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Power Rakes

#1

M

Manny

I saw a "power rake" for rent at a home supply store. Is it worth my while to rent something like this occasionally during the fall?


#2

K

KennyV

By power rake are you referring to:
something like a harley rake, (pto driven to remove rock and stones during landscaping)
Or something more like a leaf gathering device???
:smile:KennyV


#3

rmancini

rmancini

Could also be a "Dethatcher" type device?
I rented one once - a series of free-floating teeth on a rotating bar dig out the thatch without harming one blade of good grass. They work very well as I pushed it about 5 feet and got a mountain of thatch and moss.
Lots of work but it sure made a difference the following spring!
Rich


#4

T

Twinkle

I'd never heard of power rakes so I had to have a look on Google! The articles I read suggested using one after going over the ground with an aerator. Do you think this is always necessary?


#5

adan

adan

Manny said:
I saw a "power rake" for rent at a home supply store. Is it worth my while to rent something like this occasionally during the fall?
Click to expand...

If it's something that you use occasionally, it appears to me that renting it is a smart option, rather than buying it. I imagine the fall to be really full of leaves up there. As to where I am, leaves are everywhere rain or shine :) The good thing is, we don't have a winter to pressure us into cleaning the mess as soon as we can.

I must admit that this is my first time to hear about power rakes. But they look like a perfect machine after mowing a field of carabao grass.


#6

rmancini

rmancini

Twinkle said:
I'd never heard of power rakes so I had to have a look on Google! The articles I read suggested using one after going over the ground with an aerator. Do you think this is always necessary?
Click to expand...

It's not entirely necessary but it certainly couldn't hurt. Anything you do to remove thatch or moss will allow more nutrients to get to the roots. Aerating is especially good if you have compacted soil (hardpan) or poor drainage.
Rich


#7

A

acerentsinc

Manny said:
I saw a "power rake" for rent at a home supply store. Is it worth my while to rent something like this occasionally during the fall?
Click to expand...

Yes, without a doubt it is a great idea to rent a power rake every year or so, especially if you are using a multch type mower. All the mulch gets built up in the base layer of your grass and inhibits nutrients and sometimes even water from getting down to where it needs to go. I would recommend something similar to what our Utah equipment rental store has. It uses a drum with floating teeth to pull up the thatch from the base layer while leaving the green grass sitting pretty. The brand is bluebird and has proven to be a very sturdy machine even under the rough equipment rentals that it goes through.
Good luck!


#8

exotion

exotion

First this thread was made in 2010... Second mulching grass doesn't build thatch in fact after a week the clippings are usually gone. Third power raking every year can be harmful as having a little thatch acts as a layer of protection against sun and wind.. allows the ground to hold more water and prevents drying out thereby compactions.

When the thatch layer (the layer of dead grass still attached to the live grass on ground level not clippings) gets to thick it can be bad providing a home for insects and disease and making spots of your yard look bad and to thick to mow. That's what a power rake is for it pulls this thatch to the surface where you need to hand rake it up ...


#9

Carscw

Carscw

exotion said:
First this thread was made in 2010... Second mulching grass doesn't build thatch in fact after a week the clippings are usually gone. Third power raking every year can be harmful as having a little thatch acts as a layer of protection against sun and wind.. allows the ground to hold more water and prevents drying out thereby compactions. When the thatch layer (the layer of dead grass still attached to the live grass on ground level not clippings) gets to thick it can be bad providing a home for insects and disease and making spots of your yard look bad and to thick to mow. That's what a power rake is for it pulls this thatch to the surface where you need to hand rake it up ...
Click to expand...

^^^^^ right


#10

Av8r

Av8r

exotion said:
First this thread was made in 2010... Second mulching grass doesn't build thatch in fact after a week the clippings are usually gone. Third power raking every year can be harmful as having a little thatch acts as a layer of protection against sun and wind.. allows the ground to hold more water and prevents drying out thereby compactions.

When the thatch layer (the layer of dead grass still attached to the live grass on ground level not clippings) gets to thick it can be bad providing a home for insects and disease and making spots of your yard look bad and to thick to mow. That's what a power rake is for it pulls this thatch to the surface where you need to hand rake it up ...
Click to expand...

I run a snapper pro power rake over my lawn every spring and just vacuum up the thatch with the ZTR. The rake will wear you out, but the cleanup is fun and easy.


#11

L

LoCo86

Manny said:
I saw a "power rake" for rent at a home supply store. Is it worth my while to rent something like this occasionally during the fall?
Click to expand...

You can take a "plug" sample from different places in your yard and look to see how much thatch build up you have. If you have less than 1/2 of an inch then I wouldn't worry about using a power rake but if you have a good 1/2 inch or more then it would be a great idea to aerate then power rake. But before you do those two things you should mow your lawn the lowest you can for your grass type, so not to harm your grass and keep from scalping your lawn. Also make sure you bag the clippings when you do this. After mowing, aerating, and power raking go back over you lawn with your mower with a collection system and pick up the thatch and the plugs created from the aeration and power raking.


#12

exotion

exotion

LoCo86 said:
You can take a "plug" sample from different places in your yard and look to see how much thatch build up you have. If you have less than 1/2 of an inch then I wouldn't worry about using a power rake but if you have a good 1/2 inch or more then it would be a great idea to aerate then power rake. But before you do those two things you should mow your lawn the lowest you can for your grass type, so not to harm your grass and keep from scalping your lawn. Also make sure you bag the clippings when you do this. After mowing, aerating, and power raking go back over you lawn with your mower with a collection system and pick up the thatch and the plugs created from the aeration and power raking.
Click to expand...

Should aerate after power raking. And leave the plugs.... It adds to the loose soil...


#13

L

LoCo86

exotion said:
Should aerate after power raking. And leave the plugs.... It adds to the loose soil...
Click to expand...

I usually just let the power rake beat most of the plugs and pulverize the biggest part of the plugs which will still leave loose soil. The same effec either way I suppose it just leaves a cleaner finish.


#14

exotion

exotion

LoCo86 said:
I usually just let the power rake beat most of the plugs and pulverize the biggest part of the plugs which will still leave loose soil. The same effec either way I suppose it just leaves a cleaner finish.
Click to expand...

Guess that's true. For core aeration I usually do it early spring hit it hard with fertilizer. Between the rain and rapid.grass growth the plugs are dissolved and or not seen


#15

L

LoCo86

exotion said:
Guess that's true. For core aeration I usually do it early spring hit it hard with fertilizer. Between the rain and rapid.grass growth the plugs are dissolved and or not seen
Click to expand...

I aerate, power rake (only power rake about every other year) and over seed in the autumn.


#16

Lawnboy18

Lawnboy18

Power raking can be very good for a lawn and can generate good profits in a short time. My dethatcher paid itself after about 2-3 day's work.


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