Weed Rake Vs. Leaf Rake: How To Choose The Best Tool For Your Lawn Care Needs

They sound pretty similar: weed rake and leaf rake. At first glance, some models look quite alike too, so it's no surprise that they sometimes get confused. However, when it comes to choosing the best tool for your lawn care needs, one of them will prove extremely useful and the other one won't at all. Why? Because despite the name, weed rakes aren't used for gardening at all, at least not on dry land.

Okay, before you go nuts pondering that one, let's clarify. A weed rake is also called a pond rake or lake rake. They're actually designed to be thrown into the water to clear weeds that clog the surface. The popular Jenlis Razor Rake is a good example. It comes with detachable floats and 45 feet of rope. Weed rakes are lightweight tools, usually made of aluminum or plastic, so it isn't difficult to propel them over long distances. As they're retrieved, they drag weeds and pond scum back to the bank, where they can be left to dry and be disposed of or added to the compost heap.

A leaf rake such as the True Temper Clog Free model is a great choice for lawn care. The tines are made of poly and help to avoid one of the biggest mistakes homeowners make in winter, which is raking leaves too aggressively and damaging the turf. It won't rust like a metal leaf rake either. That said, a metal version might last longer, and those with an adjustable head can be closed down to get in and around planting. The alternative would be a dedicated shrub rake, as these have a narrower head.

While this type of tool is more or less indispensable, it isn't the only type of rake you'll find useful when looking after your grass. One of the most important lawn care tasks in spring involves de-thatching: removing dead grass that has built up over winter to promote new growth. A thatch rake (also called a scarifying rake) is the perfect tool to do that. Tackling the job manually rather than using a machine also gives you the opportunity to have a close look at your lawn and attend to any patches that need weeding or that have gotten worn and need reseeding.