Best Lawn Dethatchers (2026)

TL;DR

Top pick: WEN DT1516 — Popular Mechanics' best dethatcher for most homeowners and BestReviews' best of the best: a corded 15-amp machine with a 16-inch, 24-tine dethatching head and a second, scarifying head. In Popular Mechanics' test it pulled up a thick thatch layer in a single pass without bogging down; it is loud, and its bag catches little. [src7, src6]
Best budget: Walensee 15-Inch Thatch Rake — Popular Mechanics' best budget dethatcher and an "Also Consider" in Bob Vila's test, where it scored 5 out of 5 for ease of use and for value: a manual rake with an adjustable head and a long steel handle, for small lawns and patches of thatch. [src7, src4]
Best for large lawns: Agri-Fab 45-0295 48-Inch — the large-yard tow-behind at Family Handyman, BestReviews and Lawn Care Gurus: 24 spring-steel tines across 48 inches and a weight tray, pulled by a lawn tractor or riding mower but not made for zero-turns. Amazon had no purchasable offer for it in our last three US price checks, through 2026-10-09. [src3, src6, src5]
Best cordless: Greenworks 40V 15-Inch DHF410 — Bob Vila's Upgrade Pick, which pulled up as much thatch as the corded models it tested, and BestReviews' most comprehensive dethatcher; it costs about twice as much as a corded model once you add a battery and charger. [src1, src6]
Best for zero-turn mowers: Brinly DT-480BH 48-Inch — Popular Mechanics' best tow-behind for large lawns, and the 48-inch model Lawn Care Gurus recommends if you mow with a zero-turn: two rows of tines on inline wheels, with no control for tine depth. [src7, src5]
Best you can buy today: until the Agri-Fab 45-0295 is back, the Brinly DT-480BH is the tow-behind to buy. Amazon had an offer for it in our 2026-10-09 price check, though stock was low, and Brinly's own store listed it at $209 on 2026-10-10. [src13]

The guides we read do not agree on one best dethatcher, and most of them did not test every model they pick. Popular Mechanics, updated on 2026-09-30, makes the WEN DT1516 its best for most homeowners after testing it on its own lawns, and BestReviews, updated in July 2026, makes it its best of the best on research. Bob Vila tested six dethatchers and picked no corded machine at all: a bow rake for value, the Greenworks 40V 15-inch as its Upgrade Pick and the Ames 15-inch thatch rake as its best manual. Reviewed's guide, last updated in January 2023, names the Sun Joe AJ801E and Agri-Fab's 40-inch tow dethatcher as its favourites. Family Handyman's guide (November 2024) picks by job, with the Agri-Fab 45-0295 for large yards, and Lawn Care Gurus ranks only tow-behinds, with the same Agri-Fab first. [src7, src6, src1, src2, src3, src5]

The WEN DT1516 is our top pick because it is the only dethatcher that two current guides put first. Popular Mechanics found it removed a thick thatch layer in a single pass without bogging down or clogging, and its scarifying head pulled a dense patch of moss out of the tester's lawn. Against it: it was one of the loudest dethatchers Popular Mechanics has tested, and most of the thatch piled up around the bag's opening instead of going in. Top Ten Reviews, in its test of the Sun Joe AJ801E, suggests the WEN instead for a lawn that has never been dethatched, for its extra power and wider mouth. [src7, src6, src8]

For a small lawn or patches of thatch, a manual rake is enough. The Walensee 15-Inch Thatch Rake is Popular Mechanics' best budget dethatcher, chosen on research, and Bob Vila tested it: its curved tines dislodged a lot of thatch with each pull without harming the lawn, though its wing-nut head adjuster worked loose. Bob Vila's favourite rake is the Ames 2915100: its best overall dethatching rake, its best manual dethatcher and the best dethatching rake in its 2026 lawn-tool awards. No other guide we read picks the Ames. Popular Mechanics' and Family Handyman's manual picks are True Temper rakes, which are not on this card. [src7, src4, src1, src9, src3]

For half an acre or more and a lawn tractor, Popular Mechanics recommends a tow-behind. The Agri-Fab 45-0295 is the large-yard pick at Family Handyman, BestReviews and Lawn Care Gurus; Popular Mechanics' tow-behind is the Brinly DT-480BH, which Lawn Care Gurus ranks second and recommends over the Agri-Fab for zero-turn mowers. Amazon had no purchasable offer for the Agri-Fab in our last three US price checks, through 2026-10-09, and Agri-Fab's own site still lists the 45-0295 and sends buyers to its authorized resellers (checked 2026-10-10). It stays the pick for large lawns because the reviews have not changed; until it is back, the Brinly is the one to buy. [src7, src3, src6, src5, src10]

