Sam and I have used these rakes for over 10 years now and have found they significantly increase the quantity of blueberries we gather (think order of magnitude).
It will take a little practice to use them efficiently, but you won't be disappointed you made the investment by the time it saves hand picking. We estimate that it takes about 2-4 hours of use before you get the feel for how to use the blueberry rakes. Generally speaking, the larger the rake, the more time it saves you.
You will also collect a number of leaves, twigs, and perhaps a few sand cherries while using the rakes. We recommend winnowing to remove a large percentage of the leaves as soon as possible after collecting as moisture will begin to collect on the berries making it difficult to winnow the leaves off. Then, use a slanted board to run the berries down to separate out twigs, steams, and other unwanted stuff. The sand cherries, however, are mostly there to stay. :)
It will take a little practice to use them efficiently, but you won't be disappointed you made the investment by the time it saves hand picking. We estimate that it takes about 2-4 hours of use before you get the feel for how to use the blueberry rakes. Generally speaking, the larger the rake, the more time it saves you.
You will also collect a number of leaves, twigs, and perhaps a few sand cherries while using the rakes. We recommend winnowing to remove a large percentage of the leaves as soon as possible after collecting as moisture will begin to collect on the berries making it difficult to winnow the leaves off. Then, use a slanted board to run the berries down to separate out twigs, steams, and other unwanted stuff. The sand cherries, however, are mostly there to stay. :)