Shovel keeps catching? Use your angles.
The angleTurn the blade off square
Angle the shovel blade instead of pushing it square-on. A square edge hits a driveway crack all at once and stops dead. An angled edge meets the crack one point at a time and rides over it, and the snow rolls off to the side instead of piling up in front of you.
The video for this angle is on its way.
Follow #useyourangles
How to do it
- Turn the shovel so the blade sits at an angle to your path, not straight across it.
- Push along the driveway with the low corner leading.
- Let the snow roll off the trailing side into a row.
- On the next pass, push that row to the edge.
- Lift with your legs when you do have to lift, and keep loads small.
Why it works
Most driveway cracks and control joints run straight across the drive. A square blade's whole edge reaches the lip of the crack at the same moment. Angled, only one point touches at a time, so the edge slides over like a ramp. Snowplows angle their blades for the same reason: to push snow to the side into a windrow.
Questions
What angle should I use?
Enough that the blade is clearly off square. Try a few and you'll feel the point where it stops catching.
Does this work with a snow pusher?
Yes. Wide pushers catch even more when square, so angling them helps even more.