Content
With the first snow falling, the owners of the country house begin to sort out the garden inventory... Children like the white fluffy cover, but the paths must be cleaned. The owner must have at least one shovel or snow scraper. If such a tool is not available, you will have to go to the store for it, and the choice there is quite large. What manufacturers of snow removal equipment offer us today, we will now try to figure it out.
What material can you find on sale a snow shovel
Our ancestors from ancient times cleared snow drifts with shovels. This tool has not lost its relevance even now. The design of any snow shovel is a long handle to which a wide scoop is attached. Previously, the owner himself made it out of wood, but now it is easier to buy it in a store. A modern snow shovel is made from the following materials:
- Traditional tree... The plywood shovel is still on sale now. The tool is the cheapest, which attracts buyers. The scoop is made of plywood 5–6 mm thick. The edge is framed by a steel strip that protects the canvas from abrasion. The size of the scoop is different, but the most popular is considered to be 70x50 cm. The wooden handle is fixed to the rear side of the scoop and in the center of the canvas. The disadvantage of a plywood shovel is its short service life. When working with wet snow, the tree is saturated with water, which is why the tool greatly gains weight.
- Modern plastic... The tool is lightweight and corrosion resistant. Plastic shovels are pretty sturdy. The scoop similarly has a steel edge that protects the canvas from abrasion. The handle on cheap products is made of wood, and the branded tool is equipped with aluminum handles. They are durable and lightweight, and to make it comfortable to grip the handle with your hands, the aluminum tube is covered with soft plastic. The most durable shovels are considered, the scoop of which is made of reinforced plastic. Metal rods increase the strength of the canvas so much that the manufacturer gives a guarantee for their product for up to 25 years. However, such a proprietary shovel will cost the consumer a lot. Among the variety of plastic shovels, there are models with folding, swivel and collapsible handles. It is convenient to carry such a tool in a car or take it with you on a hike.
- Durable metal... Snow shovels made from this material are considered the most durable. However, not every metal is suitable for making a scoop. Normal steel is heavy, corrosive and snow adheres to it. Galvanizing does not rust, but it also has an impressive weight, plus it emits a strong rumble during operation. The ideal material is aluminum. A scoop and a stalk are made from it. Lightweight, durable, stainless steel shovel will serve the owner for many years. The disadvantage of aluminum equipment is its high cost.
The variety of snow shovels is so great that any person can pick up a tool. The inventory differs in the dimensions of the scoop, the length and design of the handle, the presence of a handle for gripping with a hand. What this tool has in common is how it is used. With any shovel, you first need to scoop up the snow, then pick it up in front of you and throw it aside. The work is time consuming. It is better to use other tools for cleaning a large area.
Shovels to remove snow with less labor
Among hand tools, there are many devices that allow you to clear a large area of snow with less labor. The inventory is produced from a similar material that is used in the manufacture of shovels.
- Large areas are easier to clean with a scraper as it does not have to be lifted in front of you to throw snow to the side. The cover is simply collected by pushing the bucket in front of you, and to unload it, you just need to lift the handle up. This tool is also called a snow scraper or drag... Scrapers have a slight advantage over shovels. Firstly, the scrapers have a wider working width. Secondly, it is easy to move even wet or icy snow with a scraper. You just need to choose the right tool for the job. A loose mass is raked with a wide plastic drag. The icy cover is cleaned off with narrow metal scrapers.
The video shows the scraper drag Fiskars 143050:
- A rather interesting and productive invention is a shovel on wheels. In terms of functionality, it can be compared with a blade for a walk-behind tractor or a mini-tractor, only the muscular strength of a person sets it in motion. Blades are usually made of metal. The classic cheap version has two wheels. Such a scraper is quite maneuverable. The four-wheel blade is expensive, but this design has its advantage. In summer, the shovel can be removed and the undercarriage can be used instead of a trolley for transporting goods. Any blade has a steering angle mechanism. This allows the shovel to shovel snow to the side, rather than pushing it constantly in front of you.
- Manual snow blowers with auger work on the blade principle. They need to be pushed in front of you. When working with this tool, you need to correctly adjust the angle of inclination relative to the ground with the handle. The fact is that the auger rotates from touching a hard surface. If it is strongly raised above the ground or snags into it, then there will be no rotation, which means that the snow will remain inside the bucket. When the auger turns on its axis, it pushes the mass to the side with a spiral knife at a distance of up to 30 cm.
A manual snow plow with auger is effective on loose cover up to 15 cm thick. It is better to use a mechanical shovel to clear narrow paths. It will not be possible to remove a wide area due to the short range of snow discharge by the auger. After passing each strip, you will have to re-lay an increasingly thick layer.
The video shows a mechanical shovel in operation:
- Working mechanism electric shovel is the auger, only it does not rotate from touching the ground, but from the electric motor. These snow blowers are usually not self-propelled. The person still has to push them. Electropaths are usually equipped with motors up to 1.3 kW, but there are also more efficient machines with a 2 kW motor. The auger of an electric snow blower is most often made of plastic or rubber. Because of this, the electric shovel is able to remove only a loose cover up to 25 cm thick. Snow is ejected to the side through the branch sleeve. The throw distance depends on the auger speed. Usually this indicator is limited to 5–8 m.
The variety of snow removal equipment is great. We have considered only the basic models. Each manufacturer is trying to improve its tool, so every year new rather interesting designs of scrapers and shovels appear in stores.
Snow plow for cleaning roofs
The northern regions can boast of large snowfalls. Here you have to clean not only the roads, but also the roofs of houses. A thick snow cap is dangerous for the roof, as it can fail it. In addition, an avalanche can injure a person. Cleaning a flat roof is easy. It can be climbed with an ordinary shovel or scraper.But it is safer to remove the snow cap from the canopies of verandas and pitched roofs with a special roof scraper, just standing on the ground.
Frame scraper
A feature of any cleaning scraper snow from the roof is the long handle. For convenience, it is made collapsible or telescopic... But the working element itself may differ in design. The most effective is a frame scraper. Its shape is different. For example, in the photo you can see the working part in the form of a U-shaped aluminum scoop or a rectangular frame. An obligatory element is a long strip of soft plastic or synthetic fabric.
You can work with such a scraper, in general, without effort. It is enough for a person to stand on the ground and push the tool up the roof slope with light movements. The frame will cut the snow layer, which, under its own weight, will slide to the ground along the strip of fabric.
Telescopic scraper roof scraper
A scraper will help to remove snow from the pitched roof. Factory built models are equipped with a telescopic aluminum handle. Its length in the unfolded state reaches more than 6 m. Taking into account the height of a person, such a scraper can grab a snow cap from a height of up to 8 m. A special feature of the scraper is the plastic working part. It is not a frame, but a solid rectangular element. With such a scraper, they begin to clean the snow on the roof from the bottom up. Movements are made towards themselves, rather than pushing forward, as is the case with a frame scraper.
Conclusion
Almost all snow blowers are intended for seasonal use, and more will lie in the barn, waiting for the snowy winter. However, you cannot do without such inventory and you have to buy or make it yourself.
