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Lawn levelling rake

Updated: 21.10.2026

The lawn dips in front of the path, you have sandy topdressing, and the bow in the shed only combs stripes into the hollow. A lawn levelling rake in this comparison means a flat plate, not another row of tines. It spreads sand and topsoil into shallow hollows, and it is a lift of about 5 to 6 kg. It will not peel turf or fix a deep bump. The two plates are the DAKEPOLE and the COZCLAM. Figures are the locked rows in the [Rake](/hub/garden-tools/rake) table. Peter F., DIY & tools editor, did not run a lab test. A qualifying amazon.co.uk purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The lawn dips in front of the path, you have sandy topdressing, and the bow in the shed only combs stripes into the hollow. A lawn levelling rake in this comparison means a flat plate, not another row of tines.

Our top picks

OLLIDOT OLLIDOT 17-tine bow rake

Best overall

OLLIDOT OLLIDOT 17-tine bow rake
9.1/10about £19.99
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COZCLAM COZCLAM lawn levelling rake

Alternative

COZCLAM COZCLAM lawn levelling rake
8.2/10about £26.99
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DAKEPOLE DAKEPOLE lawn levelling rake

Alternative

DAKEPOLE DAKEPOLE lawn levelling rake
8.0/10about £19.99
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On this page
  1. 1.When a plate is the tool
  2. 2.The two plates in this set
  3. 3.How the dressing goes on
  4. 4.When to stop

When a plate is the tool

Use a plate when the hollow is shallow and you are spreading sand, soil or mulch so the surface comes up to the grass around it. It does not repair drainage or a major change of level. It cannot push a 76 cm or 90 cm ribbon of sand in one pass the way these plates are built to. Fans and bows are on leaf rake or bow rake. If you cannot see soil between the blades, the RHS says scarify first with a spring-tined rake, both ways. None of these listings is that tool. Their topdressing mix is three parts sandy loam, six parts sharp sand (not builders' sand) and one part compost, about 2 to 3 kg per square metre. A plate spreads that shallow fill in a wider pass. A deep hollow is different: lift the turf, add or remove soil, firm it and replace the turf.

The two plates in this set

The DAKEPOLE, ASIN B0CPSJMDN2, is a 76 by 25 cm plate on a 183 cm handle, listed at 5.84 kg and about £19.99, with 4.4 from 42 reviews. One UK review says it finds levels better than an ordinary rake. A 10 by 10 mm dimension line conflicts with the head, so use 76 by 25 cm. The COZCLAM, ASIN B0DZCBL3XY, is a 90 by 30 cm iron plate, 5.32 kg, about £26.99, 4.4 from 121 reviews. A bullet also prints 43 by 30 by 210 cm. The size used here is 90 by 30 cm. One UK review says a fixing snapped after three uses. Choose the DAKEPOLE for the smaller plate and the lower price if you can lift 5.84 kg. Choose the COZCLAM for the 90 cm pass, and check the bolts. Skip both if you cannot lift about 5 to 6 kg.
OLLIDOT OLLIDOT 17-tine bow rake

Testsieger

OLLIDOT OLLIDOT 17-tine bow rake
9.1/10about £19.99
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How the dressing goes on

Gardeners' World gives a rate you should keep separate from the RHS figure. They say usually 2 to 4 kg per square metre, and up to 6 kg for a heavy dressing. Grass must stay visible through the dressing. Do not merge the RHS about 2 to 3 kg with that 2 to 4 kg, up to 6 kg, into one number. On a small hollow, tip the dressing beside the dip and pull the plate so the sand falls into it. The DAKEPOLE bullet says grass is best cut to about 3.8 cm first.

When to stop

Stop if the hollow is deep enough that you would be burying the grass. Lift the turf, as the RHS repairing page describes, instead of adding another pass with the plate. Stop if the load is bulk aggregate for a drive rather than a lawn dressing. A golf-course line on the COZCLAM bullet is a listing claim, not a groundsman's test. For a seedbed without a hollow, use a bow rather than a plate. In this set that bow is the OLLIDOT 17-tine, and it still will not spread a ribbon of sand.

Common questions

What is a lawn levelling rake?
In this set it is a flat plate on a long handle, with no tines. The DAKEPOLE plate is 76 by 25 cm and the COZCLAM is 90 by 30 cm. You pull sand or topsoil into shallow dips. Amazon files them under rakes. They are not leaf fans and they are not bow rakes.
Can I level a lawn with a bow rake?
You can smooth a bare seedbed with the flat back of a bow, which is a different job. A bow will not spread a ribbon of topdressing the way a 76 cm or 90 cm plate does. For shallow hollows in turf, use a plate or the back of a rake as the RHS describes. For a deep dip, lift the turf instead.
How much topdressing per square metre?
The RHS autumn page, as recorded for this guide, is about 2 to 3 kg per square metre, in their mix of sandy loam, sharp sand and compost. Gardeners' World says usually 2 to 4 kg, and up to 6 kg for a heavy dressing, with grass still visible. Those are two sources. Do not average them into one figure, and do not use builders' sand in the RHS mix.
How heavy are these plates?
The DAKEPOLE is listed at 5.84 kg and the COZCLAM at 5.32 kg. That is the lift, not the weight of the sand as well. Worcestershire says not to use a rake that is too heavy for you. If you cannot manage about 5 to 6 kg, do not buy either plate and do not expect a longer handle to make the weight harmless.
Which should I choose, DAKEPOLE or COZCLAM?
The DAKEPOLE is the smaller, cheaper plate at about £19.99, with 42 reviews and a thin text sample. The COZCLAM is wider, about £26.99, with 121 reviews, and one UK review of a fixing that snapped after three uses. Pick on width, price and whether you will inspect the bolts. Both need the same kind of lift.

Related pages

Garden rake buying guide

How to use a garden rake

Rake

Best garden rake in this twelve-listing comparison

Leaf rake or bow rake: fan for leaves, bow for soil

Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars, and review counts are the amazon.co.uk lines saved for this set. There is no laboratory test.

  1. Basingstoke and Deane — volunteer guidance on rakes (retrieved 21.10.2026)
  2. RHS — Autumn lawn care (retrieved 21.10.2026)
  3. Worcestershire County Council — Safe use of rakes (retrieved 21.10.2026)
  4. Worcestershire County Council — How to use a rake (retrieved 21.10.2026)
  5. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 21.10.2026)
  6. House of Commons Library — Faulty goods (retrieved 21.10.2026)
  7. HSE — Manual handling at work (INDG143) (retrieved 21.10.2026)
  8. Gardeners’ World — Garden rakes (retrieved 21.10.2026)