How to Buy a Snow Shovel

Where there's snow, there's snow to shovel. If you live in the North, you know that the winter means you must clean out after every snow storm. Snow blowers are great, but they can't get all the areas that need to be cleared, so you need a good shovel. Not every shovel is the same, though.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Decide what places need to be shoveled. Do you need a shovel for the back deck, the front and back steps, the sidewalk, or do you need to just clean up where the snow blower can't reach? There are shovels that work better for particular jobs.

2. Buy different shovels for different snow. Light snow is a welcome because a plastic pusher shovel works best. It's light and has a large width to move the snow around. Heavy snow needs a good scoop shovel. These are called grain shovels and you can purchase them at quality hardware stores.

3. Check out the strip on some shovels. Some shovels have a metal strip across the blade. This is great for chopping ice and scraping the sidewalk. Do not use these shovels on wood or a deck. They will take off the wood finish and chip the deck. Use a shovel with a rubber strip for decks.

4. Try out the new ergonomic shovels.They have a curved handle to relieve pressure on the back. Don't just buy an ergonomic shovel without actually going through the motions of shoveling. You need one with a handle that is right for your height. You'd test drive a car, so test drive a shovel.

Tips & Warnings

• Hardware stores have the best assortment of shovels.
• Compact shovels are great for the car. Keep them for emergencies.