Electric snow shovel

Clearing snow with conventional shovels is quite difficult. For a woman, a teenager or an elderly person, cleaning the territory from snow drifts sometimes turns into real hard labor. An electric shovel for snow removal is designed to facilitate such hard work. This device will quickly and easily move even large white “caps” to the place of storage, clearing the territory in a quality manner. Power tools in various configurations can be purchased at a very reasonable price or made by hand. Up-to-date information on how to choose an electroshovel or make it yourself can be found in the proposed article.

The main elements and principle of operation of the electroshovel

The modern electric snow shovel has nothing in common with traditional tools, except that the shape of these tools is a bit similar. The design and technical characteristics of some models of electric shovels may differ, but the principle of their operation is similar:

• An electric motor with a power of 1000 to 1800 W drives the auger, which, while rotating, rakes the snow.
• Under the influence of a powerful air flow, the snow collected by the auger flies out in a given direction by 4-10 m to the side.
• The electroshovel is controlled by a long, rubberized handle with a start button. Some models are equipped with telescopic handles.
• Some electric shovels come with a special brush that can be installed in the summer season to clean the paths from small litter.

The electroshovel is a compact tool, with a working width of 25 to 40 cm. At the same time, the actual width of the processed surface is slightly less. The tool can only remove freshly fallen snow, up to a layer of up to 40 cm. The performance of various electroshovels varies from 80 to 140 kg / min.

The electric shovel requires access to the mains to operate. The cord of the tool itself is quite short, so you need to stock up on an extension cord for snow removal. It is worth noting the significant weight of the tool: on average, an electroshovel weighs about 6 kg. During operation, the body of the shovel must be kept 2-3 cm above the ground. This will help in case of accidental collision with an obstacle not to damage the tool. In order not to strain your arms and back, you should use models with small wheels on which you can lean on the tool and move it freely. You can see the electroshovel and evaluate its work by watching the video:

Advantages and disadvantages of the tool

The main advantage of the electric shovel is that it can significantly facilitate the work of a person, quickly clearing the area after the next snowfall. In this case, it does not matter at all what terrain the site has. However, the use of an electroshovel is limited by certain conditions:

• You can work with the tool at a temperature not lower than -25⁰WITH;
• the area of ​​the cleaned area should not exceed 6 m², since the electroshovel is not intended for long-term continuous use;
• it will be possible to work with the tool only within the reach of the extension cord;
• the electric shovel cannot remove wet or packed snow;
• the electric motor makes a lot of noise during operation, which causes some discomfort to the worker.

When buying an electric shovel, it is necessary to take into account all the listed features, as well as pay attention to the technical characteristics of the tool: the lower the power of the electric motor, the more delicate the shovel is. For example, a 1000 W tool can burn out when working with packed snow, because most models of manual snow blowers are not equipped with overheating protection.

The cost of an electroshovel depends on the power, equipment, brand-manufacturer. So, models are presented on the market at a price of 5 to 10 thousand rubles.

Selection rules

Of course, the main criterion for choosing an electric shovel is its power, however, the material from which it is made also affects the usability and durability of the tool. On sale you can find electric shovels with a plastic case. They are quite light and easy to work with. At the same time, low-quality plastic can be significantly damaged when working in severe frost or when colliding with an obstacle.

An alternative to plastic in the manufacture of electric shovels can be aluminum or even wood. The aluminum tool is the most reliable, but has a relatively high cost. Electric wooden shovels are rare on the market. They are often made by craftsmen in their workshops.

When buying an electric shovel, you need to pay attention not only to the material from which the body is made, but also to the material of the auger:

• a metal screw during operation damages the coating of paths, platforms;
• plastic auger often breaks;
• an auger made of soft rubber or silicone is the best option for an electric shovel;
• the screw made of plastic with a rubber lining combines the durability of operation and the delicacy of cleaning.

These features of the material must be taken into account not only when choosing a factory electric shovel, but also when making a product with your own hands. Learn how to make an electric snow shovel below.

Reliable do-it-yourself tool

You can make a high-quality and reliable electroshovel with your own hands. At the same time, a more powerful engine and an adapted design will increase productivity and improve the quality of snow removal.

To make an electric shovel you will need:

• Electric motor. You can use two or three phase motor. The drawings proposed below are designed for a three-phase motor with a power of 2.2 kW.
• Automotive pulley.
• 2-4 steel blades, 12 * 15 cm in size. It is recommended to use steel with a thickness of at least 3 mm.
• A sheet of steel for the manufacture of a shovel body.
• 4 bolts М10.
• Sewer pipe and corner of the same diameter under 120⁰.
• Steel corners, 35 cm long, for the manufacture of skids.
• Pipe with a diameter of 20 mm for the manufacture of control knobs.
• Packet switch.

You can make an electroshovel with your own hands as follows:

• Press a car pulley onto the motor shaft.
• Weld metal blades to the pulley.
• Make a metal case around the blades. Weld a wedge-shaped grip for snow to it.
• Attach the resulting body with bolts to the motor.
• Cut a hole in the fan case. Its diameter should be equal to the diameter of the sewer pipe.
• On a wooden block, cut a hole of the same diameter. Insert a pipe into it, fix it with self-tapping screws and fix the bar on the fan housing so that the hole in the fan housing coincides with the location of the pipe.
• Weld skids and a handle to control the electroshovel to the body.
• Attach the package switch to the handle of the tool.

By analogy with the technology proposed above, a gasoline snow blower can also be designed. If desired, you can make some improvements to the design, additionally equip the electroshovel with a headlight, wheels or other elements.

An electric shovel can become an indispensable assistant in the household, if you choose it correctly and carefully operate it. It will perfectly cope with fresh snow, clean yard paths, playgrounds and even the roof. At the same time, you need to work with such a tool regularly, because even a little packed or melted snow will no longer be subject to an electric shovel. Many electroshovel models are quite fragile and require a delicate approach to work. The most passable and reliable design can be done independently. We have provided all the necessary information for this in our article.