The main types of snow shovels

1 The main types of snow shovels

A large number of snow removal tools are currently on sale. Snow shovels are available in completely different types and sizes.

By type and purpose, snow shovels are divided into:

• molding;
• sidewalk;
• scrapers-dumps;
• ice axes (as an auxiliary tool).

The main types of snow shovels

Molding shovels are manufactured under the manufacturer's article and have the designations LZ, LS, LU (grain shovel, snow shovel, harvesting shovel) and are divided into three types:

1. Aluminum.
2. Galvanized.
3. Metal coated with paint.

When choosing, special attention should be paid to the inspection of the seat (tuleyka) of the connection of the bucket with the handle. The tulle can be riveted or monolithic

It will be convenient to use such a shovel to clean a melted crust of ice or a packed snow cover. The edge of the bucket should be sharp and have an iron tip. Molding snow cleaners are widely used by public utilities and the private sector, as well as for harvesting grain crops in elevators.

Sidewalk shovels are manufactured under the manufacturer's article LTR, LT (sidewalk shovel). They can be made both from aluminum and galvanized. The bucket has a single-breasted or three-breasted shape. They are convenient to remove snow from sidewalks and adjacent areas in heaps, used by public utilities and individuals.

What should be the bucket blade of a snow shovel

Blade scrapers and ice axes help manage ice. The scrapers are a metal plate 200 × 150 mm in size. A steel pipe is welded to this plate by welding. The ice ax looks like an ax with a metal pipe welded to it. This tool can handle very thick ice.

1.1 What material are snow shovels made of?

Snow sugar scoops are made of the following materials:

• plastic;
• wood;
• metal.

One of the most popular is a wooden snow shovel. It is made, as in the old fashioned way, from plywood with a durable handle. The bucket must have a metal pad. Such a wide snow shovel has many advantages and only one drawback - wet snow can stick to it.

Wooden snow shovel

A wooden snow shovel is mainly used for harvesting freshly fallen snow sugar. Wooden shovels with a metal pad are not durable and often crack. This is due to the fact that plywood is not a moisture resistant material.

The plastic shovel on the market is represented by a wide range of choices. Plastic is a fragile material, but over time, with the help of new technologies, it was possible to achieve its strength and frost resistance.

For durability and strength, the plastic snow shovel is made with a galvanized plate. This overlay protects the edge from abrasion and breakage.

Metal snow shovels are unsurpassed leaders in durability and quality. But in order to have both lightness and strength, they must be made of light metals and their alloys.

Electric snow shovels

The most popular are:

1. The steel shovel is very heavy and requires physical training from the worker, but the most durable.
2. Aluminum is lighter in weight than wood, but not strong enough, since aluminum is a brittle material.
3. Duralumin is one of the most balanced scoops in terms of weight to strength ratio.This is facilitated by the metal alloy.

The cost of duralumin snow shovels is an order of magnitude higher than the others, made of metal, plastic and wood. But thanks to its qualities and long-term operation, the costs pay off over time.

Appointment

A snow shovel cannot be absolutely universal in its design and purpose. One that is suitable for cleaning the roof is inconvenient for cleaning a car or a visor on a building. And the compact glass scraper is not suitable for clearing snow-covered paths.

Devices for cleaning snowfalls are:

• standard;
• for cars;
• in the form of scrapers (scrapers);
• dumps;
• screw.

Standard

Great for shoveling or throwing snow on paths. The bucket is made from different materials and combinations thereof. The low price and light weight of the inventory with low strength make it the least popular category. Such a bucket has to be reinforced with metal. The plastic version is allowed only to collect loose, un-trampled snow.

This is how thin stainless steel snow shovels can be characterized. Such steel does not exceed the weight of plywood and the shovel is easy to use even if not in strong hands. But it can only cope with fresh snow.

The buckets are made of galvanized steel for increased durability. At the same time, they become heavier. Therefore, they can be used to clear any kind of snow, but only with a certain endurance and physical strength. The strength of the bucket is also increased by stiffening ribs, which makes it possible to reduce the weight and thickness of the metal during production.

Automotive

Designed for digging out machines stuck in the snow. The snow shovel is comparable to the standard model in width, but tapers sharply closer to the blade. In addition, it is always equipped with a foldable handle.

The shovel bucket is made of lightweight aluminum or steel, which affects the price upward.

Scraper

A specialized tool for cleaning slopes, similar to a large glass scraper. The design is distinguished by a shape in the form of a corner, frame or arc. The handle is of the optimal length so that you do not need to use a stepladder. To direct the snowball, flexible plastic or a piece of synthetic material is attached to the frame. Snow cut from the roof leaves sideways along a guide made of fabric or plastic material, and does not fall on your head.

But without a shovel, the scraper will be useless. In any case, the snow heaps will have to be raked. And if the shovel can be easily transported with you in the trunk for various purposes, then the scraper is suitable only for removing snow from small canopies and roofs. For most of the winter season, his lot is to be inactive and wait in the wings. Nevertheless, such a tool will always come in handy in a private household.

Electrical engineering

You can make the job easier with an electric shovel or a mini tractor that throws snow to the sides. Such tools easily cope with the elimination of snowdrifts remaining after cleaning the roof. They are also used on the roof itself, but not on country mansions, but on the flat roof of multi-storey buildings.

Users of retirement age can work as electrical equipment for snow removal. It is distinguished by high productivity, but it has large dimensions and weight. Another disadvantage may be the risk of damage to the wire at low temperatures or the danger of chopping it with blades.

Auger

The action of the scraper with auger is identical to the blade, but represents the most productive version. Instead of brute force, a wide pitch auger is used to push the snow back. When the snow mass is pressed on the auger, it makes rotational movements of the blades at an angle to the oncoming snow. At the same time, the snow moves and is dumped sideways.

