You’ve seen them sitting in the corner of a Tractor Supply or maybe rusting a bit in your neighbor's side yard. They look like a simple row of metal teeth on wheels. Most people call them "tow-behind dethatchers," but if you're looking for one, you're searching for lawn rakes pull behind units. Honestly, most homeowners buy these things thinking they’re just for show, but if you have more than half an acre of Kentucky Bluegrass or Bermuda, a hand rake is basically a death sentence for your lower back.
It’s about scale.
If you’re out there with a plastic leaf rake trying to pull up dead organic matter from a massive lawn, you’re doing it wrong. Dead grass, or thatch, builds up at the soil line. A little is fine. Too much? It chokes the roots. It stops water from getting where it needs to go. Your fertilizer just sits on top like a waste of money. That’s where the pull-behind version comes in. You hook it to your riding mower or ATV, drop the tines, and let the machine do the heavy lifting.
But here is the thing: most people use them at the wrong time or with the wrong weight, and they end up just scratching the surface instead of actually cleaning the lawn.
Why Your Lawn Actually Needs a Pull Behind Rake
Let’s talk about the biology of your yard for a second. Thatch isn't just "dead grass." It’s a layer of living and dead stems, roots, and organic debris that accumulates between the green vegetation and the soil surface. When this layer gets thicker than about half an inch, you have a problem.
University extensions, like the one at Iowa State University, consistently point out that heavy thatch creates a breeding ground for pathogens. It acts like a sponge, holding moisture right at the crown of the grass, which invites fungus. If you’ve ever seen "brown patch" or "dollar spot" in the humid months of July or August, your thatch layer might be the culprit. A lawn rakes pull behind attachment clears this out by physically ripping those tangled fibers apart.
It’s satisfying. You’ll see huge clumps of gray, dead material surfacing behind you. It looks like your lawn is dying while you’re doing it, but that’s the point. You’re thinning it out so it can breathe.
Tine Style vs. Star Wheel
There are two main "vibes" when it comes to these rakes. You have the tine dethatcher and the power rake (sometimes called a spike or star wheel rake).
The tine version is the most common. It uses flexible heat-treated steel tips. As you drive, these tips bounce and "flick" the thatch up. Brands like Agri-Fab and Brinly-Hardy dominate this space. They’re relatively cheap, usually under 150 bucks.
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The star wheel versions are more aggressive. They don't just flick; they cut. If your lawn is a matted mess of Zoysia that hasn't been touched in a decade, tines might just glide over the top. You need something that penetrates. However, for 90% of suburban homeowners, the spring-tine pull-behind is the sweet spot.
The Weight Tray Secret
Go to any forum like MyTractorForum or Lawn Care Nut and you'll see the same complaint: "It didn't do anything."
Usually, it’s because the user didn't put any weight on the tray. These rakes are lightweight by design so they don't cost a fortune to ship. But steel tines need downward pressure to actually dig into the thatch layer. Most manufacturers build a rectangular tray right above the tines.
Don't use rocks. They fall off.
Don't use your kids. (Safety first, obviously).
The pro move is using concrete cinder blocks. Two standard blocks usually weigh about 60 to 70 pounds combined. Strap them down with a bungee cord. This pressure forces the tines to stay engaged with the ground even when you hit a bump or a thick patch of crabgrass. Without weight, the rake just skims the top of the grass blades, doing absolutely zero for the soil health.
Timing is Everything (Seriously)
You cannot just go out on a random Tuesday in July and start ripping at your lawn. You'll kill it.
The best time to use lawn rakes pull behind your mower is during the "active growth" phases. For cool-season grasses (Fescue, Ryegrass), that’s early fall or very early spring. For warm-season grasses (Bermuda, St. Augustine), you want to do this in late spring or early summer when the grass is "waking up" and can recover quickly.
