Now for a tool designed for the older set: the grabber. The grabber, as the name implies, is used to grab things. These tools would occasionally appear at garage sales. Having none, and being The Tool Man, I started collecting several. These grabbers were of different designs, most of which demonstrated why they ended up in garage sales.
The first purpose I found for the grabber was to enable me to pick up things while recovering from hernia surgeries. This was especially needed to pick up the morning newspaper. Later I used the grabber to retrieve the newspaper from beneath our car in the driveway. It’s most common use is to pick up tangerines that are dropping daily. The ability to reach around trees without stepping around so much reduces the amount of soil compaction. Speaking of picking up dropped fruit—have you ever tried to pick up a rotten plum and found that your fingers penetrated the skin so all you end up with is goo all over? This is where a grabber with suction cup ends comes in handy. It’s surprising how the suction cups will enclose the softest of fruit so it can be gently lifted to a waste container. That is why I am recommending this type of grabber. I always thought this suction cup style looked cheap and toy-like, but the suction cups are substantial and versatile in picking up a variety of objects.
Not convinced you need this tool? Do you have a magnolia tree in your neighborhood that sends indestructible leaves into your front yard whenever the wind blows? How about a pine tree that drops cones throughout the year? Got snails? Did your golf ball happen to find the depths of a dastardly water hazard? Ever prune your roses and lose a severed branch down into the plant? How do you pick up a maggot infested carcass in your yard that you discovered a little too late? Did you ever want to tidy up an ornamental bush that had dead leaves or blossoms trapped inside? Do you have grandkids that think it’s fun to use a device to pick up a bedroom strewn with toys and discarded clothes? Ever had a need to retrieve objects from behind or beneath furniture? Do dogs take a dump in your front yard and you find the desiccated remains days later? Have an old-style light bulb in the ceiling that needs changing? (Maybe you should have 2 grabbers—one for inside and one for outside.)
All right, if you still are spry enough to get down on your hands and knees, you may not be ready for this tool. But if you’re like I am, and you don’t mind looking like that old guy down the street who used a grabber to pick up magnolia leaves off his lawn each day, then swallow your pride and buy a grabber. There are many available on line. The one shown is the VIVE Suction Cup Reacher Grabber – 32” Long Heavy Duty Mobility Aid for $19 with Amazon Prime.
Remember, don’t get old and crabby—just be grabby.
Stan, The Tool Man