If you would rather not run an extension cord, the Greenworks 40V 15-Inch DHF410 is Bob Vila's Upgrade Pick: it did as well as, or better than, the corded models Bob Vila tested, but its bagger filled after a few steps and it costs about twice as much as a corded dethatcher once a battery and charger are added. BestReviews names it the most comprehensive dethatcher, for up to 45 minutes per charge and Greenworks' shared batteries. Popular Mechanics' cordless pick is a different machine, Sun Joe's two-battery 24-volt dethatcher, which is not on this card. [src1, src6, src7]

Earlier versions of this card made the Sun Joe AJ801E the top pick and the Agri-Fab 45-0295 the best value. The Sun Joe stays as an alternative: Reviewed's 2023 guide still names it a favourite, but the two 2026 guides that rank corded dethatchers put the WEN first, and Top Ten Reviews scored its performance 3.5 out of 5 in a 2023 test. The Agri-Fab's "best value" rested on a 35% Amazon discount that is gone and that no guide we read mentions; the guides pick it for large yards, which is now its role. The Greenworks 27022 and the Brinly DT-40BH have left the card: of the guides we read, only Reviewed's 2023 guide picks the Greenworks, and lists it as unavailable, and only Lawn Care Gurus picks the Brinly, whose own store now sells newer 40-inch DT2-40BH models instead (checked 2026-10-10). Some of the earlier version's attributions did not match the sources and are gone: BestReviews' Sun Joe pick is the AJ805E, not the AJ801E, and Reviewed's tow-behind pick is Agri-Fab's 40-inch 45-0294, not the 48-inch 45-0295. [src2, src7, src6, src8, src5, src13]

Top Pick: WEN DT1516 — Check price

Popular Mechanics' best dethatcher for most homeowners, which it added after testing it on its own lawns: a corded 15-amp dethatcher with a 16-inch, 24-tine dethatching head for small to medium-sized yards, and at about 34 lb "fairly easy to push around". "We were impressed with the Wen's ability to remove a thick thatch layer with a single pass without bogging down or clogging." Switching to the scarifying head means loosening a few bolts with a hex wrench, and the scarifier pulled a dense patch of moss out of the shady side of the tester's lawn. Against it: it was "one of the loudest dethatchers we've tested", so wear hearing protection, and most of the thatch collected around the mouth of the discharge opening instead of in the bag. Popular Mechanics listed it at $164 at Amazon in its 2026-09-30 update. [src7] BestReviews makes it its best of the best, on research: a 15-amp motor at up to 3,300 RPM, a 16-inch path and five height positions. [src6] Top Ten Reviews, in its test of the Sun Joe AJ801E, suggests the WEN instead for a lawn that has never been dethatched, for its extra power and wider mouth. [src8]

Best Budget: Walensee 15-Inch Thatch Rake — Check price

Popular Mechanics' best budget dethatcher, chosen on research: a more affordable alternative to pricier rakes, with an adjustable head, a soft rubber grip and a steel handle that screws together, so you can change its length; the multi-piece handle is not as sturdy as a one-piece wooden one. [src7] Bob Vila tested it and lists it as Also Consider: its curved tines dislodged "a significant amount of thatch with each pull" without harming the lawn, and its hollow steel handle, nearly 6 feet long, made it lighter than wood-handled rakes and gave plenty of leverage. Its wing-nut head adjuster kept working loose, even after tightening with a wrench. Its head is 15 inches wide, and it scored 5 out of 5 for ease of use and for value and 4 for effectiveness and for durability. [src4] In our 2026-10-09 price check the Amazon offer came from a marketplace seller we have not verified, not from Amazon itself; the picks table above shows each day's seller.

Best for Large Lawns: Agri-Fab 45-0295 48-Inch — Check price

Family Handyman's best dethatcher for large yards: its 48-inch span "covers more area in fewer passes", and its universal hitch fits any rider or tractor. [src3] BestReviews recommends it for "a massive area to dethatch": a hitch that attaches in seconds and fits most riding mowers and tractors, though its instructions lack detail and its tines are "somewhat flimsy and not ideal for heavy-duty jobs". [src6] Lawn Care Gurus ranks it first among tow-behinds: 24 heat-treated, rust-proof and replaceable spring tines, a tray that holds up to 70 lb of weight for deeper penetration, a cantilever handle that raises the tines from the seat, 37 lb and a 3-year limited warranty. It is not made for zero-turn mowers, and its instructions are poorly written. [src5] Agri-Fab lists the same 24 tines, 70 lb tray and 37 lb. [src10] Availability: the Amazon listing we link had no purchasable offer in our last three US price checks, through 2026-10-09; Agri-Fab's own site still lists the 45-0295 and sends buyers to its authorized resellers (checked 2026-10-10). [src10] Best you can buy today: the Brinly DT-480BH below, Popular Mechanics' tow-behind pick, which Amazon had in stock, though low, in our 2026-10-09 price check. [src7]

