The Gopher Handy Helper claims it can lift any object big or small so you don't have to. The makers say if you own a car, truck, boat or RV it's the perfect companion. It promises that it can reach where you don't have to. The infomercial says that with just one finger the Gopher locks on so you can pick up, take out and put back without any effort.
We enlisted the help of landscaper Mike Chadwell of Springhill Landscape and Chadwell Construction. His first order of businesses was picking up trash around his home. "It did a great job with that, it will not pick up very heavy things, but up to a couple of pounds it did fine," says Chadwell.
Mike's attempt at picking up his hammer didn't work so well. So what's the secret? According to the infomercial the secret is the suction action combined with the easy locking handle. How did if fair changing a light bulb? "You have to hold the handle and turn in and turn it. It gets kinda hard because your wrist can't make it so it was kinda scary taken out the light bulb," says Chadwell.
Into the laundry room we went to fetch those out of reach items that always seem get lost. "It did pick up a sock that had fallen in between. I thought it did good for that," says Chadwell.
Our final stop was the kitchen. Mike wanted to see if he could place something above his cabinets. "I didn't feel comfortable placing it up high. If it were glass I definitely wouldn't do it," says Chadwell.
In your opinion is this a deal or dud? "I would say it's a dud," says Chadwell.
The Gopher cost around $15 dollars. We tried contacting the company but have not heard back yet.
