OT: Snow shovels? | The Boneyard

OT: Snow shovels?

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OK I'm trying to get ahead of the snow this winter. I lost a few friends who died after shoveling snow. I don't have a garage so I have no place to store a snow blower. When I shovel I'm paranoid about overdoing it. I've got a corner lot, meaning a lot of sidewalk and a 4 car driveway. I'm not young, and getting tired of waiting for the high school kids to knock on my door. I'm usually the last knock, because I'm cheap.

I've been using the conventional snow shovels but I've been seeing some different models that look intriguing. Just curious does anyone use a non-conventional shovel?

This is one:

71ab6pm-5sL._SL1500_.jpg
 
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Stay away from the “back saver” shovels. They are the ones with the curved handles. I think those are the worst things ever invented and in my opinion hurt your back more when you use them. But if you can, buy a snow blower. If you dont want to spend a lot of money, you can even find a good working used one. With a 4 car driveway, I think that would be a good investment.
 

Hankster

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I use a snowblower for years. However, here is the problem. For some reason, we don't get that nice slow light flake snow. We always get the wet snow. There fore, clogged shoots constantly. I tried Pam, and what Lowe's sells. Forgot the name. So every 10 feet I am stopping and picking the wet snow out. When you go farther you see you are just pushing snow now. Good reason not to shovel. I have a powerful snowblower also. I am so close to buying a truck with a plow. Ten minutes, over and done. Back in the house. It doesn't help having a driveway that declines towards the house. Shovel l guess for you. Just take small steps. Or pay somebody to plow.No shame. Normally landscapers do that. I am up on my years to screw with this crap.
 

BUConn10

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Stay away from the “back saver” shovels. They are the ones with the curved handles. I think those are the worst things ever invented and in my opinion hurt your back more when you use them. But if you can, buy a snow blower. If you dont want to spend a lot of money, you can even find a good working used one. With a 4 car driveway, I think that would be a good investment.
I am a big proponents of the angled handle, gives you much better leverage and ability to lift with your legs as opposed to bending over fully requiring back muscles. I think it's all in the technique moreso than the device, but the curved frame fundamentally requires less bending over, really can't argue against that feature it has.
 
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Don't know your fitness level but if you want to keep watching UCONN it might make sense to pay more. Snowblowers are exercise but make sidewalks easier. You could keep it under a grill cover or tarp in the offseason if no one would steal it. It is the big storms with wet snow you have to watch out for.If you are retired don't do it all at once, take your time.
 
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Keep the snowblower in the shed but pull it up next to the house if it is going to snow. Get an electric starter and plug it in.
 
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Don't know your fitness level but if you want to keep watching UCONN it might make sense to pay more. Snowblowers are exercise but make sidewalks easier. You could keep it under a grill cover or tarp in the offseason if no one would steal it. It is the big storms with wet snow you have to watch out for.If you are retired don't do it all at once, take your time.

Yeah my neighbor did that and his was stolen the first season he bought it lol. In hindsight he probably would have locked it to something.
 

UCweCONN

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Stay away from the “back saver” shovels. They are the ones with the curved handles. I think those are the worst things ever invented and in my opinion hurt your back more when you use them. But if you can, buy a snow blower. If you dont want to spend a lot of money, you can even find a good working used one. With a 4 car driveway, I think that would be a good investment.
We got one for my dad many years ago. It came to be known as the "Backbreaker"........
 

Dove

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Why do you shovel the sidewalks? Is there a Town ordinance in place stating you must? Or were you told you had to? Check those ordinances. You may be wasting your time.
 

UCweCONN

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Why do you shovel the sidewalks? Is there a Town ordinance in place stating you must? Or were you told you had to? Check those ordinances. You may be wasting your time.
When we were kids we always cleared our sidewalks in a timely manner (actually right after the storm). The one time we didn't, we got a note that we must clear it or get fined. I think it was form the city.
 
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Why do you shovel the sidewalks? Is there a Town ordinance in place stating you must? Or were you told you had to? Check those ordinances. You may be wasting your time.

I'd be surprised if a town that was busy enough to have sidewalks didn't have an ordinance.
 

Dream Jobbed 2.0

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I inherited this “snowscoop” type of shovel from my fiancé’s grandpa. It’s awesome for a short, narrow flat driveway like I have. You have to spray it with WD40 so it slides on the driveway and snow doesn’t stick to the inside. Only problem is that it’s usefulness maxes out at about 4-5 inches as it fills up quickly. It can get very very heavy very quick.
 

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