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SkyMall Monday: Leaf Rake Hands

by Mike Barish (RSS feed) on Nov 28th 2011 at 1:00PM

As kids, it's natural to imagine ourselves as superheroes. Heck, some of us still fantasize about that as adults. How cool would it be to have super powers and to defend the world against supervillians. Sadly, however, reality is such that this isn't really possible. Even if you tried to be a superhero, you'd probably just end up in trouble with the law. At the end of the day, there are no supervillians and vigilante justice is frowned upon. So, even if you had otherworldly powers, you'd still be stuck in your humdrum life. Even if I could fly, I'd still be writing SkyMall Monday every week, albeit from different places around the world. Even this week's featured SkyMall product, which resembles Wolverine's claws, will simply make landscaping your yard only slightly cooler. Even X-Men need to keep a tidy lawn, and that's why you need the Leaf Rake Hands.

Raking leaves is tedious, backbreaking work. No matter how much you rake, more leaves just fall from the trees. Most rakes are flimsy and appear to have been made 30 years ago. Today's leaves require modern solutions. While superpowers would help, manpower most important.

Think that rakes are perfectly designed for the task at hand? Believe that Wolverine probably hires a landscaping crew to clean his yard? Well, while you clean your gutters telepathically, we'll be reading the product description:

The deep scoop design of the Leaf Rake Hands allows you to grab huge amounts of leaves, brush, or hedge clippings at one go. Simply grip the handles and scoop! The Leaf Rake Hands use the power of your forearms to make grabbing and lifting nearly effortless.

Finally, years of working out your forearms while browsing the internet have paid off.

You might not be able to be a superhero, but you can be a look like one as you handle your domestic chores. Those leaves aren't going to rake themselves and that spandex suit that you made for yourself deserves to be worn at least once.

Check out all of the previous SkyMall Monday posts HERE.

Filed under: Skymall Monday

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

sharkman Nov 28th 2011 5:32PM

The leaf rakes could be good for cleaning up after a Newfoundland Retriever or other large dog

v-bottom Nov 28th 2011 5:59PM

I never pick up leaves. The ole' lawnmower grinds them up quite well. Besides, its natural fertilizer and back into the ground it goes. Too much PT for an ole' man anyway.

joyce Nov 28th 2011 7:00PM

I do the same thing... sometimes I will blow the leaves off to the back and then mulch.

lynne Nov 29th 2011 3:46PM

As long as you grind 'em, that's fine. If you don't.......hmmm....ever see any grass growing in a forrest?

Al Schrader Nov 29th 2011 10:31AM

Those leaves are gold. They contain nutrients the tree has raised up from deep in the ground. You should have a population of earthworms living in your lawn that will convert the leaves into soil for you. They come out at night. Never use insecticides on your lawn because it will kill the earthworms. A good healthy lawn is fairly resistant to insects anyways. If you find your lawn doesn't have the earthworms, you can buy them and add them in. They aerate the soil and leave fertilizer castings. A good healthy eco-friendly lawn will look beautiful and save you a lot of money....Al-

Rob Nov 28th 2011 7:11PM

Dear Santa..................lol

davieboy Nov 28th 2011 7:49PM

I had this idea years ago and I used boxes. It works perfectly.

JERRY Nov 29th 2011 9:57AM

I used to rake my lawn but those days are gone - ever since I watched a video on Scotts Miracle Grow's website that showed that you can just mow your leaves right into your lawn (this is not an advertisement - I promise. Do a google search for the words [scotts mow leaves] and you should be able to find the video. They do recommend applying their fertilizer after your last mowing/mulching of the season.). Now when fall comes I religiously mow my lawn every week - setting my mower on its highest setting once grass stops growing and leaves really start to accumulate.

My house is tucked into a FOREST and I get a ton of leaves. When I used to rake I'd wind up with close to 40 leaf bags full - the kind they sell at hardware stores and supermarkets. Now I cannot believe how the leaves just disappear into the lawn when I mow them. Sometimes when they have accumulated extra heavy I may go over the same area twice, but it's still a heck of a lot easier than raking and bagging and you wouldn't believe how they just disappear into the lawn. This year I even blew the leaves from my driveway onto the grass and then mowed them to bits. I've been doing this for the last 3 years without any problem - lawn comes back just fine every spring (disclaimer - I'm not "Mr. lives for his perfect lawn" - if it's green it gets to stay - life's too short, but I haven't noticed any difference in my lawn's look and health from when I used to rake and remove the leaves.

If you decide to try it out, the one thing I recommend is that you don't wait until all the leaves have fallen to mow. I find it easier and faster to mow once a week throughout the period during which the leaves are falling. Also, if the leaves are extra high, set the mower on it's highest setting, mow once at normal pace, not worrying that everything is perfectly mulched, then go back and mow a second time.

BTW, I have a Lawn-Boy Gold Series self-propelled mower. When I use the mower to mulch I attach the plastic cover over the discharge hole where the bag would attach on the side of the mower so the leaves aren't shooting out the side of the mower, but being mulched beneath the mower.

I am SO GLAD I never have to rake again!

patrick Nov 29th 2011 3:00PM

Hey Jerry u retired or something? Kind of a long letter. lol

Jerry Nov 29th 2011 10:57PM

Guess I got carried away. The thing is, for the past 3 years that I've been mowing my leaves I get the biggest kick out of it - all the work saved and the leaves just disappearing like magic. Sorry for the long post.

dickn2000b Nov 28th 2011 9:46PM

Those things look like a pooper scooper for elephants.

Pat Nov 28th 2011 10:30PM

Everyone is selling them. I even saw them in Bed Bath and Beyond. Nothing new and exciting at all.

J V L Nov 28th 2011 11:25PM

They look more like German Shepherd doggie pooper scoopers than anything else.

frankkesselring Nov 28th 2011 11:30PM

What kind of journalism is this. No details, a lot of rhetoric, and not in sync with the headline. Just a lot of fantasy babble that isn't very ingenious. You know, it takes a lot of skill to write effectively in the format your attempting here. Otherwise it just falls short of the mark. You need to hear this kind of feed back or you will never realize it.

frankkesselring Nov 28th 2011 11:39PM

Sorry. I guess I'm a little bitter today. You have a nice imagination and I shouldn't be so critical. My apologies.

John Nov 29th 2011 9:41AM

Actually, Frank, I agree with your original comment
and would add that the put-down headline is narrowminded.
I have a yard I am cleaning outand these are what I need.
It is full of sticker bushes, citrus tree trimming (with thorns) and
I challenge the writer to come up with something better to use for it.
A rake with a hand is painful and slow.

Sue Nov 29th 2011 11:33AM

Well...you could spend money on something this silly or do what I do. In areas where I can't use a mower to mulch the leaves, I use a leaf rake and snow shovel. Same concept as the Leaf Rake Hands... except you don't have to bend over to pick up the leaves, have more control over what you're picking up, and can use the tools you already have in your garage.