The soil needs to be moist but not muddy. If it’s too dry, the tines can’t penetrate. If it’s too wet, you’ll just rip the entire grass plant out by the roots, leaving you with a dirt lot.
I’ve seen people do this during a drought. Total disaster. The grass is already stressed, and then you come through with steel claws? That’s how you end up with a yard full of weeds the following month because you opened up the canopy for weed seeds to take hold.
Speed and Pathing
Don't go fast. This isn't a race. If you're flying across the yard at 10 mph on your zero-turn, the tines are just going to chatter. You want a steady, walking-pace crawl.
- Overlapping passes: Just like mowing, overlap your rows by about 6 inches.
- The Cross-Hatch: If the thatch is really thick, go over the lawn once north-to-south, then once east-to-west. It creates a grid pattern that pulls up significantly more debris.
- The Clean Up: This is the part everyone hates. Once you use the rake, you’ll have piles of brown fluff everywhere. You need a lawn sweeper or a bagging mower to pick it up. If you leave it there, you’ve basically just moved the problem from the soil to the surface.
Maintenance and Storage
These aren't complex machines. They're basically "dumb" tools, which is great because there is less to break. But the tines are wear items. Over time, they lose their spring or they snap if they hit a buried rock or a protruding tree root.
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Most lawn rakes pull behind units use a "universal" tine. You can buy a pack of 10 replacement tines for about 20 dollars. It’s worth keeping a few in the garage.
Also, watch the hitch pin. The vibrating of the rake tends to work the cotter pin loose. I’ve seen more than one person drive halfway across a field only to realize their rake is still sitting by the shed because the pin fell out.
When you're done for the season, spray the tines with a bit of WD-40 or fluid film. They’re made of steel, and they will rust if they sit in a damp shed all winter. A rusty tine becomes brittle and snaps much easier than a clean one.
Misconceptions About Dethatching vs. Aerating
I get asked this a lot: "Can I just use a pull-behind rake instead of aerating?"
No. They do different things.
A lawn rake pull behind mower works on the surface and the thatch layer. It cleans the "face" of the soil.
Aeration (specifically core aeration) pulls "plugs" out of the ground to solve compaction.
If your soil is hard as a rock, a rake won't fix it. If your soil is healthy but covered in a mat of dead grass, an aerator isn't the most efficient way to clean it. Honestly, the "gold standard" for a perfect lawn is to run the rake first, bag the debris, and then aerate. This allows the aeration holes to be completely open to the air without being plugged up by old thatch.
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Is It Worth the Money?
If you have a yard smaller than 10,000 square feet, you can probably get away with a power rake rental or even a plug-in electric unit like the SunJoe. Those are fine for tiny patches.
But for anyone with a real "property," the pull-behind is a no-brainer. Think about it. A professional lawn service will charge you 200 to 400 dollars to dethatch a one-acre lot. You can buy a high-quality lawn rakes pull behind attachment for 130 dollars. It pays for itself in exactly one afternoon.
Plus, there is a certain level of "dad-satisfaction" in looking at a massive pile of thatch you pulled up yourself. It’s tangible proof that you’re taking care of the land.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Weekend
Stop guessing and just do it. But do it right.
First, check your thatch depth. Take a trowel, cut a small wedge out of your lawn, and look at the profile. If that brown spongy layer is more than half an inch, you’re a candidate.
Second, go buy two concrete blocks before you even hook the rake up.
Third, mow your grass a little shorter than usual—maybe 2 inches. This gives the tines better access to the soil line.
Fourth, run the rake in a cross-hatch pattern.
Finally, and this is the most important part, fertilize and water immediately after. You’ve just performed surgery on your lawn. It’s "wounded." Giving it a shot of nitrogen and a deep soak will trigger that recovery phase, and in two weeks, your grass will be a deeper green than the neighbor who just mows and prays.
Don't overcomplicate the tool. It's a row of spikes. Use them, store them dry, and your soil will actually be able to breathe for the first time in years.