The WEN DT1516 vs Sun Joe AJ801E choice comes down to lawn size: I pick the WEN for a quarter-acre lawn and the Sun Joe for a small yard where weight and a known bag size matter. The WEN cuts a 16-inch path with a 15 amp motor, while the Sun Joe cuts 12.6 inches with 12 amps, weighs 5.5 lb less and has an 8 gal bag. I worked both on the lawn around the house and set every depth step from each manual’s chart. Below: a like-for-like table, cord rules, depth steps, safety, warranty and who should buy which.
WEN DT1516 vs Sun Joe AJ801E: The Short Answer
The WEN is the better machine for most lawns above a small yard, and the Sun Joe is the better one for a small, flat lawn that you want to finish with a lighter tool. Both are corded, push-along, 2-in-1 machines with a spring-tine drum for dethatching and a blade drum for scarifying in the box, one drum fitted at a time. Neither has a battery, so every weight below is the weight of the machine alone. My roundup of dethatchers for a small lawn lists other compact, light machines.
| Spec | WEN DT1516 | Sun Joe AJ801E |
|---|---|---|
| Machine type | Corded 2-in-1 dethatcher and scarifier, walk-behind | Corded 2-in-1 dethatcher and scarifier, walk-behind |
| Motor | 120 V, 15 amp, 3,300 RPM no-load | 120 V, 12 amp, 2,990 rpm no-load |
| Working width | 16 in | 12.6 in raking width |
| Dethatching drum | 24 steel tines | 27 spring steel tines |
| Scarifying drum | 20 blades | 20 slicing blades |
| Depth steps | 5, from +1/4 in to -1/2 in | 5, from +10 mm to -10 mm (about +0.4 in to -0.4 in) |
| Collection bag | Detachable bag, size not published by the maker | 8 gal (30.3 L) |
| Weight, corded, no battery | 29.5 lb | 24 lb |
| Extension cord | Required, the built-in cord is 0.35 m | Outdoor rated, up to 100 ft allowed by the manual |
| Warranty | 2 years or 500 hours, whichever comes first | 2 years from purchase, tines not covered |
Two rows decide the pair: the path width set against the weight, and the bag, which Sun Joe prints at 8 gal while WEN publishes no size at all.
What Each Machine Is and What Comes in the Box
Both makers sell one motor with two interchangeable drums. WEN DT1516 16-Inch Corded Dethatcher and Scarifier ships with the blade drum already fitted and the 24-tine dethatching drum packed in the carton, with the bag, the handles, the hardware and a hex wrench. The manual asks for an outdoor-rated extension cord that is not in the box, because the machine’s own cord is only 0.35 m long. My roundup of dethatchers and scarifiers lists more machines that put both drums in one box.
Sun Joe AJ801E 12.6-Inch Corded Electric Dethatcher and Scarifier also ships with the scarifier cylinder pre-assembled and the dethatcher cylinder in the carton, along with the bag, handle parts, a cord restraint holder and two cable clips. That makes it a ready two-job tool after one drum swap, like the WEN.
Working Width and Weight
The path is where the WEN pulls ahead. The WEN is about 27 percent wider than the Sun Joe’s 12.6-inch raking width (16 divided by 12.6), so each row covers more of the lawn. On the house lawn that showed in the turns: I lined up fewer rows along the long side with the WEN than with the Sun Joe. My comparison of the WEN DT1516 and AJ805E sets the 16-inch WEN against Sun Joe’s 15-inch machine.
Weight is the price of that width. The WEN is 29.5 lb and the Sun Joe is 24 lb net, and neither figure includes a battery because neither machine has one. The 5.5 lb difference is what I felt when I pivoted at the end of each row and when I lifted each machine by its handle into the shed with the plug pulled and the lever at a transport step. Never lift or tilt either machine while the drum turns, because the tines keep turning after the motor is switched off.
Winner: WEN DT1516, because on a lawn of a quarter acre the wider path saves more effort than the extra 5.5 lb costs.
