I have a number of grabbers from Menards...
I purchased a number of them a few years ago, on a special sale, for either free after rebate or maybe only a buck or two each. I can't remember.
Anyways, they work pretty good. Except, I find them not so good when trying to pick up smaller sticks after a windstorm. That's what I am doing right now. The pads on the end claw are too small and you have to get the stick exactly in the right spot or it will slip through when you squeeze the trigger. Although I am not bending over to pick up sticks, sometimes I have to take 2 or 3 attempts at picking up a stick. That wastes a lot of time.
I have considered either trying to modify the claws or getting a different kind of grabber. I just watched a YouTube video and the Unger Trash Pickup Grabber was their winner. I found it on Amazon...
Maybe the Unger grabber would be better as it is made specifically to pick up trash off the ground. I suspect the grabbers I bought at Menards were made for reaching up and taking things down, like cans from a shelf.
Also, I like the magnet on the end of the Unger grabber. That's a great idea. I think I will glue on a magnet to the end of one of my grabbers from Menards. That alone would help for some things, like nails or screws that are on the ground.
For anyone considering purchasing a grabber, I can tell you, IMHO, it all comes down to how you plan on using the grabber and how well it works in your hands. I had some less expensive grabbers from various stores, and most of them broke in no time when I tried to use them outside for picking up stuff off the ground. I ended up with the Menards grabbers that were the most expensive, because they just work better and last a lot longer than the cheaper options. As much as I like to save money, when it comes to tools that save me time, effort, labor, or physical comfort, I will pay more for a better tool that meets my needs.
I have pretty much reached the limit to my current grabbers and would really like to buy an upgrade, even if it costs me a bit more money this time.
We don't have many snakes where I live in northern Minnesota. So, I had to look up what a ratsnake was...
I don't know if they make a grabber long enough for me to take out a snake like that. I am thinking maybe a 10-foot pole with a noose on the end! Something like this, only longer...
That comes out to only 4 cents per wingnut at Harbor Freight - compared to the shocker price tag of $1.19 each at our local Fleet store! What's even better is that I can wait for Harbor Freight to offer a 20% or 30% off coupon and pickup up that kit for even less.
Dear Wife is a great cook, and she does the majority of making meals for us at home. But the past year, I attended some Senior Citizen cooking classes that we had once a month. I had fun learning how to cook stuff. Often times, I was the only male in the class. But that did not bother me. I learned a lot.
Sometimes, I think folks that are eligible to receive food shelf packages should be required to attend some kind of cooking classes to earn their eligibility to get that free food. I just believe that if they knew how to cook at home, that the canned and dry food they get in their packages would have a lot more value to them and that would be better for their families.
Well, I served in the Navy in my younger days, and I visited many third world countries on my ship. The sight of the local natives diving into the dumpsters on our pier side trash bins just to get a half-eaten doughnut or maybe some scrambled eggs is burned into my memory forever. I know what poverty and hunger looks like, and it was not a pretty sight.
