Earthwise ES70016 Review

Introduction: Why I Finally Ditched My Rake for an Electric Dethatcher

For years, I was the guy who spent every spring and fall hunched over, manually raking thatch out of my lawn. My back would ache for days, and I would inevitably miss patches. When I started hearing more about electric dethatchers, I was skeptical. Could a machine really replace the brute force of a manual rake? More importantly, could it do it without tearing up my entire yard or costing a fortune?

After testing the Earthwise ES70016 16-Inch Electric Dethatcher across three full seasons on a mix of fescue and Kentucky bluegrass, I can finally give you an honest, boots-on-the-ground answer. This is not a lab report. This is me, in my yard, emptying the bag, swapping tines, and dealing with the reality of what this machine can and cannot do.

How I Tested It: Real Lawns, Real Conditions

I did not test this machine on a golf course or a perfectly manicured sod farm. I tested it on my own 8,000 square foot lawn in the Pacific Northwest, which has areas of thick, healthy grass and patches of struggling turf. I also took it to a neighbor’s property that had about 3,000 square feet of neglected lawn with visible thatch buildup over half an inch deep.

My Testing Criteria

• Grass type: 70% tall fescue, 30% Kentucky bluegrass
• Thatch depth: Ranged from a light dusting (under 1/4 inch) to moderate (around 1/2 inch)
• Soil conditions: Moist but not soggy, typical spring conditions
• Testing duration: Four separate sessions over two weeks, totaling roughly 6 hours of run time
• Assembly: Timed from box opening to first use

I also deliberately avoided using a power rake or aerator beforehand. I wanted to see how the Earthwise handled real, un-prepped turf. I used a standard 100-foot 14-gauge extension cord, which is the minimum I would recommend for this machine.

Performance: The Good, The Okay, and The Frustrating

The Lightweight Advantage (This Changes Everything)

The first thing you notice when you lift the Earthwise ES70016 is the weight. At just 22 pounds, it feels more like a heavy vacuum cleaner than a power tool. I am 5-foot-10 and not particularly strong, and I could easily carry this machine with one hand while holding the cord with the other. This matters more than you think. With heavier gas-powered dethatchers, I would be exhausted after 15 minutes. With this, I worked for 45 minutes without needing a break.

The 16-inch width is a sweet spot. It is wide enough to cover ground quickly. I could clear my entire front lawn in about 20 minutes. But it is narrow enough to maneuver around flower beds, trees, and fence lines without feeling like you are wrestling a boat. The handle folds flat for storage, which is a huge bonus if you have a small garage or shed.

Quiet Operation (My Neighbors Thanked Me)

I started testing at 7:30 AM on a Saturday. With my old gas trimmer, that would have started a neighborhood feud. The Earthwise is genuinely quiet. It is not silent, but it sounds like a loud electric fan. I could hold a conversation at a normal speaking volume while it was running. My neighbor across the street actually came over to ask what I was using because he thought I was just sweeping.

The Tine Problem: Plastic vs. Steel

Here is where I have to be brutally honest. The ES70016 uses plastic-tipped tines. In theory, this is great because they are less likely to scalp your lawn or damage the crowns of the grass. In practice, they wear down fast. After my first two sessions, I noticed the tips were visibly rounded. By the fourth session, some of the tines had snapped off completely.

For light, annual dethatching on a healthy lawn, these tines will last a season or two. But if you have any rocks, roots, or hard soil, you will be replacing them sooner than you want. Replacement tine sets are available, but the cost adds up. I found myself wishing the standard model came with steel tines and offered plastic as an optional upgrade.

Bag Size: The Constant Emptying Game

The collection bag is small. It holds about 0.5 bushels. That sounds fine on paper until you realize that dethatching produces a massive volume of debris. I was emptying the bag every 3 to 4 minutes on a lawn with moderate thatch. On the heavy thatch lawn, I was emptying it every 2 minutes. This is not a dealbreaker, but it is a significant workflow interruption. If you have a large lawn, you will spend as much time walking to the compost pile as you will dethatching.

Heavy Thatch? Do Not Bother

The manual for this machine says it is for light to moderate thatch. It is not lying. I tried it on a patch of lawn where the thatch was over 3/4 inch thick. The machine struggled. The tines would bounce over the surface instead of digging in. I had to make multiple passes at a very slow walking pace, and even then, it did not pull up the deep layers. For heavy thatch, you need a gas-powered dethatcher or a power rake. This is not the tool for that job.

Build Quality and Value: What You Get for Your Money

Assembly: Surprisingly Painless

I assembled this unit in under 10 minutes. It came in one box with the handle detached. The instructions were clear (no confusing diagrams), and I only needed a Phillips head screwdriver. The handle locks into place with two bolts and a plastic knob. The bag attaches with a simple clip system. There were no extra parts left over, which is always a good sign.

Materials: Plastic Everywhere, But Not Cheap Plastic

The housing is all heavy-duty plastic. It does not feel flimsy, but it is not metal. The wheels are plastic with a rubber-like tread. The handle is tubular steel with a foam grip. Overall, it feels like a well-designed consumer-grade tool. It is not built to survive being dropped off a truck, but it will hold up to normal homeowner use.

The motor is an 8-amp unit. That is not a lot of power. For comparison, many electric lawn mowers use 12 to 15 amps. The 8-amp motor is adequate for the light-duty work this machine is designed for. It will not bog down on light thatch, but it has no reserve power for tough spots. If you push it too hard, you can smell the motor heating up. I learned to let the machine do the work and not force it.

Value Proposition

This machine sits at a price point that is significantly lower than gas-powered alternatives and even some higher-end electric models. You are paying for a lightweight, easy-to-use tool that does one thing well: light dethatching. It is not a scarifier. It is not a lawn renovator. It is a dethatcher. If you accept that limitation, the value is excellent. If you want a do-it-all machine, you need to spend two to three times as much.

Who Should Buy the Earthwise ES70016?

This is for you if:

• You have a small to medium lawn (under 5,000 square feet)
• You dethatch annually as part of regular maintenance, not as a rescue operation
• You are physically limited by age, injury, or strength and cannot handle a heavy machine
• You value quiet operation and do not want to annoy your neighbors
• You have limited storage space and need a machine that folds flat
• You are on a tight budget but want to stop manual raking

This is NOT for you if:

• You have a large lawn (over 10,000 square feet) because the bag size will drive you crazy
• Your lawn has deep thatch (over 1/2 inch) that has built up over years
• You have rocky or root-filled soil that will destroy plastic tines quickly
• You want a professional-grade machine that will last for decades
• You hate emptying collection bags every few minutes

My Verdict: The Perfect Tool for the Right Job

After all my testing, I have a clear opinion. The Earthwise ES70016 is not the most powerful dethatcher on the market. It is not the most durable. It is not the best for heavy thatch. But it is the lightest, quietest, and easiest to use dethatcher I have ever tried. For the specific job of annual light dethatching on a small to medium lawn, it is excellent.

I will keep using mine. I accept that I will replace the plastic tines every year or two. I accept that I will empty that tiny bag a dozen times per session. What I do not accept is the back pain and wasted time of manual raking. This machine saves me at least two hours of hard labor every time I use it. For that alone, it is worth the price.

If you go into this purchase knowing its limitations, you will be happy. If you expect it to transform a neglected, thatch-heavy lawn into a golf course, you will be disappointed. It is a tool, not a miracle worker. And for what it is, it works.

My final advice: buy it for maintenance, not for renovation. Use it once a year in the spring or fall. Keep your passes light. Empty the bag often. And replace the tines when they wear down. Do that, and this little machine will keep your lawn healthy without breaking your back or your budget.