8 Best Lawn Dethatchers and Scarifiers – Tested in 2025

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Thatch is the light brown layer that builds up over time between your lawn grasses and the soil. It’s largely made up of decaying organic matter like dead and compressed grass, leaves, stem, runners and roots.

Moderate amounts of it is okay, but when it has built up over a few years without being checked it starts preventing air and vital nutrients needed for your turf to grow properly.

It even harbors insects and pests which further harms and inhibits the growth of your lawn. That’s why you need to dethatch it.

Removing it requires the use of garden equipment called a lawn dethatcher or scarifier, shown below.

Most of them look just like your regular lawn mower but instead of a large sing blade under it for cutting the grass, they have several springy wires underneath it called tines that combs digs through the turf and removes all the excess thatch as you push or pull it through the lawn.

Which Type Of Lawn Dethatcher Should You Go For?

There’re two main types of lawn dethatchers you can choose from. They are:

• Electric Walk-Behind or Push-Behind and
• Tow-Behind

Walk-Behind

Electric walk-behind or push lawn dethatchers are the most common you’ll find in most homes or yards. They’re basically like walk-behind lawn mowers, but they’re mostly corded electric and self-propelled to an extent.

You just have push them like a normal mower through your turf to remove the thatch. They have a cylindrical roller underneath from which there are several spring steel tines which rotate and dig into the soil to remove the thatch.

Most of them also double as a scarifier. They come with both dethatcher rollers with spring steel tines, and scarifier rollers that have several blades attached to it.

The scarifier roller has blades that cuts through the turf more aggressively, cutting through the spongy roots, pulling them out and preparing the turf for reseeding and new growth, while the dethatcher roller simply combs through the turf removing just the thatch and leaving the roots in place.

So, if you’re a simple homeowner with a small to medium sized lawn around your property, this is the type you want to go for.

Tow-Behind

Tow-behind lawn dethatchers are heavy-duty units that come with a drawbar and hitch pin that allows you to attach them to tractors or riding lawn mowers, so they can be dragged through the lawn, removing the thatch in the process.

It’s usually in the form of a flat steel bed, about 40 to 50 inches wide with long spring steel tines attached underneath which help rake out the thatch.

The tines on these units are usually longer, thicker and stronger, and they dig deeper into the soil.

Sometimes, heavy weights like concrete blocks can be placed on top of the bed while dragging it through the yard to help the tines penetrate the soil better.

Tow-behind lawn dethatchers are usually ideal for very large lawns of several acres due to their wider size and reach.

Comparison Table of The Best Lawn Dethatchers

The following is a comparison table showing the 8 best lawn dethatchers and scarifiers listed here.

Out Top Picks

We know choosing the right dethatcher and scarifier for your lawn can be very challenging, because there are many types from different manufacturers out there.

So, we’ve taken the initiative to research and test a lot of them, and pick out only the best to make your selection easier. Here are 7 of the best lawn dethatchers you can choose from.

Brinly DT-480BH-A 48-Inch Tow Behind Lawn Dethatcher

Price: Check Amazon

Key Specs:

• Type – Tow-Behind
• Working Width – 48 Inches
• Number of Tines – 24
• Grass Box / Sweeper Not Included

When you get the Brinly DT-480BH-A, you get a 48 inch dethatcher bed with 2 rows laid with 12 spring steel tines (24 total) that flex independently as you pull it through the turf, combing through it and removing all the unwanted thatch and dead plant material and roots in it.

This is the wildest pull-behind dethatcher you can get out there. You just attach it to your garden tractor and pull it through.

If you want it to penetrate further into the soil, just place some cinder blocks or any other weight on top of the steel bed to add more weight as you pull it through the turf.

The tines will penetrate further into the roots and remove all the thatch and spongy roots embedded in the turf.

With the thatch exposed above the turf surface, you can go round to sweep them off using a lawn sweeper, or you can just mulch it down.

Every part of this unit is made of quality heavy-duty steel, with the plate having the capacity to hold up to 70 lbs of additional weight to help the tines dig further into the turf.

Attaching it to a tractor is also very easy, using a simple universal hitch pin, which comes included when you buy it.

Bilt Hard Dethatcher and Scarifier

Price: Check Amazon

This is a dethatcher and scarifier machine you can use to remove dead plant material and excessive thatch from your lawn.

It has a 16 inch working width which is wider than similar units in this range. Powering the whole setup is a 15 am motor that generates 3300 rpm of speed, producing enough power to cut through and comb out all the thatch on any lawn you ride it through.

Like I said above, it’s both a scarifier and a dethatcher. The scarifying roller is made up of 20 blades, while the dethatching roller has 24 spring steel tines are designed to cut and comb through your lawn effectively.

