In the summertime there is no doubt that my best friends are my golf clubs, but in the wintertime my best friend is my roof rake. OK, I'll explain. Here in New York we tend to get quite a bit of snow in January and February. The only thing worse than shoveling snow off your driveway and walk, is trying to figure out how to get it off your roof before it backs up under the gutters and into the eves of the house, causing widespread damage to your walls and ceilings.
A roof rake will let you get potentially harmful snow off your roof with ease, and they cost very little. Some insurance companies may even give a preventative safety discount on your NY homeowners insurance for them. I use my roof rake quite often this time of year. A good roof rake is about two feet wide and can usually extend out about twenty one feet. They won't damage shingles and they can prevent ice damming too.