Which rake will last longer in the country: an overview of tools from different materials

Loosen the soil, level the beds, collect mowed grass in the summer or fallen leaves in the fall — for all this, a garden rake is needed in the country.

There are dozens of models on the market for each type of work, but buying them all is a waste of money. It is better to take a universal tool — a T-shaped rake with twisted or straight teeth.

Any buyer is sure to ask the question: “And what material to choose a rake from?” It can be plastic, iron, stainless steel or aluminum. «The most useful program» tested all kinds.

Testing a rake — which one is better to buy

The cheapest universal rake is made of plastic. But they, according to Alexander Polyakov, a gardening tool specialist, can only rake mowed grass into a pile. For other jobs, they are not suitable.

“The teeth themselves are so flimsy that they can be torn off with just one movement of the hand. If you do complex mechanical work, then it is clear that you will not collect much by such robberies.he explained.

For tests in the country, rakes were taken from more durable materials:

• Rake made of polypropylene for 180 rubles.
• Structural steel rake for 230 rubles.
• Rake made of stainless steel for 350 rubles.
• Metal rake for 600 rubles.
• Rake made of reinforced polypropylene for 650 rubles.
• Rake made of stainless steel for 990 rubles.

How to fix a handle for a rake

Most often, cuttings are sold separately. So, before starting work, the rake must be collected.

«It is desirable that he come here [отверстие для черенка] came in tight. Not just to put your hand on, but to knock so that he himself enters and without any hesitation sits in his place. We drove 2-3 centimeters inside. This gives the likelihood that it will no longer hang out. It remains to fix with a self-tapping screw «Polyakov explained.

If the rake is made of fragile material, it may crack during installation. To prevent this from happening, the expert advises using a metal clamp.

“A clamp is taken. ahead of time is tightened almost to the end. And only then I plant the stalk. This saves me the risk of cracking the seat»he showed.

Every gardener knows: before planting plants in the beds and immediately after harvesting, the soil must be properly loosened. Let’s see which rake will do the job better.

When stuffing the iron rake on the handle, they bent. To prevent this from happening, you still need to try to bend the tool in the store. Is the material easy to form? Then it is better to refuse this purchase.

Both samples — made of metal and polypropylene — helped to get rid of large clods of earth. But while working, the first model had crooked teeth, and the second ones cracked.

Sample from stainless steel. This rake did the job, but the teeth of the tool also changed a lot. I had to straighten them by hand.

The rake made of an unknown metal showed itself best of all (the manufacturer simply did not indicate the alloy), as well as reinforced stainless steel and expensive polypropylene. They not only loosened the soil qualitatively, but also remained intact, as if they had just come from the store.

Which rake is faster to collect mowed grass and fallen leaves

Worst of all, a rake made of structural steel coped with the task. The flat and often set teeth were constantly clogged with grass. The same will happen with Lithuania. You will have to constantly stop and clean the tool manually.

Surprisingly, the most expensive sample showed itself just as poorly — a rake made of reinforced stainless steel.

“Well, they don’t collect small things, they just pass small grass between the teeth due to bending”— the summer resident is disappointed.

A rake made of cheap stainless steel and an unknown metal proved to be a little better. But the leaders of this test were samples from polypropylene. Moreover, a tool made of cheap material was in no way inferior to an expensive counterpart.

“They showed themselves very well, and, probably, I would still put them in second place right after the expensive one”the expert is pleased.

How to choose a durable rake — how long the teeth can withstand

But there is another factor that often influences the choice of tool — weight. Sellers in shops and markets assure: the heavier the rake, the stronger it is. Is it so?

First, let’s weigh the samples. As expected, propylene rakes turned out to be the lightest. The heaviest ones are made of reinforced stainless steel. Now we have fixed all the rakes on a special stand and we will support weights and pancakes from dumbbells on the teeth.

The first, oddly enough, gave up a rake made of structural steel. They were already deformed at a weight of 28 kilograms. The cheapest tool made of polypropylene withstood a load of 37 kilograms.

“This rake takes nothing. And again the teeth in their original position. This suggests that the plastic is very durable and the rake will not suffer as a result of long-term use and heavy physical exertion.the specialist concluded.

An acceptable result was also shown by a cheap stainless steel rake — withstood 33 kilograms. Metal — 42. But a rake made of reinforced propylene surprised even an expert — 70 kilos and did not even bend.

The most expensive sample also withstood 70 kilograms — a rake made of reinforced stainless steel. But, as we remember, they weigh almost three times more than usual. And if you work with such a heavy tool for a long time, your hands and back may hurt.

According to the results of all tests, rakes made of reinforced polypropylene proved to be the best. They are light and easy to use and at the same time did not break under heavy load. Yes, and they are not as expensive as a rake made of reinforced stainless steel.