Depending on the condition of your lawn, you can adjust how far down you want the tines or scarifier blades to go into the soil.

Using a simple gear on the top of the machine, the depth can be adjusted from -0.47 inches to 0.24 inchs, ensuring you remove just the right amount of thatch you want to remove.

Additional, for comfort, the pushing handle can be adjusted to whatever position you want so you can operate it at whatever position you’re most comfortable with.

All in all, I’d say this Bilt Hard dethatcher and scarifier machine comes with everything you need to get rid of all the thatch in your lawn so that it can start growing properly again.

Relate: 9 Best Landscape Edgers for Lawn and Flower Bed Edging

WEN DT1516 Dethatcher and Scarifier

Price: Check Amazon

The Wen DT1516 is also a 16 inch wide dethatcher and scarifier in one machine. And it also features a 15 amp electric motor producing 3300 rpm of speed just like the Bilt Hard unit I talked about above.

To me, I think both machines are virtually the same, even as far as design and looks. The scarifying and dethatching roller also features 20 blades and 24 spring steel tines respectively.

Overall, I’d say it’s the same machine. Just different brand names.

But the good thing about both is that they both work effectively. If you have a small lawn around you home that’s not growing properly, this will get rid of the thatch for you. Just plug it to an outlet outside your home, and just run it through the lawn.

It even has a dethatchable bag at the rear to collect all the thatch removed from the turf as you work it through.

Related: 12 Reasons To Get A Mini Chainsaw for Your Gardening Projects

​Agri Fab 45-0294 Tow-Behind Lawn Dethatcher

Price: Check Amazon

Key Specs:

• 40-Inch Working Width
• Tow-Behind
• 20 Spring Steel Tines
• Grass Box / Sweeper Not Included

Agri-Fab produces different sizes of tow-behind tine dethatchers with different tray sizes, from 40 inches to 48 inches.

The longer the tray size, the wider the area you can cover in one pass, allowing you to cover more ground in less time.

This Agri-Fab 45-0294 is the 40-inch size, and as long as you have a suitable tractor to hook it up, you’re good to go.

The 40-inch tray is capable of holding up to 70 lbs. of extra weight for more efficient penetration of the tines through the soil, a more aggressive and effective dislodging of the bedded grass and highly packed roots that make up the thatch.

The 20 spring tines below the weight-carrying tray are heat-treated to protect them against rust and keep them working in good condition for years.

Also included are 7-inch no-flat wheels which comes in handy for moving it around driveways, walkways or any other hard surfaces when the tines are not engaged.

There’s a transport handle right at the top to raise and lower the tines when pulling it through the grass or when moving it over hard surfaces, and you can even reach it right from your sit on the tractor.

Related: 7 Best Robotic Lawn Mowers To Automate Lawn Care

Sun Joe AJ801E

Price: Check Amazon

Key Specs:

• Corded Electric Walk-Behind
• 13-Inch Working Width
• Adjustable Tine Depth
• Grass Box / Sweeper Included

The Sun Joe AJ801E is both a dethatcher and a scarifier, and with just a 13 inch working capacity, it’s one of the best portable electric units we tested.

First impression, to me it looked cheap and has a lot of plastic parts, with a somewhat flimsy handle, but when it was finally ran through the lawn, it really performed way above expectation.

It has the smallest width capacity compared to the other units in this list, but it works just as well.

The depth can be adjusted just like the other units, and the handle can be adjusted as well, to keep it in a position you’re most comfortable working with.

A powerful 12 amp motor provides the power required to make everything work. To start using it, just plug the wire to a power outlet, push the start button on the handle, and just push it forward.

Remember not to leave it running stationary in one place for a long time. It will just eat through everything under it.

It even comes with a thatch bag that helps sweep the turf as you push it through.

Although the catch bag is a bit small, so you have to empty it frequently.

So overall, even though it’s the one with the smallest width capacity, this Sun Joe AJ801E is surely one I’d recommend for any homeowner with a small lawn around their home.

Related: Straight vs Curved Pruning Shear – 4 Differences You Should Know?

Greenworks 40V Battery-Powered Dethatcher and Scarifier

Price: Check Amazon

Key Specs

• Type – Battery-Powered Walk-Behind
• 14-Inch Working Width
• Motor Speed – 3600 RPM
• Adjustable Tine Depth
• Grass Box Included

This unit from Greenworks is the only dethatcher and scarifier combo machine, where you won’t have to drag an extension cord with you while working with it. That’s because it’s a 40V battery operated machine.

It’s a work-behind unit just like the other units I’ve talked about in this article, but unlike them, it uses a 40V 5.0Ah battery.

So, it’s more portable, and it’s easier to use in general. It’s equally as powerful. The only downside is that the battery eventually runs down, unlike an electric unit, which you can use as long as you want.

