Best Snow Shovel for car?

I was Thinking about what kinda shovel to put in the car for when it starts to snow and cant figure out what would be best. The collapsing Snow shovels I find in local store look like they wouldnt hold up against anything but soft powder. I thought about the folding camp shovels but they always have a saw toothed side which if Im digging out a car most likely it would be near the rubber tires so that would be a no go either. So what shovels do you guys recommend/Own for your cars in the winter?

The best I've found is the smaller D-handle gardening/utility shovels (the ones with an ~ 18" handle). They wont move snow like a dedicated snow shovel, but a true snow shovel is typically useless when it comes to ice and dirt. A long the same lines, the folding military style shovels aren't nearly as durable in my experience.

I've seen them selling for $10 at Home Depot and Tractor Supply, which is a real bargain:

Tractor Supply Utility Shovel

I never take it out....in the summer it's useful for off-roading and in the winter it's useful for snow. Just make sure you have it secured so it doesn't become a projectile inside your vehicle.

I wouldn't worry about that. In my experience, this is not a problem. You exercise a little care when handling metal objects close to your precious car anyway - dings and scratches are totally unnecessary and easily avoided. And those saw tooth aren't exactly razor sharp,


I use a folding metal shovel (NATO trench shovel) for whacking ice. That is a heavy metal object I don't want flying around, and it goes into the spare wheel drum.

I use a plastic collapsible shovel (collapsible aluminium handle, very robust plastic blade) for fluffy snow. This goes under the right front seat. Although pretty robust, this has obvious limitations in hard snow and ice.

These two tools complement each other nicely. Neither of them are perfect - but in between them they will tackle any conditions, and they fit into my car without limiting cargo space. If I highly suspect I will be digging my car out of a snow pile I will bring a proper shovel

The shovel shown in the post above is a very robust all-rounder that will tackle anything. But explicit for the purpose of digging snow there are better alternatives than this allrounder. For loose dry or wet to semi-hard snow (not ice) look for a square alumninium blade about a foot by a foot that has a long handle. The lighter weight and bigger blade means a lot more efficient digging than the smaller and heavier shovel shown above. The snow also slides off the aluminium blade (which it won't on an iron shovel unless it's painted, which it won't be for long if you use it in the summer). The downside is that such aluminium shovels must be used with some care if the snow is rock solid.

Me, I won't bring any of those unless I suspect I really have to...

Also, have a look at this thread: last years car shovel choice thread...

The "Tractor Supply" shovel is what I keep in my car year-round. I find the versatility very useful. I wouldn't leave the driveway without some sort of shovel in the car.

For car use where you don't know whether you'll be digging powder snow (which you can move with your hands) or packed wet snow and ice, you might consider two shovels, one for bulk snow to move a lot fast and a second smaller harder shovel for the ice and gravel you might find under your tires. The Cold Steel Special Forces Shovel would work as would various military e-tools you can find in surplus.

Last year I saw some guy digging his car out with a cookie sheet. These are the same people that have no idea what a snowbrush is.

I have a E-tool in my mom's car, they are "serrated" which is actually rippled and pretty useless unless making ripple cut "tater chips", and in the site listed in my signature, go to the side link named "Entrenching tools and covers" and but G.I. style or used G.I., it will hold up.
No affiliation to the forementioned.

A few years back I gave Glock folding shovels as xmas presents for family. Of course I have one in my Jeep.
I have used it on occasion but not for snow. But it's a darn good tool. Even has a saw in the handle for cutting limbs and roots.

When I'm digging my Jeep out of a snowdrift it's always in the driveway at home and I use several of the tools in the garage so I'm not using my "car shovel." (broom, large plastic snow shovel, various ice scrapers) If things are getting that bad at work I'm on the road headed home. I'd rather be snowed in at home than at work.

In the distant past I've had my car snowed in at the airport and found a genuine metal shovel with wooden handle of a scoop style to be quite effective. Strong enough to deal with ice and long enough to reach a ways under the car.

