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I ’ve never been able-bodied to comport a full sheet of drywall alone — until now . Even with a benefactor , it was always embarrassing . And plate glass ? Let ’s just say my wallet look at a striking after a pricy mishap .

The first time I meet aDeWalt Grabo , I was scheme — but skeptical . I ’d used glass sucking cup before , and they only worked on perfectly smooth , impermeable surface . There was no way the Grabo could grapple drywall or plyboard , or so I thought . I was wrong .

Dewalt Grabo Review

Photo: Glenda Taylor for Bob Vila

After loading aDeWalt PowerStack batteryinto the Grabo , I set it on my kitchen counter and press the suction clitoris . Instantly , the rubber seal of approval press , gripping the countertop like a bench vise . Within seconds , it was shut up plastered — and no matter how firmly I yanked , it would n’t stir . That was impressive , but how would it make out on other insipid surfaces ? I head alfresco to try .

Rating: 4.5/5

DeWalt Grabo Lifter

Over the next few weeks , I used the Grabo on virtually every hard flat surface I could find , including dry wall jury , plyboard , steel plates , and more . I discovered that the Grabo worked even on slightly porous open like concrete pavers . It dawned on me that I ’d been lifting matter the strong way for years .

That ’s when I decided I needed another one — for large , two - person tasks , like carrying heavy marble or travertine slab . I bought a secondDeWalt Grabo Suction Lifter .

So , how does it work ? press the suction button activates an internal vacuum that remove the line between the putz and the control surface . A dense froth mob around the stem compress , forming a stone - solid seal . I could actually see the Grabo sink down as the suction kicked in . When the ( negative ) pressure between the pecker and the surface reach about -12.1 PSI , the vacuum close off , but the suction remained .

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Photo: Glenda Taylor for Bob Vila

On semi - porous material , such as concrete pavers , the suction began to drop slow after the vacuity shut off , but I could still lift and carry the items . When the suction dropped to around -8.4 PSI , the vacuum automatically kvetch back on to increase the suction again . The prison term it takes for the suction to dribble depends on the material being transmit . When I try the Grabo on a sporty mirror , the suction hardly dropped at all — not enough for the tool to sound off back on .

One of my favorite feature film on the Grabo is its safety button , which prevents accidental activation . DeWalt added a tiny release lever next to the suck start button , which I had to push before I could in full press the start button to trigger off suction . It only took a few tries before I could do it by flavor , but that supernumerary footprint adds a simple and critical level of safety .

Like any power tool , theGrabo Suction Liftermay need occasional criminal maintenance . It comes with extra emptiness filters for the small intake holes on the bag , and the dense foam sealing wax is also replaceable . Most retailers sell this as a “ creature only , ” which entail you ’ll need to buy a separate battery if you do n’t have other DeWalt 20V cock . But at $ 249 , it ’s well worth it for anyone who regularly lifts and hauls panels , glass , or other unwieldy items with liquid surfaces .

Dewalt Grabo

Now , I ca n’t imagine lifting without it .

Where to Buy the Dewalt Grabo:

Meet the Tester

Glenda Taylor is a contractile organ , merchandise tester , and writer focus chiefly on building , DIY tool , and home appliances .

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