The Green Industry's Resource Center

Whitaker24 · #1 08-17-2010, 09:27 PM

I get tired of raking my yard after cutting grass 2 a week. Someone told me today to get a dethacher vs a lawn sweeper and it would do the same thing cheaper? They said mount it in front of the mower, I thought they went on the rear like a cart ect?

Runner · #2 08-17-2010, 10:19 PM

sweepers go on the rear. A front tined dethatcher isn't going to help with your situation. It sounds like you need something that is going to pick the cut material up, not add to it.

Whitaker24 · #3 08-17-2010, 10:25 PM

Do the sweepers work to justify the $400 or so for them?

Runner · #4 08-17-2010, 10:32 PM

OH yeah. While not built for commercial use, they are really under rated. All sorts of fancy equipment, vacuums to go on ztr's, and blowers and vacs, and these things will pick up pine needles, cones, acorns, and all types of stuff that other equipment doesn't do as well as you'd think it would.

ArTurf · #5 08-18-2010, 10:12 PM

It is best to leave the clippings on the lawn. The organic matter is beneficial. If there is an excessive amount of them then you are probably not mowing often enough and taking too much off the top. I recommend a mulching kit on your mower which cuts them into small pieces which break down and are not noticeable.

Whitaker24 · #6 08-19-2010, 08:32 PM

I cut them on 3" an if we have any rain I have to cut them again within 2-3 days. Even cutting them at 3 I have a lot of clippings. I cut part on 1.75" on Sat. by Mon I cut it on 3 and cut some off the top using 3". Used to be old pasture land, I was hoping to find something I could put on the whole yard to slow the growth down. Most weeks I cut the yard 2 times a week to stay on top of it but have clippings everywhere.

Johnny test · #7 08-19-2010, 08:50 PM

Neither a mechanical dethatcher nor tined dethatcher will work for this purpose..A dethatcher racks the soil not the lawn.....tined dethatcher's are junk...

That is like, totally wrong!!!!

DieselMDX · #8 08-20-2010, 12:19 AM

i just used my sears dethatcher with light weight and it worked great!

deff removed alot of debris my grass didnt take a beating either

JFGauvreau · #9 08-20-2010, 07:54 AM

A power de thatcher is something you do in the spring when you have excessive amount of thatch. It is way faster then raking it by hand and does a better job

ArTurf · #10 08-20-2010, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whitaker24

I cut them on 3" an if we have any rain I have to cut them again within 2-3 days. Even cutting them at 3 I have a lot of clippings. I cut part on 1.75" on Sat. by Mon I cut it on 3 and cut some off the top using 3". Used to be old pasture land, I was hoping to find something I could put on the whole yard to slow the growth down. Most weeks I cut the yard 2 times a week to stay on top of it but have clippings everywhere.

What kind of grass are you dealing with? I deal with warm season grasses only. Not familiar with cool season grasses but it sounds like you may be dealing with what most would consider a weed grasses. If that is the case it would be best to eliminate the undesireable weeds. I am guessing you do not have irrigation so you are not overwatering. How about ferilization, overdoing it?