Bow rakes use their thick tines to break up clumps of dirt, pull roots, lift matted turf, and collect debris. Their flat edge evenly spreads soil, mulch, and other materials. Also known as garden rakes, they have an arched frame that supports the tines without weighing down the head.

Level head rakes set their spade-like tines at a right angle to the handle for making uniform contact to break into compacted soil, scrape debris from turf and garden beds, and push material into piles. Also known as flat head rakes, they can be flipped to use the top edge for leveling and smoothing landscaping materials and fill.

Landscape rakes make broad passes with their extra-wide heads to move large amounts of material. Also known as field rakes, they have a grading edge for uniform leveling and rounded teeth to prevent gouging. They are commonly used for groundskeeping tasks such as smoothing sports fields and other large dirt or gravel surfaces.

Thatch rakes pull their curved blades through lawns to tear out dry, matted turf and other dead matter so that water and nutrients can pass into soil to nourish the grass. Also known as dethatcher rakes, they clear thatch on small plots or sections of larger lawns to provide an alternative to lawn scarifier machines.