Best Cordless: Greenworks 40V 15-Inch DHF410 — Check price

Bob Vila's Upgrade Pick from its six-dethatcher test: "The Greenworks dethatcher is a beast, performing just as well as (if not better than) the corded models we tested", pulling up armfuls of thatch with each step. It weighs 26.5 lb without its battery, has a 15-inch path and five depth levels set with one large knob, and scored 5 out of 5 for effectiveness. Against it: like every electric model Bob Vila tested, its bagger filled after a few steps, and it costs about twice as much as a corded dethatcher once you add a 40V battery and charger. [src1] BestReviews names it the most comprehensive dethatcher: it doubles as a scarifier and runs up to 45 minutes per charge, but it takes at least 2 hours to charge and the battery and charger are sold separately; its selling point is Greenworks' shared battery platform. [src6] The Amazon listing we link is the tool only.

Best for Zero-Turn Mowers: Brinly DT-480BH 48-Inch — Check price

Popular Mechanics' best tow-behind for large lawns: 48 inches wide, with two rows of triple-coiled tines that remove large bunches of thatch in one pass, a 14-gauge steel frame and two 8-inch never-flat wheels. Its one complaint is that there are no controls for adjusting tine depth. Popular Mechanics listed it at $157 at Amazon in its 2026-09-30 update. [src7] Lawn Care Gurus ranks it second among tow-behinds, at 37 lb, and recommends it over the Agri-Fab 45-0295 if you mow with a zero-turn, which it is made for; it has no handle for raising the tines, and a 2-year warranty against the Agri-Fab's 3 years. [src5] Reviewed, which calls it the DT-480BH-A, lists two rows of 12 independently flexing spring-steel tines, a safety rod that protects the mower if a tine breaks off, and 8-inch transport wheels, and says it is easy to assemble but cumbersome to store. [src2] Brinly's own store listed it at $209 when we checked on 2026-10-10, and describes an inline-wheel design that does not add to its width. [src13]

Reviewed's Favourite Electric: Sun Joe AJ801E — Check price

The top pick in earlier versions of this card. Reviewed's guide, last updated in January 2023, names it one of its two favourites: a 27-lb, 12-amp corded dethatcher with a 13-inch path, five depth settings, scarifier and dethatcher attachments and a detachable bag. Its tester liked its efficiency, but "it may be too efficient for the collection bag to keep up with". [src2] Top Ten Reviews tested it on a front lawn in 2023 and scored its performance 3.5 out of 5: "good for smaller yards" and far easier than raking by hand, but with a plastic body that felt flimsy, an 8-gallon bag that was full after about three 20-foot passes, and a price "on the pricier side" for its power and size. [src8] Popular Mechanics' summary list names the AJ801E in its cordless slot, but the product it reviews there is Sun Joe's two-battery cordless model, so we do not count it as a Popular Mechanics pick. [src7] Sun Joe's own store listed the AJ801E at $159.99, available, when we checked on 2026-10-10, and gives its path as 12.6 inches. [src11]

Bob Vila's Best Dethatching Rake: Ames 2915100 — Check price

Bob Vila's best overall dethatching rake after testing six rakes on equal strips of the same lawn: curved tines that taper to sharp points, an adjustable head and a hardwood handle with a cushioned grip, on a 15-inch head. Its tester pulled up turf at first with the head set too aggressively, then "impressive amounts of thatch" once it was adjusted, and found the durable handle made it heavier than lighter-duty rakes. It scored 5 out of 5 for durability. [src4] It is also the best manual dethatcher in Bob Vila's dethatcher test, at 4.5 lb, where the tester wished the handle were longer for leverage [src1], and the best dethatching rake in Bob Vila's 2026 lawn-tool awards [src9]. No other guide we read picks it, so it is an alternative here rather than a named pick. Amazon had no purchasable offer for the listing we link in our 2026-10-09 price check.