OK, confesion, I cheat, I drive a truck so I keep a grain shovel in my truck which workes great on some prity stiff snow, but I have to go back to my Gerber shovel for ice or ice encrusted snow. I also carry a Black Diamond Deploy 7 (beware of the price) but you relay do get a great shovel for the snow, sand, but not dirt.
(standard disclaimer, no affiliation or connection)

On a side note it is a fun sled if you happen upon a good hill for sleding


Seriously, if you are looking for a great show shovel look at avalanche shovels.

Black Diamond Deploy 7 Snow Shovel. Looks like a good shovel. That and something with a smaller steel blade for digging in gravel would be a good combination.

I picked one up at Costco a couple of weeks back for $20. It looks and feels pretty sturdy. I have a older collapsible shovel but I doubt it would hold up to heavy digging out. So this new one is going in when snow is in the forecast.

Can't get the link to work but search for Suncast Power Blade.

my car was frozen in last winter,i had to move it to a side street so ours could be cleared curb to curb.over night the wet snow froze, the car was up to the bottom of the door in snow.i used a short handled shovel but i wished i had taken one with a long handle to get under the car to get the frozen slush away from the oil pan and steering gear.

I like a Voile Telepro D-handle avalanche shovel, but I don't shovel every day, this just goes in the trunk during the winter, and I only shovel if I have to (not like someone who has to dig out from their Minnesota carport 6 months of the year). I'm more likely to take it on my pack while snow camping, its great for moving alot of snow quickly and efficiently. It has a collapsible length and is made of tempered aluminum. They run about $30-40, but I've also seen pretty equivalent knockoffs at Fred Meyer for $15-30.

Plastic telescoping shovels wirk fine...in my 20 years of blizzards. Got one in every car.

Plastic, ymmv - might depend on the snow. I've dug snow shelters with Scouts and the plastic shovels tend to break under the weight of PNW Cascade Concrete (TM).

I personally keep a compact snow shovel and a cold steel shovel in my car. I realize they're both sub optimal in that I'll wish I had a full size shovel when I need them, but thus far I have needed neither and I can't justify the space for a full size space.

Lots of discussion in this thread: http://forums.equipped.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=190632&page=1

If you go through serious snow then 1 shovel is never enough.

I like to have the army style folding and a full size snow shovel. One to break up the ice, or in compact areas, and one to move some serious snow.

If we are going deep into snow country on our 4x4s then having a full size spade shovel is important too.

2-3 shovels per-vehicle when venturing far into snow country as far as shovels are concerned. Shackles, straps, etc, if you have a winch.

Thanks for all the info and input i think im gonna settle for the Tractor supply shovel and a collasping snow shovel in the end Ty

I only carry around an E-tool in my truck(California boy). My wife carries a full size snow shovel in her civic's trunk (Wisconsin girl). Maybe there's some wisdom right there.

I carry two.

One is a 48" or so square tipped spade, with a blade about 8" wide. Fit across the back of the trunk with an inch to spare, and it is a good compromise shovel IMO becuase the square tip is less likely to damage tires and it's narrow enough to get under move vehicles. Similiar to but longer than this:

http://www.homedepot.com/Outdoors-Garden...catalogId=10053

The other is a Cold Steel spetnaz e-tool. I don't like hinges in my shovels, and while it isn't a very good hatchet, when I have to go someplace where a hatchet or machete might get an ugly eyeball, a shovel doesn't.

I won't carry a plastic shovel- they don't do anything but break when they meet ice. If I was going to get hard core, a grain scoop would be added.

I can say from first hand experience that grain scoops are not necessarily the most practical snow shovels. The blades are usually too big to fit where you need to reach and when full of snow too heavy for most people to move easily.

Also, the plastic models are too flimsy for firm snow and ice and the the aluminum blades eventually crack. The aluminum blades can be cut down to remove extra material, making the blade more rigid and functional. If weight is a concern this is an option; although, for a vehicle shovel weight isn't a real concern.

A sturdy, inexpensive D-handle flat edged, transfer or spade type shovel works great. It can break through tough snow or ice, clear snow from under the vehicle and will last for years.

