Earlier this year my husband mentioned wanting to buy a landscape rake to use to remove leaves and pond weeds from around the edges of the pond. A landscape rake has a long handle and a wide head that would allow us to reach father into the water from the shore and remove more weeds at one time. I told him to go ahead and buy one. “They are expensive,” he said. About a week ago when we began raking the weeds from the pond, I told him to go ahead and buy the rake. He had another idea.
Using materials we already had on hand he built something similar to a grappling hook but perhaps we should call it a grappling rake.
He started with one rake head tied to the nylon rope and while it did work to remove some weeds it would always land upside down when thrown into the water, so it was not as efficient as it could be.
He then found a second rake with a broken handle. (Imagine that! We had two old rakes with broken handles hanging around.) He used two 1 1/2inch hose clamps to connect the rake heads together back-to-back. He then secured the rope around both rake handles.
The rope is about 20 feet (6 meters) long. He tied a loop in the end of the rope opposite the rake heads. The loop makes it easier to hold onto the rope while throwing the rake end out into the water.
The rope floats just in case you forget to hold on to the end.
In this case having a good retriever nearby might come in handy.
Once the rake has landed on the bottom simply pull the rope in.
It is quite efficient in removing a large amount of weeds at one time.
Don't Eat It! Soap and Skin Care 
Yay for innovation! I’m glad you were able to repurpose something that was otherwise broken.
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Me too. It works great! 🙂
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Innovative solution!
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It sure is!
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Your husband is quite handy to have around Ruth – instead of building the wooden raised beds, he used the old blue water barrels, he built a home for Froggy and now this … now to patent it and you’re on Easy Street the rest of your days. 🙂
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He’s a keeper for sure! 🙂
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Great idea. I love using things I already have.
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Thanks! Sometimes I wonder why we keep old things around but Grandma, who saved everything, used to say “you might need it someday.”
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And I love that Ruby is helping 💕
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She loves to help! 💖
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Why buy something new, when you can repurpose and reuse. It probably works better than the purchased one would have. We both do this type of thing often. I often tease that we are too cheap to buy, but now I know we are innovators. Lol.
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I think it does work better – it can certainly reach farther. Innovators indeed! and frugal (not cheap!) 🙂
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That is very inventive. I love it when someone comes up with solutions that are as good or better than buying something. Creativity and recycling combined. I know we save all those things that other people throw out for a good reason. Tell Dom I’m impressed. (as always)
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“You might need it someday.” Right?
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Ingenious!
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I agree, Anne! 🙂
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