My Trusty Shovel

Where we live, we regularly get over 200 inches of snow a year. That’s a lot of snow shoveling, especially when you think about the hard packed snow at the end of your driveway thanks to Mr. Snowplow. There are different tools out there to handle the snow. By far, my favorite tool was my trusty shovel.

I’ve had my shovel for over 12 years. There’s nothing special about it. I doubt it’s ergonomic and it doesn’t have any metal on it to cut into ice. It’s just a plastic shovel – plain and simple. Maybe I do have some attachment to it since it has helped me get out of a pickle numerous times. It also has shoveled a lot of snow. Other shovels came and went because they couldn’t handle the amount of snow that we get. Not my shovel. Well, until now.

It took an unfortunate spill and the handle broke. I never thought anything would break that shovel. I think it must have hit the ground just right for it to break. It feels really weird to say this, but I was pretty bummed. Ok, more than bummed. I was sad. I wasn’t sad because we’d have to spend money on a new shovel. I was sad because my favorite shovel broke. When we went out in bad weather, I always felt better if my shovel (versus another) was in the trunk of the car. Gosh, I sound like a crazy woman, don’t I? It was just a darn good shovel.

I don’t recall where I got it from. I think my mom and dad gave it to me. I do know that I haven’t seen another one like it in the stores. Shovels now have more bells and whistles and many are ergonomic. I’ve tried shovels like that, and I didn’t care for them. They didn’t work as well as my shovel.

There is hope for my shovel. I may be able to replace the handle if I can find one to use. I think all of our old broken shovels have been hauled away. For a temporary fix, I may use some duct tape and be really careful when using it. We still have four months of snow to deal with this winter and I will feel a bit lost without my trusty shovel.

It may seem that there is no real point to this post except to show my obsessive-compulsive side. But there is a point. I have been thinking about quality items lately. My shovel was a quality item for it to have outlived many other shovels. We used to buy cheap things and I think the better way to go from now on is to spend a little bit more (if necessary) to get higher quality items that last longer than the “normal” lifespan of that type of product. Whenever we buy something, I should think of my shovel and ask myself whether we are buying a quality product that will last or something that will break in a few years.

As for my broken shovel, we’ll probably try to fix it by this weekend. Wish me luck!

Posted by Tricia on December 11, 2008 at 12:26 AM in Life Experiences | 10 Comments »
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DCS responded:
Posted: December 11th, 2008 at 7:38 am
Most hardware stores sell handles. You might not be able to match the grip if it had a D-handle, but you should be able to find something.
SabbyAnn responded:
Posted: December 11th, 2008 at 9:01 am
If you can’t repair it, look into replacing the shovel with a “yooper scooper” (google it if you’ve never seen one). It’s a must-have in the western upper peninsula, where they average 200-300 (or more) inches of snow annually.
Tricia responded:
Posted: December 11th, 2008 at 10:14 am
DCS – Yeah, it’s a D-handle.

SabbyAnn – I’m very familiar with yooper scoopers and if anyone reading hasn’t seen one – you should take a look at them if you deal with snow. They are handy. I do prefer my shovel over them, though. I’m weird that way

I did find a pretty neat snow tool on Amazon.

Snow Wovel

I showed it to my son and the first thing he said was, “Let’s make one!” I asked him why not buy one. He said, “You don’t need to waste the money when we can make one.”

Proud mommy moment right there
Craig responded:
Posted: December 11th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Growing up I always used to shovel to make money. It’s a great idea for kids out there and believe me, I’m with you. A good shovel is very necessary for getting all the snow up. Makes a huge diff. Get a new one soon.
Heidi responded:
Posted: December 11th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
200 inches of snow!!! Yikes. Good luck with the shovel
Dawn responded:
Posted: December 11th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Have you taken a super close look at the scoop part of the shovel to see if there is anything engraved as far as the company who made it? I hate replacing stuff that is perfect the way it is too! Maybe if you can get some tidbit of info you can use the power of the internet to find another one
Suburban Wife responded:
Posted: December 12th, 2008 at 2:09 am
Our snow shovel had an unfortunate mishap with the wheel of a car a few years ago. Luckily it just snapped off the D part and not the whole stem of the handle. I never really liked the shovel as a snow shovel but its large plastic scoop is perfect for other types of yardwork. It’s terrific as a large dust pan as well.

Without the D part of the handle, the shovel is really quite useless as a snow shovel so I was forced to buy another snow shovel after a blizzard a couple of years ago. I found one I really like at Costco. In fact, I liked it so much I went back and bought a second one. Now each teenager has a shovel of their own
Colleen in MA responded:
Posted: December 12th, 2008 at 9:09 am
I am like this with some of my pots and pans. A couple are of high quality and make my cooking taste better (or so I think) and are pleasing to look at and hold. A couple are inherited from my Mom and are as old as the hills and not of the best quality but they still make my cooking taste good because my Mom used them too. It’s an interesting point you’re making – part of the investment of buying something is how nice it will make the chore. I like to buy certain cleansers and cleaning products – not because they are the cheapest, but because they smell good and make cleaning easier. It’s a balancing act between cost vs. use.
alan responded:
Posted: December 12th, 2008 at 11:39 am
Post a picture of your shovel if you could. I am in the same boat with my “Favorite Shovel” although I dont get to use mine nearly as much

I use an Ames True Temper #12 Poly Scoop

Available at Lowes: http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=77879-302-1604300&lpage=none
Da Big D responded:
Posted: December 12th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
Deepest condolences on your loss.