The Bumper
Patrick Scott's Elegant Solution.
In engineering, a solution to a problem that is simple, inexpensive, and effective is often referred to as an "elegant" solution. Pat's simple insulator grabber is indeed elegant. It consists of a rubber "tip" from an old crutch mounted on the tip of a telescoping pole used for window washing and changing light bulbs. These poles are available from most home-improvement centers such as Home Depot. You can take a look at the different models available at www.mrlongarm.com.
Above is a photo that shows the crutch tip mounted on the pole. In this photo, Pat is attempting to untangle a wire from a clear Hemingray 42 with a hook described below. Operation is simple: just swing the pole in a left-to-right motion, "bumping" the insulator with the rubber tip. About 90% of the time, this will start the insulator spinning off the pin. A push then dislodges it, and down it comes. Obviously, this only works if the insulator can fall into soft grass or weeds - or if you have an assistant that is good at catching them! A word of caution here: the "catcher" should be wearing a hard hat! A pound and a half of glass falling 20 feet could do some serious damage!
Here's a shot of Pat and his "bumper" in action! The insulator soft-landed gracefully in the grass, none the worse for the fall.
Pat also attached a hook just under the tip. This is handy for unwrapping wires, (unused ones, of course) and untangling branches and vines. In some cases, you can hook it under the skirt of an insulator, and lift it off the pin!
Above is my version of the "bumper." The rubber tip simply friction-fits on the yellow attachment, which in turn attaches to the telescoping pole. The yellow attachment is adjustable via the black knob, so that the top part can be fixed at any angle. It's designed for mounting a paintbrush or roller. These can be had for a few dollars at Home Depot. I'm happy to report that this works quite well!