On my second one. First one had wooden handles, second has fiberglass. I've bought and made handle extensions. Great product. I've got 12/12 roofs and that snow will come ripping down on you fast.
They can get beat up though when the snow sets up hard. The frame and axle can bend and the slide can tear, but they still do last. Pretty sure I've been using them for at least 20 if not 22 years.
I too have the avalanche. The wheels broke and crumbled this year and I could not find a replacement. When to Lowes and bought a pair of casters, drilled out the axle and mounted on the avalanche. They are a little wider. I'd actually like them a half inch taller. It does get tiring and a little floppy at full extension. Makes a very compressed pile to remove later!
I used my Avalanche! for the first time last week. It's somewhat heavier than the basic roof rakes due to the heft of the fiberglass extensions. It works great where the snow is deep. Less impressive where the snow is only a couple inches thick.
I am also having avalanche, but II has got cracked from the left side. Thought I have an insurance on it still the insurance company is denying the fact of replacing the avalanche with the new one. So to lead the process one of my neighbour suggested to contact to the Phoenix public adjusters who will help in getting the claim against your policy for the machine or the instrument you have made an agreement for.
I just bought a Minnsnowta Roof Razor. I've used it once and it definitely does the job. It's a bit cumbersome to get up on the edge of the roof, but once there it makes rapid work of the snow. Nice to watch those big cut blocks come sliding down!
i've had a Roof Razor for 4 years now. I use 3 handles to get the first couple of feet around the eaves. Then add the rest of the extensions that you need to finish the job. When you bring the Razor back down to the bottom to move it over, you just lightly bounce it over. If you do it right, you only need to lift it to the roof once. I have used it on 5 ranch style homes the first year, and 3 ranch style homes, twice this year. I don't have an answer for 2 story buildings though. I have tried on a good sized steel building with an angled tube extension and the extension just made it like trying to control a wet noodle. Maybe I haven't got it all figured out yet. For my purpose, it was worth the investment and I would buy one again if I needed to.
The investment is small for whichever one you decide on. Yesterday, a man fell 20 feet from his roof about 10 miles from here. His obituary is in the paper today.
Just to clarify, the Roof Razor and the Avalanche are not roof rakes. Only the wheels touch the shingles. You push it up and let the blocks of snow slide down. Rakes you chop and pull.
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