AVALANCHE! DB550 Drift Buster 550 Snow Rake with Shield

by Avalanche

Product Features

• Patented cutter frame with 3-Inch wheels and a durable plastic shield for lower pitch roofs
• 17-Inch x 8' plastic slide
• 16' lightweight fiberglass handle in four - 4' sections
• Snap-on coupler system for easy storage
• Easy assembly, No Tools Needed!

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 10 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B002TLSTHO
• Item model number: DB550
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #31,020 in Patio, Lawn & Garden (See Top 100 in Patio, Lawn & Garden)
  • #12 in Patio, Lawn & Garden > Snow Removal > Snow Rakes

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Avalanche "Original" (New and Improved) Save your back and your roof! Twice as fast and easy as a standard roof rake. Easy snap-on assembly…No Tools Needed! This product is lightweight, which reduces back strain and has wheels to protect your roof!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars it works, February 13, 2010

By 

Walter (Pittsburgh, PA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: AVALANCHE! DB550 Drift Buster 550 Snow Rake with Shield (Lawn & Patio)

It works in removing layers of snow from the roof. It was fairly straightforward to add and remove segments to adjust the length in order to make things less unwieldy. The installation was ok but could have been a little better: I believe I installed the slide backwards and forgot to install the shield before attaching the slide.

It can get heavy at full extension and the slide could be a little thicker as it got a little tangled now and then. Also, snow falling from the roof gets packed down pretty tight so shoveling that from the front steps was quite a chore.

It feels expensive at over $100 but with the aftermath of snowpocalypse 2010 and the ice dams building up, it was probably worth it.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Functional, but with notable caveats., February 1, 2011

By 

C. J. Staples "=cjs=" (Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: AVALANCHE! DB550 Drift Buster 550 Snow Rake with Shield (Lawn & Patio)

This product does in fact function as described, but with some significant limitations. It can best be described as a modified snow rake with an edged cutting frame, wheels on the bottom (to enable it to roll up and over shingles), a hinged gate (to let snow through frame) and a rolled-up plastic slide (to allow snow to slide to the roof edge). I have used this product for approximately 2+ hours and have the following observations:

It is NOT useful for breaking up piles of hard-packed snow on roofs. A regular snow rake was needed to get things "started". However, once the "hard" snow is broken, the product does a credible job breaking up soft snow and crust, and the cascade of snow down the slide is occasionally impressive. It worked best on exposed soft snow and was able to whittle away edges of some harder crust.

Much of the product is plastic (except primarily the cutting frame and pole connectors), so I'm not optimistic for the product's long-term survival. Aluminum would have been better, and for this price, that's really what I expected. I'm definitely concerned how long the plastic front shield will last.

The pole sections also are a hard plastic, NOT aluminum, and tend to flex A LOT when trying to loosen snow. This made the product nearly unusable at its full 16 foot length, as the poles tended to flex and bounce. At its 12 foot length, the product was reasonably usable from a ladder; however, I was hoping to reach higher from the ground without the ladder.

Biggest problem - the plastic "slide" roll has already detached from the roller; also, it quickly developed some small holes which will need repair. While the product is usable without the slide, it's much more like a standard roof rake then, as you need to pull the snow back toward yourself rather than letting it fall.

Bottom line: This product - while usable - is best suited for preventative removal of new / soft snow. It feels a bit overpriced, and its durability is questionable. I'm going to keep it, but I foresee quite a bit of repairs and maintenance to keep it functional. I admit to being more than a bit disappointed.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It works well but ..., January 29, 2011

By 

Scott Cook - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: AVALANCHE! DB550 Drift Buster 550 Snow Rake with Shield (Lawn & Patio)

The snow rake works well and performs as described. I have only two issues with the product. The drift busting blade broke at the hing during the second use. It obviously should be desinged with a steel hinge, because the plastic will not hold up to repeated impact into crusty snow and drifts. The long plastic slide/shield is useful, but will tear along sharp edges (gutters, shingles, etc.) so be careful. It takes a little bit of practice (and muscle) to get used to manuevering the rake, but once you got have the technique down, the snow will come sliding down in blocks from the roof. The rake works just as well without the blade, so I recommend the original version over the drift buster version.