# DeThatcher Recommendations



## patsfan2001 (Apr 12, 2004)

Hello Everybody-

I want to pull a dethatcher behind my L-118. Does anyone
have any recommendations? I looking to spend $300 max.

Thanks -Joe:dog:


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## Terminator20 (Apr 15, 2004)

*Try here at ebay*

http://search.ebay.com/search/searc...t=1&SortProperty=MetaEndSort&query=Dethatcher


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## Ingersoll444 (Sep 17, 2003)

I got one of the small, tow behind ones for a LOT cheeper than that. Think I paid about 60-70 for it at eather Sears, or HD. Worked "OK" but thatch was only realy a problem for the first year or so that I started mowing my feild, now lawn. Right now, it is blocking a hole in my fence the dogs keep trying to get out of.


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## Argee (Sep 17, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Pats_Fan _
> *Hello Everybody-
> 
> I want to pull a dethatcher behind my L-118. Does anyone
> ...


In talking to a few folks who do lawn maintenance, I'm told the front mounted dethatchers do a better job. Not sure why, I guess you could use your bagger and pick it up as you go.


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## cousy51 (Sep 16, 2003)

I have one like the 40" tow behind shown in teh e-bay link (Brinly-Hardy I think). I tow it behind a Simplicity Prestige and it seems to do a good job. I put four 10 pounds weights from a weight set we had to get the teeth to get into the soil. As for the dethatcher; it was given to me from my uncle. I believe tat Home Depot or Lowes sells them fairly cheap.


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## leolav (Sep 16, 2003)

I have a tow behind. Works great. I do try and attacke thatch from several directions to do the best job. I raked up my thatch this spring vs bagging it. Lawn looks great so far.


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

i have a tow behind sweeper from home depot. They sell a dethatcher that screws into the front of the sweeper so it dwthatches then sweeps it up.. I do not own the dethatcher so can not say if it works that well...


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## Chris (Sep 15, 2003)

Does dethatching really help your lawn? I think I need one --- I have visable brown debris (thatch) all throughout my lawn ----- 
Guess it is not breathing really well. Any insight or ideas?

Andy


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## Chris (Sep 15, 2003)

PS - Saw that Craftsman one is one sale right now until 4/24 for $64.99 --- regularly $79.99 ---- Anyone have any review of this product? It seems to be really well made. Do you NEED to use weights, if so what kind?

Andy


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## Argee (Sep 17, 2003)

> _Originally posted by admin _
> *PS - Saw that Craftsman one is one sale right now until 4/24 for $64.99 --- regularly $79.99 ---- Anyone have any review of this product? It seems to be really well made. Do you NEED to use weights, if so what kind?
> 
> Andy *


They usually build the weight trays to accomodate concrete blocks.

Do you really need to thatch? Good question....it's not the surface matting that is the concern, that happens when the grass goes through its dormant cycle. You need to dig into your sod a little deeper and look at the buildup that would restrict water and nutrients from reaching the root system. If you have earthworms popping through the surface, then they're doing the job for you. When you remove any debris like old dead grass, your removing a source of natural biomass that will eventually rot down and feed the the soil which nurtures your plant.


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## leolav (Sep 16, 2003)

Thatch can strangle a lawn. Normally it occurs if you cut off to big a blade of grass. Small pieces decompose well. Larger pieces don't and get matted down to "entangle them at root level" . If not taken care of, it can strangle your lawn and not allow it to spread to the areas that have thatch.

You would be amazed at the amount of thatch that accumulates over a growing season. I pick up at least enough to fill a pickup truck 2-3 times.


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## Live Oak (Dec 22, 2003)

> _Originally posted by admin _
> *PS - Saw that Craftsman one is one sale right now until 4/24 for $64.99 --- regularly $79.99 ---- Anyone have any review of this product? It seems to be really well made. Do you NEED to use weights, if so what kind?
> 
> Andy *


Andy, I think you would get the most benefit from going over your lawn with a core aerator. I could not believe the difference in how my lawn would absorb water after I did mine. The water used to just run off or puddle up, now it soaks right in. Core aerate it and then fertilize it. Be careful with the fertilizer! I hit mine heave with 19-19-19 and not it grows about 10 inches per week! I cannot believe how much it greened and thickened up!


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## Chris (Sep 15, 2003)

Ok, core aeration is good but I have always been told that the Mickey Mouse versions that barely go down a 1" or 2" are useless. I have been told that the good ones are the very large, heavy and expensive units. Can you shed some light on this, Chief? What model aerator, how well does it work and how much does something like this cost? Thanks for the info.

Andy


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## patsfan2001 (Apr 12, 2004)

Thanks everyone for the replies - all good suggestions. I'm leaning towards Simple_John's combo thatcher/sweeper set up. The little woman wanted me to rake up pine needles - :hand: no thanks! I'll get the sweeper too!


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

the sweeper works pretty well.. i cleaned the lawn this weekend.. plus it breaks down real easy and folds up and stores nicely...


