What A No-Clog Rake Can Do For Your Yard This Fall

As you're shopping for a rake for your yard's leaf cleanup this fall, take the time to consider a variety of styles, including a no-clog rake. A typical rake often requires you to stop and clear out leaves the rake's tines may have punctured while raking. With each new pass over the grass, this blockage only builds up, slowing down your task overall and making you spend a bit more time than you'd like. A no-clog rake, though, eliminates this need because the tines (or teeth) are designed so they don't actually spear the leaves. As a result, there's nothing to pull off, and that makes raking your leaves easier.

As said, a no-clog rake has a bit of a different head than what you could expect with a traditional yard rake. Instead of individual, pointy tines that operate independently of one another, the tines of a no-clog rake are angled or rounded and, most importantly, linked. While these rakes still have all of the flexibility and movement of a traditional rake, the linked tines minimize the risk of leaves getting stuck. As with any purchase, compare several options before deciding which rake is best for your yard.

Choose a no-clog rake based on the work you're doing, with fans of tines ranging from 24 inches up to 30 inches, depending on manufacturer options. Typically, these rakes can handle most types of yard cleanup, including leaves but also twigs and hay, such as after you've planted grass seed. Clog-free rakes can pick up most types of clippings, as well as pine needles, thanks to the very narrow design of the tines or teeth. Some may be strong enough to pick up larger sticks, and most can help with raking up grass and loosening dirt in the garden, too.

The key benefit of a no-clog rake is its ability to do the hard work for you without clogging up. Part of the reason this works so well is because the rake's design doesn't break down the leaves. Since the leaves don't break apart as often, there's less going back over the surface to rake up smaller portions. Depending on the size, most clog-free rakes are rather lightweight but still allow you to pull in large amounts of material with one sweep over the area.

If you don't like to get your hands dirty unclogging your rake, want to get the job done fast, and need help with multiple types of debris in the yard, a no-clog rake can be a solid benefit. Make sure to consider the design, weight, and overall durability of the handle and tines when choosing among the best leaf rakes. Keep in mind that a wider rake will allow you to rake up more in less time, too.