DOCA Boat Hook - Christmas Light Pole Hanger Tool - Durable & Lightweight Utility Hook for Docking, Tree Debris Removal

I was getting tired of having to hop into my truck bed to retrieve my stuff and then I found this. This thing makes life so much easier, just thread it on any length threaded pole. I used a 5 foot metal pole/handle and it works perfectly. You can put whatever length pole you want, but 5 feet was perfect for what I needed.

After failing to find help cleaning the gutters on my new house that are too high to reach with the ladder I have, I got this pole with a hook. This was by far, the superior choice over dying from falling off the roof or ladder, paying more than twice as much as the pole for a one-time cleaning service, or just letting the gutters spill over. This fall, I have cleaned out the full gutters three times, and each time was glad I did because it rained shortly after and drainage was good each time. I used the pole to extend a bucket of water up to the gutter to test my work, too. I have also used the pole + hook (plus a creatively fashioned duct tape loop on the cap) to replace a missing end-cap on the 2nd storey gutter.Yes, the pole did initially have issues of spinning at the extensions, however tightening the screws on the extension locks worked well to stop that. Extending from the bottom before the top helps to keep the pole stable, as well. It was long enough for the whole operation only needing the bottom two extensions, it could've gotten much longer than I needed for two storeys. At one point, I used the pole to give the gutter end-cap a couple of good "whacks" -20 ft in the air- to tamp it down on the glue, and the cap bent a little but the pole was rugged as ever. I'm happy; it looks secure, my pole was none the worse for wear, and I stayed on the ground for the whole thing. And, it was lightweight enough, with nice cushioned grips, that this out of shape 40 something arthritic woman was the one to do all of the above.I was surprised that the pole came with an unexpected, free duster attachment, thanks! I'm also looking forward to getting the bulb-replace attachment for a 2nd storey flood light, as well, and to seeing all the potentials with my pole - maybe I'll fish for garbage down the ravine off my property...

I primarily use this for putting up christmas lights. I was extremely pleased with it for the first hour until the plastic attachment that holds the hook to the body broke in half. Then I had to wrap some masking tape around the threads to make them fit the hook by itself, but whatever, it was still going mostly fine. Then I noticed that as I would try to push the light strings up, the pole was collapsing, even though I had locked it in. Well the plastic housing for the lever, as it turns out, has a tendency to become loose with use, so I keep a screw driver close to re tighten that housing. It's SO CLOSE to being a perfect product, too. It's otherwise very easy to use and very light weight, which is important considering I use it to work 25 feet above my head. Having good control at those distances is great, and it's not a huge strain on my back. If they improve whatever plastic they use to make the attachment from, I'd give it 100%... Right now I'd say it's about 90% as good as it could be, but also I don't know of another product on the market that does what it does, as easy as it does overall, so I'll stick with my masking tape and screw driver fixes.

Item is great for hanging things at a 90 degrees .

DocaPole would have a great product if they put a bit more sturdiness into their materials.Pole:The pole bends under its own weight which deforms the pole sections. Once this happens, the sections won’t slide back into one another for storage in its shortened state. I now have to store the pole at its nearly full length. Simply thickening the aluminum tubing slightly would help prevent this deformation without adding significant weight.Hook:The hook worked well but suddenly snapped one day. As a metallurgical engineer, I know a brittle fracture when I see one. The material used to make these hooks needs to be more ductile so it can take some deformation but return to its original form. This hook must be made with a very high carbon content and can’t yield very much at all before it snaps off. The pole wasn’t even deflecting when the hook snapped, so I know I wasn’t loading the hook very much when it failed. As I mentioned above in the Pole section, the pole bends very easily.Plastic:Again, as a consumer and as a metallurgist, when I see plastic used where metal could be used, I immediately suspect I’m being taken for a ride by the manufacturer. For smaller components, there is very little reason to choose plastic over metal unless you are intentionally building failure into your product to cause the customer to purchase a replacement. This product has several parts which should be metal but are not. The collars with levers located at the end of each section to release/lock the pole sections in place are one such example.The takeaways: If the manufacturer cares about the consumer’s needs they will build more resilience into this product. The biggest problems for me were the hook’s low ductility and the bent shaft of the pole which prevented shortening from its telescoped length. Most of the other material inadequacies can be addressed by the customer with a little DIY tinkering to bolster the quality. All-in-all, this is an OK product… but it could easily be a great product.

I’m really happy I purchased this… It has come in very handy a number of times. First time I used it to pick apples, using the hook on extended pole to pull at the higher branches in the tree to shake down the apples… Very effective. I’ve also used it to knock down ice from my roof… and used it in other home projects. I bought a few other attachments for it, too. No regrets on this purchase at all. Would also make a great gift for someone!!