Traditional and Hockey Stick Style Rakes

• Traditional rakes have tines set perpendicular to the handle, which allows for a worker to pull the leaves into a pile. These fan-shaped rakes come in a number of widths and structural materials and are the most common design found at most home improvement and lawn and garden supply stores. Cousin to the traditional fan rake is the hockey stick-style rake. The tines of the rake are set parallel to the rake handle for side-to-side raking. Just like a hockey player hits a puck with the side of his hockey stick, you too can rake your leaves like a hockey player.
  
  

Pivoting Head Leaf Rake

• At first sight, this rake looks like a traditional fan rake, but a close look reveals its many faceted possibilities. The entire fan of this rake pivots where it meets with the rake handle. The fan can be adjusted downward or upward to form a 45-degree angle. The downward adjustment allows the rakes shape to pull large piles of leaves, like pulling dirt with a hoe. The upward adjustment allows you to push the tines of the rake toward a leaf pile, like a push broom.
  
  

Leaf Scooper

• These little plastic, baseball-glove shaped scoops eliminate the need to clasp leaves between the rake and your hand. Put one on each hand, and reach down and scoop the leaves together between the two scoopers. Your hands slide into the handles the way a baseball player puts his hand into a mitt. This easy-to-use leaf raking tool is a favorite with the kiddies because of its size. Get the whole family involved in the leaf-raking process.
  
  

Garbage Can Leaf Funnel

• You would probably rather not try to pour oil into your car without a funnel. The leaf funnel sits atop a standard garbage can. Its funnel shape design helps catch those stubborn leaves that just don't want to leave the lawn all by itself. If you're sick of having to constantly pick up the leaves that fall around the trash can when you're pouring them in, purchase one of these. The funnel creates a wider leaf-catching area atop the garbage can.
  
  

Gas-powered Handheld Leaf Blower

• This is the favorite tool of the landscaping companies. Just pull the pull-string and blow the leaves around the yard. If you've got some leaves in those hard-to-reach areas where a rake won't fit, blow them out. Handheld leaf blowers rake leaves with air. Start around the edges of your lawn and blow all of the leaves inward until you have one gigantic pile. The blower then converts into a bagged vacuum that will suck that gigantic pile of leaves up in no time. Wear hearing plugs and safety glass when you use this device.
  
  

Leaf Shredder

• Bulky leaves fill up trash bags and garbage cans in no time. You can shred the leaves to create a nutrient rich mulch. Once you've collected your leaves, plug in the shredder and feed all of your leaves into it. This machine has one voracious appetite that will eat every leaf on your lawn if permitted. Add the shredded material to your compost pile, or use it as mulch around your garden and flowerbeds.
  
  

Pull-type Leaf Rake

• If you have a lawnmower, contact the manufacturer and ask if it sells a leaf-raking implement that you can pull behind it. Some aftermarket options are available at most home improvement or lawn and garden supply stores. All you have to do is hook it up to the back of your sit-down lawn mower and drive around the yard. A broom-like spindle sweeps the leaves into a basket, and, once full, you dump the leaves wherever you want them.