In search of... The Perfect Snow Shovel

[misshathaway]

Nobody is touting non-stick coatings on snow shovels as their favorite?
It's been 25 years since I shoveled snow (or mowed a lawn) down here, but the major malfunction in shoveling was always the wet sticky stuff sticking to the shovel, reducing shovel capacity and making you shovel the same snow 2-3 times when it stuck to the shovel

But you have to hold the shovel at perfect level or a big load of heavy wet snow falls off before you get to dump it. This is why I am in the shovel-often camp. Less snow on the shovel.

 

[Rianne]

Just heard on the news: Spray your snow shovel with cooking oil. The snow won't stick. As far as the actual shovel? We wait for 50 degree weather to melt it. It seems to happen every 4-5 days. We'll have 20-30 degree weather and snow, then it gets to 50 degrees and everything melts.

 

[ERD50]

Nobody is touting non-stick coatings on snow shovels as their favorite?
It's been 25 years since I shoveled snow (or mowed a lawn) down here, but the major malfunction in shoveling was always the wet sticky stuff sticking to the shovel, reducing shovel capacity and making you shovel the same snow 2-3 times when it stuck to the shovel

A quick application of wax, or a spray lube fixes that fast. Then you can buy the shovel of your choice, not limited to ones with a non-stick coating.

What was driven home to me in this thread - there is no 'perfect' shovel. Like any tool, there are specific tools for specific jobs. A pusher for light snow, a narrow, deep shovel for heavy snow. And a wider, shallow one for moderately deep snow. With that you can do some pushing and some lifting.

And of course, a plow, thrower, or service for large areas.

The right tool for the job.

-ERD50

 

[ERD50]

... We wait for 50 degree weather to melt it. It seems to happen every 4-5 days. We'll have 20-30 degree weather and snow, then it gets to 50 degrees and everything melts.

It's colder up here in Northern IL, so we like to get the snow removed before we get a warm spell, because that will likely be followed by a cold spell, and the remaining snow and/or snow-melt will then freeze. Then you have a real mess on your hands.

-ERD50

 

[imoldernu]

I have a short, deep rounded face shovel. It doesn't hold a whole lot. And that's good. It helps protect my back. If it takes a little longer with it, so what?

I didn't quite understand this, so I looked it up here:

What does shovel-face mean? shovel-face Definition. Meaning of shovel-face. OnlineSlangDictionary.com

 

[Walt34]

It's been 25 years since I shoveled snow (or mowed a lawn) down here, but the major malfunction in shoveling was always the wet sticky stuff sticking to the shovel, reducing shovel capacity and making you shovel the same snow 2-3 times when it stuck to the shovel

I've read that car wax or cooking oil spray (i.e., Pam or generic) will work. Last year I bought a can of Ariens Snow Jet Spray and that seems to work well. Pam is cheaper though, but I don't know how long it lasts on the shovel.

 

[Gumby]

Just heard on the news: Spray your snow shovel with cooking oil.

You could have learned it here faster.

We've had the curved "backsaver" design for many years now, and I find it to be quite good for shoveling the driveway and walks. If the snow is wet, you can spray it with cooking oil spray (Pam) to keep the snow from sticking. If it is really cold and the snow is dry and light (and not too deep) I sometimes use the leaf blower on it.

 

[JAACrabbit]

https://www.jmenterprises.com/

Best shovel for those light 2-3" dustings.

I live in MN and use this on my two driveways (about 200 total feet, two cars wide). I'm done in 20 minutes

I think they are available at ACE Hardware if you want to pick one up.

 

[hotwired]

snow shovel vote from a 25 year snow veteran

I owned a lawn and landscape (and snow removal) company in Central Maine for 28 years, which by the way does NOT make me a genius on this subject as evidenced by some of the choices my competitors made. But ...

I like to always have TWO shovels at hand: One is the garant pusher (the ones that USED to come in blue blade with white handle but now come in RED or PINK blade with white handle), and a A.M. Leonard orange poly grain or mulch shovel. These plastic shovels are unbelievable. I have 7 of them, thinking they'd get brittle in the cold...NOT A ONE has broken yet or even chipped. I have the smallest ones. They started making larger ones, and ones with longer handles. For snow, which can be heavy, stick with the smaller originals.

I use the pusher for just that. When there's 1-4 inches, light fluffy, etc. then the poly scoop for moving larger piles or shoveling basically anything that CANT be pushed.

