sqft of lawn) and because it’s light it doesn’t sit down into the grass much. As a result you only get a superficial scarify even on the deepest setting. The Bluebird on the other hand is like 160 pounds and will allow you to get as deep as you need. You could easily pull up the turf with it so you need to make sure it gets set at the right height. It’ll still beat up the lawn and it’ll most likely take several years of 2-3 uses a year but I think it’ll do the trick…along with aerating the shit out of it. I have a tow behind aerator that I can hook up to my golf cart and just aerate until it looks like Swiss cheese. If it all fails I’ll burn it down to the ground and start over. Now that I’m thinking about it, that might just be the easiest way 😅

[@AromaFrank]

So to remove dead grass using the rake will it damage the grass because of pulling and detaching grass roots, or they will reconnect quickly? If it damages the grass, shall I put afterwards new seeds or just again fertilizer?

[@Indylimburg]

When I do it, I try to do it in conjunction with my spring or fall prep. So yes, just plan on doing all the above. The detach really beats up your lawn and it will take a couple of weeks for it to recover, but it's the perfect time to overseed because there will be more ground contact.

[@seanrice7511]

Another great video Brian, thanks. I agree that the Greenworks is a nice power rake. I use twice, 90 degrees to each other. It does nice cleanup after winter. But not dethatcher. Core aeration every fall fall is on my to do list going forward. BTW, If new core was still that thick of thatch layer, how do we know the liquid aeration is working? Looked similar to your previous core. Just wondering if worth time money and effort. I guess I will watch your videos on it now💪🏼

[@hulkinbrent6376]

Thats why i got the sun joe it has the scarifier and dethatcher vs the green works that just dethatcher

[@joe_ferreira]

You can buy the scarifier for it

[@lisah6076]

That's why I bought Sun Joe. I saw the comparisons on KZbin

[@seanrice7511]

Has anyone tried using an edger to cut strips into the lawn for a dethatch / aeration process? I would worry about irrigation and drainage lines tho, have to set your depth right...

[@lisah6076]

@Fire and Rice 😄

[@monsieurbeefeur2270]

My plan is to bag/vacuum clippings every time, use the Sunjoe to better expose the thatch you show, and then apply liquid dethatcher. Do this a few times a year and I bet that thatch will be minimized and break down given enough time. Reducing the thatch that piles on top should allow the deeper layer to catch up in breaking down.

[@TurfMechanic]

This is by no means advice because it's something I'm still pondering but I was considering going to bagging clippings for this fall because I'm still trying to shrink my thatch layer, and the clippings are just sitting up on top of the thatch making everything seem worse ...but, ultimately I decided to keep mulching them because they help retain moisture in the thatch layer. Getting very specific here but the way I conceptualize it is this - I want the thatch layer to break down like compost does so I have to keep it moist and keep nitrogen in it via clippings and fertilizer. So long as I continue aerating and ocassionally scarifying the thatch layer there should be enough air in the layer to help break it down. The clippings help keep the moisture there but I still want to remove them periodically while running the dethatcher to score the thatch layer for airflow...Anyway, just thinking with my keyboard to you 😁 no matter what its all fun in the lawn. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@milanjurich1526]

The scarifier might have been more aggressive. Interesting info. Thank you.

[@jeremys959]

My greenworks dethatcher works just fine, maybe some people don't use it or prepare the yard the correct way

[@MoreFormosa]

the dead grass is thatch. if you let accumulate, in naturally accumulates and begins degrading into the soil in natural decomposition. Regular detaching is just to remove the deadgrass

[@justinjones5281]

I started this year by hydroponic seeding in the thatch. Big mistake. Now I have burnout that can only be alleviated by over watering. Than we got a storm and washed out there roots. Power raked and everything pulled up. Whoops

[@TheDylan6908]

Brian had another vid on liquid dethatchers and gave a recipe for a homemade liquid dethatcher. Gonna give that one a try . Seemed logical.

[@TurfMechanic]

I sure did! Thanks for your good memory. Here it is if anyone wants to give it a go: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e4Stpq18fc1kpMU

[@audigex]

I see the main value of "dethatching" being less about pulling up the thatch, but rather *cutting through* the thatch to let air and water, fertilizer, seeds etc through the thatch layer. And I use an electric one for the simple reason that it cuts deeper than a manual one, and is much less exhausting The fact they pick up the surface debris helps too, but isn't my goal for using a "dethatcher"

[@perjian1697]

Why does everyone keep calling eletric power rakes a dethatcher. If it has wire tines, thats a power rake. It is only supposed to remove surface debris. If it has metal blades, its a dethatscher or scarifier.