Motor, Drums and Depth Steps
Both machines share one layout: a motor, a tine drum, a blade drum and a five-step depth lever. The 15 amp WEN turns at 3,300 RPM with no load and the 12 amp Sun Joe at 2,990 rpm, and each maker fits overload protection that stops the motor when material builds up around the cutting device or the drum meets too much resistance. Push slowly either way. Sun Joe warns against dethatching too deep at too fast a rate, and WEN warns that pushing too hard can overload the machine or block the discharge. My comparison of the WEN DT1516 and Westinghouse dethatcher looks at two 16-inch 15-amp machines.
Dethatching Drum and Scarifying Drum
The WEN dethatcher and scarifier carries 24 steel tines and 20 blades. The Sun Joe carries 27 spring steel tines and 20 blades, so its dethatching drum packs more tines onto a narrower drum. Thatch is the layer of living and dead stems and roots between the green blades and the soil, and in a column study it delayed the start of water infiltration (1). Most extension services start to treat it as a problem past about half an inch, so cut a plug and measure before you run either drum.
The blade drum is the aggressive one. According to WEN, scarifying is more intense than dethatching and carries some risk of pulling up grass roots. In a five-year zoysia study, annual vertical slicing cut thatch depth by 12 to 18 percent each year (2), and in a bermudagrass study vertical mowing twice a year cut thatch by 8 percent but reduced shoot density (3). Scarifying at the wrong time, too deep or on stressed grass can badly damage a lawn.
Both makers suggest scarifying in spring, April to May, but neither names a grass type, so match the timing to yours. Extension guidance puts thatch removal on cool-season lawns in late summer to early fall, and on warm-season lawns while the grass is actively growing, never in hot, dry spells. Grass type also limits the tool: extension pages warn against power rakes on St. Augustinegrass and centipedegrass, which grow above-ground stems, and give wider blade spacing and one direction only for vertical mowing there. Those pages describe power rakes and vertical mowers, which a retail tine or blade drum only resembles, so read the depth chart below as machine settings, not approval for every lawn.
WEN Dethatcher Settings and Sun Joe Depth Steps
Each lever has five steps, and a negative number means the tines or blades work below the soil surface. The chart below lines up the two manuals.
| Step | WEN DT1516 | Sun Joe AJ801E |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (highest) | +1/4 in: transport, thin thatch, not for scarifying | +10 mm (about 0.4 in): thin thatch, not for scarifying |
| 2 | -1/8 in: dethatching a healthy lawn, not for scarifying | +5 mm (about 0.2 in): raking a healthy lawn, not for scarifying |
| 3 | -1/4 in: transport, storage, scarifying and, per the chart, dethatching | 0 mm: transport, storage, scarifying and raking |
| 4 | -3/8 in: scarifying, dethatching not recommended | -5 mm (about 0.2 in): scarifying, raking not recommended |
| 5 (deepest) | -1/2 in: scarifying, not for dethatching | -10 mm (about 0.4 in): scarifying, not for raking |
The two layouts match: two shallow steps for dethatching, two deep ones for scarifying and a middle step that both charts list for transport, storage and either drum. The deepest WEN step is 1/2 in below the surface, about 0.1 in deeper than the Sun Joe’s 10 mm, and the Sun Joe’s top step lifts the tines higher, about 0.4 in against the WEN’s 1/4 in. A deeper step is not a better one: pick the depth by grass, thatch and the manual’s chart.
I set the lever only with the motor off, the drum stopped and the plug pulled, and I used the second step of each chart, the one both makers give for a healthy lawn. Depth is the setting that matters, because the tines should reach the thatch without tearing the crown of the grass.
If you scarify to reseed thin patches, seed goes down the same day, while the soil is open. In a Kansas trial, verticutting prepared a tall fescue seedbed as well as core aeration did (4). My roundup of lawn scarifiers lists corded and cordless machines for moss and matted turf.
Winner: neither, because the layouts match and the right depth depends on your grass and thatch, not on which machine can cut deeper.
Bag, Cord and Getting Started
Sun Joe prints its bag size and WEN does not, and the two manuals set different cord rules too.
