AVALANCHE! Original Roof Snow Removal System AVA500 with 17-Inch Wide Cutting Head and 16-Foot Quick Connect Light Weight Fiberglass Handle

Baltimore was hit with about 80 total inches of snow this season and as the sun came out in between storms, we started getting nasty ice dams. I didn't really do anything about it (I mean, I spent 2 days shoveling out my 100 foot driveway, what am I going to do about 5 foot drifts on my roof?) until I saw that my library was flooding.

First thing to say is that the Avalanche works best when you use it IMMEDIATELY after a snowfall. The system is ingenius--you're basically sliding a conveyor belt underneath the snow and snow on your roof comes sliding down off of it. It truly works better and with less exertion than a traditional roof rake. But don't get me wrong, it's still a lot of work and you'll be exhausted afterwards.

If the snow is very wet or if you've let it sit and melt like I did, you'll have more work trying to push the head of the Avalanche through the snow. This is where my first complaint comes in. While the head of the Avalanche is very...Read more

I just purchased this with overnight delivery after getting hit with the "Blizzard of 2009". We ended up with around a foot of snow, but it piled up on the front of our house. We had a problem with ice dams last year, so I wanted to remove the snow before we had to break out the buckets and sponges.

The AVA500 comes disassembled, but goes together in several minutes. "Snap" (pop-up) buttons are used to hold the four pole segments together as well as for attaching the frame. The vinyl roll snaps into the bottom of the frame.

Usage is trivial: assemble to the desired length, unroll the vinyl, put the wheels on the edge of the roof, and slide the frame up the roof.

Oh, and stand back - this product is appropriately named. The snow literally flies down the sheet and off the roof.

Roll the frame back towards you, and repeat on the next section.

You typically only need to go up a few feet to prevent ice dams, but given...Read more

It works as advertised, as long as it is completely calm out. I found it extremely frustrating to use when there is even the slightest bit of crosswind. The plastic blows to the side and folds over and makes it nearly impossible to use. Also, the plastic tears very easily. After the first use I had numerous rips and tears from catching on the corners of shingles near roof edges. You can cut the plastic and then reattach, but you then lose that much reach up the roof. I had 6 tears anywhere from 6 inches to 6 feet from the head of the unit. I will probably have to replace the plastic, which according to the manufacturer's website is about $30. I was being careful, so my guess is that I will have to replace the plastic roll every time (or every other time) I use the unit, so you may want to take that into account. A simple switch to a fiber reinforced, tarp-type material would probably prove much more durable. A couple of simple changes and this would be a 5 star rating;...Read more