My only complaint was that to expand it, I didn't have the strength to turn the shaft the first time and I'm pretty strong. My son was able to do it for me, though. I will give an amended review if I find I am not as pleased as I am now.

Convenient size to get into the hard to reach area and very lightweight.

So... I'm not using this like ya'll are, so this review may not be entirely relevant to you. That said, I am putting in insulation in my attic. There are already antique remnants of loose fill laying around. I use this to rake, or more often push the loose fill into a pile, then measure, cut and install batts of insulation to fill the space I've just emptied. I can't stand up in my attic. Luckily there are a few places I can pretty much sit up, and many I can't.So, on to the review. Between the braces, cables, ducts and other structural members, I can't always get specifically, absolutely where I'm working. This rake is short to haul around without catching on stuff but can extend to give me the extra reach I need occasionally. It fits well between joists, and is narrow enough to maneuver around junction boxes I have to clear at times. If something I need is out of reach, I can hook it with the rake as opposed to taking 5 minutes contorting around to get to it. You understand the problem with being in the attic is the possibility of suddenly going from attic sweating, to downstairs with broken bones. The less I have to move around the better my odds.The 'Open' arrow on the handle is not backwards. The arrow is on the handle, not the extension. The handle twists that direction. Not rocket surgery. There's a detent internally I can feel when I twist the handle. You twist to lock it, and a little more twist lets it lock into the detent. It hasn't collapsed on me, but I'm pushing loose fill insulation with it and sometimes moving 2x4s or romex. If that was enough to collapse it, it'd already be on it's way back. To repeat, I'm not digging in the dirt with it, and I'm pushing with it as often as I'm pulling.It feels quite sturdy. A good bit heavier than I had anticipated. Not a deal breaker but a little more consideration crawling around in my attic hauling, it, insulation, tool bag, tape, and the only true essential a big LED light. Heavier than the old dried out 6' cedar picket I had used to poke 8' batts of insulation away from me to inaccessible places, but far more maneuverable.So, it's gotten 'light use' from me but not light handling. Dropped, tossed, banged into braces and whatnot, and sweated on. It's holding up quite well and doing the job, once again, For My Purposes. YMMV

I really like this rake. It is well made and easy to extend. The tines are narrow enough to fit in small places when racking. I use this rake all the time.

Exactly what I needed.