Best way to dethach a lawn

[Mpking]

I'm getting ready to dethatch my lawn and overseed in the next couple of weeks. I was planning on renting one of those walk behind gas powered dethatchers but then started wondering if there was an attachment for my tractor that would do the job and was a little bigger so I wouldnt have to walk my entire 2 acre lawn in trail 30 inches wide at a time. I've thought about a chain harrow but I'm concerned that its not precise enough and I wouldn't be able to avoid my sprinklers with it. I've also heard of people using pine needle rakes but I'm not sure how good of a job they would do. I'd like to be able to disturb the soil a bit so that my new grass seeds have somewhere to germinate. Any ideas or opinions?

 

[Bird]

Personally, I have the Mantis Lawn Dethatcher Attachment for my tiller, but I think your original plan is probably best. If you think 30" at a time is slow, try 15".:laughing: However, I don't have anything close to the size lawn you have.

 

[Powerhorse]

I'm getting ready to dethatch my lawn and overseed in the next couple of weeks. I was planning on renting one of those walk behind gas powered dethatchers but then started wondering if there was an attachment for my tractor that would do the job and was a little bigger so I wouldnt have to walk my entire 2 acre lawn in trail 30 inches wide at a time. I've thought about a chain harrow but I'm concerned that its not precise enough and I wouldn't be able to avoid my sprinklers with it. I've also heard of people using pine needle rakes but I'm not sure how good of a job they would do. I'd like to be able to disturb the soil a bit so that my new grass seeds have somewhere to germinate. Any ideas or opinions?

I bought a 48" tow behind dethatcher from northern tool last year. It's made by brinley hardy. Worked pretty good on my 2 acres for overseeding. I tow it behind my honda four wheeler. If your soil is really hard or dry you may want to put some cement blocks on top of the unit for deeper penetration.

Www.brinley.com

 

[JD5210]

Lowes sells a pull behind detacher works well. I suggest using it just to only get the thatch out, if you use it to dig you will/may break the spring tine. If you are going to over seed consider getting a pull behind aerator, again you can get this at Lowes. Note Lowes gives off 10% to military people, even if you are not currently serving just need id or discharge paper work. This suggesting is still in testing. The steps are detach, clean up thatch, core aerator, seed and detach again. The last detach, when the cores are dry shakes the grass seed of the grass and breaks up the cores and covers the grass seed.

You would need to do a search, awhile back a member posted nice plans for making a 3pt detacher. It is a nice one as it uses spring tines and not baler forks/tines. I posted a picture of his detacher.

 

[donn12]

JRCO makes great dethachers. I bought one for my ZTR and I think with the mount it was about $550. If you have a bagger you can pick it up at the same time. Everything attachments also make a pine rake for the 3pt but I have several turns and tight spots on my yard so I thought having one on the ZTR would be better.

 

[Fixemall]

Core it in two directions(not spike) then seed, milorganite, water...done
Dethatchers are a waste of time in my opinion and tend to expose too much weed seed. I learned my procedure from my best friend who is a 30yr very successful landscaper.
Leave your lawn longer next year and have your soil tested, healthy soil will have enough microbes to break down the thatch without the need for any mechanical removal.

 

[Hooked_on_HP]

Here are the plans for MAD's dethacher . http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...-lawn-dethatcher-plans-free-533510-new-2a.jpg
It works great. After dethaching I go over the yard with the sweeper to pick up all the dead stuff.
Bill

 

[bigtiller]

Core it in two directions(not spike) then seed, milorganite, water...done
Dethatchers are a waste of time in my opinion and tend to expose too much weed seed. I learned my procedure from my best friend who is a 30yr very successful landscaper.
Leave your lawn longer next year and have your soil tested, healthy soil will have enough microbes to break down the thatch without the need for any mechanical removal.

I hope someone explains that step to me. Sounds hard.

 

[Fixemall]

I hope someone explains that step to me. Sounds hard.

Milorganite is a nitrogen based fertilizer made from waste from treated sewage.

 

[brin]

I get the feeling you want something to aerate your ground so you can sew seed... I have to that every year in one part of our yard...I have a drum type aerateor with spikes about 2 inches long all over it ..it is filled with water for weight..I have had it for 30 yrs. I pull it behind my lawn tractor and go around in circles all over the lawn and it makes enough holes that I always get a good stand of Fescue grass in the areas I need to replace...I am sure TSC or big box stores have them...they work and it is fast.