How To Make A Pull Behind Rake

Why Build Your Own Pull-Behind Rake

If you’ve got a lawn tractor, ATV, or even a sturdy garden cart, a pull-behind rake is one of those attachments that multiplies your productivity. It gathers sticks and leaves, lifts thatch, and evens out gravel or soil in a satisfying, easy pass. Store-bought units can be pricey and not always built the way you want, which is exactly why I started building my own. With basic tools and a weekend, you can make a rugged, custom pull-behind rake that fits your yard, your machine, and your budget.

“My first homemade pull-behind rake cost under $70 in materials and has survived three seasons of raking leaves, smoothing the gravel driveway, and dethatching my cool-season lawn. It’s still going strong.”

Pick Your Rake Style Before You Start

Different jobs call for different designs. Decide what you’ll use it for most of the time, and build to that strength. Here are the three most practical DIY options:

Spring-Tine Dethatcher Rake

Best for pulling out thatch, lifting moss, and combing through lawns in spring and fall. It uses flexible spring tines that scratch the soil surface without digging deeply.

• Ideal material: steel spring tines from a dethatcher kit or 1/4 in music wire shaped into V-springs
• Working width: 48–60 in
• Tine spacing: 2–3 in for thorough coverage
• Downforce: light; add a small weight bar only if needed

Stick, Gravel, and Driveway Rake

Designed to gather sticks, spread ruts, and smooth gravel or decomposed granite. This one is heavier and tougher, with rigid teeth.

• Ideal material: angle iron frame with 3/8 in or 1/2 in steel teeth or replaceable landscape rake teeth
• Working width: 60–72 in
• Tine spacing: 1.5–2.5 in
• Downforce: moderate to heavy; include a weight tray

Leaf and Debris Drag

The simplest version — a wide drag that floats over the lawn scooping leaves, pine needles, and small twigs into windrows.

• Ideal material: chain-link panel with a wood or angle iron bar across the front
• Working width: 60–96 in
• Tine spacing: N/A — debris collects on the mesh
• Downforce: light; adjust by tying the rope higher or lower

Tools and Materials You’ll Need

Here’s a core list that covers all three designs. You won’t need everything for every build, but this gives you options.

• Frame: 1.5–2 in angle iron or rectangular tube (14–16 gauge for lawn work; 11–13 gauge for gravel)
• Tines: spring teeth, 3/8–1/2 in round bar, or an old leaf/landscape rake head
• Fasteners: 5/16–1/2 in bolts, nylock nuts, fender washers, lock washers
• Hitch: 3/4 in clevis hitch plate with a drop-pin, or a ball coupler if your tractor uses a ball hitch
• Wheels (optional): 6–8 in solid tires with axle bolts to add transport lift
• Weight tray: 1×1 angle frame sized to fit patio blocks or barbell plates
• Hardware: eye bolts, D-shackles, chain or tow strap, rope for manual lift
• Finish: rust primer and outdoor enamel
• Tools: drill/driver with cobalt bits, angle grinder with cutoff and flap discs, welder (MIG or stick) or a strong bolt-together plan, measuring tape, square, clamps

Plan Your Dimensions Like A Pro

Balance is everything. Too wide and it’s a bear to pull; too narrow and you spend all day making passes. These measurements have worked best for me:

• Width: 48 in for small lawns and tight gates; 60 in for most homeowners; 72 in for ATVs and open spaces
• Depth (front to back): 18–24 in for dethatchers; 20–26 in for gravel rakes
• Tine angle: 10–20 degrees off vertical for dethatching; 15–30 degrees for gravel shaping
• Hitch height: centerline around 8–12 in above ground for lawn tractors; match your machine’s receiver

Step-by-Step: Build a Bolt-Together Pull-Behind Rake

Build the Frame

• Cut two main rails to your chosen width and two cross pieces for the depth.
• Dry fit on a flat surface. Check square by measuring diagonals until they match.
• Bolt through the corners using angle brackets or gussets. If you can weld, add short beads on the inside corners for strength.

Add a Hitch Tongue

• Make a centered A-frame tongue: two 24–30 in pieces meeting at the hitch plate, spread 10–12 in where they meet the main frame.
• Through-bolt the tongue to the frame with at least four 3/8 in bolts and lock nuts.
• Mount a 3/4 in clevis or your preferred coupler. Ensure the hitch hole aligns with your tractor’s hitch height.

Install the Tines

You can go two ways: spring dethatcher teeth or rigid rake teeth for gravel.

• For spring teeth: drill a front bar with holes every 2–3 in. Insert teeth and clamp them with a retainer strip and fender washers. Set the pitch so tips barely kiss the ground.
• For rigid teeth: drill the front lip of the angle iron; insert 3/8–1/2 in round bar teeth 3–4 in long below the frame; secure with jam nuts and a backing strip. Set a consistent angle for grading.

Make a Weight Tray

• Bolt a rectangle of 1×1 angle iron on top of the frame behind the tines.
• Size it to fit two patio blocks or a couple of barbell plates. Start light; you can add more later.

Optional: Add Transport Wheels and a Rope Lift

• Wheels keep your tines off the ground when crossing paths or sidewalks. Mount small axles on brackets near the rear corners.
• Run a rope to a pivoting lift bar; a quick pull from the seat lifts the tines. Keep it simple — you don’t need a fancy system.

