You look outside, and it's still snowing--and your back is reminding you of your bout with the berm of packed snow and ice the snow plough left at the foot of your driveway. Your neighbour next to you is having a pretty easy time with some kind of shovel that looks like a sleigh, while your neighbour on the other is struggling to get the snow-blower to cut through the berm. You grab your steel garden shovel and hack away at the berm, throwing small heaps of snow up over the peak of the snowbank that's now about head-level. As you're hacking away, and watching the guy next to you with that sleigh shovel, you wonder to yourself if you've got the right tool out there for the job...
What's the best snow shovel? Is there one kind of 'best' out there, or are there many? Are there some that are for certain jobs, but not for others? Are there some less hard on your back? Others better at scraping snow off the drive and sidewalk? Are plastic better than metal, or vice versa?
This post will throw a number of things out there for you to consider. With the way winter's been this month in Ontario, many of you, like me, are thinking of adding to the arsenal.
1. Metal or Plastic
This seems to be a debate among shovelers: some prefer plastic for the lightness and ease of use, while others prefer the efficient scraping-action a metal shovel affords. The downside to plastic is the concrete and asphalt can wear down the edge of the shovel blade, rendering it useless by the end of the season. However, the downside of the metal blade is it can damage fine outdoor tiles and wood decks. The key is to find the shovel that works best for you. Try them out in the store: if the metal shovel seems too heavy, then opt for the plastic. If you can handle some weight, and dig the metal one, go for it. It's really about preference.
2. One or More
There's a very good article in Popular Mechanics about the importance of different kinds of tools for different kinds of snowfalls. For instance, for that berm the snow plough piles at the edge of your driveway, a metal spade is probably the best initial shovel to use to cut through that packed snow and ice, then work your way to a push shovel once you've got the thing down to manageable size. Other important tools could be a square-nose metal shovel for scraping up ice and refuse from the flanks and tires of your vehicle. One of those ice pickers/scrapers can also be good, but could damage concrete when cutting through the ice. I also like to use a course surface broom for sweeping up lighter dusts of snow.
One of the shovels that I've noticed quite a bit is the sleigh shovel. In one chat-forum, a guy was raving about it so much it encouraged another guy to buy one. When he tried it out, he commented that it was so much fun to use that he ended up doing his other neighbour's driveway. What's cool about these is you use the weight of the snow in the sleigh to scrape the driveway while you're moving it to the bank, removing the stubborn packed on snow that's often left by other shovels. My neighbour has one, and his driveway is always perfectly cleared. In watching him use it--he's an older man--the shovelling seemed so easy.
3. Ergonomic
The consensus on ergonomic shovel handles seems to be mixed: some swear by them, while others don't care too much for them. The advice I found helpful was in the choosing of one: give it a try in the store to make sure it's the right size. If it's too short, you may find yourself tempted to bend your back, thus negating its utility in the first place.
4. Try It Out
It's important you try out a shovel in the store, preferably with the gloves on that you'll be using. This will make certain that the grip of the shovel is the right size for your hands. Nothing like having to squeeze your hands into a grip, and then deal with pins and needles in your hands, not from the cold but from a shovel whose grip is too tight and cutting off circulation. Also, it's important you're comfortable with the size and weight of the shovel before buying it--and remember to factor in the weight of the snow. Popular Mechanics states that a shovel full of snow can weigh between 7 and 45 pounds.
Other Tools
Once you've worked off the snow, and scraped off the ice and vehicle refuse, a good sprinkle of rock salt can do the trick in melting the rest of it off, especially along sidewalks and front walkways. As I maintained in a previous post, it's important to keep in mind the tension between caring for your family and neighbours who use your walks and the environment itself. Rock salt finds its way into our water systems and streams. Moreover, the toxins from the salt can harm dogs and other pets who are outside roaming around.
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