All about snow shovels, scrapers and dumps: types, functions, capabilities

The range of shovels is varied; such simple tools differ in many parameters. For example, they come in plastic, metal, and wood. When choosing, you need to take into account the topography and area of ​​the area being cleaned. A lot also depends on the material of the bucket. Metal shovels are durable and strong, but they weigh more than others. Wooden models are not as heavy, but no less durable. However, humidity deforms the material and shortens its service life. Plastic is resistant to deformation, weighs little, and is inexpensive. However, it certainly cannot be called durable and reliable.

The speed of cleaning depends on the size of the working part of the snow shovel. On the other hand, it is more difficult to tilt a large full bucket. Therefore, body features are taken into account. The bucket configuration determines how much snow the shovel can handle at one time. Wide, flat models clear large areas quickly. Options with deep sides accommodate a lot of snow and clear away snowdrifts. Semicircular buckets cope with uneven terrain, rectangular buckets cope with fields. Taking into account all the features, we have collected 15 of the best shovels. We examined their dimensions and divided them into three groups. We added the most popular shovels according to users.

Criterias of choice

Bucket material

The wooden part of the scoop will require special care. Wooden parts must be regularly treated with a water-repellent agent. According to buyers, the best buckets are made of metal, but along with high strength, special skills are required when working with such tools. Also, due to their high weight, metal equipment is only suitable for physically strong people. The strength and light weight will be matched by more expensive aluminum models. Plastic ones are easy to use, resistant to damage, lightweight, but are not suitable for clearing ice.

Working surface

How to choose? The wide part will allow you to capture more snow, which will reduce operating time, but also increase the load. The larger the area of ​​the scoop, the greater the volume of snow mass will be captured. Therefore, it is worth selecting sizes taking into account the physical characteristics of the user.

Form

For cleaning a large area, the best options will be made in the form of a wide, flat rectangle. Which tool is best to buy for throwing bulky snowdrifts?

A ladle with deep sides is suitable here. The terrain also matters. The rectangular shape is only suitable for flat surfaces; if there are uneven areas in the area, you should choose semicircular options.

Edge

It is better to use a plastic border for clearing areas with plantings, as it will not leave mechanical damage. Equipment with a metal edge is usually used for cleaning asphalt surfaces. Also, a metal holder will reduce the risk of damage to the instrument during severe frosts.

Human height and hand grip

The greatest efficiency when working will be ensured by a posture with a straight back and slightly inclined shoulders. Therefore, for a short person and for a tall person, it is necessary to select equipment with handles of different lengths. This will help avoid putting excessive strain on your back muscles. In order not to purchase a separate tool for each family member, you can pay attention to new products and purchase a model whose handle is adjustable in length, or choose a store where you can buy a device with replaceable handles. Modifications with rubberized steel handles are very convenient.

Weight

When there is a thaw, the snow that needs to be removed becomes filled with moisture, so the load increases significantly. Therefore, a lightweight device model will significantly save effort.

Type of snow

You can effectively remove fresh, loose, shallow snow, avoiding increased physical exertion, using an auger, skipper or blade. For volumetric drifts of more than 20 cm, use a blade and a shovel with a wide bucket. To clear snow drifts more than 40 cm high, a traditional snow shovel or a special electric battery-powered snow blower is used.

You can decide which company model is better and more functional by studying the rating of the most popular models on special Internet resources. Metal models are suitable for cleaning icy layers.

So, the main parameters that you need to consider when purchasing:

• Physiological characteristics of the person who will be doing the cleaning;
• What type of snow will need to be cleared;
• Terrain;
• The amount the buyer is willing to spend.

Purpose of snow shovels

By purpose they can be divided as follows:

• ordinary;
• automobile;
• scrapers;
• dumps;
• screw

There are no super universal snow shovels; their capabilities depend on their purpose.

Regular

A regular snow shovel is a greatly enlarged version of a shovel.
This tool is well suited for shoveling and throwing snow on roads or paths .

They use such a shovel in the same way as a regular one - they rake and throw snow.

The ladle is made from various materials, but the most popular are :

• moisture-resistant plywood;
• polyethylene and other plastics;
• Cink Steel;
• aluminum and duralumin;
• combination of these materials.

Plywood is a traditional material for making snow shovels.

She has:

• light weight ;
• low price .

At the same time it is very fragile .

Therefore, to attach such a bucket, its blade is reinforced with a steel or aluminum strip. But even in this embodiment, it cannot be used for removing snow and ice .

Various plastics are cheaper than plywood and have characteristics comparable to plywood.

Therefore, buckets made from them are used only for fresh or loose snow.

Such buckets, even those equipped with a metal tip, cannot be used to remove snow that:

• caked;
• covered with ice.

Galvanized steel buckets are very durable, so they can be used to clear any snow.

Stiffening ribs increase the strength of the bucket, allowing manufacturers to reduce the thickness and weight of the metal.

The disadvantage of such buckets is that they are very heavy (compared to plywood or plastic). Therefore, only physically strong people can effectively remove snow with their help.

There are also snow shovels made from thin stainless steel . They are comparable in weight to plywood ones and are designed for removing only fresh snow.

Shovels made of aluminum and duralumin combine:

• ease;
• strength.

They are lighter than shovels with a stamped steel bucket, but are not inferior to them in strength .

Therefore, they are suitable for clearing any snow.

The downside of these shovels is their high price.

Automotive

Unlike a regular shovel, a car shovel is used to dig out a car stuck in the snow . Therefore, a car snow shovel is comparable in width to a regular snow shovel, but tapers steeply towards the blade .

