So, I recently got tired of reaching into my trusty Ryobi PCL705 vacuum cleaner to remove dog fur with my fingers, so I designed and printed a tool to do it for me. The fur-shedding season can be brutal with my two-and-a-half dogs (two husky mixes and a wolf/malamute mix). I fill the vacuum cleaner about five times a day, and fishing inside the tube to remove the dog fur from it adds a minute or so to every time I empty the vacuum. So, now this tool lives next to my trash can and gets used to dump out the dog fur several times a day.

It’s important to note that this is specialized for this vacuum and may or may not work on other models. The Ryobi PCL705 and its relatives seem to be a low-cost secret part of the lineup, and the more expensive models are the ones that come up if you search for Ryobi vacuums. Whereas most of the other vacuum cleaners in the Ryobi line are around $100 and come with a pentagon-shaped modular snout attachment, the PCL705 usually costs $30-$50, and its nose is just a tube, which works fine for dog fur. The simplicity of this setup is nice, and at this price point, you can afford to have a few of them around the house.

The flat line at the back of the object is intentional; it lets it sit flush against a wall, rather than sticking out some.