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Snow Shovels

By Marsha Gellerman

It's supposed to rain next week. We're really happy about that, because it means the two feet of snow that's been on the lawn since Christmas will finally disappear. It also means massive flooding for our neck of the woods. But warmer weather also means we finally get a chance to take the snow blower out of the garage, and repair it.

Our snow blower is old and temperamental, much like its owners. This year, during our first blizzard, it refused to run properly and needed to be restarted often. When the pull-start broke and the electric starter wouldn't work, my husband shelved it and went back to using the snow shovel. During a normal winter, we will demolish a metal snow shovel. They were not made to work on an uneven 200-foot driveway, located on a hillside.

Last year was a mild winter. We made it through with no damage to the shovel and no real need for the blower.

There is a clear division of labor in our house. I'm responsible for the inside. My husband does the outside. Anytime I feel resentment for having to vacuum several times a week, all I have to think about is shoveling 21 inches of snow, and then having to come back again and chip away 3 inches of ice the following week. With the winter we just had, vacuuming seemed like a walk in the park. I know this for a fact. I violated house rules and chipped ice one day. All day. The shortest way to a man's heart might be through his stomach, but I garnered big brownie points from an exhausted hubby who thought he'd have to come home from work and do this. That, and making sure we had about 350 pounds of calcium chloride on hand made me the golden girl this winter.

Theoretically, I know more than he does about taking apart the snow blower and even rehabbing the carburetor, if that's what needs to be done. After all, I've watched the YouTube repair videos.

Practically speaking, however, my husband has taken care of it every winter that we've had it, and any suggestions for its repair and maintenance will be met with resentment and definite hostility. It is my job, to keep out of his way, offer sympathy and coffee and keep my mouth shut.

After all, I'm not the one who will be scraping my knuckles on rusted metal or draining hazardous chemicals, although I will be the one looking for the proper sized band-aids during this project. It's also my job to make sure he doesn't have to run all over creation, (the mall and various hardware superstores,) for a new pull start line and air filter. I will order them online and they will "mysteriously" be available when they are needed. If he needs a new spark plug, he's on his own. There is an auto parts shop in town. Getting a new spark plug will also provide him with a much-needed break, and get him out of the house long enough for both of us to decompress.

Oddly enough, it is my job to buy snow shovels. Metal, ergonomic snow shovels. Reviews on the Suncast shovel are pretty much positive, with some people stating that they've owned theirs for years. However, they don't live where it snows every week.

I’ve always wanted to try out different types of snow shovels, but alas, my practical side always steps in and stops me. Many of the shovels I want to try have cheaper plastic models. A plastic shovel will last about a month at our house, if we are lucky. And, as both of us are six feet tall, the length of the snow shovel handle is important. There are many types of shovels I'd like to try, but there's always a review that says, "I'm tall and this product sucks." Well, they use more words than that, but you get the idea.

That eliminates many of the plow type of shovels. While the idea of being able to remove swaths of snow appeals to me, the idea of having to see the chiropractor for weeks after that does not.

Also, plow shovels are supposed to be used on small, flat areas, like a deck or patio. Considering the area we have to clear out, why would we waste time and effort shoveling a deck or patio? We wouldn’t be using them until Spring anyway.

Which brings us to the Sno Wovel. I don't know if you've seen a wovel in action. It is essentially an ergonomic snow shovel mounted on a giant wheel. The idea behind the wovel is that you can pivot it and fling a massive amount of snow a great distance, without bending or using a great deal of effort. They are often compared to snow blowers. The reviews are extraordinary good, with some caveats. The parts are made of plastic. That's already bad. But, you can buy a separate metal strip to use as a blade guard. And despite the claims that it’s easy to aim, shoveling in a straight line is the easiest method for using this. A wovel costs 3 times as much as a regular shovel. 5 times as much, if I get the shovel on sale.

Given how hard we are on equipment, unfortunately I have to give the Sno Woval a pass and think more about snow blower repair.

However, the same people who brought you the Sno Wovel, also advertise the Leaf Loader. Since oak trees surround our property and Fall clean-up is closer than a Winter snow storm, (we hope,) we may actually purchase this.

In the meantime, I have spare parts to order.

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Thank you for this delightful intel. I remember the wonders of subtle and not so subtle give and take and the surprises of married life. On a different note,it's not quite as bad in the midwest but I'm tired of the ice and snow already and looking for my car under the snow and being cold and slipping and sliding on the way to work. I may have to retire for real.

I joke about it, but after 20 years, we actually have this down to a science. The weather hasn't been this bad in quite a while and the weather report says we may get more snow on Saturday.

Good luck and be careful with the ice. It's dangerous out there.

Thank you for sharing this interesting intel, Marsha.
My wife and I usually work together on the snow removal, she does the back deck and walks, while I do the driveway.
We take our time, as this is strenuous labor, but we enjoy the outside activity.
The Sno Woval looks interesting, but might be hard to balance.
Best wishes,
Frederick

According to wovel reviews on independent sites, it's easy to handle. However, the fact that the scoop and other parts are made of plastic is a real turn-off. If it would snow only on Saturdays and Sundays, so we could spend time enjoying the outdoors, it would be great.

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