Last Updated on November 25, 2021 by Grow with Bovees
You work hard to maintain a lush green lawn, and the last thing you want is a real eyesore, that is dead grass to ruin your efforts.
The good news is that removing grass that’s dead from your lawn isn’t a daunting task, that is if you use the right tool for the job.
A good ol’ rake is the easiest way to get rid of this type of material, and some of the best models are built with tough material, have a comfortable grip, and showcase great design and performance.
Buying the best rake for dead grass however can be a bit overwhelming, owing to the many types and models available. But we’ve checked out several models that are easily available on Amazon and narrowed it down to the 7 best rakes for dead plant material.
7 Best Rakes for Dead Grass
1. ERGIESHOVEL ERG-BWRK16 Strain Reducing Steel Impact Resistant Bow Rake — Best Steel Shaft
The ERGIESHOVEL rake allows you to work smarter, not harder to collect stubborn dirt. It is fitted with a total of 16 tines, making it easier to rake stones, dead grass, mulch, and debris near flower beds.
It is one of the few metal rakes that feature an extra handle for added comfort, and to prevent strain on your hands and back when raking.
The ERGIESHOVEL rake doesn’t come with a fiberglass handle but is equipped with a long steel handle topped with a large D rubber grip to easily reach tight spaces, making it a great choice for raking leaves and debris.
It is extremely lightweight at a little over 6 lbs, making it easy to use and control for young and old. The ERGIESHOVEL bow rake features a detachable three-piece design, and smart lock assembly to easily take the tool apart, and store it when not in use.
Pros:
- 16 tines
- 3-piece design/easy to detach and store
- Long steel handle with rubberized coating, and an extra handle on the rake shaft
- Lightweight at 6 lbs
- Helps gather dead grass and debris in the shortest time
Cons:
- Should not be stored in areas susceptible to water or rain
2. Maintainer 21″ Multi-Purpose Debris Rake — Best All-Surface Rake
The Maintainer rake is in a league of its own for several reasons, starting with its long 60-inch fiberglass handle, making it the perfect tool to have in your arsenal.
Furthermore, this durable, high-quality tool is made in the USA and is equipped with unique replaceable spring coil tines.
The Maintainer comes with a large foam cushion grip at the top, and a swivel hand cap for easy storage. It boasts a lightweight design and is a great choice for raking debris, and dirt from your yard.
Pros:
- Great lawn tool for heavy raking activities and many other gardening chores
- Ergonomic grip
- 60-inch durable fiberglass handle
- Swing hang cap to easily store the tool
Cons:
- Doesn’t come with adjustable handles
- The quality of the foam could be improved
3. Corona RK 62060 Dead Grass Rake — Best Lightweight Dead Grass rake
The Corona rake is one of those essential gardening tools that can be used to perform a variety of raking tasks such as raking up leaves, clippings, dead grass, and lawn and garden debris.
It features an aluminum design and is fitted with a bi-curved bow that provides even pressure on all its onsite tines. Even though the Corona rake showcases a lightweight design at 11.2 ounces, it doesn’t disappoint in terms of long-lasting performance, thanks to its 11 extra-wide tines.
These tines are designed to reach any tight space in your yard and apply light pressure to remove debris without causing damage to your plants.
The Corona dead grass rake provides extra comfort during use, owing to its 6-inch slip vinyl grip. It comes with narrow heads that make it easier when working closely with plants, and a long 54-inch lightweight metal handle, so you can rake grass that’s dead and much more without spending a lot of time.
Pros:
- 54-inch handle/lightweight aluminum material
- Weighs 11.2 ounces
- Doesn’t cause damage to plant roots
- 6-inch slip vinyl grip
- 11 extra-wide tines for heavy and light raking
- Great for everyday gardening tasks and heavy-duty work
Cons:
- Doesn’t come with a fiberglass handle
4. Professional EZ Folding Rake – Best Folding Rake
The Professional EZ rake showcases a foldable design, making it an easy to use and store dead grass removal tool. It features an adjustable fan head, mated with a telescopic handle to reach tight spaces.
