SuncastAdjustable Roof Rake with 21' Resin-Coated Aluminum Handle, Curved Non-Stick Graphite Blade for Snow and Leaf Removal, Black

I have a screened porch addition, a portion of which I fear is shifting away from the house. With heavy snow on the roof, and more in the forecast, I ordered this model after reading the reviews here. It works well. Because of the complaints of loosening, I added duct tape over the wing nuts after assembly, I haven't had a problem. It is well made, and the push knobs that join the sections are a good size and work with gloved hands. It is easy on the lower porch roof using three lengths. If I add the fourth extension for the main house, it does flex, but the bend allows me to get over the copper gutter and get the roof edge. I work from the edge up, in small bites, and I take care not to scrape all the snow off, to avoid scraping the asphalt shingles. The hard part is clearing away the fallen snow in those areas that require this, even powder compacts to very dense stuff as it falls!PS As packaged, the hardware is tucked away inside the hole in the shovel for the handle, gave me a scare that it was missing!

I have a 1-1/2 story cape cod style house in the Midwest. For years, I've had ice dams on my roof which would leak into the kitchen -- making the paint on the ceiling peel and crack. Finally, I decided to see what could be done about it and discovered snow rakes. I read all the reviews and bought this one - the 20 ft version. It shipped quickly, which impressed me. I picked free super saver shipping which said it would take 5-9 days but I got it in 4 days, which was great. It assembled easily with just a screwdriver. I started out using just 3 poles to get the hang of it, and worked up to all 4. By nature it's a little awkward to control because it's so long but it's not bad. The aluminum poles will bow slightly, but they need to be lightweight aluminum or you'd never be able to lift it up to your roof. I've used it 3 times now and am getting pretty skilled at using it. And actually, it's really fun to use! All you do is push the rake up as far as you want it to go and pull back and gravity does the rest - the snow comes tumbling down! It won't take built-up ice off the roof, naturally, but if you are prompt about raking the snow off, ice damming should pretty much be a thing of the past. I have found that wearing leather gloves gives you a better grip, compared to cloth or knit gloves. There is a dark colored end pole, which has texture for good grip, but when you're working the roof, you'll be gripping different sections of the pole as you pull the snow down towards you and the plain aluminum poles are more slippery and leather gloves give you a bit more control. For reference, I am a 5'3" female and this is incredibly easy to use. I highly recommend it.

First, let me say the tool works wonderfully. Too good in fact. It bites deep into the snow (even when it has crusted over) and if you're not careful, you could find yourself buried in an avalanche. It is a workout, especially if your house is ranch style and you do everything from the ground. If you don't have upper body strength prior to using this tool, you will after. Note, you should not scrape all the way down to the shingles as this will shorten the shingle's life span. This would happen no matter what tool you used (and I have seen people using metal shovels while standing on the roof. Goodbye roof.) You also need to be aware of what's behind you when all of the handle extensions are in. No sense denting the car when the snow gives way and the shovel comes loose. The tool is pretty indestructible but you can break it if you snag it on a chimney or a gutter and then out of frustration, go postal on it. Lastly, keep the wing nuts hand tight. The tool loses integrity when the parts are loose. Now, my complaint: putting this thing together was not easy. The support struts did not mate flat to the main pole and fitting them took several attempts. READ ALL THE DIRECTIONS FIRST otherwise you'll do what I did and install the button hole upside down. Yes, it does make a difference between the "long side" and the "short side". Wing nut the supports to the main pole first but not competely torqued down. Attach them to the shovel blade, then tighten everything.

I had never even seen a snow rake nor had I known anyone who owned one prior to this past horrible winter of 2010/2011 in Connecticut. We learned all about them pretty quickly once the ice damming and five foot icicles were devastating our house as one blizzard after another roared through. All the area stores were sold out with waiting lists. We ordered this early on a Wednesday morning and by Friday afternoon it was on our front porch using only standard shipping. Thank goodness. Assembly was pretty straightforward. It is pretty sturdy. We used it early and often to help rescue the roof. It did a really good job of scooping bunches of snow as you pulled it downward off the roof. It did a good job of digging into some of the more stubborn icier snow as well. Even with all the extensions attached it was fairly easy to maneuver and direct to where it needed to go. There is no doubt that this product single handedly saved our house from serious damage that could've occurred had we done nothing to clear the dangerous levels of snow from our roof. Many in our neighborhood weren't so lucky and are paying the price, literally and figuratively. Snow raking is now part of our snow clearing routine. Snow-blow driveway, shovel walkway and porch, rake the roof. Every time. We learned our lesson. I wouldn't want to be without this product again when a nasty winter hits again. This particular model is highly recommended. You'll thank yourself later...

worked very good cleaned off my 70 ft. roof 45 minutes. it was not hard to use and allowed the bend in the handle.

This product is way over priced for what it is! Shop around and you can find same quilality for cheaper price!