Report on Greenworks dethatching machine: 5 stars
 

Seeing is believing. Based on the numerous detailed, positive reviews, I paid just $75 on sale for this little 24lb Greenworkds electric corded dethatching machine: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0030BG1HM...roduct_details

I got 100 feet of 14-gauge cord and tried the machine today. This section of the lawn is under large white pines and receives needles constantly. My lawn has not been dethatched in 25 years.

I was pretty amazed at the results, consistent with the reviews. This machine is very light to maneuver. It makes less noise than my vacuum cleaner and vibrations are not noticeable. I did not find the cord too onerous. What impressed me the most was that it pulled up 90% of the pine needles with one pass. Meaning, it drew them up out of the grass and left them loosely on the surface. Next I got out the leaf blower and blew all the debris to the driveway to be picked up with a plastic manure rake, which will only take a few minutes. Blowing the debris was the most laborious part.

I wouldn't say the machine pulled out a lot of green grass. The debris was mostly pine needles and weeds.

So NO MORE RAKING PINE NEEDLES! The only drawback to this machine that I can see is that if you stand in one place with the tines running, it will dig a bit of hole. If you just tilt it up at the front that won't happen.

I haven't yet used this machine in an area with a lot of thatch rather than pine needles. I will report on that next time.

I recommend this machine! Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5qRuMIfGf0 Scroll to 2:30 to see how much thatch it picks up.

SunJoe
 

I bought the SunJoe two years ago. It dethatches almost too good. One pass and it pulls up everything. The first time I used it on the front lawn there was 13 65 gallon barrels of debris. Now I do not use the catcher and let everything lie and come back with the John Deere to pick up. In April I did a small area on the front lawn and followed with the scarifier. Seeded with Scotts Northeast and applied lawn soil. Looked terrible for about 2-3 weeks and then everything turned green and lush. Watered at 9am and 5 pm daily. This fall I will do the same on another area, possibly larger that time. This little machine works just fine.

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I am a retired workaholic and continuing aquaholic

I also have the Sunjoe and love it. I use mine in the fall for clean up and overseading. The cord can be a pain. The wheels have an adjustment so it won’t dig to deep if you are getting holes. Now I see someone has a cordless version that is getting good reviews.

Seems like a lot of work.

Well, I've been raking thatch for 25 years and it just gets worse every year. Now THAT'S a lot of work with zero return on my efforts.

Maybe doing something that creates more thatch?

I have clover, so thatch doesn't really come in to play.

At the risk of going off-topic, would you tell me about your clover? I've been looking at using mini-clover in my camp lawn.

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What would you like to know?
I grows well with no maintenance.
It does tend to attract more pollinators than a turfgrass would.

Where/what brand to buy? Tips/best time to seed? Mini vs. regular?

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This is a pretty good article on the subject. https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/clover-lawn

I have the original Dutch, which is easy enough to find at the local Tractor Supply.

The biggest thing to remember... do not use a fertilizer with a weed killer in it after seeding.

The grass without the extra effort will start to die out, but the clover will take over.

Turfgrass doesn't ''creep'' as well, and pretty much no one allows it to feather and go to seed. So if with the clover, it will ''creep'' into new areas, and if you leave the flowers on, it will self-seed.

Thanks!

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Sure---failing to dethatch.;)

Found online:

Lawn Care Practices That Cause Thatch Buildup in Lawns

1. Shallow or frequent lawn watering practices.
2. Severe over watering of the lawn.
3. Fertilizing the lawn with fast release nitrogen. Salt based nitrogen like those found in synthetic fertilizer sources will kill microbes in the soil.
4. Mowing the lawn infrequently where more than 1/3 of the blade of grass is removed.
5. The use of lawn herbicides and lawn fungicides. Both of these have been proven to kill microbial activity in soils.
6. Compacted soils that have not been aerated annually.

Update on review
 

Since getting a battery-powered lawnmower, I'm downgrading this corded thatcher to 4 stars. The 100' cord is a major pain.

Another thing I found out: if your lawn isn't primarily grass, it's going to look horrible after dethatching until you reseed, because the dethatcher is going to pull out all the short stuff, leaving bare soil where previously you at least had green going on. I regret having dethatched in the summer when I can't reseed easily. Now I'm stuck with brown patches until fall. Thankfully I only did two sections of the lawn, not the whole thing.