As for aerators: I know plug core aerators are supposed to be best.. i got the spike aerator because it also was a drop seeder..

so it drops the fertilizer and aerates.. the spike thingies only go about 1-2" into the ground so given the chance to do it over.. id probably go with the plug aerator 


Joe: this is from brinly 

<img src =http://www.brinly.com/images/sweeper/SweeperDethatcher.jpg>


It indicated the dethatcher is for the 36" model only.. so i am not sure if it will work with the 48" sweeper. i know i saw the attachment at home depot last year...


PS I justified the sweeper to my betterhalf by promising her she would not ever have to rake leaves or the lawn again.. she went for it..


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## Chris (Sep 15, 2003)

The combo sweeper/dethatcher from Craftsman is like $299-319.
Is this about right price for the comparable Brinly?

Andy


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

i think its a little cheaper at home depot.. if i recall 179-200 for the sweeper and 35-40$ for the dethatcher...


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## Live Oak (Dec 22, 2003)

> _Originally posted by admin _
> *Ok, core aeration is good but I have always been told that the Mickey Mouse versions that barely go down a 1" or 2" are useless. I have been told that the good ones are the very large, heavy and expensive units. Can you shed some light on this, Chief? What model aerator, how well does it work and how much does something like this cost? Thanks for the info.
> 
> Andy *


Andy, I got the Agri Fab 40" Core Aerator from Lowes for $169 but Agri Fab make a 48" model for $199. Lowes doesn't carry them any longer but Northern Tool has them for this price. 

At first I was VERY skeptical about how it would perform but I was VERY pleasantly surprised. I stacked 6 cinder blocks on it for extra weight and the cores would sink in too far up to the core axle so I took 2 cinder blocks off and it sunk the cores into the soil about 3 to 4 inches. It is a little rough and bouncy to pull since is has only 4 cores per wheel but once I got going it did OK. It left a plethora of "mouse turds" all over the lawn which proceded to get tracked in the house at every opportunity.  After a rain or two they all disolved back into the soil. It is not the greatest in the world but for $169; it got the job done WELL without breaking or bending anything. 

Agri-Fab 40in. Aerator  

Lowes did not carry the 48" model otherwise I would have purchase that one. Mind you mine was an already assembled floor demostrator and they come in a box of a zillion parts. Overall, I would give it the Tractor Forum best buy for home owner use.   

Lowes carries a new line of VERY similar aerators made by Brinly for about the same cost. Check one of those out and you can save on shipping costs. 

Brinly 40 In. Plug Aerator


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## Argee (Sep 17, 2003)

Chief...your link isn't working. Is this the one you were refering to?

<img src=http://www.brinly.com/images/aerator/AeratorPlug48.jpg?SSImageQuality=Full>


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## jodyand (Sep 16, 2003)

Here you go.
Jody

http://www.brinly.com/products/aerator/aeratorplug48.htm


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## Chris (Sep 15, 2003)

Thanks for the info and the direct comments on your purchase, Chief.... I will have to look into getting it --- wouldn't mind renting or borrowing it as I won't need to use it all of the time. Maybe my neighbor has one. HAHAHAHA

:wontshare


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## Live Oak (Dec 22, 2003)

If you can find one to borrow, that would be the ideal way to go! I figure I will use mine about 3 times a year so I bought one.


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## Live Oak (Dec 22, 2003)

Well........this is an oldie but goody thread.

After many years of trying different ideas on dethatching and fertilizing, I have finally come to the "au natural" solution that is not very expensive and is in fact or can be a good bit of fun and even provide some pay back benfits. In a word..........

CHICKENS!

That is if you live in a area that has not forbidden them. We have about 75 chickens that we allow to free range the yard and our fields. It is amazing how much dethatching and how much they can actually do. Not only that but they fertilize as they go about their busy day scratching around for delicious bug, worm, and tastey morsels. 

An added benfit is that the hens lay eggs so you no longer need to buy eggs or fertilizer. 

To give you an idea of how much a flock of chickens can actually do; I dumped 11 heaping John Deere 430 FEL buckets full of composted wood chips in my wife's flower garden and vegatable garden as well as a few bare spots in the yard. The chickens had ALL of the wood chip piles nicely and evenly spread out within a day or two. They can spread out a bucket load of chips in an hour or 2. 

If you want to have a minimum of "barnyard drama" and happy hens, be sure you limit the number of roosters to no less than 12 hens per rooster and keep the roosters to no more than 3. At one point we had almost 40 roosters and it was a constant chinese fire drill. 

Ducks are pretty cool too but they don't do much scratching and like to dig mud puddles. 

Anyhow, hope this "outside the box" solution is helpful.


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## bigl22 (Sep 16, 2003)

if you use a pull behind de thatcher of any kind be sure to use full throttle[ should always use full] and go like hell all the time zoom around , go fast works well to dethatch with a pull along version, , slow doesn;t ,, with a front mount do the opposite - ia have and use both types with my 2 Deere lawn mowers


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