Quick verdict
A low overhang is the easy roof to rake and the one most often damaged, because the rake head drags on the shingles. The Avalanche 500 rides on wheels and slides the snow down a chute; the USA-made 20-foot rake adds rollers to a conventional pull; the Snow Joe RJ204M telescopes to the eave and does leaves in fall. Clear the first three or four feet from the edge after every big storm to stop ice dams.
Avalanche 500 Roof Snow Rake with Slide and Wheels
A low overhang is reached from the ground with a short pole, and the Avalanche 500 is the rake designed for that: a cutter head on wheels that rides above the shingles, pushed up under the snow so the slab slides down a 12-foot slick slide to the ground in sheets. Four lightweight fiberglass poles snap together to the length the eave needs, the wheels keep the head off asphalt shingles and it is made in the USA.
The best roof rakes for low roof overhangs: Avalanche 500 with wheels and a slide, a USA-made 20-foot aluminum rake with shingle saver rollers and the Snow Joe RJ204M telescoping rake, compared on shingle safety and reach.
The picks at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Score /100 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avalanche 500 Roof Snow Rake with Slide and Wheels | Best for Low Eaves | 9.0 | Check price |
| USA-Made 20-Foot Snow Roof Rake with Shingle Saver Rollers | Best Conventional Rake With Rollers | 8.6 | Check price |
| Snow Joe RJ204M Telescoping Roof Rake, 21-Foot, 25-Inch Poly Blade | Best Telescoping for Leaves and Snow | 8.3 | Check price |
The picks, reviewed
Avalanche 500 Roof Snow Rake with Slide and Wheels
A low overhang is reached from the ground with a short pole, and the Avalanche 500 is the rake designed for that: a cutter head on wheels that rides above the shingles, pushed up under the snow so the slab slides down a 12-foot slick slide to the ground in sheets. Four lightweight fiberglass poles snap together to the length the eave needs, the wheels keep the head off asphalt shingles and it is made in the USA.
Reasons to buy
- Wheels keep the head off shingles
- Snow slides down a chute, no pulling
- Snap-together poles to the length needed
- Made in USA
Reasons to avoid
- Slide is bulky to store
- Costs more than a plain rake
- Needs a few feet of clearance in front
USA-Made 20-Foot Snow Roof Rake with Shingle Saver Rollers
A conventional roof rake pulled across shingles tears them, and this aluminum rake fits rollers on the head so it rides above the roof surface. The 20-foot assembled length reaches past a low eave to pull the snow back from the edge where ice dams form, the aluminum is light and strong, and it is made in the USA.
Reasons to buy
- Rollers prevent shingle contact
- Light aluminum, 20 ft
- Made in USA
- Simple pull design
Reasons to avoid
- Twenty feet is long for a low eave
- Pulling snow toward you
- No slide
Snow Joe RJ204M Telescoping Roof Rake, 21-Foot, 25-Inch Poly Blade
The Snow Joe RJ204M telescopes with a twist-and-lock handle from short to 21 feet, so it collapses for a low eave and extends for a garage, with a 25 by 6-inch poly blade that clears more per pull and doubles for wet leaves in fall. It weighs 4.8 pounds and stores short.
Reasons to buy
- Telescopes to the eave height
- Wide 25-inch poly blade
- 4.8 pounds
- Clears leaves too
Reasons to avoid
- No rollers; blade touches shingles
- Twist locks slip when wet
- Poly blade flexes on packed snow
Why the eave is the part that matters
Snow on a roof is not the problem; snow at the eave is. Heat from the house melts the snow higher up, the meltwater runs down to the cold overhang and refreezes, and the ice dam that forms backs water under the shingles and into the walls. Raking the first three or four feet above the eave after a big storm stops it, and a low single-story overhang is the easiest roof to rake and the one most often damaged, because a bare rake blade dragged across cold shingles tears off the granules. The three rakes here all keep their heads off the roof or reach the eave at the right length.
This guide is built from the published specifications of each rake and from recurring owner feedback. We have not run these rakes ourselves.
How the three compare
| Rake | Type | Shingle protection | Length | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avalanche 500 | Push cutter with slide | Wheels | Snap sections | Light |
| USA-made 20 ft | Pull rake | Rollers | 20 ft | Light aluminum |
| Snow Joe RJ204M | Telescoping pull rake | None | To 21 ft | 4.8 lb |
Avalanche 500: push up, snow slides down
The Avalanche works the opposite way to a rake. Its cutter head rides on 1.5-inch wheels above the shingles and is pushed up under the snow from the eave; the slab above it breaks off and slides down a 17-inch wide, 12-foot slick plastic slide to the ground in sheets, with no pulling and no lifting. Four fiberglass poles snap together to the length a low eave needs. It is made in the USA, it is the gentlest rake on asphalt shingles and the slide takes a corner of the garage to store.
USA-made 20-foot rake: rollers on a pull rake
A conventional aluminum pull rake with rollers fitted to the head so it never touches the shingles, assembled to 20 feet and light. It reaches well past a low eave to pull the snow back from the edge, and the rollers are the feature that separates it from the rakes that tear roofs. Twenty feet is longer than a low eave needs, so it is handled in sections or at the angle the eave allows.
Snow Joe RJ204M: telescopes to the eave
The Snow Joe telescopes from short to 21 feet with a twist-and-lock handle, so it collapses to exactly the length a low overhang wants and extends for the garage. The 25 by 6-inch poly blade clears a wide swath per pull, it weighs 4.8 pounds and in fall it pulls wet leaves off the same roof. It has no rollers, so the blade is kept light on the shingles and used on crisp new snow rather than old crust.
Raking a low roof well
Rake after any storm over 6 inches, before the snow settles and freezes. Stand back from the eave so falling snow misses you, and clear the first three or four feet above the edge, working along the eave. Do not try to clear the whole roof and never work from a ladder. Keep the blade light on the shingles or use a wheeled head. Check the gutters are clear in fall, since clogged gutters start ice dams too.
Which one should you buy
Buy the Avalanche 500 for the gentlest rake on shingles with no pulling. Buy the USA-made 20-foot rake for a conventional pull rake with rollers. Buy the Snow Joe RJ204M for a telescoping rake that also clears leaves.
How we research
This guide is built from the published specifications, manuals and warranty terms of each product and from recurring owner feedback. We have not run these products ourselves; where a maker does not publish a figure we say so rather than guess.
What to look for
Shingle protection
Wheels or rollers on the head keep it off the shingles. A bare blade dragged on cold asphalt tears granules.
Length
A single-story eave needs 10 to 16 feet. Telescoping and sectional rakes set to that; a fixed 20 feet is unwieldy.
Push or pull
A slide rake is pushed up and the snow comes down on its own. A pull rake drags snow toward the user and off the eave.
Weight
Aluminum and fiberglass rakes under 6 pounds are held overhead for an hour.
Our verdict
A low overhang is the easy roof to rake and the one most often damaged, because the rake head drags on the shingles. The Avalanche 500 rides on wheels and slides the snow down a chute; the USA-made 20-foot rake adds rollers to a conventional pull; the Snow Joe RJ204M telescopes to the eave and does leaves in fall. Clear the first three or four feet from the edge after every big storm to stop ice dams.
FAQs
Snow at the eave melts from house heat, refreezes at the cold edge and forms an ice dam that backs water under the shingles. Removing the first few feet prevents it.
The first three to four feet above the eave, after every storm over 6 inches. Not the whole roof.
A bare metal blade can. Rakes with wheels or rollers ride above the surface and are safe on asphalt shingles.
No. Rakes are ground tools. Falling snow and a ladder on ice is how people are hurt.