AMES 20201033 Steel Tine Leaf Rake with Hardwood/Steel Handle, 22 Tines

Super easy to assemble. Very sturdy. Works fantastic! Don't waste your money on the crap Anvil rakes - metal/plastic one lasted 30 min before I had to pull out the duct tape, the full plastic one works but you have to work harder with it. This Ames rake I felt I had to use less effort to get things up. Price is very comparable to box stores. Will most def buy a 2nd one to deal with my 5 acres.

This rake uses a plastic locking mechanism to attach the handle and the head to the middle section. This is worked fine for the handle, but after originally being inserted firmly, during use the head end detached itself from it's half of the locking mechanism. Both halves of the mechanism remained in the handle while the head and it's rod came off, rendering the rake useless. Apparently I cannot return it.

When I moved this winter, the only item lost in progress was my favorite leaf rake. This rake is a good replacement. The spring action rake is so effective; it makes the work easier. My only criticism is that the handle is a bit long for a shorter person like myself.

It was very light and felt good ergonomically. However, the friction that’s used to hold the wooden pieces inside the metal part in the center did not do the job, and the bottom half of the rake handle fell out while I was raking. It’s not worth the $38. I think I would probably have kept it for 20. It did a good job with the leaves and didn’t leave a lot behind and felt good in the hands.

I like Ames tools. I have owned many. Generally the quality vs. price is on point. This one is no different. Only complaint is that it is a 3 piece unit. The connections between the sections are not super sturdy. i added a through bolt at each joint to stiffen the handle up a bit. But still...recommended!

The Ames spring rake came packaged in a heavy duty box. The assembly was straight forward, and the assembled rake is solid.

It's a rake....Plain and simple. Designed to rake leaves. Works well. Mission accomplished.

I haven't actually used it for raking yet. But the assembly process as left me underwhelmed. The handle looks like it is solid wood with some kind of green plastic grip in the middle. But is actually three pieces: two wooden end pieces and a steel tube in the middle. They assemble with some kind of plastic clipping mechanism. But more annoyingly, the rake head is wobbly with the provided wing nut quite tight. Because the rake head doesn't really clamp to the pole tightly. It is held in place by the bolt going through a hole in the pole. I have doubts about the longevity of this. UPDATE: Handle fell apart (three pieces) and would not stay together.