Need Suggestions for Grass De-Thatcher

[MrP]

I want to create some kind of grass de-thatcher to use on my L3410. I would like to build somthing in the 72" range. It seems all I can find is the small pull behind garden tractor models.

Any suggestions? Has anyone constructed somthing large to de-thatch? Any Pics?

 

[wichiwichi]

I just use an old harrow section. Works great.

 

[EdKing]

You could take a sheet of 3/4 inch plywood, cut it to desired dimentions, put an axle and tongue on, and mount spring teeth from a hay rake on it. Most expensive part would be the axle and tongue.

Very crude drawing attached.

 

[oldgrizzlybear]

Spring teeth from a hay rake (you can buy new ones from places like TSC) will fit over a piece of pipe. Use 1/4 or 5/16 bolts with fender washers to hold them in place. The pipe can then be bolted to a frame (bolt, don't weld so that you can replace broken teeth). If gang up several of these pipes on a frame it should do a good job of de-thatching. I'm currently making a "dump" rake for my Yanmar 1500D to to clean up leaves and branches. I brought a bunch of old dump rake teeth and I am mounting them to a cross piece will will attach to the 3pt hitch.

For de-thatching I purchased a chain drag. YOu can fine adds for these in Western Horseman. They spread droppings and breakup thatch will well. This is recommend as routine pasture maintainence.

Larry

 

[Soundguy]

I have a chain harrow.. or pasture drag.. breaks up maneuer great, and dethatches. When I push my maneuer pile down with the box blade, I then 'feather' it with the harrow to spread it out a little.. amazing how the grass is so green around the pile.....

Chris

 

[Soundguy]

Another idea.. building off some of the good ones posted here, Is if you have any other impliments that have wheens.. perhaps you could just build a dethatch bar that is an attatched to another impliment.. instead of building the dethatchers own frame.. let it piggyback.

The spring type tines are probably a good starting point.

Another possibility is a light angle iron framework with the tines mounted on it, free- floating over the ground.. or you could add rollers, like decks of finish mowers use.. they are sold inexpensively at home depot... would be cheaper than a 'real' axle setup... just random ideas...

Chris / Soundguy

 

[MReeter]

MrP,Friend of mine made a de-thatcher by welding a 3-point frame and attatched a 6' section of a pick-up reel from a Combine.This works very well,control the heighth of the thatcher with your 3-point,any broken tines are easily replaced.

 

[bubenberg]

detaching

why do you want to detach? this is a rather old and at times very detrimental action on the new growth of your lawn. the new plants are very delicate and detaching destroys that part of your living turf.

most lawncare companies of some reputation don't sell that service any longer, which was a money maker for sure.
in the ne of the usa one should not detach unless you have at least a 1/4 inch of thatch build up.

this situation will never get there unless you mow very infrequently and large portions of grass which can't decompose fast enough are causing the built-up.

several passages with an aerator several times a year do much more for your lawn and destroy less of your new undergrowth of your lawn/turf/pasture

 

[Scott_F]

bubenberg,
I've seen similar advice before and, in general, I think I'm inclined to agree with you. My old lawn had one section of very thick fescue that I cut with a mulching mower and it never had any buildup that would choke out new growth. But what about over-seeding in the fall? Wouldn't it be beneficial to use a rake like we're talking about in this thread to open things up a bit so the seed could get down to the soil, or will it germinate just fine in the dead grass mulch?

Scott

 

[kyoders]

Scott,

I'm no expert, but I ran a "dethatcher" over my yard last fall before overseeding. There wasn't much in the way of thatch, but it was late enough in the year that most of the annual garbage grass/weeds had died off, and the spring tines pulled a lot of the junk up. They also scratched the surface up pretty well, so there was good ground contact for the seed. I'm quite pleased with the results.

I had one of those $99 special GT dethatchers from Home Depot. I ended up bolting it on to a sleeve hitch to cat0 three point hitch adapter I have and used it that way. It's only cat 0, but the adapter comes in handy for ad-hoc contraptions such as this, at least until I learn to weld.

Kevin