SECOND best is the garant scoops (vs. pushers) that have been mentioned. I own about 12 of those (I also own 8 apartment buildings), and although they're not bad, the ergonomics of the AM Leonard scoop will make you put the garant scoop aside, although, the garant scoop DOES have a little more capacity. It WILL warp easier, break easier though.

My two cents. Please don't make the mistake of thinking I know what I'm talking about.

 

[CaptTom]

I owned a lawn and landscape (and snow removal) company in Central Maine for 28 years, which by the way does NOT make me a genius on this subject as evidenced by some of the choices my competitors made. But ...

I've only shoveled a handful of different driveways in my adult life, so genius or not, you've probably seen more different situations than I.

But I can't understand why my experience is exactly opposite yours. Maybe you don't get as much wet snow as we do here on the coast?

When shoveling, I scoop up as much as I can reasonably handle, then throw it where it needs to go. Often over the top of the previous storms' piles. I haven't had any luck doing that with the kind of shovels you mentioned.

True, on those rare days of light, fluffy stuff, I use my shovel as a "pusher" for a bit before tossing a shovel full, but that works just fine. Maybe with a very light snowfall, a wider shovel would get things done a little quicker. But really, the extra five minutes doesn't mean much on those days.

 

[RunningBum]

I've only shoveled a handful of different driveways in my adult life, so genius or not, you've probably seen more different situations than I.

But I can't understand why my experience is exactly opposite yours. Maybe you don't get as much wet snow as we do here on the coast?

When shoveling, I scoop up as much as I can reasonably handle, then throw it where it needs to go. Often over the top of the previous storms' piles. I haven't had any luck doing that with the kind of shovels you mentioned.

True, on those rare days of light, fluffy stuff, I use my shovel as a "pusher" for a bit before tossing a shovel full, but that works just fine. Maybe with a very light snowfall, a wider shovel would get things done a little quicker. But really, the extra five minutes doesn't mean much on those days.

With a pusher, you don't toss the snow at all. That didn't sound like a big deal a few years ago, but in our last snow storm I had a bad groin pull and could barely walk or even get out of a chair for 2 days. I don't know if that was from throwing snow, or slipping on a slick spot, combined with skiing after since I didn't think it was bad. I suspect the latter, but I still want to be careful about tossing a lot of snow.

The problem with the pusher is you can't push too much snow. That's why I got the one I referred to in an earlier post:

Saves on the body, usually saves a lot more than 5 minutes, and even 5 minutes on a very cold winter morning can be a big deal. Sure, I'm retired, but when I'm trying to make first tracks at the ski hill I'm back on a morning schedule.

What I also like about this shovel is that I can lean back just a bit and not scrape the gravel off the driveway when I feel it dig in.

 

[splitwdw]

I've only shoveled a handful of different driveways in my adult life, so genius or not, you've probably seen more different situations than I.

But I can't understand why my experience is exactly opposite yours. Maybe you don't get as much wet snow as we do here on the coast?

When shoveling, I scoop up as much as I can reasonably handle, then throw it where it needs to go. Often over the top of the previous storms' piles. I haven't had any luck doing that with the kind of shovels you mentioned.

True, on those rare days of light, fluffy stuff, I use my shovel as a "pusher" for a bit before tossing a shovel full, but that works just fine. Maybe with a very light snowfall, a wider shovel would get things done a little quicker. But really, the extra five minutes doesn't mean much on those days.

CaptTom, Completely agree. When shoveling, I try to move the snow away from the driveway in case of more snow. So I'm throwing/pushing it 2,3,4 feet off the drive wherever I can. Then I've got room to pile on more snow.

With a pusher, you don't toss the snow at all. That didn't sound like a big deal a few years ago, but in our last snow storm I had a bad groin pull and could barely walk or even get out of a chair for 2 days. I don't know if that was from throwing snow, or slipping on a slick spot, combined with skiing after since I didn't think it was bad. I suspect the latter, but I still want to be careful about tossing a lot of snow.

The problem with the pusher is you can't push too much snow. That's why I got the one I referred to in an earlier post:

Saves on the body, usually saves a lot more than 5 minutes, and even 5 minutes on a very cold winter morning can be a big deal. Sure, I'm retired, but when I'm trying to make first tracks at the ski hill I'm back on a morning schedule.

