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Despite being called a leveling rake, it's definitely a multi-purpose tool. A leveling rake is used in gardening, landscaping, and construction for leveling surfaces, removing debris, preparing seedbeds, spreading materials, and tamping (packing down). You use the rake to level when preparing a garden bed or smoothing out soil in preparation for a construction project. It's also great for collecting and removing debris like rocks, branches, and clumps of soil, and it's a godsend when you need to spread mulch, gravel, or sand around a large area. We've researched the best leveling rakes, and the SurmountWay Lawn Leveling Rake takes the best overall spot. This rake is sturdy, made of stainless steel, with a 50-inch adjustable range, and works on all types of grass.
Our Top Picks For Leveling Rakes
A Buying Guide to the Best Leveling Rakes
Buying equipment for your lawn is an investment which is why it is vital to make an educated decision. Thus, we have curated this in-depth buyer’s guide to assist you in every step of purchasing the most worthwhile leveling rake.
What is a Leveling Rake?
As the name suggests, a lawn leveling rake is a gardening tool used for smoothing uneven surfaces in your garden. It serves several functions and fills out the holes and cavities present in the ground surface by shuffling the material. An uneven lawn means unequal land access to the fertile soil, nutrients including fertilizers and water but shuffling and shifting are achieved through a gardening rake. These bow rakes lift the heavy components of the ground to produce an even surface. These durable and rust-resistant equipment are adept at removing the lighter-weight elements like leaves and heavy soil. It also removes stones and other large particulate matter from the ground.
Why Should You Buy a Leveling Rake?
The leveling rake is inexpensive and straightforward equipment, but it can be a great choice to yield phenomenal results. It requires no professional or technical expertise and delivers excellent results each time. By smoothening the ground with a leveling rake, the rough and uneven patches in a garden are eliminated, resulting in a visually appealing lawn. With a more even lawn surface, the issues of waterlogging and stagnation are also eliminated.
Considerations When Buying a Lawn Leveling Rake
You should be mindful of the following factors when considering buying a lawn leveling rake.
Material
The material is an important consideration when considering buying a lawn leveling rake as it directly correlates to the tool’s service life. Suitable quality materials do not show signs of wear even after several years of consistent use and display rust-resistant properties. The most commonly available materials include stainless steel and aluminum. Stainless steel alloy is an excellent material for the bow rakes as they have proven durability.
Weight
The weight of the leveling rake impacts its handling properties as the lightweight ones have better handling properties than the heavy ones. However, the heavier rakes are more sturdy and yield better results in shuffling and sifting heavy soils. The lightweight one may be easier to handle, but it is not tuned to use heavy material and can handle the lighter dried leaves.
Handle
Leveling rakes come with different material handles and varying lengths. Both long and short handles are equally popular. However, keeping in mind the lever principle, the shorter handle will require a greater force than the longer ones. Therefore, in order to avoid frequent exertion, arm exhaustion, and other factors, it is pertinent to choose a leveling rake with a longer handle length. An adjustable handle length is an even better idea.
Grip
The leveling rake has to be used for an extended period, mainly if you are a professional gardener or possess an expansive space. Therefore, an ergonomic and rubberized grip is vital to comfortably carry out these tasks and avoid slipping and firm grip accidents.
Head
The choice of leveling rake head type depends upon the intended purpose of the lawn leveling rake as different designs are suitable for various purposes. The head type can be selected depending on whether you intend to use it for leaves, shrubs, lawn, sand, and grime. Many head type choices include bow type, shrub type, broad head, etc.
How Much Do Leveling Rakes Cost?
A professional lawn leveling rake costs several thousand dollars which is staggeringly expensive, making it an impractical solution. Average lawn leveling rakes are also a bit expensive, with pricing starting from $50 and going as high as several hundred dollars. Although some flimsy ones can be purchased for as low as $20, a good quality lawn leveling rake costs between $75 to $200 and can be used extensively. Since it is not a frequently purchased item, it is best to avoid making hasty decisions and consider the quality of the tool over the price.
Despite being a hefty investment, these tools offer an excellent value for money as they are durable, and once purchased, the rake can be used for a lifetime. Moreover, despite the high price of leveling rake, it still costs a fraction of the money required to get a lawn professionally leveled. Thus, a great deal of money is saved in the grand scheme.
How to Use a Lawn Leveling Rake
Leveling a bumpy lawn is simple yet follows various steps to render the best results. The first step usually involves digging out the soil and filling the bumps and hollow cavities on the ground surface. Simultaneously the bumps also have to be flattened out. Once the uneven dips and rises have been taken care of, the next step is leveling.
For leveling, the handle is gripped comfortably along with the bracket, and the head of the rake has to be adjusted. This is followed by pushing the soil level repeatedly while moving the rake back and forth to yield the desired leveling results. The process must be repeated until the entire lawn surface has not been leveled. To finish off, the leveled lawn should be sprinkled generously with water.
People Also Asked
Are landscape rakes and leveling rakes the same?
No, they are two different types of gardening rakes and are primarily distinguished on the basis of their functions. The landscape rake serves to break large mounds of soil and sand into grains. On the other hand, the leveling rakes are used to shuffle soil and achieve an even ground surface.
Which rakes can be used to level the ground surface?
The garden, landscape, and tarmac rake can be used to level ground coverings due to their features, properties, and construction.
Should you use a manual lawn leveling rake on expansive spaces?
Using a manual leveling rake on expansive spaces can be exhausting and counterproductive. Chain harrow leveling rake for the larger garden spaces. It’s the leveling rake that can be tied to a lawn tractor for a more comfortable leveling operation.