[Yorkie]

I have lots and lots of horse chestnut leaves in my back garden and I'm fed up with spearing them on my wire tined lawn rake whilst also raking up moss by accident  .

I bought a plastic leaf rake (24" wide) from a local hardware store which was fine for 2 mins until I realised that there was damage to the fibreglass handle and I had fibreglass splinters in my hands (impossible to get out as they're so small  )

So that rake went back but I like the plastic design generally as it's so much easier to get the leaves together.

Have done some research on ebay and in increasing cost order I can get a Greenman one, a Draper one, and a Wolf one with their interchangeable handle.

How reliable are the Wolf handles / attachments?  I have no direct need for a multi-system as I already have lots of individual bits but am open to the idea if it's really a good idea.

Any thoughts?

[stentman]

I use a plastic leaf rake it's a cheap and cheerful thing but has lasted well it does the job very well for my small annual quantity of leaves. Like you all my tools are individual items however I have a very good friend who has used the wolf system for 15 years at least and he is forever reminding me of boths its usefullness and longevity. He has a short handle and a long handle and over the years has purchased tools as needed. He may wince at the cost per item but in his opinion such is the quality he assures me they will out last him.

[Yorkie]

Thanks, Stentman.  Hmm my choice remains hard 

[tode]

Why not just run the mower over 'em ?

[Yorkie]

It's a hover mower so I'd be running after the escapees  , and I'd still have to pick up  the mowed bits afterwards, just in smaller pieces 

Nice thought though, was discussing that with someone else earlier today 

[tode]

Back to the rake, then . . . 

[Gwiz]

I've two of the gardena plastic lawn rakes, I really can't fault them at all. I also have a large rigid plastic sheet that fits into a plastic sack and lets it stand open and upright, it makes it so much easier to fill with leaves.

[dorimower]

At work we use these;

 http://www.landmarktrading.co.uk/tree_climbing_equipment/product.asp?productid=503&shopcategory=31

http://www.chelwoodrakes.com/polypropylene-rakes.htm the 32p type

The ones that were there when I started work at the gardens 18+ years ago are still in regular use...
Used for raking leaves from lawns and gravel paths....and with some strong string attached to handle thrown out across the pond.. ... to pull out the rigid hornwort pond weed when it grows a bit too well in mid summer....

Pretty tough rakes....


I should add that we also use the Bulldog Springbok types.....and also have a "Nottingham Rake" this has an aluminium tube handle bolted to a angled piece of polypropylene ? sheet with the angle section having shallow cut teeth...rather difficult to explain..but it works well as a pulled rake or pushed in a brush like manner...sold I think many years ago by Rake n Lift? and demonstrated by a seemingly eccentric gent who danced and jumped on the rake to demonstrate how strong it was.  ...without being clacked by the handle leaping up in reply.   :blink:  

Clive.

[jimbeekeeper]

Why not just run the mower over 'em ?

It's a hover mower so I'd be running after the escapees  ,

The hover mower will still pick them up, how else do you think it picks up your grass?

I use a mower, just set the blades high and yes it will chop up but that helps by compacting it all down for either the bin, compost heap or best of all leaf mold pile.

[Yorkie]

Thanks Jim 

I haven't got organised for leaf mould this year but there's loads of leaves - enough to fill 4 wheelie bins so far - so will need a plan for next year as that's an awful lot of emptying the mower's very small grass box 

The spring tined rake didn't do too badly once I decided not to keep pulling the leaves off it every time.     I keep finding holes in the lawn where the squirrels have tried to plant their conkers