Family Handyman's Pick for Dense Thatch: Earthwise DT71613 — Check price

Family Handyman's best dethatcher for dense thatch: a 13-amp corded machine with 45 raking tines on zinc-plated spring pins and a 16-inch working width, which "can handle even the most matted layers of thatch". Amazon reviewers it quotes find the collection bag undersized. Family Handyman's guide (November 2024) picks its products by hand rather than by test, and no other guide we read picks this model. [src3] In our 2026-10-09 price check the Amazon offer came from a marketplace seller we have not verified.

Family Handyman's Pick for Routine Dethatching: Worx WG850 — Check price

Family Handyman's best dethatcher for thatch maintenance, for a thin layer or a routine spring clean-up: lightweight and easy to maneuver, but powerful enough for a mid-sized lawn, with steel tines set to three depths and a collection bag. [src3] Reviewed lists it too, for medium-sized yards: a 12-amp motor, a 14-inch path, three depth settings and a handle that folds for storage; some owners report the bag falling off. [src2] Worx's own store listed it at $179.99 when we checked on 2026-10-10; this card links that page, because the Amazon listing it used to link no longer exists. [src12]

Reviewed's Favourite Tow-Behind: Agri-Fab 45-0294 40-Inch — Check price

Reviewed's top pick "for lawn enthusiasts and larger yards": a 40-inch, 20-tine tow dethatcher with a universal hitch for any lawn tractor, four-wheeler or side-by-side, a handle to raise and lower the tines and a tray for up to 70 lb of weight. With no motor it needs little upkeep; the weight that drives the tines makes an even cut trickier, and it is hard to store. [src2] Lawn Care Gurus ranks it third among tow-behinds, for lawns of about half an acre: the 45-0295's materials and 3-year warranty in a 30-lb, 40-inch frame, with zero-turn compatibility it calls hit and miss. [src5] Amazon had no purchasable offer for the listing we link in our 2026-10-09 price check.

Lawn Care Gurus' Budget Tow-Behind: Craftsman CMXGZBF7124315 — Check price

The most affordable model in Lawn Care Gurus' tow-behind ranking, fifth of five: a 40-inch dethatcher with 20 heat-treated tines, a 70-lb weight tray, 10-inch wheels, 31 lb and a 3-year limited warranty, "a good budget dethatcher for occasional use and small lawns". Lawn Care Gurus recommends the Agri-Fab and Brinly models over it for durability and overall quality, and no other guide we read picks it. [src5]

Head-to-Head Comparisons

WEN DT1516 vs Sun Joe AJ801E

Both are corded dethatchers with a scarifier you can swap in. The WEN (15 amps, 16 inches, about 34 lb) is the top corded pick in Popular Mechanics' and BestReviews' 2026 guides; the Sun Joe (12 amps, 13 inches, 27 lb) is a Reviewed favourite from 2023 that scored 3.5 out of 5 for performance in Top Ten Reviews' test, and Top Ten Reviews suggests the WEN instead for a lawn that has never been dethatched. Testers found neither bag kept up. [src7, src6, src2, src8]

Pick WEN DT1516 if: you want the more powerful, wider machine and can live with the noise.
Pick Sun Joe AJ801E if: your lawn is small and you want the lighter machine.

WEN DT1516 vs Greenworks 40V 15-Inch DHF410

Corded against cordless. Popular Mechanics found the corded WEN pulled up a thick thatch layer in one pass; Bob Vila found the cordless Greenworks did as well as or better than the corded models it tested, at about twice a corded dethatcher's price once a battery and charger are added, and BestReviews puts its runtime at up to 45 minutes. [src7, src1, src6]

Pick WEN DT1516 if: you have an outdoor outlet and want to spend less.
Pick Greenworks 40V DHF410 if: you already own Greenworks 40V batteries, or your lawn is beyond the reach of an extension cord.

Agri-Fab 45-0295 vs Brinly DT-480BH

The two 48-inch tow-behinds. Family Handyman, BestReviews and Lawn Care Gurus pick the Agri-Fab for large yards; Popular Mechanics picks the Brinly. Lawn Care Gurus spells out the trade: the Agri-Fab has a cantilever handle to raise the tines from the seat and a 3-year warranty, while the Brinly has no tine handle and a 2-year warranty but is made for zero-turn mowers, which the Agri-Fab is not. [src3, src6, src5, src7]

Pick Agri-Fab 45-0295 if: you tow with a lawn tractor or riding mower and it is back in stock.
Pick Brinly DT-480BH if: you mow with a zero-turn, or the Agri-Fab is still out of stock.

