Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Review of Handi-Reacher 50-1140 Reacher Grabber


Sometimes People Need Some Helping in Reaching Things


Review of Handi-Reacher 50-1140 Reacher Grabber
My husband is picking up a container of foot powder he dropped.
That's why our house has always had a reacher in almost every room for the past twenty years. We inherited a few from my in-laws, who had used them after hip surgery. My husband purchased more of them when he had his own hip surgery. I never thought I'd need another one until we inherited a second home from my mom and we started to live there for months at a time. It only had two reachers and my husband claimed both. When my knees started to make bending over hard to do, I decided I needed one I could lay claim to. I had an old one in my room,  but discovered it did not work well. My husband's did, so I decided to search Amazon to find one just like his. Since  all reacher-grabbers do not work equally well, I decided I should review the Handi-Reacher 50-1140 because I know it works well. I'd hate to see people who need the help get a reacher like my old one that doesn't work.


Why the Handi-Reacher is the Best Reacher-Grabber



Review of Handi-Reacher 50-1140 Reacher Grabber
Handi-Reacher Picking up Pill
The Handi-Reacher will pick up anything solid that is three inches wide or smaller. It will pick up a can of soup on a kitchen shelf above your head or grab the edge of a pan or casserole dish at the back of a bottom cupboard. My husband uses it to pick up the newspaper - even when the delivery person has thrown it under a car.You only have to pull the trigger handle with your hand to grab the item and bring it up or down. In my opinion it is the best reacher for disabled people.

At the end of the grabber claw is a small magnet that helps attract metal screws, tacks, nails, and other small metal objects so you can pick them up easily. The lower part of the claw also has grooves on the surface to keep objects from slipping. In the photo above Hubby is picking up a small pill he dropped on the floor. Below is photo of this action from a different angle. Do you see the little knob at the top of the reacher? That is to aid in dressing. I haven't used that yet because I've not yet needed it.


Review of Handi-Reacher 50-1140 Reacher Grabber
Handi-Reacher Grasping Pill


Don't Get a Reacher Like My Old One


I know there are some cheaper reachers available, and one of them may suit you better than the Handi-Reacher. I knew my husband's worked and I kept looking until I found it. I hadn't tested the other ones. I can tell you which one not to get, though. Don't get one that looks like my old one pictured below.

Review of Handi-Reacher 50-1140 Reacher Grabber
Old Reacher that Doesn't Work

After a while, it just stopped working. See that space at the end of the
Review of Handi-Reacher 50-1140 Reacher Grabber
Old Reacher's Bent Handle
jaw? I can no longer squeeze it shut. The flimsy handle is bent out of shape (see right) and won't work anymore. The shape of the handle also makes it harder to squeeze than the trigger handle on my Handi-Reacher. The whole-hand trigger handle is a must for those of us who have arthritis in our hands, since it easily pulls back instead of needing a hard squeeze.

Review of Handi-Reacher 50-1140 Reacher Grabber
Frozen Jaw of Old Reacher
Another major difference between this old reacher and the Handi-Reacher is the metal rod that connects the handle to the spring mechanism that opens and shuts the jaw. On the right of this photo you can see it hooked into the nearest point of the mechanism nearest the spring, which is hidden here by the hook.

In the Handi-Reacher, all of these parts that can bend and break so easily are protected by hard plastic or what appears to be a strong aluminum tube. Don't buy anything with an exposed wire and parts like you see in my photos of my old reacher. In this picture to the left you will also see that the inside of the old reacher's jaw is smooth instead of grooved like the Handi-Reacher. The groves help the object you are grabbing stay intact in the jaw until you can get it.

Handi-Reacher 50-1140 Handi-Reacher, Standard 24Handi-Reacher 50-1140 Handi-Reacher, Standard 24Check Price


This is kit is another option with high customer ratings for those of you who may need additional help after a hip replacement. It's especially designed to help you. It includes not only a reacher, but also aids for putting on socks and shoes, a long-handled bath sponge, and a dressing tool. Check it out before hip surgery. My husband still uses a long shoe horn and a sock tool when dressing, and it's been over ten years since his surgery.

Sammons Preston 49850 Complete Hip Replacement Kit, 24Sammons Preston 49850 Complete Hip Replacement Kit, 24Check Price


If your knees or back make it hard for you to bend to pick up objects, the Handi-Reacher or the Hip Replacement Recovery Kit may be just the friend you need. If you have trouble reaching a shelf above your head, you will also find these reaching tools useful. Why wait another day to get your Handi-Reacher to start making your life easier?






Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


9 comments:

  1. This really would be a very handy item for any home! I have often thought I needed some type of grabber to get things that fall behind the dryer or behind other large pieces of furniture that are too heavy to move. Thank you for the recommendation. Buying one that was flimsy or that would break easily would simply be a waste of money.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We inherited the flimsy ones. We bought the good ones.

      Delete
  2. Impressive! My husband has a reacher that he carries with him on the lawn tractor to pick up/move small limbs or other things that are in the way and it works pretty well. He'll need another, better one when he has his inevitable hip replacement surgery. Really appreciate this very impressive review!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We use our reachers every day. I pays to get a good one the first time.

      Delete
  3. Now this is a great idea, I'm always reaching on the top shelf for my wife, as she is only 5' tall. What a hand tool for around the house, Amazed how it picks up that small pill. Thanks for the review.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I made my husband demonstrate that in the photos because it's not what one would expect a reacher to do. it's the next best thing to a long arm with a hand on the end.

      Delete
  4. I have never even heard of a reacher before, but now that I've read this page, I definitely want one. Thanks for letting us know which one works and what to avoid. It would come in handy for those times I really don't want to get out of my desk chair to get something on the other side of the room.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's only 24" long so you still might not be able to reach across the room. You could extend your arm's length by two feet, though.

      Delete
  5. I know how handy a reacher/grabber can be. Being only 5 feet tall, there are many times I cannot reach something on a top shelf. I can still bend over for dropped items, but there will come a day..... :) Hubby used to use one to pick up the dozens upon dozens of pine cones in our front yard when we had a house with a whole row (6) of pine trees someone planted right smack down the center. He'd pick up the fallen pine cones with the grabber before mowing the lawn. Certainly saved his back! Thanks for this great review.

    ReplyDelete

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