Sun Joe prints an 8 gal (30.3 L) bag and tells you to empty it at half full. The Sun Joe AJ801E dethatcher is the one with a number to plan around. WEN prints no capacity and asks you to empty the bag often, not to wait until it is completely full. A dethatched lawn drops far more debris than a mown one, so plan regular stops at the compost pile on either machine. I judged the WEN’s load by eye and emptied it well before it was full. A buyer who needs a bag figure gets one only from Sun Joe. My review of Sun Joe AJ801E covers the bag and the rest of the machine in use.
The cord rules differ more. The WEN’s built-in cord is 0.35 m long and its manual says never to connect it directly to a power supply, so an outdoor-rated extension cord is part of the purchase. For the 15 amp motor the WEN manual lists 14 gauge up to 25 ft and 12 gauge up to 50 ft, and it calls 100 ft and 150 ft not recommended.
Sun Joe’s chart for the 12 amp motor allows 14 AWG up to 50 ft and 12 AWG from 50 to 100 ft, and never beyond 100 ft. Both manuals want a GFCI-protected outlet. Neither machine belongs on a wet lawn or in damp conditions. I compare corded and cordless options in my roundup of electric dethatchers.
Never run the Sun Joe without the collection bag securely fitted, because of flying debris. Starting is the same on both: press the safety lock button, squeeze the switch lever, then hold the lever against the handle. On the Sun Joe I tied the plug connection in a knot as its manual shows and clipped the cord into the holder from the box. On the WEN I laid the extension cord out first and kept it behind me and clear of the drum. Start at the outlet end and walk away from it.
Winner: Sun Joe AJ801E, because it prints its bag size and its cord chart reaches 100 ft, while the WEN leaves the bag size unpublished.
Noise, Safety and Care
Neither maker publishes a noise or vibration figure, so I go by the protective gear the manuals name instead of guessing a level.
NIOSH recommends limiting noise exposure to 85 dBA averaged over an eight-hour workday (5), so I wear ear defenders for the whole pass on both machines. Eye protection matters as much: in a national study of lawnmower eye injuries, 77 percent came from projectiles such as grass, dirt and rocks, and only 2 percent of those were documented with eye protection (6). That study covers mowers, but a dethatcher throws the same material. I wear safety glasses with side shields marked ANSI Z87.1, long pants, closed shoes and gloves.
Before each pass I walk the lawn and pick up stones, sticks, toys, wire and dog waste. Before you run either machine, mark sprinkler heads, drip lines and landscape lighting wire, because tines and blades can catch or cut them, and the WEN manual says not to operate near underground electrical cables, telephone lines, pipes or hoses.
The WEN manual adds that the machine may bounce upward or jump forward if the tines hit hard-packed soil, frozen ground or buried stones, roots or stumps. The Sun Joe manual adds that if the tines catch in the ground and propel the machine forward, you let go of the handlebars and the starting lever and do not restrain it. Keep children, pets and bystanders away; neither manual gives a distance in feet, so stop when anyone comes closer. Before you clear a jam, empty or fit the bag, change the depth or touch the tines or blades, switch off, wait for the drum to stop completely, then unplug the cord.
On a slope, Sun Joe says to work across the face, never up and down, and to skip a slope you feel uneasy on. WEN asks only for slow travel and stable footing and gives no direction. For care, brush the underside after each use and keep the vents clear on both machines. WEN says never to use a water hose and to dry the tines and shaft and wipe on a light coat of oil, and Sun Joe says to use no water or solvents.
Winner: Sun Joe AJ801E, because its manual gives the clearer slope rule: work across the face and never up and down.
Warranty and Spare Parts
WEN covers the DT1516 for two years or 500 hours of use, whichever comes first, for personal use. That drops to 90 days for professional or commercial use, and the cover applies to the original purchaser from a direct WEN vendor.
Sun Joe gives two years from purchase from an authorized seller, offers longer cover on registration and does not cover the tines.
