Anyone using the Root Assassin Rake?

[crowdofmyself]

I'm seriously considering getting one of these. I'm curious to know if anyone else has one and how they like it. I'm under 5' tall, and I'm a bit concerned about the two-piece handle. Most of the tools I've bought with two-piece handles don't stay put together well.

https://www.amazon.com/ROOT-ASSASSIN-RAKE-Assassin-Tools/dp/B006058HO0/

Any feedback on this one would be most appreciated.

 

[aart]

What will you use it for?
I've had good two piece handles... and bad ones.

 

[crowdofmyself]

Oh, sorry. I guess I should have mentioned what I'd want to use it for! I have a small garden area that I'm incorporating a chicken coop and run into for about 4 chickens (max). I was thinking I could use this rake to work my raised bed gardens, shovel up leaf mulch and weeds, dig out potatoes, and also rake/shovel out the poop from a sand-based chicken run.

 

[aart]

Oh, sorry. I guess I should have mentioned what I'd want to use it for! I have a small garden area that I'm incorporating a chicken coop and run into for about 4 chickens (max). I was thinking I could use this rake to work my raised bed gardens, shovel up leaf mulch and weeds, dig out potatoes, and also rake/shovel out the poop from a sand-based chicken run.

I would not use that rake for much of anything, certainly not digging in garden beds, unless those plastic tines are way stronger than I think they are or your soil is very loose. The pic of gathering garbage out of sand is about the only thing it might be good for and the apple app. It might work for sifting chicken poops out of sand if you add some 1/8" hardware cloth to it. The 58" length might be hard to use inside a chicken run, course you could always use half the handle.

If you do get it come back and let us know how it works out.

This is the best thing I've found for moving mulch/wood chips:

 

[crowdofmyself]

Thanks, aart, for the advice and the picture of your tool with the name and brand on it. I've been looking at those kinds of forks, too, and was thinking maybe the root assassin rake could be used to rake up chicken poop (from deep sand, so wouldn't it be like in a litter box somewhat?), but if you think the tines aren't close enough together for the pooper scooper, can you recommend another tool for it? I've got an old garden fork that I can use for moving mulch. The main thing I'm looking to get is something to clean my run out with, and I was hoping to find that one super tool that would be useful for all kinds of tasks.

I found this video that shows it lifting bricks and being run over by a car. It's an ad, I know, but it looks like it should be sturdy. And I have a pond! Didn't think of that!

My covered run will be 4 x ~10 and 4'8" tall...and since I'm under 5 feet, I can walk into it to clean it. I'm still building all this for the peeps to come in February (brooding them in the house), and I'm trying to have everything I'm going to need lined up and paid for before I order them. I'm building my run out of 2 x 4 gridwall panels tied together and I'll have a 1/2" hardware cloth skirted wall with concrete block edging around it for protection. When I get it leveled up and fortified where it doesn't look like a falling down mess, I'll post some pictures!

 

[aart]

but if you think the tines aren't close enough together for the pooper scooper, can you recommend another tool for it? I've got an old garden fork that I can use for moving mulch.

Have seen folks add small mesh to those types of rakes for sifting poop.
Still won't get all the poop out.
Not fan of sand for bedding, it eventually gets saturated with pulverized poop and when damp will reek. I use cold-composting semi-deep litter in the run, never clean out any poops.

I do use sand and/or PDZ on poop boards in coop, and use a mesh organizer basket to sift poops out daily.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/6...raphic-gross-poop-pictures/1100#post_13179595

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...s-poop-pictures.621363/page-178#post-18966048

Garden fork is my go to for turning/aerating garden soil.
Not great for moving chips tho, the other one is like magic comparatively.

 

[crowdofmyself]

Mesh organizer basket! LOL! Well, I already have some of those, so I guess I'm set!