For homeowners with lawns to maintain, you'll often find yourself with a whole shed full of tools. If the goal is to keep your grass green, you may wind up with the Ryobi Dethatcher/Aerator. Priced at $429, it runs on the two 18V ONE+ batteries, so it goes without saying that the those who will benefit the most from it are those who are already invested in the battery system. With a maximum clearing path of 14 inches, it has a brushless motor and 16 stainless steel blades that are designed to lift
and collect dead grass. With its Aerator conversion, you can help your plants grow better by giving them more access to oxygen, sunlight, and other nutrients.
In terms of ergonomics, Ryobi mentions that it integrated four different height positions, as well as a push-start button. For those with limited storage space, the Dethatcher/Aerator weighs a little under 24 lbs and has foldable handles, which add to its compactness. Similar to other 18V ONE+ power tools, it is also covered by Ryobi's 3-year limited warranty, as long as you don't use it for commercial or rental purposes.
Read more: 5 Non-Ryobi Products That Work With Ryobi Batteries
Do Users Think The Ryobi 18V Dethatcher/Aerator Is Worth Buying?
On the Ryobi website, the 18V Dethatcher/Aerator has an average rating of 4.5 stars from more than 70 reviewers. As of writing, over 90% have given it above 4 stars, so you're likely going to be in good hands with it. In particular, owners said that they enjoyed how it's lightweight and has an adjustable height. Since it's a cordless option, there were a lot of positive reviews calling it an upgrade from corded machines.
While users also mentioned liking that it had a reasonably long battery life, there were also comments about how they're hoping for a 40V model in the future. After all, Ryobi has introduced over a dozen new tools that run on this particular battery system in 2025 alone, including other yard maintenance tools like hedge trimmers, self-propelled mowers, and chainsaws. While comparable to their gas counterparts, they avoid the pitfalls of similar gas-powered models like the smell and noise.
Among its happy customers, owners mentioned using it on everything from small lawns, as well as pre-seeding and fertilizing. However, there have been a couple of reviews saying it has limited power and has a tendency to struggle with thatching. In addition, a user said that its attachment quality left much to be desired. While not a dealbreaker, another user also shared that they would have loved having a bigger bag to reduce the clean up time.
Ryobi 18V Dethatcher/Aerator Alternatives
For those who aren't fully invested in the Ryobi ecosystem, other power tool manufacturing brands have similar products with more customer feedback that you can review. For those who prefer Greenworks, it also offers a cordless 40V 15-inch Dethatcher/Scarifier that hits similar notes. Apart from five depth levels, this model also has a relatively large 12 Gallon bag. Not only does it have an inch wider clearing path than the Ryobi model, but it also claims that its 40V battery can run up to 45 minutes per full charge. Not to mention, Greenworks batteries can also be used to charge your other devices in an emergency. Priced at just under $400, it has generated an average rating of 4.4 stars from more than 1,200 Amazon customers.
Alternatively, if you're working on a much lower budget and don't mind something with a cord, Sun Joe's Electric Lawn Dethatcher & Scarifier should be on your list. To manage your expectations, it does have a smaller bag capacity than the Greenworks model (at 8 Gallons) and has the shortest clearing path at 12.6 inches. However, the fact that it retails at around half the price at $229 might be able to make up for it. On Amazon, you can even get it on installments for up to 12 months via Affirm, which can make it even more affordable. So far, it's quite a popular option, since more than 15,000 owners think it's worth giving around 4.4 stars on average.
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Read the original article on SlashGear.
