There’s an old saying, “It takes a village…” and in this case, it takes a village of tools to remove snow from your property every winter. The time where all you needed was a shovel and a little sweat equity to remove snow from your property is not only archaic, but could also terrible for your back, joints and heart health. It’s time for all of us to work smarter, not harder, and with these seven snow removal tools, you can turn a time-consuming and physically draining task into a cake walk.
Not all snow removal tools need the word 'snow' in front of it. Obvious choices for the job are 'snow' blowers, or 'snow' shovels. But there are other tools, some you already have in your garage, and others you might want to add to your arsenal, that are great for removing snow and ice from your property. That just may not be the intended use. More on that in a second.
Don’t get us wrong – the best snow blowers are great tools that make light work of removing snow. And if you already own a snow blower, knowing how to properly use it makes snow removal this winter a more time efficient task. But you don’t necessarily have to spend hundreds of dollars on a new snow blower or thrower to remove snow this winter. Here are seven snow removal tools to help you get the job done this winter.
1. Leaf blower
Instead of using a brush or a snow pusher, a leaf blower can be a fantastic tool to clear away light snow from your car in the mornings after a light snow storm. Brushing snow off your car often leaves your gloves wet and snow falling on your shoes. With a leaf blower, like the Greenworks Pro 80V (Best Buy), that features 170 MPH air velocity, you have enough wind pushing power to blow snow cleanly off your car, without getting any of it on your clothes or shoes.
A leaf blower is also a great tool to properly clean your snow blower after every use. Same concept - use the leaf blower to remove excess snow and dry off the snow blower without much effort from you.
2. Roof rake
Large amounts of accumulated snow can be bad for your roof. Not only is it heavy, but it can form ice that can damage your roof, and ultimately lead to water entering your home. But getting on your roof when there is snow is dangerous. A roof rake, like the Extreme Max 5600.3207 (Amazon) can help you remove snow from your roof safely, keeping your roof intact throughout the winter.
The roof rollers on the Extreme Max protect the blade from scraping your shingles, keeping your roof from getting damaged. It is also angled for easy handling and better snow removal. And the two-foot long blade removes plenty of snow in a single pass. It makes for a great tool to remove snow from your roof safely.
3. Ice melt spreader
Even if you are diligent in removing even the lightest snow from your walkways, melted snow leaving gutters or snow piles near walkways will eventually freeze and turn into ice. And anyone who has taken a spill on black ice knows how awful of an experience that is. To combat that dreaded ice around your property, an ice melt spreader is an essential tool to own.
There are a number of ice melt spreaders to choose from. If you are spreading ice over a large property, we suggest using a broadcast spreader like the Scotts Turf Builder EdgeGuard DLX Broadcast Spreader (Amazon). A spreader such as this can blanket a property up to 15,000 square feet. If that’s a little more than you need, consider a handheld ice melt spreader such as the Spot Spreader (Amazon). Handhelds are great for small areas like stairs, porches or back patios.
4. Snow shovel
We know, we weren’t going to mention snow shovels. But these aren’t your typical lift and throw snow removal tools. A powered snow shovel is a great tool to remove an inch or two of snow from your walkways and sidewalks with no lifting required. A snow shovel like the Ryobi ONE+ 18V 10 in. Single-Stage Cordless Electric Snow Shovel (Home Depot) rolls along the ground and hoovers up and tosses snow up to 20 feet. We tested the Enhulk 20V Snow Shovel and it’s great for quickly removing a couple inches of snow, but you’ll want a snow blower for more than a couple inches.
5. Snow pusher
At first glance, a snow pusher may look like a traditional snow shovel, but like a powered snow shovel, there is no lifting and throwing required. Instead, a snow pusher is designed like a plow with a handle. You set the blade on the ground and use the handle to push the snow off your sidewalks or driveway.
Some snow pushers, like the Ohuohu Snow Pusher (Amazon), have wheels to help you easily push and maneuver snow out of the way. Snow pushers like The Original Snow Plow Snow Pusher (Ace Hardware), come in a variety of different blade sizes to suit your snow removal needs and capabilities.
6. Ice scraper
While snow is the main culprit of many home owner winter woes, ice is certainly a close second. The latter is also more difficult to remove once it has formed.
Instead of repeatedly buying more ice melt throughout the winter, an ice scraper like the Snow Joe SJEG700 (Amazon) can help you quickly remove ice and keep your driveways, walksway and outside stairs safe and free of ice. The Snow Joe Ice Scraper features a spring-loaded handle to absorb the shock of pounding into the ice. At 3.7 pounds, it is also lightweight, keeping your arms from getting fatigued as you remove ice.
7. Snow brush or broom
If you live in a climate where snow storms are often and abundant, having a snow brush available in your car is a must. A snow brush and ice scraper like The Snow MOOver (Amazon) features both a brush and broom to remove and clean snow completely off your car.
On the other end of the handle is a handy ice scraper to finish removing that pesky ice from your windshield without leaving marks on your windshield. This tool is incredibly handy when you don’t have any covered parking, or when you go to work and have to leave your car outside during a winter storm for several hours.
