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The Lawn Review: Home » Greenworks 40V Cordless Dethatcher Review: I Tried It (2024)

Greenworks 40V Cordless Dethatcher Review: I Tried It (2024)

The Greenworks 40V Cordless Dethatcher is an incredible tool for clearing out the top layer of your lawn and letting it fully breathe again. I got this new cordless dethatcher from Greenworks and was blown away with not only how well this worked on my lawn and how satisfying it was. 

Greenworks cordless dethatcher

Bottom Line: I recommend grabbing a cordless dethatcher from Greenworks for a great price over on Amazon. If it is out of your price range, you can grab the corded electric version for a way cheaper price here.

Before you read any further – make sure to check out my guide on dethatching here.

How I tested the Greenworks Cordless Dethatcher

It’s really quite simple – I just took it through my yard. I dethatch a couple of times per year and have a ton of experience using both the Greenworks corded electric dethatcher and other dethatchers like the Sun Joe dethatcher. I have even done a nice side-by-side comparison of those two.

Greenworks dethatcher height adjustment knob

Since I have used these so many times, I have a nice pattern I do in my yard that helps me evaluate the performance of each of these. This was my first time using a cordless dethatcher, so it felt refreshingly different and more convenient than when I used the corded versions.

One thing I noticed during this testing process was the lack of an extension cord made me walk a lot faster. I had to slow down multiple times to make sure I was getting a thorough dethatching.

Using the Greenworks Cordless Dethatcher In My Yard

The best time to use a dethatcher is in the Fall, right before you aerate and overseed. The next best time is in the early Spring before putting down your pre emergent. That’s exactly what I did this year to make sure I was starting with a clean canvas. 

Here’s how the Greenworks 40V cordless dethatcher did in my lawn.

The Greenworks Cordless Dethatcher is incredibly easy to use

Getting started with the Greenworks dethatcher is a breeze. Once I assembled it, I simply squeezed the handlebars together and pressed the button on the side of the handlebars to get it started. That’s it. 

Greenworks dethatcher ignition

Once you have it started, you can simply adjust the deck height to make sure you aren’t digging too deep or not deep enough into your lawn to get the right amount of thatch off of your lawn. 

How to use the Greenworks cordless dethatcher

My simple instructions for using the Greenworks dethatcher are below:

  1. Place the 40V battery inside the battery port
  2. Squeeze the top handlebar and press the “start” button on the side
  3. Start walking slowly through your lawn
  4. Adjust the deck height as needed – raise it if you start pulling up dirt and lower it if you aren’t getting much thatch
  5. You should be replacing the collection bag pretty frequently if you have the deck height set on the correct setting
  6. Walking slowly is absolutely critical

Using the scarifier attachment on the Greenworks Cordless Dethatcher

The scarifier attachment is something you will want to pop on before you dethatch your lawn. A  scarifier basically cuts up the thatch that is sitting on top of your soil and makes it much easier to dethatch.

Scarifiers work almost like little blenders, rotating blades vertically around to dig into the soil and chop up layers of dead grass sitting on top. I didn’t notice any thatch being collected at this point – it just preps the surface for a powerful dethatching. 

Greenworks dethatcher tines

Swapping out the dethatcher tines and scarifier attachment is pretty easy on the Greenworks dethatcher. There’s a little screw next to the attachments that you can hand-twist and open to place the new attachments. No tools needed!

Lastly, storing the Greenworks dethatcher is super easy. It folds in half really well at the handlebars. I only use a dethatcher once or twice per year so being able to store it in a tight spot makes it way better.

The Greenworks Cordless Dethatcher performed well

Taking the scarifier blade through my lawn followed by a nice slow-paced dethatching had my lawn looking crazy. I dethatch my lawn every year but have never pulled up so much thatch. Going cordless made the work more enjoyable because I didn’t have to lug around my extension cord or think about it at all. 

Greenworks dethatcher height adjustment knob

The cordless dethatcher is also quiet enough that I could walk around my lawn with headphones on and listen to an audiobook while I used it. 

Good performance, good experience, pretty sweet machine.

Corded vs Cordless Greenworks dethatcher

The corded and cordless Greenworks dethatchers operate nearly 100% identically. Both do a really good job of clearing out the thatch from your lawn. The main difference between the two is power source and price. 

The corded electric Greenworks dethatcher is much cheaper and can run for…forever (as long as you pay your electric bill). To operate the corded version, you will need to buy a separate extension cord that can run the length of your lawn. You’ll also need to lug it around with you the entire time which can be super annoying.

the greenworks dethatcher

The cordless Greenworks dethatcher is a bit more expensive and runs with the Greenworks 40V battery. The battery life on the cordless dethatcher is decent – about 30 minutes of runtime. 

Is the Greenworks Cordless Dethatcher worth it?

The cordless dethatcher is definitely the better purchase if you already own the Greenworks 40V battery. If this is the case, you can buy the TOOL ONLY VERSION.

If you buy the tool-only version, the corded and cordless version are about the same price. 

You can check out both versions here by toggling the tool-only and normal version of the dethatcher. You can also grab this cordless dethatcher over at Greenworks website here

My final review of the Greenworks Cordless Dethatcher

I have used both the cordless and corded electric Greenworks dethatcher. Getting a dethatcher is one of the cheapest ways I’ve transformed my lawn – and the most satisfying. I say yes to getting a dethatcher and that the Greenworks cordless version is a really, really convenient way to get the job done.

Why we started The Lawn Review

The reason we started this website in the first place was because we had so much trouble trying to find reasonable, understandable, honest reviews for lawn equipment. And it’s not cheap! After hours and hours of research, trying products and returning them, and messing up our yards – we started this site. 

stilh rma mower with me next to it

As people who had to learn the hard way, we want you to know exactly what you are signing up for before you purchase a piece of equipment. That’s why we are committed to providing honest, easy-to-understand reviews that mean something.

Here’s the manual for the Greenworks Cordless dethatcher: 

Alex K

Alex K

Alex is not a lawn care natural. He had to learn things the hard way. But after stumbling through his first few seasons of lawn care, he learned a lot. Mostly - what not to do. Alex has become one of the country's advocates of battery-powered lawn tools, quoted in the Washington Post among other highly visible publications. Alex started The Lawn Review with his friend Tyler - who you may see in some of the videos on this website - to help normal people like you understand how to take care of their lawn themselves with the best tools possible. Alex has thousands of hours of experience using hundreds of different lawn tools and has found exactly what to look for in each type of tool. He speaks with deep experience not only about the boring technical specifications, but what the tool actually feels like when you are using it, what to look for before you make a purchase, and how the lawn tool measures up when you factor in price.