Adding to this, the Professional EZ folding rake offers unmatched versatility, given that it can be used to also rake in between perennials without damaging the plants.
The Professional EZ folding rake is fitted with a comfortable ergonomic handle for comfortable use even across longer periods.
Furthermore, the sturdy handle of the Professional EZ rake features a rubberized grip, allowing you to use the rake without causing strain on your hands.
Apart from the adjustable head, the Professional EZ folding rake comes with durable metal tines, so you can rake heavy leaves and dead leaves with ease.
The handle of the Professional EZ rake can be adjusted from 37 inches to 68 inches, and the steel tines from 7.5 inches to 21.75 inches wide.
Even with its strong tines, and heavy-duty handle, the Professional EZ folding rake weighs just 2.2 lbs, which is perhaps one of the lightest metal tools in its segment.
Pros:
- Adjustable fan head
- Foldable design
- Durable metal tines lawn regularly
- Lightweight at 2.2 lbs
- Best rake with ergonomic handle with anti-slip coating
Cons:
- Handle lacks foam coating
5. ROOT ASSASSIN Garden Rake — Best Heavy Duty Rake
The Root Assassin garden rake allows you to tackle light and heavy-duty work with a smile. This multi-purpose rake is one of the most essential tools to own as a homeowner and features a powder-coated aluminum, plastic D-handle.
It is one of the few garden tools that come with a two-piece design for easy storage and transport and weighs just 1.75 lbs.
The Root Assassin tool is an ideal choice for turning compost piles, scooping yard waste, and even debris from water bodies.
It serves as both a shovel and a rake, and features an aluminum non-bendable handle, making it easy to maintain a beautiful lawn.
Pros:
- No-bend handle
- Best rake with 2-piece design
- Weighs 1.75 lbs
- Can be used as a shovel or rake
Cons:
- Doesn’t come with a wooden handle
- Lacks adjustable head
6. Arcadius Garden Rake
The Arcadius rake is fitted with a two-piece handle, which is paint-coated for long service life. It boasts a durable spring steel construction for top-notch raking performance and features a total of 24 tines.
The handle of the Arcadius garden tool measures 54-inches, making it a great choice for short and tall users. The rake weighs a little under 4 lbs and is an ideal choice for wood chips, leaves, and other lightweight material.
Pros:
- Best rake with 54-inch handle
- 2-piece design
- Weighs 4 lbs
- 24 tines
- Durable spring steel construction
Cons:
- Lacks telescopic handle
7. True Temper Rake
The True Temper tool features a 24-inch poly head, and a clog-free design to help rake dirt quickly. It comes with a cushioned grip and is fitted with a large 48-inch hardwood handle.
The True Temper tool prevents leaves from getting clogged, thanks to its innovative rake head design, and is lightweight at just two lbs.
For a tool that can help you gather grass that’s dead and much more from medium to large size lawns, the True Temper rake is hard to beat.
Pros:
- 24-inch polypropylene head to remove small debris
- Cushioned grip
- 48-inch hardwood handle
- Clog-free design
- Weighs 2 lbs
Cons:
- Non-foldable handle
Dead Grass Rake Buying Guide
Take a look at a rake — there’s really nothing much to it, is there? Just a few tines at the bottom and a handle. But surprisingly, there are a few important factors to consider when buying the best rake for grass that’s dead and grass clippings.
Type of Rake
Without the right type of tool, garden chores would be more difficult. The most common types of rakes are a shrub rake, plastic leaf rake, metal leaf rake, lightweight bow rake and garden rake.
Shrub rakes are typically models that come with a long handle and are used to get into hard-to-reach areas. These rakes are usually used for spreading mulch or compost, and may not be a good choice to rake dead grass or organic matter, given their smaller rake heads.
A thatch rake is designed to remove the extra layer of living and dead stems, leaves, and roots build-up from your lawn but is not meant to rake leaves at all. However, there are few rakes that come with two styles of tines-one to remove the layer of living and dead stems, leaves, and roots, and the other for leaves.