What I also like about this shovel is that I can lean back just a bit and not scrape the gravel off the driveway when I feel it dig in.

I can not imagine trying to shovel a gravel driveway. I'd be throwing stones everywhere and then have to pick them up before mowing season. I'm probably better off with my shovel. Sounds like if I got a pusher I'd be trying to move too much snow. I dig my heels in and don't want to give up. I think I'm bigger/stronger then I actually am. I'm sore today from lifting a king size bed frame onto sliders so I could move it.

 

[Walt34]

I can not imagine trying to shovel a gravel driveway.

Like many other things you get used to it and develop the technique of not trying to get every last bit of snow off and leave a half inch or so. You're only trying to make it passable after all. But my family's driveway was level so a hill wasn't an issue.

 

[RunningBum]

Like many other things you get used to it and develop the technique of not trying to get every last bit of snow off and leave a half inch or so. You're only trying to make it passable after all. But my family's driveway was level so a hill wasn't an issue.

Yep. I only have a slight hill. I try to break up the snow at the surface so it'll melt better, but I don't try to get every bit off as I would on a paved drive. It's a little more work, but an advantage is if there's ice, I can use a sledge hammer or maul to break up the ice without worrying about cracking asphalt or concrete. Mostly I've left it unpaid because it absorbs rain better, rather than running off and down to the foundation. OK, another reason is that I'm too cheap to pave it, but really, I'm fine with it unpaved.

 

[W2R]

I can not imagine trying to shovel [-]a gravel driveway[/-] snow at all.

Nobody ever shoveled snow for me. Even so I haven't shoveled snow in 53 years. I remember what terribly hard work it was for me to shovel snow, even back then in my youth.

I can't even IMAGINE snow shoveling as part of my retired life, and I'd never consent to live in such a part of the country unless I could
(1) afford to pay somebody to shovel snow for me, and
(2) afford a gym membership for my fitness needs instead of shoveling snow.

But that's just me.....

 

[Walt34]

I can not imagine trying to shovel [-]a gravel driveway[/-] snow at all.

Oh, I have plenty of painful memories! As soon as I was old enough to hold a shovel and do any measurable amount of work, it being an "outside" task and therefore a "male" task, I was assigned to shovel snow from the driveway. For whatever reason we have no photos of shoveling memorable snowfalls. Too busy shoveling, I guess.

That's why growing up I always viewed outdoor power equipment as such luxuries. Up until age 14 or 15 I mowed the lawn with a hand-powered reel mower so a walk-behind power mower, let alone a ride-on mower that was a distant dream, was a real step up in my world. I think I was in my twenties before I knew that snowblowers even existed.

Below is DW experimenting with the previous snowblower in 2011. Beats the heck out of shoveling! But you can see it isn't much good for the porch and stairs.

 

[marko]

To me, the best snow shovel is one held by a 15 year old boy looking to make a few bucks.

I do have an ancient 1970 era Ariens beast that my grandfather left behind. Huge, powerful with a nice walking cab. He paid over $1200 for it 45 years ago so you know it's good stuff.

As we now winter in Florida, I only get to use it if I return for a few days mid-winter. I just use it to clean up what the plow guy misses but it's sure fun to use.

 

[W2R]

Oh, I have plenty of painful memories! As soon as I was old enough to hold a shovel and do any measurable amount of work, it being an "outside" task and therefore a "male" task, I was assigned to shovel snow from the driveway.

I had two older brothers to do the "male" tasks, but unfortunately we lived on an extra large corner lot (twice the sidewalk) in St. Louis at that time, with a double wide, curved drive that snaked around the back yard past the house and detached garage, in a "U" shape, plus a large parking pad at the end of it that would fit a half dozen cars and had to be shoveled too, for some unknown reason.

So there was plenty of snow shoveling for all three of us. Luckily I got the standard size snow shovel and one of my big brothers had to operate the huge curved (half cylinder shaped) one. I couldn't shovel as much snow as they did; they were both big strong guys on the first string of our high school football team, and I was 5-6 years younger. But I did all I could because otherwise they would tease me and even worse, report it to our mom. What I hated was that by the time we were done, enough additional snow had fallen that we had to start all over again.

At least my mother would have hot soup waiting for us when we were done.

To me, the best snow shovel is one held by a 15 year old boy looking to make a few bucks.

