Grounds Keeper Replacement Rake Tines

These replacement rake tines are made for the Grounds Keeper scrape rake. When tines bend, break or wear short, swapping them brings back the stiff, even scraping action that makes the rake so good at pulling chips and twigs out of grass.

When to replace rake tines

Spring tines take a lot of punishment: roots, curbs, rocks and the occasional sprinkler head. Over time some bend out of line, some snap and the rest wear short from scraping. A rake with uneven tines leaves stripes of debris behind and makes you go over the same area twice.

If more than a couple of tines are bent beyond easy straightening, or any are broken, it is time to replace them. A fresh set restores the stiff, even comb that makes a scrape rake worth carrying.

Worn tines also leave the rake head sitting at a different angle to the ground, which changes how it feels in your hands and makes you push harder. Fresh tines bring the rake back to its intended working angle.

Fitting new tines

Wear gloves, since spring steel tines can snap back when they are being seated. Remove the old tines following the fastening method on your rake head, clean out dirt and debris, then fit the new tines so they sit evenly and point the same direction. Tighten everything and check that none of the tines move side to side.

Make sure the tines are for your rake. These are made for the Grounds Keeper. Landscape rakes, rock rakes and york rakes use different tines and attachment methods, so parts usually do not swap between brands.

If the handle is cracked or loose while the rake is apart, add a replacement handle and the whole tool is effectively new.

Replace tines in a full set where you can. Mixing old and new tines leaves some longer than others, and the short ones never touch the ground.

Getting more life from your tines

Rake with short, light strokes and let the tines do the work. Bearing down hard bends tines and tears turf. On gravel and hard surfaces, lift the rake slightly so the tips skim rather than dig.

Do not use the rake to drag heavy branches or pry at roots. Grab a pitchfork or a hookaroon for that. Store the rake head up or on a rack so the tines are not crushed under logs or gear in the truck.

Clean the head at the end of the day. Packed mud and sap between tines hold moisture and encourage rust, and a clean head rakes more freely the next morning.

Why crews keep spares

Cleanup is the last thing the customer sees on a tree job. A rake that leaves sawdust and twigs in the grass undoes a lot of good work. Keeping a set of spare tines at the shop means a worn rake can be fixed the same day.

If you do not own a Grounds Keeper yet, the complete rake comes ready to use.

Tines are a wear item, much like chainsaw chain or chipper knives. Budget for them the same way, and they will never catch you without a working rake.