The only difference between plastic rakes and metal leaf rakes is that the rake head of the former is made from plastic including the tines, and the latter from metal.
Both these types of rakes can be used to scoop up dead grass, so choosing between metal or plastic rake one boils down to personal preference. A lawn rake is meant for moving soil, but you can also use it to collect dead grass, and other dirt.
Handle Material
Handles of the best rakes can be made from several different materials including wood, and even some with high-strength triple wall fiberglass.
Regardless of the material the handle is made from, buy a leaf rake for dead grass that comes with a sturdy handle that won’t break down when you’re at work.
Handle Length
Rake handles come in different lengths, but if you’re short, choose a model with a longer handle otherwise the task will put a strain on your back.
Grip
The best rake for dead grass will come with some type of comfortable grip, which greatly reduces strain on your hands when using the tool.
Tines
Most tines of good rakes are made of metal while other models are made from plastic. If you have a lot of dead grass to clear, choose a rake with more tines as they will be able to cover more ground in less time with the exception being small yards.
Rakes with a plastic head or spring tines aren’t bad for light leaves, but may not be a good choice for stubborn dirt.
Should I Leave Dead Grass On My Lawn?
There are several reasons you may want to remove grass that’s dead from your lawn, most notably when overseeding.
As the summer season comes to an end, most lawn owners have dead or dying grass on their lawn. This dead grass rests directly over the soil, aka forms a thatch layer, which in most cases prevents healthy growth.
Even though a small layer can be beneficial for your lawn, a large build-up of a layer of living and dead stems, leaves, and roots can prevent air and water from reaching the area around it, which is a good reason to remove dead grass, and promote healthy new grass growth.
So, not only do you have grass that’s dead to deal with, but this will cause even more grass to die. Removing dead grass will improve the current health of your lawn, and make it healthier for future grass growth.
The process of removing the layer of dead grass is called de-thatching, after which you can aerate your lawn.
How to Scoop Dead Grass and Grass Clippings from Your Lawn?
The best time to remove dead grass from your lawn is during the early spring. A regular rake is your best friend when it comes to removing dead grass, without causing damage to plants and healthy grass.
However, if you have a major dead grass problem, you’ll have to perform some heavy-duty raking to remove these stubborn garden materials with a power rake.
To remove the dead grass, start by scraping the top layer with your rake, and then get rid of the waste by either manually scooping it up or with a vacuum.
How to Rake Dead Grass on Your Lawn?
Raking dead grass may seem like a pretty straightforward process, but can be a bit tricky if you don’t follow the right steps.
The first thing, and most importantly, is you should use the right type of rake for dead grass, one that comes with solid steel tines or metal tines.
Remember, rakes with narrow heads will gather less dead grass than models with wider heads. Make the job of raking easier with the help of Mother Nature by raking in the same direction as the wind.
Dry dead grass is much easier to rake than wet grass, but you will have to rake a thatch layer when the soil is moist, not dry.
Raking can be a daunting task, so apart from buying a rake with a rubber grip, and preferably an adjustable head, you should also wear a long-sleeved shirt, pants, and gloves before performing the task. Remember to stand up straight when raking, and switch hands frequently to prevent fatigue.
If the dead grass is spread all over your lawn, it’s best to separate your lawn into quadrants to prevent running back and forth, wasting a lot of time and energy.
You can either use an outdoor vacuum to collect dead grass or rake it up onto a large tarp. Collect the dead grass right after you rake or else you risk it blowing across your lawn, leaving you with a bigger mess to deal with.
Final Thoughts
Removing dead grass from your lawn before you cut grass is an important part of regular lawn maintenance. A rake is the best tool to use for the job, as long as you buy the right one.
The 7 dead grass rakes mentioned on this list are top-rated options in this space and come with innovative features such as fiberglass handles, and a two-piece design to easily fold and store the rakes when not in use.