Here is an example:

http://www.homedepot.com/Outdoors-Garden...catalogId=10053

Supplement this with a sturdy snow shovel, like those carried by back country skiers, for lighter duty work moving snow and you are set.

Voile and Backcountry Access make particularity sturdy shovels at good prices, here are examples:

http://www.voile-usa.com/Merchant2/merch...Product_Count=0

http://backcountryaccess.com/index.php?id=136

Round point or square point is more useful?

I have always been partial to something like a coal shovel. Square "pointed", D handle, moderate sides, kind of like a miniature grain shovel. Most hardware stores carry something like this and the prices start pretty low (about $12).

Flat blade is good for snow and ice and works well with gravel or accident debris also. Short handle not only helps with storing in the car but makes it easy to use when digging out the snow under the car.

Something like the following: http://www.doitbest.com/Shovels-Ames+True+Temper-model-1309300-doitbest-sku-744494.dib


- Eric

I tend to prefer a round point shovel for the best overall performance, but square blades work very well, and are better as long as you are digging mostly soft stuff. What really improves performance for any shovel, whether round or square, is to sharpen it (a nice chisel edge works best). This is a trick I learned on fire lines, and one that I have applied many times on archaeological digs. So modified, a shovel is very nearly a light axe.

+1 on putting a bevel on your spades and shovels. That's SOP around here. It reduces the effort required to dig in all seasons, and turns a "muck stick" into a cutting, chopping and scraping tool.

Agreed



Thanks a lot - I'll give that a try.

In addition to sharpening the edge I have found that a bit of wear on a square "point" shovel gives you some nice ice chipping points on the outside edges. The biggest problem I have with round point for snow removal is it doesn't quickly remove a lot of snow off of a flat surface (like a driveway or road). Of course any shovel is better than none for snow removal and off road is a very different situation.

- Eric

(Non-relevant part removed; forgot which thread I was writing in!)

Regarding putting a decent edge on a shovel blade -- I have a Gerber folding shovel. What do you use to put a good edge on it? A grinder? Dremel tool? I need to see if there is a YouTube video on sharpening shovel edges...

When I have sharpened shovels and other digging tools, I use a grinder with a fine grit - carefully. It is quite easy to draw the temper if you get too eager. I imagine a Dremel would work OK as well - just take it easy. Nothing wrong with a file for that matter - it will simply take a bit longer.

Let us know if you are able to shave with your shovel. I have never accomplished that.

I agree. A file works perfectly. The same file I use to coarse sharpen my ax or hatchet works perfectly for shovels. It only takes a minute or so to clean up the edge of the shovel blade. Most people go overboard and put too much of a fine edge on the shovel blade then wonder why the blade chips or the edge folds over or burred easily.

I used to be a purist and do all the work with an 8"+ file. But I have found that if I'm careful, I can do most of the grunt work with a cheap, 4-amp angle grinder. I use very light pressure and many fast passes to avoid ruining the temper of the shovel. When I have established a rough 45-degree bevel, a few last quick passes with essentially no pressure will take off the 1/2-mm of steel on the bevel that has been hardened. If I don't do this, the file will bounce right off in places. If the file bites into the metal, all along the bevel, I've got it right. I always finish with a file. I can easily put on an edge that will cut rope, roots, veggies, or leather work boots (!).

Once you have put an edge on your shovel, how do you keep it from cutting your backpack, or other stuff if you do not use a carrier. I don't want to use a carrier because of the added weight. My ILBE backpack has a pocket and sleeve which is ideal to carry an etool and while the pocket seems sturdy I think over time a sharp edge to cause unacceptable wear.

I think I am going to try the stripping they make to go on the edge of car doors, but i am wondering if anyone has any better ideas.

I typically fold a piece of duct tape over the sharpened edge. It will stay put, and comes off easily. After any significant use you need not worry about the edge cutting any more; it will be quite dull.

I am a lazy guy.
when winter comes, I always use a folding shovel.
Maybe you would think that it's not convenient to clean the snow.
But it is easy to carry .
It’s from URL removed.

Reoul,

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chaosmagnet