Dethatcher Mounts On Riding Mower

2009 - Volume #33, Issue #4, Page #42

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Bob Wenzel made a dethatcher for the back of his Deere riding mower by mounting a series of baler teeth on a 4-ft. length of 1-in. sq. tubing, which bolts onto the mower's hitch plate.
    "I use it whenever I mow my lawn. It does a good job of dethatching, but it also works the ground every time I mow my lawn, gradually leveling the lawn," he says. "It doesn't change the lawn's looks a lot every time I go over it, but by the end of the mowing season I can sure see a big difference."
    He bought the baler teeth at a farm supply store. The teeth are spaced 4 in. apart and attach to the tubing 2 1/4-in. long, 1/4-in. dia. bolts, with flat washers on each side and a stop nut on the bolt to keep it from coming loose. The tubing is secured to the mower's hitch plate by two shorter lengths of tubing, which are held on by four bolts.
    Wenzel can raise or lower the dethatcher by removing two bolts that secure the hitch plate to the mower, and then tilting the hitch plate up or down. He can adjust the height of the tubing by adding or subtracting washers. "Usually I keep the baler teeth flush with the bottom of the mower's tires," says Wenzel.
    "I built it after I built a new house and my lawn started settling in places. I wanted a way to fill in the low spots with black dirt and shave off the high spots. The teeth are angled backward, which makes them less aggressive when I go forward but more more aggressive when I go in reverse," says Wenzel. "Now my lawn is as level as a golf course. If I want, I can bolt on a 2-ft. extension to cover more ground.
    "My total cost was only about $50. I paid $2.50 apiece for the tines. The rest was for the square tubing, bolts, washers, and stop nuts. Deere makes a similar front-mounted dethatcher that is equipped with a manual lever that lifts it up, but it sells for about $500."
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Bob Wenzel, W7619 Coyne Rd., Fond Du Lac, Wis. 54937 (ph 920 922-2497).

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Dethatcher Mounts On Riding Mower FARM HOME Lawn Mowers (31h,38) 33-4-42 Bob Wenzel made a dethatcher for the back of his Deere riding mower by mounting a series of baler teeth on a 4-ft. length of 1-in. sq. tubing, which bolts onto the mower's hitch plate. "I use it whenever I mow my lawn. It does a good job of dethatching, but it also works the ground every time I mow my lawn, gradually leveling the lawn," he says. "It doesn't change the lawn's looks a lot every time I go over it, but by the end of the mowing season I can sure see a big difference." He bought the baler teeth at a farm supply store. The teeth are spaced 4 in. apart and attach to the tubing 2 1/4-in. long, 1/4-in. dia. bolts, with flat washers on each side and a stop nut on the bolt to keep it from coming loose. The tubing is secured to the mower's hitch plate by two shorter lengths of tubing, which are held on by four bolts. Wenzel can raise or lower the dethatcher by removing two bolts that secure the hitch plate to the mower, and then tilting the hitch plate up or down. He can adjust the height of the tubing by adding or subtracting washers. "Usually I keep the baler teeth flush with the bottom of the mower's tires," says Wenzel. "I built it after I built a new house and my lawn started settling in places. I wanted a way to fill in the low spots with black dirt and shave off the high spots. The teeth are angled backward, which makes them less aggressive when I go forward but more more aggressive when I go in reverse," says Wenzel. "Now my lawn is as level as a golf course. If I want, I can bolt on a 2-ft. extension to cover more ground. "My total cost was only about $50. I paid $2.50 apiece for the tines. The rest was for the square tubing, bolts, washers, and stop nuts. Deere makes a similar front-mounted dethatcher that is equipped with a manual lever that lifts it up, but it sells for about $500." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Bob Wenzel, W7619 Coyne Rd., Fond Du Lac, Wis. 54937 (ph 920 922-2497).

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