Rake (tool)

Types of rakes:
– Modern hand-rakes have steel, plastic, or bamboo teeth.
– Leaf rakes are for gathering leaves, cut grass, and debris.
– Garden rakes have steel teeth for heavier use in soil.
– Landscaping rakes smooth and grade extensive soil areas.
– Stone rakes are narrower and constructed from steel or aluminum.

Cultural associations:
– Rakes in slapstick comedy and cartoons are associated with accidents.
– Russian saying “to step on the same rake” means repeating a mistake.
– In “Journey to the West,” Zhu Bajie wields a nine-toothed rake.
– Japanese folklore includes the Kumade rake for good fortune.

Heavy rake:
– Used for conditioning, dethatching soil, and moving debris.
– Effective for de-thatching and soil preparation in large areas.
– Larger tools or attachments are used for extensive de-thatching.

Plastic or metal:
– Plastic rakes are lighter and lower cost.
– Metal rakes are better for wet or rotted debris in spring.
– Plastic rakes are suitable for recently deposited leaves.

See also:
– Aeration
– Soil
– Besom