+1

 

[HadEnuff]

To me, the best snow shovel is one held by a 15 year old boy looking to make a few bucks.

I do have an ancient 1970 era Ariens beast that my grandfather left behind. Huge, powerful with a nice walking cab. He paid over $1200 for it 45 years ago so you know it's good stuff.

As we now winter in Florida, I only get to use it if I return for a few days mid-winter. I just use it to clean up what the plow guy misses but it's sure fun to use.

once again, you've beaten me to it...exactly my thoughts. And in one week I'll be heading to Florida for my first ever snowbirding winter. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

 

[Walt34]

To me, the best snow shovel is one held by a 15 year old boy looking to make a few bucks.

Oh yes, there were a few times that some friends and I were those kids going door to door hoping to make a few bucks. One time each of us came home with ~$20 (big bucks in 1965!) and I got yelled at because our own driveway had yet to be cleared.

My pleas of "I'm tired of shoveling snow!" fell on deaf ears....

 

[Gumby]

Apparently, all the 15 year old boys around here have plenty of money, because I never see them asking to shovel snow. (or mow grass, or rake leaves, etc.)

 

[CaptTom]

CaptTom, Completely agree. When shoveling, I try to move the snow away from the driveway in case of more snow. So I'm throwing/pushing it 2,3,4 feet off the drive wherever I can. Then I've got room to pile on more snow.

Exactly. My next-door neighbor got one of those pushers shown in the photo above. He was so happy that first storm! Just pushed it to the edge of the driveway and tipped it up.

Next storm, he tried it again. No room to tip it, since the pile from last storm was still there. I've never seen him use it since.

In my climate, really the only option is to throw it as far from the driveway or walkway as you can reach. The flat shovels which don't hold much are a waste of energy. The bent-handle types don't allow for a good toss. The pushers don't allow any.

Maybe these all work great in some environments. Not here.

Apparently, all the 15 year old boys around here have plenty of money, because I never see them asking to shovel snow. (or mow grass, or rake leaves, etc.)

Same here, haven't seen kids doing things like that in decades.

I vividly remember being made to shovel, as a kid, and cussing under my breath with every shovel-full I moved. I still cuss a bit sometimes, but frankly it's a great way to get outdoors, and get some exercise, over the winter. I have a snowblower, but some days it's just not worth the effort of getting it out, and a shovel can do a better job, almost as quickly.

Winter shoveling is a small price to pay for not having to endure unbearable heat for the other 9 months of the year.

 

[splitwdw]

I have a 15 year old neighbor kid thats helping me with outdoor jobs. He just started this year. He's saving for college. He doesn't do the greatest job but he's learning. Got my fingers crossed for next Spring where he'll be a year older, probably taller, hopefully faster and knows there's two 8 o'clocks in a day. He distributed a flyer in the neighborhood, that's how I found him.
Capt, When we were younger all of us would go out to shovel the drive. Everyone had a section to clear and whoever finished their section first got real whip cream in their hot chocolate. My oldest sister, who hated the outdoors, always finished first. Now she blames her weight gain on all the whip cream that she says led to eating goodies. lol She's the only heavy one out of the siblings, the rest of us are slim.

 

[JoeWras]

I paid for the first two years of college with snow shovel money. Had to get out there at 5AM to do my accounts before going to school. Hey, it was great exercise.

It was all old school straight shovels. I wore some of them down.

Now, today I see people with these "bent shaft" shovels. I don't get it! I don't know how they would work better.

 

[johnhkc]

I love my Trail Blazer (made by Union Tools, Columbus, OH). It's a snow auger - human powered snowblower. As you push it, an auger inside turns and drops the snow off to the right. I start in the middle of the driveway and work my out. It doesn't do wet snow well at all. And you can only do a max depth of around 4 inches. For Kansas City, this handles about 95% of snow falls.


I bought this quirky tool at Home Depot for $15 several years ago. They don't make 'em anymore. They sell on ebay for nearly $100.


One of my neighbors uses a snow blade. It takes him about 15 minutes to do the driveway. Two others use snowblowers and it takes forever. I get the job done in under 10 minutes. It also works great for sidewalks. Just walk to the mailbox at normal speed and the snow drops to the right. Walk back to the house to clear the other half and you're done. The mailbox is 4 houses away - takes me about 45 seconds to do it all!