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With a leaf rake, you can master the forces of nature in autumn and remove fallen leaves from your lawn, driveway or sidewalk quickly and relatively effortlessly. In our guide you will find out what you should look out for when buying this practical garden tool. We also present three leaf rakes that have a rock in the board with Amazon reviewers.
With a good leaf rake, raking is twice as quick
Our recommendations
our recommendation
WOLF-Garten - fan broom multi-star UF-M, red, 50x50x5 cm; 71AAA030650
15.48 EUR To the product| material | spring steel, plastic |
|---|---|
| working width | 50 cm |
| number of tines | 22 |
| Weight | 640g |
| handle incl. | no |
The robust fan brush from WOLF-Garten is one of the best-selling and best-rated leaf brushes on Amazon. It impresses with its medium working width, low weight and high-quality materials. The reviewers praise the very good price-performance ratio and the pleasant handling as well as the longevity of the leaf rake, which apparently "does what it should".
our recommendation
Fiskars Fan Broom, Tool Head, With 20 Prongs, Width: 43 cm, Steel Prongs, Black/Orange, QuikFit, 1000644
22.96 EUR To the product| material | steel, plastic |
|---|---|
| working width | 43 cm |
| number of tines | 20 |
| Weight | 445g |
| handle incl. | no |
The features of the Fiskars fan broom are similar to the properties of the test winner within our comparison test. However, the working width is a bit smaller - this at least has a positive effect on the weight, which is 445 grams. The Amazon reviewers describe the leaf rake as wonderfully functional. It is said that there is hardly a leaf or twig that can withstand the tines.
our recommendation
Flora professional leaf rake 32-48 cm with adjustable loop nozzle, 2789
16.11 EUR To the product| material | metal |
|---|---|
| working width | 32-48cm |
| number of tines | 22 |
| Weight | 780g |
| handle incl. | no |
Most reviewers on Amazon are very impressed with the quality of this broom attachment. But be careful: the picture shows a handle, but it is not included in the scope of delivery. You should take this into account. Otherwise, however, the metal head should convince. Conveniently, the working width of the leaf rake can be adjusted between 32 and 48 centimeters - an advantage over the other recommendations.
Purchase Criteria
Material of the broom head
The material of the broom head or the tines is definitely the most important purchase criterion. Metal, steel and plastic are the most common solutions. Metal and steel versions are considered to be more robust and stable. However, this does not mean that you should not choose a model made of plastic.
As is so often the case, it depends on the intended use which material is to be preferred:
- With frozen leaves or on harder surfaces (concrete, pavement), metal and steel heads are the only sensible variants. Nylon and other plastic tines would be overwhelmed here because they are at risk of breaking.
- On the other hand, it is better to use a plastic broom head for lawns and other grassy areas with tall flowers. This reduces the risk of accidentally uprooting or otherwise damaging the flowers and plants. This is because plastic tines do not snag the ground as easily as metal or steel tines.
material of the stem
The handle of the leaf rake is usually also made of metal, steel or plastic. Sometimes wood or bamboo are also used as traditional and visually appealing materials.
- Metal and especially steel and wooden handles are considered to be more robust, more resistant and stable. However, they are usually heavier (exception: aluminum) and more expensive.
- With solid workmanship, plastic handles are just as suitable as variants made of metal or steel. They are usually characterized by a pleasant feel and usually cost less.
It also doesn't hurt if a metal or steel handle has a plastic coating. This generally increases grip and has an anti-slip effect.
A small recommendation from our side: A handle with a hanging hole can be hung up and thus stored in a particularly space-saving manner.
tips
The handle is not always part of the scope of delivery. Some manufacturers, such as Gardena or WOLF-Garten, offer combination systems where you only have to buy a handle as the basis, to which you can connect various attachments (including a leaf brush).
length of stem
Almost more important than the material is the length of the handle. Make sure it fits your height. A handle that is too short will sooner or later give you acute to chronic back pain. Most leaf broom handles are between 150 and 170 centimeters long.
telescopic handle: There are also leaf rakes with a telescopic handle. The latter can be extended and thus adapted to your own body length. However, telescopic handles often have the disadvantage of not being as stable as fixed versions. For this reason, when you buy a leaf rake with a telescopic handle, you should make sure that it is of top quality all round. Otherwise the locking mechanism could suddenly loosen in the middle of the sweeping process and the handle could slide down as a result. Maybe you would get away with the shock - or hurt yourself slightly to seriously.
tips
A high-quality processed telescopic handle has the advantage that several people with different body lengths can use the leaf rake. It can therefore be used flexibly all around.
working width
The wider the fan with the tines, the faster you can finish sweeping the leaves. But: On narrow paths and in crooked garden areas you are sometimes better served with a narrower designed leaf rake - not that you unintentionally sweep your magnificent flowers next to the area to be swept. In principle, leaf brushes with a smaller working width are more versatile and easier to handle.
In summary one can state:
- XXL leaf brush with a large working width (70 to 80 centimetres) on wide and relatively "straight" areas for the shortest possible working time
- smaller working width (30 to 50 centimeters) on limited and angled areas as well as for maximum flexibility
Most broom heads have 20 to 30 tines and are 30 to 80 centimeters wide. Occasionally there are also so-called adjustable brooms, where you can adjust the working width to your needs using a rotary or slider control. The tine spacing can also be partially changed.
tips
The number of tines in relation to the working width can definitely be of interest. Fewer tines with the same head width means greater permeability. You should therefore ensure that the tine spacing is as narrow as possible so that you can also sweep away finer leaves without any problems.
youtubefrequently asked Questions
What is a leaf rake?
The leaf rake, sometimes also referred to as a feather or fan brush, is a traditional gardening tool that is primarily used to sweep up leaves on various surfaces (lawn, garden path, driveway, sidewalk) in order to then remove them.
tips
Many a hobby gardener also uses the leaf rake to distribute coarse-grained soil material such as gravel.
The heart of the leaf rake is the head with the fan-shaped, curved and flexible tines. Added to this is the more or less long handle. This is either permanently connected to the broom head or can be supplemented in the sense of a combination system.
Rake or leaf brush - what do I use for what?
In principle, you can also use the rake to sweep leaves. In practice, however, it often turns out that the leaf rake is the best helper for sweeping the leaves, while the rake is used more to work or loosen the soil. Incidentally, the leaf rake is often also called a leaf rake.
Which brands offer good leaf rakes?
Gardena, Fiskars, Flora and WOLF-Garten are among the best-known and most popular manufacturers of high-quality leaf rakes. Gardenline, Aldi's own brand, also has many supporters.
Where is the best place to buy a leaf rake?
Amazon offers you the largest selection of leaf rakes. You will also find solid designs in all well-stocked hardware stores and garden centers - for example at OBI, toom, Bauhaus, Hornbach or hagebaumarkt. In the autumn season, you will sometimes also come across usable leaf brushes for little money at the parade discounters Aldi and Lidl.
Are there leaf brushes for children?
Yes, there are actually children's leaf brooms that the little ones can use to help out in the garden.
our recommendation