easy way to remove dead grass

[dh92866]

My lawn is dead and i rented a sod cutter but it doesn't seem to want to cut everything in to nice strips. Is there an easier way to do it? should spray down my yard before continuing since the ground is dry and hard? Or will i just have to deal with it the way its going now?
thank you

[CkLandscapingOrlando]

You could mow it as low as you can or till it up and re-grad

[mngrassguy]

What part of the country are you in? What type of grass? Picks would help.

[Marcos]

Yeah!

Where in the USA are you?
When was the last time it rained / it was irrigated?

Are you sure the lawn's dead?
A lot of times...in extreme heat conditions...many species of turf will simply go into a state of DORMANCY, meaning that many of the grass' roots could still be alive.

But..again, only in certain situations is this true.