Walensee 15-Inch Thatch Rake vs Ames 2915100

Bob Vila tested both. The Ames is its best overall dethatching rake, with a hardwood handle, a cushioned grip and a 5-out-of-5 durability score, but it is the heavier rake; the Walensee scored higher for ease of use and for value, 5 out of 5 each, thanks to a light hollow steel handle nearly 6 feet long, but its head adjuster worked loose. Popular Mechanics picks the Walensee as its best budget dethatcher. [src4, src7]

Pick Walensee if: you want the lighter rake with more leverage.
Pick Ames 2915100 if: you want the sturdier rake.

Decision Logic

If your lawn is small, or the thatch is only in patches

→ Walensee 15-Inch Thatch Rake, or the Ames 2915100 if you prefer a sturdier wooden handle. A rake is the cheapest way to dethatch but hard work, and Popular Mechanics suits it to small yards. [src7, src4]

If you have a small to medium lawn and an outdoor outlet

→ WEN DT1516. Popular Mechanics' best for most homeowners and BestReviews' best of the best; it took up a thick thatch layer in a single pass in Popular Mechanics' test. [src7, src6]

If your lawn is beyond an extension cord, or you own Greenworks 40V batteries

→ Greenworks 40V 15-Inch DHF410. Bob Vila found it as effective as the corded models it tested; budget for a battery and charger, and up to 45 minutes per charge. [src1, src6]

If you have half an acre or more and a lawn tractor or riding mower

→ Agri-Fab 45-0295, the large-yard pick at Family Handyman, BestReviews and Lawn Care Gurus. Amazon had no purchasable offer for it in our price checks through 2026-10-09; until it is back, buy the Brinly DT-480BH. [src7, src3, src6, src5]

If you mow with a zero-turn mower

→ Brinly DT-480BH. Lawn Care Gurus recommends it for zero-turns and says the Agri-Fab 45-0295 is not made for them. [src5, src7]

If the thatch layer is 1/2 inch or thinner

→ Do not dethatch. Popular Mechanics says to check first whether the layer is more than 1/2 inch thick, and the lawn-care business owner Family Handyman quotes says a layer of half an inch or less helps keep a lawn healthy. [src7, src3]

Default recommendation

→ WEN DT1516, unless you have a large lawn and something to tow a dethatcher with. [src7, src6]

• The WEN DT1516 has taken the top corded spot. The two 2026 guides that rank corded dethatchers, Popular Mechanics and BestReviews, both put it first; the Sun Joe AJ801E, a Reviewed favourite in 2023, is not among the products either guide reviews as a pick. BestReviews' Sun Joe pick is a different model, the AJ805E. [src7, src6, src2]
• Cordless now matches corded in testing, at a price. Bob Vila found the Greenworks 40V did as well as or better than the corded models it tested, at about twice the cost; Popular Mechanics' cordless pick, Sun Joe's two-battery 24-volt model, runs about 45 minutes, enough for an average quarter-acre yard. [src1, src7]
• No electric dethatcher's bag keeps up. Bob Vila calls the bagger on every electric model it tested useless, Popular Mechanics has "yet to test an electric dethatcher with an effective bagging design", and Top Ten Reviews filled the Sun Joe AJ801E's bag in about three passes. Plan to rake or mow up the thatch. [src1, src7, src8]
• The tow-behind picks split between Agri-Fab and Brinly. Three guides pick the Agri-Fab 45-0295 for large yards and Popular Mechanics picks the Brinly 48-inch; Brinly's own store now sells newer 40-inch DT2-40BH models alongside the 48-inch DT-480BH. [src3, src6, src5, src7, src13]

• Prices and stock change daily; the picks table at the top of this page shows each pick's live Amazon price, seller and stock. Some offers come from marketplace sellers we have not verified, and the picks table labels them.
• Tow-behind dethatchers need a riding mower, lawn tractor or zero-turn to pull them; they are of no use with a push mower alone. [src7]
• Scarifying cuts deeper into the soil than dethatching and stresses a lawn more; Popular Mechanics says to scarify only when necessary, for moss, thick thatch or preparing soil for overseeding. [src7]
• Dethatch while the grass is growing strongly: early spring or early fall for cool-season grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue, late spring to early summer for warm-season grasses such as Bermuda, Zoysia and St. Augustine. [src4, src7]
• Most of the guides we read chose their picks from research, specifications and owner reviews: Reviewed (last updated January 2023), Family Handyman, BestReviews and Lawn Care Gurus. Popular Mechanics (the WEN and a True Temper rake), Bob Vila (six dethatchers and six rakes) and Top Ten Reviews (the Sun Joe AJ801E) describe their own tests. None of the guides we read describes testing a tow-behind, so the tow-behind picks rest on research and specifications. [src2, src3, src6, src5, src7, src1, src4, src8]