In addition, it always comes with a folding handle .

The bucket of a car snow shovel is made of steel or aluminum . All this greatly increases the price of automobile shovels compared to conventional ones.

Scrapers and dumps

A scraper differs from a shovel in a different slope.
After all, they don’t drive it under the snow, but rest it against the snow with a scraper .

Therefore, the scraper scraper is installed perpendicular to the ground .

Scrapers are used only for raking, because they cannot throw snow.

Scrapers come with one and two handles.

A scraper with one handle is lighter than one with two, but less convenient for clearing deep snow. But it is good for clearing snow from roofs.

A scraper with two handles is more suitable for cleaning large areas of roads or paths. It is a curved piece of iron to which handles are attached.

In this case, the front edge of the iron knife goes under the snow, and the rear edge goes almost perpendicular to the snow. Sometimes, to make work easier, the scraper is placed on skis .

A snow blade differs from a scraper:

• sizes;
• bucket shape (similar to a bulldozer knife);
• the presence of wheels at the rear (not on all models), which take on the weight of the unit.

A snow shovel on wheels easier , because the force is spent only on moving the snow located in front of the bucket forward.

Screw

A snow scraper with an auger is similar in action to a blade, but is much more productive .
After all, they use not brute muscular force to throw snow away, but an auger with a large pitch.

When the snow mass presses on the auger, it begins to rotate, because its blades are set at an angle to the advancing snow.

The rotation of the auger causes the snow to move and be thrown sideways.

The advantage of such shovels is that they make it easier to remove shallow, fresh snow.

A serious disadvantage is:

• impossibility of removing compacted snow;
• low efficiency when removing wet snow.

If you are engaged in the collection and delivery of scrap metal, then it will be useful for you to know the prices for scrap ferrous metals. If you don’t know where to find non-ferrous metals, then read this article. Not sure which metal detector model to choose? Check out our overview of popular models

Where to buy

A snow shovel (including a scraper and a blade) can be purchased:

• at most hardware stores ;
• in construction markets .

In addition, this tool can be ordered online at sites like:

• AliExpress;
• eBay;
• Yandex Market;
• other services.

Another option is to purchase a shovel from an online store.

You can also buy a suitable cutting in one place and a shovel in another, then assemble them and secure them with a self-tapping screw .

Shovels in online stores, including sites and services, are somewhat cheaper than in regular stores. But we still recommend purchasing them where you can hold a shovel in your hands .

After all, without picking it up, you will not be able to determine :

• Is the cutting thickness suitable?
• Is the shovel long enough?

When choosing a scraper or blade, do the same - before purchasing feel the device to make sure that it will be comfortable to work with.
If you are buying a folding snow shovel, check how all the hinges work .

If something doesn't work or doesn't work well, ask the dealer to replace the shovel.

It’s better to do this right away than to struggle with it, trying to pull the handle or move the bucket into the working position while standing knee-deep in snow near a stuck car.

Is it possible to make it yourself?

You can make a mechanical auger shovel yourself, but this will require basic skills in working with metal and plastic. If the goal is to make not just a tool, but a full-fledged mechanized assistant, then you will have to use some kind of engine (internal combustion or electric).

Naturally, in the second case, the device must have a strong metal structure, so it is recommended to use welding for its manufacture. Let's look at how to make a mechanical auger snow blower without an engine with your own hands:

1. A chamber is made to receive snow. It has a semicircular shape and is made of galvanized steel. A hole is made in the upper part for the outlet pipe. Its side parts must be made of durable material (thick plywood, plastic, acrylic) so that they can hold the shaft. A tube with a diameter of 20 mm is used as a shaft.
2. Planks are attached to the shaft. Blades made of dense rubber or thin steel are attached to them.
3. To ensure shaft rotation, hub mechanisms must be secured to the sidewalls.
4. The shaft in the hub is mounted on bearings.
5. Install the outlet pipe.
6. Attach a handle.

At this point, the process of creating a snow blower is considered complete.

Wooden structure

This is the simplest and cheapest option. This shovel is easy to make with your own hands. Plywood is used as a bucket, which is inexpensive. It can be used if the winters in your region are short and have little snow. Buying an expensive model will be unprofitable. And for eliminating rarely occurring snowdrifts, such a simple option is sufficient.

This is a short-lived design that is unlikely to last you more than 2-3 weeks. The plywood will begin to delaminate and disintegrate, breaking under the pressure of the snow being transferred.

A cutting made from holders of other garden tools will be more durable. It can be used for other purposes. But operation in cold and damp conditions with temperature changes will also negatively affect the cuttings.

Also, the structure is not very strong, especially when the plywood is fastened with screws or nails. But such inconveniences can be tolerated if bad weather catches you suddenly, and the farm does not have another better and more reliable device for cleaning the area.

How much do ready-made ones cost?

The cost of snow shovels depends on:

• type of shovel;
• material;
• places of production;
• places of purchase.

Listed below are the types of snow shovels and their approximate cost :

1. The cost of a shovel with a bucket made of polyethylene and other plastics is 150–300 rubles .
2. Shovels with a bucket made of plywood or thin sheet metal (galvanized steel) will cost 250–450 rubles . Such shovels should not be used for chipping ice.
3. Shovels with a stamped steel or aluminum bucket cost 500–900 rubles .
4. Folding car shovels cost 900–2000 rubles .
5. The price of auger shovels starts from 2800 rubles .
6. The cost of plastic and wooden scrapers is 200–800 rubles .
7. Steel scrapers will cost you 700–5000 rubles , depending on size and weight.
8. You can buy dumps for 3.5–7 thousand rubles .