[@iwayned]

Hi Brian; Replying to thatch reasons. I guess I will have to get to the states ome time and buy some liquid dethatcher. Thank you again.

[@aviedw1]

Go over the area more than once. Then over seed, fertilizer and water. Your grass will thank you.

[@anthonymyers4378]

Excellent video!

[@DennisCollins-ze7qs]

Compost with manure in the fall

[@cretene1]

ok im convinced liquid airation then.i have a bad that layer ,hit it with electric scarifier .btw put in microbes. now to find liquid aerator online here in ireland

[@bermandustin]

Im fairly sure the tines are the power rake attachment to remove surface debris. The thick metal blade attachment cuts the thatch layer out and is the true dethatcher

[@bermandustin]

And you technically need to scarify to remove thatch

[@lisah6076]

@@bermandustin so should you just scarcify first or you have to use the other blade (times) and then scarcify?

[@puppiTube]

Your mistake was confusing a scarifier with a detatcher. Scarifier is like a surface rake. That's what you did. A detachter has blades that rip into the substrate and you had better be ready for the outcome! Will take 4-6 weeks for the results. So, afterwards, go heavy on the pre-emergent herbicide and fast and slow release fertilisers. A month? Wow. This is the way. But at first? It looks frightening. Barren. As if you have killed everything off! You havnt. It's fine. Water morning and evening for a month. Then once a day for the next two months early or very late. Job done.

[@Nathan-ho7vr]

No liquid dethatch products in Ontario that I can find. Sunjoe has a scarifier that goes to 0.4 inches and ryobi has one too (height adjustment wasn't advertised when I looked at it). I wonder if these would do more effective job.

[@TurfMechanic]

Sounds counterintuitive but running an electric scarifier like those at grade or barely below grade -0.1" can score the thatch layer a bit just enough to work over time especially if you make your own liquid dethatch product and apply regularly at the same time. Check this video out that should be perfect for you: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e4Stpq18fc1kpMU

[@Nathan-ho7vr]

@@TurfMechanic molasses and yeast, eh. Worth a try 😊

[@TurfMechanic]

@@Nathan-ho7vr better than nothing 🤷‍♂️

[@jimeckenrode1271]

I do not claim to be a grass expert but after watching this video I don't think you are either.

[@TurfMechanic]

Hahaha, good thing I've never called myself one! 😅 good luck to you in life 👈

[@HectorHaptic]

@@TurfMechanic great reply, much respect

[@uncrunch398]

How would you rate it as a rake, if set optimally to pick up debris without trying to dethatch?

[@TurfMechanic]

If I set the tines to above grade and simply rake upper debris, leaves and small tree droppings it will work great especially with the bagger on however the bag will fill up quickly so you'll have to stop to empty the bag frequently. If you leave the bag off then it will pickup all debris and leave it "floating" on top of the lawn so that your bagging lawnmower will pick it all up. If you are just thinking about raking leaves in the fall then I don't think it's as helpful as just running the mower with bag over the lawn a couple times per week. If you have some evergreens that leave small needles or buds on the ground that get embedded in the lower canopy then this machine can help get them to the surface for bagging way easier than a regular rake. If you want to "fluff" the lawn up at the end of winter to get it standing upright for a better early season mow then this will work ohh so good while also thinning out dead leaves from winter dormancy. Think of this tool as something with a ton of uses, none of which you need it for but many of which this machine helps with...just don't expect it to quickly eliminate a true thatch layer in a single season. It's only part of the solution for that.

[@uncrunch398]

@@TurfMechanic I found a website, forgot the address and company, where one could order an absurdly large and durable catching bag. They have some common, but most people would have to send measurements and other information of the frame in the bag they already have. My mower bag fills up too frequently when picking up leaves, but haven't used it for mowing. So I put off ordering a custom bag. I would guess they'd make one for a dethatcher but it's probably not worth buying for a machine that will only partially fill it.

[@TurfMechanic]

@@uncrunch398 shoot me the info if you could fund the time to look it up. I'd be happy to investigate a bit.

[@matthewstover6789]

Looks like your grass is a product of sod over sod or some original lawn. Someone said hmm this lawn sucks so we’ll just lay a new one over the old. Maybe they scalped it or killed it first. But still looks like lawn over lawn to me. Scape it off to bare dirt and start over. Save your money and time.

[@JasonKavetis]

I'm thinking the exact same thing Mathew

[@lukedifilippo6543]

This is good info.

[@WadeChristensen]

How are you getting YardMastery to ship product to Oregon?