For wear parts, the Sun Joe AJ801E replacement parts in its manual are the tines, AJ801E-DTNS, and the blade drum, AJ801E-SCRF. WEN’s manual says to replace the cylinder when it is worn, and two hex screws free the blade bracket on a head change. Wear gloves for either job, because the tines and blades are sharp and the WEN’s become hot in use.
Winner: Sun Joe AJ801E, because its two-year term has no hour cap and its manual names the spare parts.
Choose the WEN DT1516 If
Pick the WEN when the lawn is big enough for a wider path to pay off and you accept a cord to plan for. My roundup of dethatchers for a large lawn lists picks that cover more ground.
- Your lawn is a quarter acre or more: the 16-inch path means fewer rows and fewer turns.
- You want the higher motor rating: 15 amps against 12.
- You want both drums in the box: the 24-tine and 20-blade drums come with five depth steps and a chart that says which step does which job.
- An outlet sits within extension-cord reach: the machine cannot run on its own 0.35 m cord.
On the WEN I liked the path: a 16-inch row on the house lawn needs fewer turns, and I could read the five steps on the lever from the handle. The downside is the unpublished bag size, which leaves you no figure to work from. Skip it if your outlet is far from the lawn or the ground is wet, hard or full of roots and stones. My review of the WEN DT1516 covers the 16-inch machine in more depth.
Choose the Sun Joe AJ801E If
Pick the Sun Joe when the yard is small and flat and you would rather push a lighter machine with a known bag size. I set the AJ801E against its wider sibling in my Sun Joe AJ805E versus AJ801E matchup.
- Your lawn is small and flat: the 12.6-inch path and 24 lb suit a short job.
- You want a known bag size: 8 gal, emptied at half full.
- You want a longer cord allowance: the manual allows up to 100 ft of outdoor cord at 12 AWG.
- You want a plain two-year warranty: no hour cap, with the tines excluded.
On the AJ801E the drum change felt like a proper job. I took the bag off, turned the machine over, undid the two locking bolts with the hex key and lifted the bearing seat off the drive shaft, in gloves and with the plug pulled. Its 27 spring steel tines sat on the dethatcher drum, and the 8 gal bag came off for the compost pile often, as the half-full rule makes you do. Skip it if you clear a large lawn in one go, because the narrow path and the small bag add up.
Which One I Pick for a Quarter-Acre Lawn
On the quarter-acre house lawn the WEN gets the job, because the wider path saves turns and its 15 amp rating sits above the Sun Joe’s 12. The Sun Joe earns its place on a smaller yard, where 5.5 lb less weight and a bag you can plan around count for more. Before either one runs, cut a plug to measure the thatch, match the timing to your grass and lay out an outdoor cord of the right gauge. Switch off, wait for the drum to stop completely and unplug the cord before you touch the tines or the bag. With that routine in place, the WEN DT1516 vs Sun Joe AJ801E decision is a question of lawn size. If you want to compare more machines, my ranking of lawn dethatchers sorts them by yard size and budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the WEN DT1516 better than the Sun Joe AJ801E?
The WEN is better than the Sun Joe for a lawn above a small yard, because it cuts a 16-inch path with a 15 amp motor against 12.6 inches and 12 amps. The Sun Joe is better when you want 5.5 lb less weight, a published 8 gal bag and a cord allowance of 100 ft.
What extension cord do the WEN DT1516 and Sun Joe AJ801E need?
Both machines need an outdoor-rated extension cord on a GFCI-protected outlet, and the gauge depends on the run. WEN’s table for its 15 amp motor calls for 14 gauge up to 25 ft and 12 gauge up to 50 ft, while Sun Joe allows 14 AWG to 50 ft and 12 AWG to 100 ft.
What setting to use on the WEN DT1516 and Sun Joe AJ801E?
Use the shallowest step that still lifts the mat: step 2 on either machine for a healthy lawn of a grass that suits the tool, and step 1 for thin thatch. The two deepest steps are for scarifying only, so set the lever with the motor off, the drum stopped and the plug pulled, and check your grass first.
How to use an electric lawn scarifier?
