If you’ve been looking for an affordable, effective electric scarifier and dethatcher for your yard in 2024, you’ve come to the right place! Recently, I tested the Sun Joe dethatcher and scarifier in my own yard to see what it could do. Read on to see my findings.
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Scarifier vs Dethatcher vs Aerator
Before we get into the Sun Joe AJ798E 13-inch electric dethatcher and scarifier product review, let’s clear up a couple of lawn care terms (since you’ll read about them in this review). Specifically dethatching vs scarifying vs aerating. If you’re fairly new to DIY lawn care, these are likely terms you’ve encountered that you may not fully understand. Let me quickly go over the meanings and definitions of each.
Dethatching
So, what is dethatching, exactly? Dethatching refers to the removal of dead plant matter that has settled down near the soil of your lawn. This layer of dead matter builds up in layers, creating a sort of carpet that can block out important nutrients, fertilizers and seeds from reaching the soil. Removing this layer of matter with a tool like the Sun Joe Dethatcher can help promote healthy growth in your lawn.
Scarifying
How is scarifying different than dethatching? While similar, scarifying is basically dethatching on steroids. Where dethatching typically utilizes thin metal tines (think of a rake) to scratch over the surface and pull up the plant matter, scarifying involves the process of using a rolling blade to tear into the soil while also bringing up the thatch. This provides a level of light aeration for your yard to relieve compaction as well as prep your lawn for overseeding.
Aerating
Last of all, aerating involves pulling out plugs of soil (normally 2- inches deep) to relieve compaction and improve air flow to your soil. While scarifying can provide some relief here, if you’re dealing with a lot of compaction then it’s best to rent (or buy) an aerator to give your lawn the most relief.
About the Sun Joe AJ1798E 12-Amp, 13-Inch Dethatcher and Scarifier
Now that we’ve got those terms explained, let’s move on to the actual product. Here are some of the basic highlights of the Sun Joe Scarifier:
- Weight: 21 pounds
- Cutting Width: 12.6 Inches
- Number of Positions: 4
- Self-Propelled?: Yes
- Power: Electric, corded, 12-amp motor
- Product Dimensions: 24.4” D, 19.3” W, 12.2”H
- Material: Alloy Steel
- Brand: Sun Joe (just a part of the family of brands including Snow Joe, Aqua Joe, Auto Joe)
Sun Joe Dethatcher Parts List
Bought from Amazon, this Sun Joe Dethatcher and Scarifier came with the following parts:
- Electric Sun Joe 12-amp motor with a 12.6” wide path
- Handle (needs attaching)
- Dethatcher Cylinder
- Optional Scarifying Function (attachment)
- Detachable thatch collection bag
Additional Tools Needed:
While the main hardware was all included with the Sun Joe Dethatcher and Scarifier when it arrived, I soon realized that the job of detatching, scarifying and aerating my yard would require a few additional tools. Here they are:
- You’ll need a Phillips screwdriver to attach the handle
- You’ll want some gardening gloves to help pick up thatch during cleanup
- You’ll need an extension cord (or two) long enough to let you get the Sun Joe to the edges of your yard
- You’ll likely want a large rake and plenty of large, contractor-grade garbage bags to dispose of the thatch – trust me, it there will be MUCH more thatch than you anticipated!
👉 BUY – Amazon Basics 50 (or 100 foot) 3-prong outdoor extension cord
👉 BUY – Husky 42-Gallon (3 Mil) heavy-duty clean-up bags
👉 BUY – CoolJob Gardening Gloves
👉 BUY – 18 inch wide leaf rake / thatching rake
Sun Joe Scarifier/Dethatcher Test
For this test, I used the Sun Joe dethatcher WITH the scarifier attachment set at the highest of the four positions. I also read enough about this specific lawn-dethatching product beforehand to know that using the bag is more of a hindrance than a help because you’re basically bagging every 20-30 feet or so. With that in mind, I left the bag attachment off, plugged in my 150-foot extension cord and prepared for launch.
I’ve had some issues with my yard this summer being slightly brown/yellow and not having a lot of new growth throughout the year, so I was very excited to use the Sun Joe Dethatcher to help promote new growth in my lawn.
To make it simple, I started dethatching/scarifying on one side of the yard and went longways in straight lines until I got to the other side. Moving the electric cord from side to side after each turn was slightly annoying, but not a dealbreaker.
Thatch Galore!
It didn’t take long to realize just how much thatch was in my yard. When the Sun Joe dethatcher was ready to discharge thatch, it would slow slightly and then just roll over the mound of thatch it had created. This happened about every 7-10 feet or so.
While the Sun Joe would slow down slightly or catch for just a second when the build-up was enough, it never felt like it wasn’t powerful enough to do the job.
Thatch Clean Up
The actual scarifying/dethatching of the lawn went very quick, and I even did a double pass on the front yard with the Sun Joe scarifier and almost got as much thatch out from the second run as I did the first! The longest part of the entire process came in the form of cleanup.
First, I raked all the thatch into manageable piles, then proceeded to take some large contractor bags to fill the thatch into. If I were to put the bagging frequency into mowing terms, It was about 4 times more plant matter than I would get from bagging from a typical mow. It was A LOT.
In all, it probably took about twice as long to clean up the thatch as it did to pull it out, which is pretty much par for the course for everything in yard care.
Pros/Cons of the Sun Joe Dethatcher and Scarifier
While I already covered some of the pros and cons in my description of the test above, I’ll condense it into a quick list here:
Sun Joe Pros
- Super easy to use and operate. It’s as simple as attaching the handle, plugging in the cord and pushing the button. Simple setup and simple operation are hallmarks of great DIY yard tools.
- Holds up to it’s dethatching/scarifying claims. There’s no doubt this item works. After a single run through my yard I couldn’t believe what it had pulled up.
- Lightweight and portable. At only 21 pounds, you can easily take this on the road to additional properties you want to dethatch, scarify and aerate.
- An affordable dethatcher for the DIYer. While it may be cheaper to rent a dethatcher for a single day, if you plan on using an item like this more than a single time every 5 years then this Sun Joe Dethatcher and Scarifier is well worth the cost.
Sun Joe Cons
- The bag attachment is basically useless. Not because the product doesn’t work well, rather it’s the contrary, because there’s just too much thatch that’s pulled up for a bag of any size to make much sense.
- The corded element takes some getting used to. Battery-operated lawn care tools are so prevalent now it feels slightly archaic to go back to a corded electric setup for a dethatcher. That being said, it’s more than half the price of other battery-operated scarifiers. If you’re ok opening up your pocketbook, then it might be worth going that direction!
Should You Buy The Sun Joe Dethatcher Scarifier?
All in all, this is a resounding yes. For the price point it’s at, the ease of use and immediate results that came from using it, the Sun Joe AJ1798E was a satisfying buy. While it may not be as powerful as some of the units you could rent at Home Depot or Lowes, it doesn’t need to be. If you plan to take your lawn care to the next level and add in a measure of dethatching, scarifying and aerating into the mix, this is a must buy.
👉 BUY – Sun Joe AJ1798E Dethatcher and Scarifier
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