[@TurfMechanic]

I was able to get stuff shipped to Oregon back 2-3 years ago. I wasn't able to get there stuff delivered to or last year so I started using alternatives

[@dariosangiovanni1502]

Have you tried spraying compost tea every 1/2 weeks? Microbiology should help you with that

[@silverstead1]

Does anyone have an issue with the thatch wrapping around the drums and getting tangled? I bought the sunjoe basednoff of several comparison videos. My experience is it doesn’t work very well

[@lisah6076]

Doesn't the grass have to be cut down to two inches high to prevent that problem? I saw that on a video comparing three different dethatchers. Use the right setting.

[@androidfarmer8863]

We just make everyone look at our lawn from low angles

[@TurfMechanic]

lol, always a good move; all lawns look better from low angles and far away if you can keep people away. haha

[@anddw101]

Thanks for a well done vid. There is a difference between using tine attachment to power rake and using scarifier to dethatch. Hieght adjustment will be a factor as well. There's no way these tines (which are like a rake) will pull up thatch, for they will only scrape surface. Hence, the tines are flexible. The scarifier will go deeper cutting roots, so they multiply and remove thatch as well. I would like to see a video where you use the scarifier attachment to detach and pull plug show results.

[@mikeo8890]

Looks like shallow roots.

[@joshuaroyal3272]

No offense guy... but you need to inquire on what "thatch" is. When you just said it pulled up, what you defined as "dead grass." As if that is something else entirely separate from thatch?... When it is in fact simply a fundamental (if not the main "body-section" of thatch's physical properties) I mean c'mon man, I don't understand the point of this video. The literal, true definition for what thatch actually is. As far as I know it to be, it's "a layer of organic matter that accumulates ON a lawn around the base of the grass blades" I'm not saying that you're completely wrong... sure some of what you pointed out was part of or (to be a bit more specific) the BOTTOM PORTION of the thatch body. Like I've already stated however, if something removes part of one thing, (assuming your expectations were for it to get the entirety of it) you can at best call it a poor performing tool. What you can't do is just call it another thing used for something else entirely. Thatch is a combination of living and dead plant matter including crowns, stolons, rhizomes, and roots. As you pointed out in your core-piece that you pulled from your lawn manually, you just pointed out the "under the ground portion" or just beneath the surface section of the grass blade body + root system of the grass. So to say that the dethatching rake only pulled up dead grass (indicating that that is somehow something else other than) thatch & basically just caused your lawn unnecessary damage makes zero sense.

[@TurfMechanic]

I appreciate your lengthy comment and thought process but I call dead grass clippings surface debris and thatch is very different than just surface debris. All lawns collect surface debris like grass clippings but only certain grass types are prone to thatch buildup. See this well watched video of mine for more on what actual thatch is: kzbin.info/www/bejne/roHTnKqnjp2XopY

[@lysawy82]

Got a Mantis tiller gas powered w/ dethatcher piece. Find it better than those puny electric ones...

[@johnsmithson8020]

I used the Sunjoe scarifier and it worked just fine on my 7,000sq/ft lawn. Thatch is gone.

[@thejarjosh]

@@johnsmithson8020 Yeah that sunjoe surprises you when you finally run it. Seems like it's as cheap as you'd expect from the prices when you first see it but from my experience it really packs a punch under that plastic hood.

[@johnsmithson8020]

@@thejarjosh I was totally skeptical too. I always used a blue bird. Watched a few videos, and was shocked by the power that sunjoe had. Bought it, and actually laughed at how Fisher Price it looked. But man, that scarifier dug into the lawn and soil like nothing. It actually pulled me, and I'm a solid 205 lbs lol. The Powerrake attachment works well too. I love that machine. For what I spent on it, it's already paid for itself.

[@lisah6076]

Sun Joe is fine for my yard too. It's not an acre. Less than one half

[@everettbradley5467]

The Scarifier is the dethatcher the other is the rake.

[@jimmyspiteria9371]

need to put a 20 kilo weight plate on that little electric mower and give it a scalp.

[@johnsmithson8020]

No need. I did my 7,000sq/ft lawn with the sunjow scarifier it would worked amazing. This guy seriously has no clue what he's talking about. Who uses liquid de-thatchers? Lmao.

[@Jude13able]

You used the wrong electric dethatcher you need to use a sun Joe detacher with a scarifier and you can see the difference.

[@velcroman11]

It seems that to remove the actual thatch layer one would have to remove the ENTIRE lawn to get down to the actual thatch layer. That doesn't sound like a great idea.

