The Sun Joe dethatcher AKA Sun Joe AJ801E, is a tool that has recently blown me away. I had never used a dethatcher before – and boy was I missing out. Not only on the results but on the complete satisfaction this tool provides.
Ever gotten really close to the soil and wondered what all that dead grass was doing? After it rains it is all of the super soggy, dirty, twisty grass that sits at the base of the grass and clogs it up. I can tell you what it is doing – it is called thatch and it is clogging up the soil and suffocating your lawn just like it was mine.
When I started dethatching my lawn at least once per year, especially before I aerate and overseed, has yielded amazing results. Getting rid of those dead strands of grass gives my yard room to breathe, take in nutrients, and grow more luscious throughout the season.
Let’s get started – click to jump ahead
- Dethatchers demystified
- What its like to use a Sun Joe dethatcher
- Electric connection
- Cleaning up after I dethatch
- Sun Joe Dethatcher Durability
- Renting vs. purchasing the Sun Joe dethatcher
- The Official Review
How I tested the Sun Joe dethatcher
In short, I bought it and recorded a long video of myself using it in the yard. So if you want to see it in action, check it out on Youtube.
But I have about a half acre of tall fescue and I took this puppy through my entire yard – twice. It dug up so much dang thatch that I had to put it in my trailer. When I was evaluating it, I was mostly looking at its power, convenience, durability, and value (price to performance ratio).
It was pretty sweet.
Sun Joe dethatcher features and benefits
At first glance, the Sun Joe dethatcher appears to be a big plastic box with a metal bar. In fact, it looks weak and wimpy. It feels kind of unsturdy and cheaply made.
Do not be fooled. This thing is a workhorse! You will notice once you get it going that it has some serious power to pull up the dead grass. Yep, that same dead grass that broke my back with the rake is coming up super easily by a plastic box. No reason to feel embarrassed.
Plug and play
The downside of this dethatcher is that it needs to be plugged in to operate – it is not battery powered. A nice, long extension cord will help get the job done. I recommend a fifty foot extension cord. One hundred foot extension cords tend to get really heavy and difficult to maneuver.
Clean-up after dethatching – bag or no bag?
The Sun Joe dethatcher leaves quite the mess behind. I was be surprised to see the amount of thatch that comes up from beneath my grass. That being said, Sun Joe provides a bag that can be mounted to the dethatcher. I suggest using this to clean as you go. Otherwise, go over the loose thatch with your mower and collect it in that bag. Another option is to grab the rake, but obviously would be a last resort.
Sun Joe Dethatcher Durability
At first glance, this chunk of neon green plastic that is only about 13-15 inches wide does not look like it would be super durable. Frankly, that is exactly what I thought when I first looked at the Sun Joe Dethatcher (or really any Sun Joe product).
The truth is, the little throngs at the bottom poking out are called tines. The tines on this machine are, in fact, super durable. These tines will work to dig up all of the thatch and leave my lawn looking great. Truly, the plastic casing and wheels are deceptive, as they simply serve as a cover for an otherwise low-output (meaning not getting super hot or vibrating) tool. I have no concerns with the durability of this equipment and have had zero issues with tines. The tines can also be replaced if needed, giving the Sun Joe dethatcher a high durability ranking.
Setting expectations
While the Sun Joe dethatcher is a powerful tool that will save my back, it isn’t for everyone. If you have a massive yard, you are better off getting a commercial size dethatcher that can be hooked on to the back of a riding mower.
To level-set expectations, the Sun Joe dethatcher has a width of almost 13 inches ranging up to 15 inches with the largest model. This is not going to be “a few passes in the yard and you are good to go”. It will require you to move relatively slowly and make many passes to cover the entirety of your yard. But boy, will you be surprised by the amount of thatch you pull up.
It is ideal to use the dethatcher on your yard right before you aerate and seed. This gives your yard a fresh slate to work off of for the most aeration and overseeding. All of those gaps that you notice between the blades will become filled in (if only this could happen to my hair).
The scarifier attachment on the Sun Joe Dethatcher
This machine also comes with a scarifier attachment. Honestly, I had never used or even heard of a scarifier before I used the dethatcher. It basically looks like someone removed the blades out of my blender and put them in this machine.
Basically, the scarifier cuts little grooves in your yard to somewhat aerate and cut through small roots and other tricky pieces that might give the dethatcher a hard time. In my experience, I would just use the dethatcher then switch over to a normal aerator to get the job done prior to seeding.
Renting vs buying the Sun Joe Dethatcher
This is a very easy question for me to answer. Simply put, once I used the dethatcher on my lawn one time, I was addicted. It is incredibly satisfying to pull up a bunch of old grass that has been plaguing my lawn.
Renting a Sun Joe dethatcher simply is not worth it. This is something I will want to do to my lawn every couple of months. The dethatcher is relatively inexpensive compared to other lawn items, ranging from $150 to $200 depending on where and when you buy. It is on sale on Amazon right now, which is where I got mine.
The Cordless Sun Joe Dethatcher: A new version
For an additional $100 or so, you can purchase a cordless dethatcher. I do not generally recommend getting the cordless version and I will explain why.
The range of the batteries on these will not get me much further than the limit of an extension cord. Meaning, I will not get much of a benefit besides not having to worry about pulling around or tripping over an extension cord. I also hate having clutter in my garage and already have enough battery chargers for my other tools. This comes with two batteries that will simply add more clutter, chargers, and things that I will fall and break my neck on in the garage.
The official review: Sun Joe Dethatcher
| Feature | Sun Joe AJ801E |
| Difficulty to use | Much easier to use than a rake |
| Durability | Medium durability |
| Maintenance | No maintenance required |
| Value | High value to own vs. rent |
| For lots <10,000 sq. ft | Highly recommended |
| For lots <1 acre | Recommended up to 0.5 acres |
| For lots >1 acre | Not recommended |
The Sun Joe dethatcher will absolutely change your yard. While this can be a tedious process, it beats out the alternative of breaking your back with a rake. We here at The Lawn Review highly encourage purchasing this product and giving it a try. Once you do your first pass in your lawn, you will be addicted!
Check out our comparison web story we made stacking this one up against the Greenworks dethatcher.
You can grab the Sun Joe dethatcher AJ801E on Amazon for sale right now.
Why would I buy a Sun Joe dethatcher?
I am not really sure who Sun Joe is, but he makes electric yard tools like dethatchers, pressure washers, electric air compressors, and more. Traditionally, dethatching is done with a fine rake across the entirety of your yard. Other than the damage this does to your weekend and lower back, it can put a lot of stress on your living grass.
The Sun Joe dethatcher AJ801E provides an electronic way for you to simply scoot across your lawn and pull up all of the dead grass. This saves you time and back pain and is much more effective.
Sun Joe also has a line of winter products, aptly named Snow Joe.
When to use a dethatcher
Dethatchers are great for people who do their own lawn care. Where I see dethatchers being most useful is at the beginning of the spring when the snow has melted. Snow plows and general use around your yard can cause dirt, debris, and rotten roots.
Another great time to use the dethatcher is right before aerating and seeding, typically around October (depending on where you live). This gives the seed fresh ground upon which to grow and takes away competing sources of nutrients like sunlight, nitrogen, and water.
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.
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.
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