To use an electric lawn scarifier such as these two, mow first, clear stones and wire, set a scarifying step with the motor off and the plug pulled, then push slowly in overlapping rows. Empty the bag often, and switch off and wait for the drum to stop completely before you unplug the cord and touch the tines.
Can you replace the tines on the Sun Joe AJ801E and the WEN DT1516?
You can replace the tines on the Sun Joe AJ801E with its AJ801E-DTNS set, and WEN’s manual says to replace the cylinder on the DT1516 when it is worn. Switch off, wait for the drum to stop completely, unplug the cord and wear gloves before you touch either set of tines, because they are sharp.
References
- Liang X, Su D, Wang Z, Qiao X. Effects of Turfgrass Thatch on Water Infiltration, Surface Runoff, and Evaporation. Journal of Water Resource and Protection. 2017;9(7):799-810.
- Dunn JH, Sheffer KM, Halisky PM. Thatch and Quality of Meyer Zoysia in Relation to Management. Agronomy Journal. 1981;73(6):949-952.
- Carrow RN, Johnson BJ, Burns RE. Thatch and Quality of Tifway Bermudagrass Turf in Relation to Fertility and Cultivation. Agronomy Journal. 1987;79(3):524-530.
- Bach AP, Bremer DJ, Lavis CC, Keeley SJ, Hong M. Effects of Drip Irrigation and Cultivation Methods on Establishment of Seeded Tall Fescue. Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports. 2022;8(5).
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Noise-Induced Hearing Loss. Noise and Hearing Loss. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2024.
- Stange NR, Jennissen CA. Lawnmower-Related Eye Injuries in the U.S., 2004 to 2023. Am J Ophthalmol. 2025;277:7-16.
Safety Note: Read your manual first. A dethatcher or scarifier throws stones, sticks and other debris with force, so walk the lawn first and remove stones, sticks, toys, wire, hoses and pet waste. Mark sprinkler heads, irrigation and drip lines, low-voltage lighting wire and buried pet fence wire, keep the drum clear of them, and follow your manual’s limits near underground cables and pipes. Wear impact-rated eye protection with side coverage that meets ANSI Z87.1, hearing protection, gloves, long pants and sturdy non-slip closed shoes, plus a dust mask when the work raises dust. Keep people and pets as far away as your manual says, and stop at once if anyone comes closer. Never use a powered dethatcher on wet grass or in rain. The machine can jump up or forward when the tines hit hard or frozen ground, roots, stumps or buried rocks, so avoid those spots and hold the handle with both hands. Never lift or tilt the machine or reach under it while the drum turns. Before you clear a jam, empty or fit the collection bag, change the depth, clean, inspect or adjust the machine, turn it over, leave it, or touch the tines or blades, switch it off, wait for the drum to stop completely, then unplug the cord or remove every battery pack, and remove the safety key if it has one. Let hot tines cool before you handle them. If the machine starts to vibrate hard, switch it off, wait for the drum to stop completely, then unplug the cord or remove every battery pack and any safety key before you check it for damage. For a corded model, use an undamaged outdoor extension cord of the gauge and length your manual gives, plugged into a GFCI outlet, keep the cord behind you and clear of the drum, and never handle the plug with wet hands. For a battery model, use only the battery and charger approved for your tool, charge and store them within the temperature range in your manual, and never use a damaged or swollen pack. Stay off steep and wet slopes and work slopes only in the direction your manual gives. For a tow-behind dethatcher, follow both your tractor’s and your dethatcher’s manuals: tow it only behind a lawn tractor or riding mower that meets the maker’s requirements, never on public roads or behind a car or truck, keep a slow, steady speed, avoid sudden turns and stops, carry less weight on slopes and never more than the manual allows, never carry riders, and fit any tine safety wires the manual requires. Before you adjust or clear it, stop the tractor, set the parking brake, remove the key and disconnect the dethatcher as its manual describes. Dethatching at the wrong time of year, too deep or on stressed turf can badly damage a lawn, so match the timing and depth to your grass type.