An obvious disadvantage is manifested in the impossibility of removing a dense layer of packed wet snow.Each version of the model has its own advantages and disadvantages. The most versatile are those in the form of typical shovels. They can remove the snow cap from the tiles, clean the snow from the paths and canopies, throw it away from the wheels and gates.

Top Models

The manufacturer "MATiK", in addition to the popular shovel, bayonet and garden tools, offers products of type 2.

For example, a tool for rubble, in another way is called a miner's. It has a sharpened blade, like a bayonet, but with a curved blade like a shovel. It is convenient to throw coal or gravel with the tool, since its shape does not allow bulk material to wake up.

Car shovel, also called a debarking shovel. It has a shorter handle than conventional tools. The working surface of the shovel is similar to that of a snow. It allows you to dig out the car from the sand or remove dirt and snow from it.

The rock shovel is suitable for loose, very loose materials. The tool is suitable for processing large volumes of loose sand, it is also called - sand.

The universal construction shovel can be used for any, including agricultural work. In another way, it is called railway.

For combustible materials that are explosive, an intrinsically safe shovel must be used. It is often used like an ice ax.

Ladies' shovel is a small version of the bayonet type. The tool is used to work in greenhouses when you need to plant seedlings. The blade of such a tool is distinguished by a coating of coloring powder, and the handle is supplied with a plastic handle.

An analogue of a ladies' shovel is called a tourist one. The tool is sized to fit in a backpack. Another name for the instrument is "American", the handle of which has a curved shape.

Snow shovel - do it yourself

If you wish, you can make a shovel for cleaning snow with your own hands. This task is within the power of any owner who has minimal skills in working with tools. To make a homemade shovel, you don't have to spend large sums on purchasing material or tools, and you can use it for at least five to six years.

Many owners choose this option, since the materials necessary for the manufacture of this tool can be found in almost every household. To eliminate the risk of error, you can draw up a shovel drawing in advance or use a ready-made one. This will allow you to know in advance how this tool will look like and how much material will be required to make it.

Before starting work, you need to make sure that all the necessary tools are available:

• nails and screws;
• tin strips;
• board 45 cm long and 2.5 cm thick;
• blank for a handle 2 m long;
• plywood 6 mm thick.

Shovel making:

• It is necessary to start the process of assembling a tool for cleaning snow with the manufacture of a handle. It should have the following dimensions 2.5 x 4.5 x 2.5. Having found a suitable workpiece, it must be carefully sanded with sandpaper, and then cut to the required length.
• After that, you can proceed to the manufacture of the end part of the scoop. It will require a board 45 cm long and 8 cm wide. In the workpiece, you need to cut out an arc, the height of which in the center should be 8 cm, and on the sides - 5 cm.
• In the same place, in the center, you need to cut a hole for the subsequent attachment of the holder handle. It must be installed at an angle.
• The working base of the scoop can be made of plywood sheets measuring 45 x 45 cm and 8 mm thick.
• When all the parts are ready, you can proceed to the assembly of the scoop. To do this, the handle must be inserted into the end at an angle, the scoop must be nailed to the end, and then screwed to the handle with self-tapping screws.

If you follow the above algorithm exactly and use high-quality materials, you can make a very durable and easy-to-use snow shovel that can be used for many years.

Photo of a snow shovel for home

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Snow shovel: material selection

The most common snow plow is made from the following materials:

• wood;
• plastic;
• metal.

To find out which one is best for your purposes, you need to have not only a complete understanding of the quality and properties of each, but also about trusted manufacturers.

The main advantages of the Fiskars models:

• lightweight, comfortable, ergonomic handle that does not loosen over time and does not lead to muscle overstrain, reducing the load on the back;
• profiled pipe (and not round like most manufacturers);
• lightweight aluminum or wooden handle (depending on the model);
• The bucket is reinforced with an aluminum edge to prevent wet snow from sticking to the blade.

Wooden

A snow shovel with a wooden blade is the cheapest option available for hand-made production. The structure and small thickness of the shovel affects its rapid wear, but there are more expensive options with a metal protective border on the scoop.

The photo below shows a wooden shovel of the Austrian company OFFNER (https://www.offner.at, Austria). This is a professional model made of 5-ply plywood with durable aluminum edging. Curved leaf, 145 cm, lacquered hardwood handle, screw fastening with 2 screws and wing nut.

This type is the easiest and most convenient, but it is mainly suitable for removing freshly fallen snow. Removing ice or wet caked layers will be difficult due to adhesion to the wooden surface. Such shovels, despite the steel border and crossbars, are short-lived, and over time, cracks and peeling of plywood layers appear on them.

Plastic shovel

Modern manufacturers offer a large selection of tools made of polymer materials. Plastic is very fragile, which is why most manufacturers produce models with metal edging. Its main difference is resistance to frost and corrosion by chemicals.

The choice of such a tool is based on the principle: the higher the quality, the more expensive the shovel

It is also very important to pay attention to the manufacturer, and not to trust Chinese companies when it comes to the long-term operation of equipment.

High quality plastic snow shovel has the following properties:

• wear resistance to a high degree;
• frost resistance;
• inertness to chemicals added to the snow so that it melts faster;
• resistance to temperature changes.

It is good if the plastic shovel is equipped with a metal edge, which increases the service life and protects against deformation.

Metal

Shovels made of light metals and alloys are leaders in durability and quality. The most popular are:

1. steel (very heavy, but as strong as possible);
2. aluminum shovels (not strong enough if used to remove ice, but lighter than wooden ones);
3. duralumin (alloy of metals allows you to keep light weight and give maximum strength).

Metal shovels do an excellent job with both loose snow and wet snow during a thaw.By weight, duralumin is slightly heavier than wooden, and the most durable are models with a galvanized surface.