Greenworks DT13B00 Corded Dethatcher & Scarifier Review
When you cut your lawn with a side discharge, rear discharge, or mulching lawn mower the lingering grass clippings that are left behind can start to dry out. When the pieces are small and green like you get with a lot of quality mulching lawn mowers, and the prevailing weather conditions are reasonably wet small grass clippings can decompose back into the layers of turf. This can add back nitrogen to feed your lawn’s future growth.
If the grass clippings are large, or the weather conditions have been overly dry, these grass clippings simply don’t have the opportunity to decompose. When this happens the lingering grass clippings turn into thatch. After a single mowing session, it can be easy to ignore thatch buildup. Though left unchecked thatch can accumulate to the point where it starts to choke out the roots of your turf, compacting the soil aeration and even starting to block water from soaking all the way down into the deep roots.
One of the ways to deal with the problem of thatch buildup is to use a lawn dethatcher and scarifier like the Greenworks DT13B00. It is a special tool that is designed to efficiently remove thatch buildup from lawns. It does this by digging into the soil with sharp metal tines. This not only loosens up the dry built-up thatch, but it also allows for greater aeration of the soil to allow water to saturate the roots and boost vigorous growth.
The Greenworks DT13B00 is a corded electric dethatcher & scarifier, that is designed for aerating modest-sized urban and suburban lawns. It has a built-in 13 Amp electric motor that powers the tines of the 15-inch deck. You can use it as a dethatcher that lightly loosens the upper layers of the turf, or you can use it as a scarifier to make deeper intrusions to deal with a thatch-laden lawn that has become compacted over time.
Key Features
- Performance
- Lightweight design
- Dethatcher & scarifier in one
- 15-inch deck with a 14-inch effective patch
- Powerful 13 Amp electric motor
- Corded power delivery
- Three height settings for the tines
Performance
When it comes to performance, you need to note that the Greenworks DT13B00 is both a dethatcher and a scarifier. This means you can use the shallower dethatching mode for times when you might have noticed a little extra thatch buildup in your lawn in the middle of the summer mowing season.
Then you can set it up as a scarifier which makes much deeper holes in the turf to dramatically improve the aeration of your turf down to the soil and roots of your grass. This is more for seasonal aeration in the fall or spring to help give your lawn a much-needed boost.
One thing that can affect performance is the distance from the nearest power outlet or the length of the extension cord. This is an issue with what a residential grade extension cord can deliver. If you need to go farther than 50 feet, and you want the 13 Amp electric motor to operate at peak performance, then you should consider rolling a thick commercial-grade extension cord into the original purchase. This can get you out to 100 feet or perhaps more.
Ease Of Use
The Greenworks DT13B00 is relatively easy to use. Switching between dethatching mode and scarification is surprisingly quick compared to competitor models. Though as a corded model it is best meant for smaller urban and suburban lawns. All the while you need to be mindful not to tangle or run over the power cord, which isn’t an issue with gasoline or battery-powered models.
Special Features
The ability to use the Greenworks DT13B00 as an in-season dethatcher for loosening the shallow layers of thatch as well as a scarifier for deep aeration is indeed a “Special Feature” of this model. A lot of the competitors don’t offer the ability to quickly switch between both. You also see this in the ability to switch between three different height positions to best match the current characteristics of your turf.
The cord retainer is another one of those things that might not sound all that “Special” on paper, but it is very handy for keeping the power cord organized and helps prevent accidental runovers.
Cut Quality & Options
The three different tine depths of the Greenworks DT13B00 let you set it up to the depth that is perfect for the current conditions of your turf. This doubles up the functionality of this model as both a dethatcher and a scarifier.
You also need to bear in mind that while it technically has a 15-inch cutting deck, it has an effective 14-inch wide path. So, you need to carefully overlap each pass by at least one inch to make sure you have total coverage.
Maintenance
When it comes to maintenance keeping a clean deck is the only real challenge with the Greenworks DT13B00. Like a lot of dethatchers and scarifiers, you run the risk of organic material getting trapped in and around the times. This can be an issue when you consider that it’s not a lawn care appliance that gets a lot of use. Taking the extra time to get it properly cleaned out after every use will go a long way toward maximizing its life span.
Safety Features
The Greenworks DT13B00 has standard hand controls as well as a quick-release that makes it easy to switch between dethatching and scarifying.
Cost-Effectiveness
One of the great things about the Greenworks DT13B00 is that it pays for itself in saving you on paying a lawn care company to come out and aerate your lawn. It also gives you the ability to follow up your scarifying or dethatching efforts with fertilizer to boost your lawn’s growth throughout the season. Yet again without having to endure the high markup costs of a lawn care company.
Though you do need to be mindful that you will see a loss of performance beyond 50 feet. If you choose to upgrade to a commercial-grade extension cord the performance can stay consistent out to 100 feet. Beyond that, you should consider upgrading to a gas or battery-powered model.