[parttimer]

Is it just me or are the rakes you can buy just too light and too narrow for large beds?

I'm not lazy but everytime I use the things to rake over a whole area (5m X 5m bed) they seem inadequate.

Searching the internet, garden centres, and car boots has proved fruitless any ideas would be gratefully recieved.

[Gwiz]

You can get large landscape rakes. If you search for just garden ones, you're quite right, they are tiny these days.

[Runwell-Steve]

How wide do you want the head to be.

If it's too wide I would think it would actually be quite hard work to use.

You can get landscaping rakes which are 3 foot wide, but they are only really designed for light work like like levelling bark and shingle etc..

If you want something more heavy duty look at tarmac rakes, they use them when hand laying asphalt,  I have one thats years old but even that is only about 18 inches wide, which is about the same as a decent soil rake.

Apart fromthat have you got a decent Blacksmith nearby, you could go and tell him what you want and he could make you a custom one.

[Griffete]

I've just got one of these and you can level ground so much quicker.....wish i got one when i first started
LINK




Edit long link

[grendel]

I have an old one that looks a bit like that, only made in steel, it works really well.
Grendel

[parttimer]

The Landscape Rake looks to be the way to go. I've looked everywhere and the widest I can find is 12'' it only needs to be 18'' - 24'' wide.

My Dad had one that was my Grandads,  it was solid steel 18'' wide with round tangs like 4'' inch nails  it was heavy but it worked a treat a couple of passes and you were done.

[grendel]

yes, mines about 18-20" wide with tines only about 2" long.
Grendel

[Griffete]

The link i have put up is of one 27" and its just the right width for levelling the ground.....
i paid £22.00 for mine the same one on the Amazon link....its very strong and robust .....
good luck with you search