Rakes & Hoes

Keep your garden weed-free and tidy with our collection of garden hoes and garden rakes. Here at Cromwell, we know the value of quality tools, and gardening tools are no exception. We carefully select our range of garden tools with durability and performance in mind, from market-leading brands, like Spear & Jackson®, Bulldog®, Carters®, and our own brand, Rutland®.

What are garden rakes & garden hoes?

Rakes and hoes form part of an essential garden toolkit. Used to tidy, level, and prepare soil for planting, rakes are available in several designs, while there's a huge range of garden hoes on the market.

Rakes are used for levelling and moving soil, preparing a bed for planting, and removing surface leaves and debris from lawns and other surfaces. They're a robust gardening tool, easy to use, and a must-have for any gardener.

Gardening hoes are one of the most versatile gardening tools. They're ideal for moving soil and shaping planting beds as well as harvesting crops and weeding. Different styles are made with different tasks in mind, and they're an excellent tool for bedding preparation and maintenance.

Why garden rakes & garden hoes?

Garden tools like rakes and hoes are designed to make garden jobs easier to complete. You can try doing everything with that old fork your mum gave you, but you'll definitely struggle to achieve good results without the basic tools.

When garden rakes & garden hoes?

Rakes and hoes are extremely useful tools, and definitely take the strain out of repetitive tasks like weeding and levelling the soil.

Garden rakes & garden hoe types

As with most tools, there's always a perfect one for the job...

Garden rakes

• Metal rakes   -   These rakes are made with sharp ends to break down and move soil for levelling and preparing seed beds. Sometimes used for scarifying a lawn, they're not recommended for removing leaves and general debris from lawns.

• Rubber rakes   -   Rubber is a gentler option than the metal rakes and will remove leaves and clippings from lawns with little damage. They're also ideal for moving loose soil in planting beds and will drag wet leaves on patios and driveways for composting.

• Thatching rake   -   These are sharp, two-sided rakes with one flat side and the other curved. Typically, adjustable to determine the depth of thatching, the flat side is used for removing moss and dead bits of grass, while the curved side can be used to resurface areas of lawn and prepare drills for resowing grass seed.

• Spring rake   -   Sometimes called a leaf rake, the fan-shaped head makes it ideal for raking leaves and general lightweight debris from any surface in the garden. They're available in a choice of metal or plastic and can only be used in one direction, that is, pulling towards the operator.

Garden Hoes

• Stirrup hoe   -   The head of this style of hoe is shaped like a stirrup and is sometimes called a loop hoe. It's a great tool for removing shallow-rooted weeds quickly and easily.

• Dutch hoe   -   This type of hoe works in a pushing motion and removes young, surface weeds quickly and easily.

• Chipping hoe   -   The most commonly used hoe, this type chops through soil to break down clumps and remove deep-rooted weeds.

Considerations when choosing garden rakes & garden hoes

• Job - when collecting weeds and debris or levelling soil, a rake is the right tool for the job, while weeding and breaking down large clods of earth is a task for a garden hoe.

• Handle - ensure you're comfortable with the handle length and material. Aluminium handles are lightweight and balance the head of the tool, while wooden handles are heavier, but easier to maintain.

• Type - refer to the above list for the best tool for the job. If you're unsure, ask our experts. They're a wealth of knowledge and can help you to find just what you're looking for.

FAQs

Are metal or plastic rakes better?

These types of rakes are designed for different jobs, and both perform well. Plastic rakes or leaf rakes excel at collecting lightweight debris and fallen leaves, while metal rakes effectively level and move soil, compost, and gravel.

What should I look for in a garden hoe?

Choose a garden hoe based on the task you need it for. A hoe that works in a pull and push motion with remove medium-rooted to surface weeds and will help to break down medium clumps of soil to give your planting beds a neat and tidy look. For deep, more established weeds, or a weed-ridden area, a chipping hoe is the best. The downward motion of this type of hoe allows for controlled use depending on the type of area you're working on.