Deburr, Prime, and Paint

• File and grind any sharp edges.
• Degrease, prime with a rust-inhibiting primer, then paint a bright color so you can spot the rake in tall grass.

Budget Build: Chain-Link Drag Rake

If all you want is to gather leaves and pine needles into manageable windrows, you can build a drag rake in under an hour.

• Cut a 5–8 ft wide section of chain-link fence.
• Sandwich the front edge between two 2x4s or a piece of angle iron; bolt every 8–12 in.
• Attach two chains or a tow strap to the ends of the front bar, meeting at a central clevis for the hitch point.
• Optional: add a second weighted bar 12–18 in behind the front bar to increase contact.

This drag glides over lawns and pulls debris into neat rows. It’s gentle on turf and very forgiving to build.

Setup, Testing, and First Passes

• Start on flat ground with no weight and the hitch roughly level.
• Set the tine pitch shallow; tips should barely scratch. You can always make it more aggressive.
• Drive slow on the first pass (2–3 mph). Watch for bouncing or chatter — that means you need a touch of weight or a slightly steeper tine angle.
• For gravel, add weight gradually, keeping speed under 5 mph. Cross-load areas from multiple angles to remove washboarding.

“I like to do a ‘sunrise pass’ across my driveway — light moisture from dew helps fines settle while the rake re-levels the surface.”

How To Use Your Rake For Different Jobs

Dethatching Lawns

• Timing: Early spring or early fall for cool-season grasses; late spring for warm-season turf.
• Height: Mow one notch lower than usual first, bagging clippings.
• Rake passes: Two directions at 45 degrees. Don’t worry — it looks rough at first, then greens up fast.

Gathering Leaves and Sticks

• Use a light pitch so tines skim, not gouge.
• Make long, overlapping passes to form windrows you can scoop with a tarp or loader bucket.
• If sticks get wedged, stop and clear them — never back up over piles with tines engaged.

Smoothing Gravel and DG

• Start by knocking down high spots, then work in a figure-eight pattern.
• Add weight only as needed; too much weight creates ripples.
• Finish with a shallow pass to leave a clean, even surface.

Safety and Good Habits

• Wear eye protection when drilling and grinding; gloves when handling steel.
• Keep bystanders and pets clear. Tines can fling small stones.
• Never tow faster than walking/bicycling speed on uneven ground.
• If you add a rope lift, route it safely so it can’t snag the rear tire.
• Check bolts and hitch pins every session until you’re confident nothing loosens.

Maintenance To Make It Last

• Rinse off grit; let it dry; spray a light oil on tines and bare metal.
• Touch up paint chips with rust inhibitor.
• Inspect tine wear mid-season; keep a few spare teeth and nuts in a small parts kit.
• Grease wheel bushings if you used wheels.
• Hang the rake vertically or store on blocks to keep tines straight.

Troubleshooting and Tweaks

• Rake skips and chatters: reduce speed, add a little weight, or flatten the tine angle.
• Turf tearing: lighten the pitch, remove weight, or raise the hitch slightly.
• Piles form under the frame: increase spacing or clean out more often; for leaves, add a small trailing mesh to carry debris off the tines.
• Not pulling straight: re-square the frame, center the hitch tongue, or adjust chain lengths so they match.

Cost, Time, and Smart Sourcing

You can build a dependable pull-behind rake for less than half the cost of a store-bought unit.

• Budget chain-link drag: $20–$60 using surplus materials
• Bolt-together dethatcher: $60–$150 depending on tine cost
• Heavy gravel rake: $120–$300 based on steel prices and whether you add wheels
• Build time: 3–6 hours for simple designs; a full day if you fabricate wheels and a lift

Tip: Salvage an old landscape rake head, dethatcher teeth, or scrap angle iron from a recycler. Straight, rust-free pieces are perfect and much cheaper than new stock.

My Favorite Variations

• Pallet Core Rake: Bolt two rows of spring tines to a reinforced pallet; add a hitch plate and a small weight tray. It’s rustic, fast, and surprisingly effective.
• Dual-Row Teeth: One row set more vertical, one row pitched steeper — the first lifts, the second levels.
• Flip-Over Bar: A reversible front bar with two angles; flip it to switch from dethatching to smoothing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I build it without welding?

Absolutely. Use corner brackets, gussets, and grade 5 or grade 8 bolts with nylocks. A bolt-together frame is plenty strong for lawn work.

How wide is too wide?

If your tractor struggles on hills or boggy spots, keep it under 60 in. Wider rakes add drag fast, especially in thatch or gravel.

Will it damage my lawn?

Used correctly, no. Keep the tines shallow and make passes when soil is dry to slightly damp — never saturated. Adjust your pitch and weight until it just kisses the turf.

What speed should I tow?

2–4 mph is the sweet spot. Faster makes it skip; slower lets tines do their job without bouncing.

Wrapping Up: Build Once, Use For Years

A well-built pull-behind rake is like a trusty farmhand that never complains. Start with a clear purpose, choose the right style, and keep the setup conservative at first. As you dial in tine angle, width, and weight, you’ll find your rake’s “happy place” — that zone where it quietly lifts thatch, gathers debris, or smooths gravel with minimal fuss. The best part? You made it to suit your yard. That’s the joy of DIY garden gear: practical, affordable, and tailored by someone who truly cares about the land they’re tending.