It’s got a 14 inch width capacity, and features both dethatcher and scarifier blades and tines you can use to remove and comb out all the excess organic matter and roots from your turf.

The battery and charger comes included with the machine, so you have everything you need to start working with it as soon as you want to.

Using a simple hand lever located on the top, the depth of the tines pr scarifier blades can be adjusted between 5 operational heights depending on how far down you want to comb or cut through the turf.

The handle is foldable, and there’s a catch bag right at the rear to make things easier to cleanup.

Related: 6 Best Garden Loppers for Pruning Tree Branches

6. Earthwise DT71613AA

Price: Check Amazon

Key Specs:

• Corded Electric Work-Behind
• 16-Inch Working Width
• 45 Spring Tines
• 10 Gallon Grass Catcher Present
• Adjustable Depth
• Adjustable Handle Height

This Earthwise DT71613AA is one of the best dethatcher and scarifier combo you can use to work on any home turf.

All you need to get it running is electricity from a nearby power outlet close to your lawn and a long enough extension cord to help you reach a wide area with it.

With 45 spring tines made of zinc-plated piano wires spread over the 16 inch width, you can cover a wide area in just one pass.

The Earthwise DT71613AA comes equipped with a 13 Amp motor which delivers enough power to cut and comb through the turf easily, removing any harmful growth-inhibiting thatch from it.

Just like all the other units listed in this article, you can also adjust the cut depth of the blades or tines, from -0.4 inches to 0.4 inches so you either just scratch the grass surface or reach deep down through the roots, depending on the severity or the amount of thatch accumulation.

Goplus 2-in-1 Corded Electric Lawn Dethatcher and Scarifier

Price: Check Amazon

Key Specs:

• Type – Electric Walk-Behind
• Working Width – 16 Inch
• Motor Speed – 3500 RPM
• Grass Box / Sweeper – Present
• Adjustable Depth
• Adjustable Handle Height

This Goplus electric dethatcher is very similar to most of the other electric dethatchers mentioned above. It comes with both dethatcher and scarifier rollers to help you plow through your turf and remove any growth inhibiting organic materials from the turf.

The Goplus comes equipped with a 15-amp motor producing 3500 RPM speed to spin the 16 inch wide rollers that cut through the turf, removing the thatch embedded within.

It also has 5 depth settings which allows you to adjust it depending on the type of grass and soil you’re working on.

Also included is a 55L or 10.5 gallon grass box that helps collect all the thatch removed from the soil during use.

The handle can be adjusted according to the height of the user and the slope of the ground for easy and comfortable operation. After use, the handle can be folded in toollessly for easy storage.

Signs Your Lawn Needs Dethatching

The following are some common signs that shows that too much thatch is inhibiting the growth of your lawn.

Brown and Patchy Look

Thatch build-up inhibits lawn growth because it prevents water and necessary nutrients from getting to the roots. This will in turn stop the grasses from growing and even cause them to die.

Slow or Zero Response to Seeding or Fertilizer Application

No matter what you do, a browning turf caused by thatch build-up will not respond well to watering, fertilizer application or even reseeding it, unless the thatch is removed.

An overly packed and dense soil caused by thatch buildup won’t let anything to penetrate into it. Water, fertilizer and every other treatment you apply on it will stay at the top and will not get to the roots because of the excessive thatch buildup.

Poor Water Absorption

If water always puddles on your lawn instead of soaking in after watering or after a rain fall, then maybe there’s too much thatch buildup in the turf.

When there’s too much thatch in the turf, it becomes very dense and not well aerated. And that means water will find it difficult sipping through to get to the roots.

During a rainfall or irrigation, you’ll find out that the water is running off into nearby drains instead of sipping into the soil.

Spongy Bouncy Turf

A lawn with too much thatch buildup in it will feel spongy and bouncy when you work on it. If you notice this and the other signs above, then it’s very likely that your lawn needs to be dethatched.

How To Check For Thatch

You can use a soil probe or a shovel to dig into the lawn and cut out a sample of the turf for a close examination. Then measure the brown, spongy layer between the grass blades and the soil. If it’s over 3/4 inch thick, then you probably need to start dethatching.

How to prevent thatch from building up fast

You can do that by always removing excess grass clippings from the lawn after mowing. You can use a lawn sweeper or a leaf blower to blow them off and gather them for disposal.

Leaving excess clippings on the surface of the turf does not help, but can cause cause thatch to build up faster than it should.

However, no matter how careful you are and how much you maintain your yard, thatch is eventually going to build up as the years roll by.

When this happens, you can either hire a professional to help you get rid of it or you can buy a lawn dethatcher equipment and get the job done yourself.