Took me 3 broken shovels to finally get a good ice chopper

I was out scraping my walkway after that 8 inch snow last week and snapped my third plastic shovel in two years. The blade just cracked right in half when I hit a thick ice patch near the curb on Addison. I finally gave in and drove to the hardware store on Clark and spent $45 on a metal ice chopper with a wooden handle. That thing went through the ice like butter and took maybe 10 minutes to clear what usually took 45. Made me wonder why I kept buying cheap shovels from the drugstore. Has anyone else switched to a dedicated ice tool after busting too many shovels?

2 comments

2 Comments

paulb981mo ago

Figured I'd rather replace a ten dollar shovel every couple years than lug a heavy chopper around.

lilychen1mo ago

I get what you're saying paulb98, but I gotta push back on that. You said you'd rather replace a ten dollar shovel every couple years, but that math doesn't add up for me. I snapped three shovels in two years like the original poster did, and that's $30 right there plus the hassle of driving back to the store each time. The heavy chopper I got for $45 has lasted me four winters now and still looks new, and it saved my back because I'm not fighting the ice for 45 minutes each storm. Plus when I lent it to my neighbor last month he didn't crack it on the first try like he did with his plastic one. I think the cheap shovels just cost you more in frustration and time, even if the upfront price is lower.