Before we get into the buying guide itself, let’s define what a snow shovel is. First and foremost, a snow shovel is a machine that is designed to shovel snow, specifically. Any shovel can, theoretically, be a snow shovel, but a real snow shovel is designed with snow as its single purpose. Therefore, if you live in a climate where it often snows, then having a good snow shovel – especially an electric one, which makes things even easier – is a great decision.
In this article, you’ll learn about some of the most important questions to ask yourself, as you search for the right electric snow shovel. Using these questions, the process of finding the right electric snow shovel will be a breeze.
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Questions To Ask Yourself
Cord, Or Cordless?
For most people, cordless might be the first answer that comes to mind. After all, a cord often restricts and inhibits your freedom of movement, with the snow shovel, making it a little more difficult for you to clear off all of the snow in, say, your yard. However, this isn’t as much of a problem if the space you’re clearing isn’t that big or far away from a power outlet.
Cordless also comes with one big consideration: battery life. Most electric snow shovels can only last for fifty-minutes, on a single charge. Now, maybe you’re not clearing a lot of snow, but if you are, then it’s going to be very annoying when you get half of the snow cleared, and then you need to go inside and plug the snow shovel in for two-and-a-half hours, to resume shoveling.
Having a snow shovel with a cord helps alleviate that particular problem, but it does impede your mobility.
Ask yourself how often you will be shoveling, and how big of a space you’ll be shoveling in. From that, you can deduce whether having a corded, or cordless, snow shovel is the best choice for you.
How Much Does It Weigh?
If your snow shovel weighs too much, it makes the entire process incredibly annoying and unnecessarily long. It could also affect your back, too, which is never a good thing. It’s best to try and find a snow blower that is lightweight, and easy to hold and maneuver. A good snowblower that does those things will save you a lot of time and a lot of energy down the road.
How Deep Is The Shovel’s Intake Height?
The intake height directly affects the depth of snow you can put the shovel in before it stops working very well. Usually, most snow shovels have intake heights that are around four-to-six inches. One of the reasons why people often choose to buy snow shovels that have a larger intake height is because, if there is ever an unexpected snowstorm, the snow shovel will still be able to clear all of the snow.
Having a six-inch intake height is generally the better option because it serves as a great prevention against any situations where, if a snowstorm does take place, you won’t be put into a challenging position where getting rid of the snow is a lot harder than it has to be.
With that being said, this isn’t always the best option, because it does cost a little bit more money, and if your area doesn’t get that much snow, ever, then it may not be the wisest investment.
How Wide Is The Shovel’s Clearing Width?
Arguably, this is more important than the intake height. With a greater clearing width, you can, for example, clear an entire walkway in just a single pass. With a smaller clearing width, it will take at least to passes, before the walkway is cleared.
When you’re looking at the clearing width of different snow shovels, take into consideration how wide the area you will be shoveling is. If it’s a smaller width, then you don’t need to look for a really big clearing width. If it’s a big area, though, then it’s best to get a snow shovel with a large clearing width, because it’ll save you a lot of time.
Making The Right Decision
In the end, consider the factors mentioned above. Consider where you live, how much snow you usually receive, and the kind of area that you’ll be shoveling in.
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