22.06.2025 18:53
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Leveling Rake DIY Build

It all came together just right — I needed to prep a new lawn area, and suddenly my social feeds were overflowing with videos of these fancy leveling rakes. So, let’s break it down.

A leveling rake is a pretty simple device: a few welded flat bars with a rigid base. As you drag it across the ground, it scrapes off the high spots and redistributes the excess to fill in the low ones.

In theory and in practice, it’s a straightforward tool. So what’s out there commercially?

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The cheapest options are made from ultra-thin aluminum sheets — sometimes literally just cut out from a single flat plate. Decent ones run around 50–100$, which seems a bit much for some welded metal strips.

Luckily, I have access to a MIG welder, so I decided to make my own. Here’s how it went:

  • Bought 4 steel angles (25×25×3 mm, 1.5 m long) from a local marketplace for 10$ total;
  • Cut them into 1-meter and 0.5-meter sections;
  • Welded them together — my first time welding, so the seams were terrible, but hey, that’s what grinders are for;
  • Used a pipe from an old treadmill as a handle mount — the frame had been sitting unused for 5 years, waiting for its moment.

The result? Just as handy as the videos promised. One catch: it works best on loose material. Sand or freshly-tilled soil are ideal.

The video shows the entire build process and how it performs on actual ground.

P.S. That cinematic transition into the video? Nice, but note to self — take photos during the build too! I only have video footage of the process.

Tags: Diy Welding
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