Do you need to clean up dead grass and leaves in your yard? Then you need a sturdy and reliable leaf rake specially made for the task. A leaf rake is an essential gardening tool, and you need to choose the best garden rake carefully since they vary in form, and you need one that best suits the job you want to do.
- 6 Best Leaf Rakes for Your Yard
- Bully Tools 92630 Poly Lawn and Leaf Rake
- Razor-Back 24 inches Steel Rake
- Fiskars 24-inch Leaf Rake
- Truper Tru Tough 24-inch Leaf Rake
- ORIENTOOLS Garden Leaf Rake
- Ames Steel Tine Leaf Rake
- How do We Choose the Top Leaf Rakes?
- Tips for Raking Your Lawn And Garden Effectively
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Some rakes are specially made to rake the soil; others are meant to clear tight spaces like under shrubs or tight spaces, while some are meant for gravel, leaves, or grass.
In this post, we will discuss the top six best rakes for leaves through extensive research and testing. You can clear your lawn with these rakes after cutting with a mower.
We have put together this list of leaf rakes for gardening that meet the needs of different types of buyers. So, whether it’s price, performance, durability, or quality, we’ve got you covered.
6 Best Leaf Rakes for Your Yard
If you are looking for a reliable leaf rake in your budget that can also stand the test of time, in this section, we will break down the top six best leaf rakes that are available on the market. So, let’s get started.
Don’t forget that leaf rakes are designed mainly for clearing leaves and grasses, which makes them delicate for heavy duty tasks.
Bully Tools 92630 Poly Lawn and Leaf Rake
This 31-inches leaf rake has a durable poly construction and is built to last. This rake isn’t difficult to use and will surely do the job of raking.
It is lightweight, weighing just about 3.5 pounds (1.59 Kilograms). It also measures 72 inches long, which is longer than other rakes on this list. However, this rake is suitable for tall gardeners and may not be the best option for short people.
It features a reinforced fiberglass handle with triple wall construction for ultimate durability.
The tines (prongs) are made of Polypropylene (PP) material for strength. They have reinforcement ridges on both sides to create superior strength and prevent breakage. The prongs are also angled at 90° to work more efficiently while raking to reduce pressure and strain.
This rake has a wide head for catching debris. During testing, this rake performed well on flat terrains. It performs greatly at catching debris and hardly leaves any leaf behind — even pine needles, thanks to its sturdy tines and wide head.
Guess what?
This rake comes with a limited lifetime warranty. However, some users complained that this rake was so good that things other than debris got caught in it easily.
| Pros | Cons |
| – It is lightweight – It offers an amazing performance at catching debris – It features sturdy tines | – It can catch things other than debris – It can be uncomfortable to use, especially for short people |
Razor-Back 24 inches Steel Rake
This leaf rake is similar to the Truper Tru Tough 24-inch leaf rake but is lighter and has a handle made of fiberglass. So, if you are shorter or have shorter arms, this rake is ideal for you.
It features an innovative, patented 24 inches wide poly head design — flexible coil spring — that offers smooth raking action and prevents leaves from escaping or being clogged on the rake head prongs.
The rake’s 54.5 in. handle is stronger than wood and feels comfortable to hold, thanks to the cushioned grip. This rake feels sturdy, can get in tight areas, and can work effectively on uneven ground.
However, this rake weighs 2.35 pounds, which may seem heavy for some gardeners.
| Pros | Cons |
| – The rake is very sturdy. It is comfortable to hold – It comes with a lifetime warranty | – The handle is not solid fiberglass – It can be heavy for some users |
Fiskars 24-inch Leaf Rake
Here is a reasonably priced leaf rake with a unique shape. It has a rectangular-shaped head with a slightly curved tine arrangement.
While this rake does an average job of raking, it definitely misses some leaves on a single sweep due to the prong arrangement.
The head is made of resin — a plastic material — and the handle is made of aluminum. To enhance grips and ease hand strain, this rake has a plastic grip at the top of the handle. This simple design makes this rake lightweight — less than one pound — and easy to use and move around.
The ergonomically designed handle is not perfectly cylindrical for better fitting. More so, it comes with a lifetime warranty, which is nothing to sneeze at.
However, this rake may not be very effective at sweeping smaller or thinner leaves, and it may clog often depending on the type of leaf it is used for.
Nevertheless, most users reviewed this rake and said they were positively thrilled with its raking performance, rugged and lightweight design, and lifetime warranty.
| Pros | Cons |
| – It is very lightweight – It has an ergonomic handle – It offers a lifetime warranty | – Some leaves, like the Pine needles, can get stuck. |
Truper Tru Tough 24-inch Leaf Rake
As said above, the Truper Tru Tough leaf rake is similar to the Razor-Back 24-inches Steel Rake but comes with a wooden handle. The long handle makes the rake more comfortable to hold and use for more extended periods of raking.
Weighing 2.55 pounds, it is heavy enough that the tines don’t bounce on the ground when in use. Nevertheless, it is light enough for easy handling and maneuverability.
This rake is well-designed for clearing leaves, grass, hay, straws, and pulling thatch. So, it comes with a 20% thicker handle for heavy-duty use.
It also comes with a heavy-duty bolt-thru construction with a nylon anti-vibration nut for a secure head-to-handle connection. The two-bolt connection reduces the instances of the rake failing or breaking.
The flexible coil spring aids in smooth raking action for easier clearing of leaves, especially on flat, harder ground. However, an occasional leaf may be left behind after the first sweep.
Although this rake is a bit pricier, its amazing performance is worth the extra cash. It is solidly built and can withstand repeated use without the prongs getting damaged or breaking.
| Pros | Cons |
| – It is lightweight but has a heavy head – It is comfortable to hold – It comes with a 25-year warranty | – It is slightly expensive – It may have a tough time handling pine straws |
ORIENTOOLS Garden Leaf Rake
Our list cannot be complete without this lightweight and compact 60-inch Orientools Adjustable Rake.
It comes with an adjustable handle that is easy to adjust from 42 inches to 60 inches. That means you can adjust the length of the handle to suit your height and needs. This offers optimal comfort and convenience during use.
The carbon steel handle also has a non-slip grip that can rotate 360° and also hang up conveniently in your garden organizer.
This adjustable garden tool can work effectively on both hilly and flat ground with impressive performance. Orientools Garden Leaf Rake caught enough leaves and rarely got clogged.
However, some users complained about its flimsy construction.
| Pros | Cons |
| – The handle is adjustable – It is lightweight – It doesn’t clog easily | – It has a flimsy construction – It may not offer the desired comfortable raking |
Ames Steel Tine Leaf Rake
The last tool on our list is the Ames 22-tine steel leaf rake. It comes with 22 tines and a hardwood handle.
This Ames leaf rake is not only great at sweeping leaves but can also do well at tasks like leveling soil for flower beds, spreading mulch, and gathering small branches.
It measures 64.5 inches in total length with 21.75 inches head width. Some users consider the head less efficient for moving loads of leaves because of its size. This rake also weighs two pounds, which is not too heavy.
The tines have flat working edges, making the rake ideal for all types of yard cleanup projects. More so, the compact build and durability of this rake make it the better option for cleaning up after pruning or preparing a new garden bed.
This rake is an excellent lawn-care choice for small areas and midsize yards or can be used together with a vacuum, leaf blower, pruner, and lawn mower.
| Pros | Cons |
| – It is made with a durable material – steel spring-tine head and hardwood handle – It is well-adapted to raking dry or wet leaves on grass, gravel, or soil | – The steel tines are susceptible to bending – It has a smaller head that covers less area |
How do We Choose the Top Leaf Rakes?
Now, you have a list of the best leaf rakes to choose from to keep your yard clean. When building up this list, here is how we made our decision: we carefully chose these rakes based on these three key aspects:
- Performance and Efficiency: We ensure that each leaf rake can effectively perform the task it was designed for, which primarily is raking leaves and light dirt.
- Tines: The number of tines, the material they are made of, and how effective the tines are at leaf cleanup are all the parameters we consider. We also checked whether we needed to pause and unclog the rake of fallen leaves or debris.
- Ergonomics: Finally, we chose each rake based on its comfort and ease of use. The handle/grip material and its adjustability are also taken into consideration, along with the width of the head and the length of the handle.
Tips for Raking Your Lawn And Garden Effectively
After purchasing your desired leaf rake or rake for lawn, follow the tips below to rake your lawn effectively. Don’t forget, it’s one thing to have the best rake; it’s another to ensure that you’re making the best use of your rake.
Know when to rake: Raking before winter prevents mold growth from matted leaves. Raking in summer or spring helps to prevent leaves from smothering your grass.
Rake using proper technique: It’s important to maintain good posture while raking to avoid back strain. When raking, keep a straight back, bend your knees slightly, and use a sweeping motion instead of pulling the rake with your arms. Doing this will help to reduce fatigue and increase efficiency.
Rake frequently: Rather than wait till you have a build-up of leaves and debris before raking, rake more frequently to make the raking task less tedious and more manageable. Aside from reducing the amount of time and labor spent on raking, frequent raking can also prevent the leaves from becoming moldy and compacted.
Consider composting: Finally, after raking, shred the leaves and add them to your compost pile as mulch rather than bagging them up. When the leaves break down in the compost pile, they release nutrient-rich material that can enrich your garden soil.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
While a few leaves on your lawn may not cause any harm, a thick layer of leaves can become soggy and damp, blocking sunshine and air circulation from reaching the lawn. Frequent raking helps to prevent excess leaf coverage that might damage the grass.
Both plastic and metal rakes are good for leaf raking, but metal tines and rakes usually last longer. However, the new polyresin used in most plastic rakes nowadays makes them more durable than the older plastic-type rakes.
Leaf scoop hand rakes (for raised beds) can be as long as 15 inches, while full-size garden rakes should be about 72 inches long.