[@gordonderouyan9980]

I got a little confused. I see you state that you have 3/4 inch of thatch. What is below that thatch? Looks like plain dirt, and no grass at all. Having a father that owned a sod farm and growing up in the early stages of that farm actually rolling up the sod by hand, it was pretty common to have a depth of 1 inch or a little more in order to have soil come up with the sod. So based on your term of de-thatch and describe the top 3/4 inches of the core as pure thatch doesn't make sense. I would describe that as the grass root system. In my view - Power Rake and Dethatcher are basically the same thing. They just pull up the dead grass on the surface making way for new growth. Great for a spring job or prior to over-seeding or top dressing. If you do this in the middle of the season, your grass might just be dormant due to excessive heat and end up with more damage than anything.

[@ajbrown2013]

Dethatching vs aerating

[@coreysellers4529]

It would take 7 gallons to apply this product at the weekly rate of 6oz per 1,250sq ft. That would cost me $350 a week to use this product. With 2 1/2 acres im forced to research cheaper methods of lawn care. It makes the hobby more interesting. I e experimented with everything from making compost tea ,chicken feed fertilizer, inoculation of home made char by use of my urine and my chickens poo, driving sand point for irrigation, welding and designing my own equipment for char spreaders, dethatchers , sprayers, DEF as fertilizer and such. I should probably have my own channed called Tight Ass Lawns😅

[@TurfMechanic]

TAL LOL - yeah thats very spending for 2 1/2 acres! I love the concept of getting creative though and I'd probably dive down the compost tea rabbit hole. Check out this video I made a while back where I experimented with making my own cheaper liquid dethatch concoction: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e4Stpq18fc1kpMU

[@mistwha]

Dead grass IS considered thatch FYI. Thatch is a loose, intermingled organic layer of dead and living shoots, stems, and roots that develops between the zone of green vegetation and the soil surface. I feel like you made this video because you bought that SunJoe and it didn't perform how you wanted it to. Not that it didn't remove thatch, which it did.

[@marcuslinton310]

Yes, I think they work great for clearing out the dead stuff and opening the grass up to get more air, sun and water. Breaks up the dirt, loosens it up.

[@davidlundy9142]

You all are massively overcomplicating things. Let the lawn grow a year. Watch the areas that are struggling and only tend to those. Doing all this stuff is wrecking your yards. Choke out the bad with the good. Dethatching is not necessary most of the time. It sells views that’s all.

[@JasonKavetis]

I agree David

[@kenanderson1240]

Poor comparison of lawn cores by the swing set. Start using a good ruler, take good measurements, use the mm scale if necessary. I didn't see any major result from using detatch

[@TurfMechanic]

Imo you can clearly see the lower areas of the thatch looking more soil like than they did last year. You are entitled to your opinion though. I don't run a lab testing facility here so none of my comparisons are perfect I get that.

[@Tundra_Guy]

It looks like you have more thatch than last time you checked. I don't see a benefit from the liquid dethatch at all.

[@DrDennis]

Too much shade right over your bad areas. Won’t grow with big shade trees.

[@qbvick]

It's pronounced lawn...don't forget the "w".

[@MoreFormosa]

you put a lot of stress on the lawn doing all that in a one month period

[@everettbradley5467]

Greenworx was rated the worst Dethatcher

[@andrewmiguel8951]

This guy he need to learn more about lawn. 😂😂

[@Indylimburg]

Need a power rake with a scarifier like the sunjoe.

[@TurfMechanic]

I've got one on the way but its not the sunjoe, I think you'd be surprised at how little of a difference it makes though. Thatch is usually a lot deeper than normal corded dethatchers or scarifiers can reach. Billy goat has one for a couple grand that cuts 3/4" deep which is still not deep enough to get through a thick problem spot on a lawn.

[@Indylimburg]

@@TurfMechanic Thanks for the reply Turf Mechanic! Keep up the great content. I've had the sunjoe for a couple of years and with the scarifier blades installed it cuts in about a half inch in my soil. I'm in Utah and have hard packed clay. My thatch layer doesn't get too deep, but I have to remove it because of the winter kill and it's so dry here the dead blades don't decompose. Water will literally run right off it instead of soaking in the ground. The sunjoe is able to get down enough for my lawn and even cut groves for over seeding

[@alphasmurf6563]

@@TurfMechanic Bro you have sod over sod and need to scrape all that crap to bare soil and start over. It’s not thatch

[@TurfMechanic]

@@alphasmurf6563 this is a common thought by viewers like yourself but its just not correct. I made a whole video about the history of my lawn that shows this isn't the case. I had large excavator work in spring of 2018 that dug the entire ground up when we installed our retaining walls. Anyway, it's just bad thatch, most people never actually see what bad thatch actually looks like.

[@lisah6076]

@@Indylimburg get you a soil amendment to soften the soil. They have products for soil compaction. For example: Love your Soil by Jonathan Green. I have clay here in Ohio, but I can get a screwdriver down the grass pretty easy. They way the water goes in well. Check it out. Do your research 😊