WB front mount dethatchers

[millsmowing]

I'm looking at a front mount dethatcher for my 48 inch walkbehind.How well do these work? Can the thatch be picked up with my bagger as I go or should I go back over it after I'm done with the dethatching?Price i've seen is 359.00. Is this an ave
rage price? All input is appreciated.

[rodfather]

I'll let you know tomorrow. I just had one mounted (JRCO) on the front of my Ferris 61" WB. And yes, I intend to run the vacuum at the same time.

From what I have been told by other LS members, they work quite well.

[dfor]

I just installed the JRCO tine dethatcher on my 52" walk-behind yesterday. I tried it out on my lawn and it worked real nice. It definetely brought some dead grass to the top and I was able to bag at the same time. Like others have said in other posts, it makes it look like you spent hours raking. It really fluffs up the lawn. Mine is a 46" unit for $399.

[mdb landscaping]

ive had my jrco mounted on my scag 48 inch walkbehind for two years now. it works great. i dethatch and bag at the same time, that way you dont have to go over it again. some people say you are better off using a power rake to get all the thatch up, but im very pleased with the jrco and in my opinion, it gets up a ton of dead grass.

[dlandscaping]

i have the toro front mount on my 21 toro and it worked very well last year but it is too small. I just got a power one (bluebird with the bagger) and haven't decided to get a new jrco on it or not. I've seen a guy use one and they get up everything like acorns and stuff in the lawn. His lawn really greened up fast as well.

[jaybird24]

I've been using them for about 6 yrs.and they work great. Not as good of a job as a true dethatcher but 95% of people cant tell or wouldnt care. If you get one make sure to pick up a dozen or so tines for it because you will be replacing them almost daily. Not every tine but a couple every day.

[gene gls]

millsmowing,

The flater the ground the better the tine dethatcher works. I used mine once last year and was disappointed. Sold it today.

Gene

[RB]

I bought a JRCO and attached it my exmark 36 (belt drive). It worked better than I thought. More than truly dethatching, it "fluffed" the lawn and picked up mostly dead grass that has not turned into thatch.

I used it last fall and realized it created a mess under the deck when it's a little wet. Works best when grass is dry.

Ron

[AK Lawn]

So would you guys recommend getting the JRCO de-thatcher or not just wanted to be clear, thanks AK Lawn

[Runner]

Originally posted by AK Lawn
So would you guys recommend getting the JRCO de-thatcher or not just wanted to be clear, thanks AK Lawn
Absolutely. One of the best investments you can make. Everyone has discussed it as a timesaver on turf, but it hasn't been mentioned that it also grabs sticks, and loosens up leaves that have been matted down into the soil. I have one that I hook onto the front of a Gravely Promaster 300 rider. This is the type that has the hydraulic lift for the front deck, so it works out sweet. For Willow tree mess for instance, I can quickly plow all the whips and sticks into two rows, then plow them endwise and push the up onto a tarp. I just lift the deck at the end as I approach the tarp, and give it a little shake with the forward-reverse, and it all dumps right onto the tarp(s). Hours of rake work turned into minutes of effortless joy!;)

[Mow&Snow]

I have a JRCO mounted on my 52'" Bunton Z and I love it! It works wonderfully. I thatch and collect at the same time. The great thing about a thacther on a rider is that i can keep going over the lawn till iit looks like i want it. If I go over it enough, I can scarify the soil enough to overseed.

I have noticed that if I go over the lawn once after I lift the rake I get a more finished look. But this is OK cuz it's so fast that it takes a fraction of the time as a bluebird.

One other thing. I am disappointed with the quality JRCO put into this thing. Mine is on its third season and is self destructing. Many places have had to be welded and all the teeth get replaced every couple of weeks.

But for a tool I paid 500 bucks for ...60" .....I have made thousands of dollars on the front end using it, not to mention all the time I have saved using it to loosen leaves and debris during clean up.

[Bladewielder]

I just assembled and installed my JRCO dethatcher on my 52" Snapper Pro Cruiser today (after extensive modification). I agree with Mow&Snow that it was not built like the $400+ machine it is. I have only used it on my own yard and I can already tell that the tines are about half as thick as they should be. It may work for a while but JRCO in my opinion is ripping us off. If my Pro Cruisers were priced accordingly they'd have been twenty grand apiece! I haven't even officially used it yet and I'm already thinking about designing my own that will actually LAST.:mad: