Whether for raking leaves, aerating the lawn or spreading sand - every gardener should have a garden rake. But you should always buy this with caution.
Raking leaves - don't you think that's one of the most terrifying gardening jobs? At least those who own a large garden with some deciduous trees will probably agree here. But actually this work is not so bad if you have a good garden rake.
A single garden rake is no longer sufficient for gardening these days. But the lavish selection of different garden rakes means that many hobby gardeners usually make a pure price decision when buying a rake. But that's the worst thing you can do. As with all other gardening tools, you should also pay attention to a few points when buying a rake, so that working with the tool later always goes smoothly. First of all, we would like to clarify which types of calculation are commercially available and what they are good for.
Calculation types at a glance:
- Fan rake:
for cleaning up meadows, particularly suitable when leaves are falling - Iron rake:
suitable for rough and heavy tillage, but also for spreading gravel and sand or scarifying moss-covered lawns - Lawn rake:
recognizable by the slightly curved tines, which are good for "sweeping" lawn areas - Wooden rake:
well suited for large grass areas, but also for bed processing (slight loosening of the soil) - Rubber rake:
good for raking around delicate plants and for cleaning sandy areas - Hand rake:
Small version with a short handle, well suited for cultivating flower and vegetable beds, but also for maintaining cemetery graves
Tips for model and material selection
➤ Tip 1 - Material selection:
Garden rakes are offered in lightweight plastic, rubber, sturdy metal or natural wood. Some combinations of materials are even available, such as iron rakes with wooden handles, etc. Here are the advantages of the individual rake materialsOverview:
➜ Wooden Rake:
Wooden rakes offer the advantage that you can replace the handle at any time if it is damaged. A wooden rake (broad tines) can also be used to straighten garden beds (use the smooth back of the rake) or to draw seed grooves. However, when buying wooden handles, you should always make sure that the growth rings of the wood are as vertical as possible so that the rake “swings” more easily while you work and the handle is also much less likely to break.
➜ Stainless Steel Rake:
Rakes made of stainless steel are more expensive to buy, but the material does not rust. So you can use this tool much longer.
➜ Aluminum Rake:
Aluminum rakes are among the lightweights among metal rakes and are therefore often clearly preferred by women!
➤ Tip 2 - Take a close look at processing:
You should not only carefully examine the choice of materials, but also the processing of individual models when purchasing. Pay particular attention to the screw connection between handle and rake, the welding of metals and the like.
➤ Tip 3 - choose the right width:
The width of the calculation models is usually not shown in centimeters, but rather in the number of teeth. In this regard, it is best to always choose model sizes that have between 14 and 18 tines.