"Raking/Thaching" lawn mower blades?

[zzammon]

My boss was telling me about this nice thaching/mulching lawn mower blade he put on his push mower. Says it thached and baged, and made his lawn look like a million. Pulled up all the dead grasss and mulched it into his bagger (sp?).

I have a rider, do these things work for them too?

[croixflats]

They pull up some thatch nothing like a vertical blade thatcher does. Personally I would just rent a thatcher and do it the right way in the spring and be done with it.

One thing you dont want to do is continually dethatch a lawn. Some thatch is recommended to have. Thatch helps regulate soil temps and provides nutrients when it breaks down. If you find year after year thatch is a problem your PH balance may be out of whack liming will help this along with cutting back on nitrogen in the fertilizer will help minimize thatch, switch to a natural fertilizer like Milorganite.

[DTro]

Just did mine today. Lawn looks like a million bucks

Filled about a dozen large lawn bags with dead grass.

I'd recommend going over it without the bag attachment and just rake it. It goes quite a bit faster, then constantly emptying.

[311Hemi]

Just did mine today. Lawn looks like a million bucks

Filled about a dozen large lawn bags with dead grass.

I'd recommend going over it without the bag attachment and just rake it. It goes quite a bit faster, then constantly emptying.

You use a power rake, or just an attachment?

Are those pull behind units for $80 any good. I don't think I can handle raking my whole yard by hand.....it would take me way to long to do. I did a little section a had two wheel barrows full of dead grass.

[echo2010]

Just did ours with the blade on our mower. The only think that sucks is it cuts the grass pretty short while dethatching...

We went back over it again with the mower and bagged it... First time to dethatch and make it fast, next time to pick it up and dump it into truck...

Seems to go faster then doing it at the same time....weird

[Tom7227]

For some reason I don't have much thatch. I would spend the time with a good plug aerator first. They're a b==== to run but it has produced the best results for me.