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Snow removal in winter becomes a heavy burden for many residents of the private sector. During the period of heavy snowfalls, it is necessary to clean the area daily, and sometimes several times a day. It takes a lot of effort and time. It is possible to facilitate and speed up the process of snow removal by partial mechanization of the process. So, you can change the usual shovels and scrapers with a tool on wheels. A simple addition in the form of wheels will help you easily move heavy clods of snow without much effort. You can buy a snow scraper on wheels or make your own. Good advice on choosing equipment and a detailed guide on how to make it can be found in our article.
How to choose a good wheel scraper
Manufacturers of garden tools constantly surprise us with their new products. One of them can be called a wheeled scraper. This type of shovel is designed for effective snow removal. Like a conventional scraper, it has a voluminous snow collection tray and a handle or handle. A feature of such equipment is the wheel axle, fixed at the bottom of the shovel. The material of manufacture and design of such a scraper for each specific model may differ. In a wide variety of wheeled scrapers, let’s try to understand in detail.
Which scraper is the most reliable
The durability and ease of use of a wheeled scraper largely depends on the material from which it is made:
- A plastic shovel is very light and handy, but, unfortunately, only high-quality polymer material can withstand severe frosts. The cost of high-quality plastic shovels is quite high.
- Metal scrapers are able to work successfully for even several decades, but the disadvantage of metal is the bulkiness of the structure and its heavy weight. Of all the metal options, aluminum and duralumin scrapers have proven themselves best.
- You won’t be able to find wooden scrapers for sale, but many craftsmen make such equipment on their own. Its disadvantages are fragility, a significant mass. It is also worth considering that wet snow tends to stick to a wooden surface.
When purchasing a scraper on wheels, you need to correctly evaluate the correspondence between price and quality. If the budget allocated for the purchase is strictly limited, then it is better to purchase metal inventory. There is no doubt about its quality, and the price tag of such a shovel is quite affordable. A high-quality plastic shovel will be more convenient to use, but its purchase will cost about 2-5 thousand rubles.
Variety of models
It is not so easy to choose a convenient and productive scraper engine on wheels, because the market offers a huge number of different models. Each of them has its own advantages, disadvantages, features.
Most often, plastic scrapers are equipped with small wheels that help move the snow from the collection site to the storage site by slightly tilting the shovel. In the photo below you can see such a scraper on small wheels:
It is worth noting that such equipment will work effectively only on a flat surface with a small layer of snow, since the patency of small wheels is low.
More often, domestic and foreign manufacturers offer plastic scrapers on small wheels. The lion’s share of the brand value can be invested in the price of such inventory. So, a shovel, 80 cm wide, made of Fiskars frost-resistant plastic will cost the buyer 4-5 thousand rubles, while similar domestic-made equipment costs only 2 thousand rubles.
A scraper with large wheels is sometimes called a manual bulldozer. The shape of his bucket is non-standard. It is a curved, wide metal surface. A wheelbase and a handle are attached to it, which allows you to maneuver the structure. Such a scraper, without much human effort, can shovel a large amount of snow to the storage site, but it will not be possible to lift the load on such a bucket.
Scrapers can be equipped with two or four wheels. The ease of use and the patency of a snow shovel depend on their diameter.
The design with 4 wheels has one significant drawback: the bucket is located at a certain height from the ground, which does not allow you to clean snow as cleanly as possible. The rigid four-wheel base does not allow tilting or lifting the scraper. This feature makes the scraper suitable only for work on a flat surface.
Another version of the wheeled scraper was invented not so long ago in Europe. Its design provides for the presence of only one wheel of large diameter. A handle is fixed on its axis with the help of a hinge. A bucket for collecting snow is fixed at one end of the handle, and a handle at the other end. You can see such a design and the principle of its operation in the photo:
It is worth noting that it is really convenient to work with such a scraper: the large wheel has good maneuverability, and the large leverage allows you to dump snow from the bucket with minimal effort. At first glance, the bulky design is easy to disassemble and does not take up much space during storage.
To date, many owners of private courtyards have already appreciated the dignity of snow scrapers on wheels. Working with such a tool allows you to remove the load from the shoulders, arms and back of the worker. The weight of the snow during operation is transferred to the wheel. It is this detail that you need to pay special attention to when buying a scraper. Wheels must be made of durable material. The wheels made of rubber are best tolerated by shocks, loads and low temperatures. Their diameter should be as large as possible, because the patency of the structure and the convenience of its use depend on it.
The handle of the scraper is another important point of attention. A scraper with a wide bucket should have a U-shaped handle. This will allow you to apply efforts to move the bucket as efficiently as possible, but such equipment will not allow you to raise the shovel and makes the structure less maneuverable. On the U-shaped handle and the T-handle, there must be a rubberized base to hold the tool. Special, non-slip coating will make the work convenient and comfortable.
Making a scraper is easy
If there is no money in the wallet at all, and the snow is sweeping the yard more and more, then it’s time to make the engine for snow removal yourself. The manufacturing process of such a tool is simple and does not require special knowledge or experience. So, we will offer craftsmen two options for making scrapers on wheels.
Manual bulldozer
To create a manual bulldozer you will need:
- Two wheels. They can be bought or taken from an old stroller, trolley.
- Sheet steel. It is preferable to use sheets with a thickness of at least 1 mm. Sheet metal can be replaced with a pipe with a diameter of 30-40 cm. It will need to be cut.
- Steel pipe, diameter 20-40 mm.
- Swivel loop.
To make a scraper like a manual bulldozer, in addition to materials, you need a grinder and a welding machine. For a better understanding, the manufacturing process of the scraper can be described in stages:
- You can make a work surface from a sheet of steel or a pipe. The optimal dimensions of the working surface are 70 by 40 cm. You need to cut a piece of the required dimensions from the sheet and bend it. If it is decided to use a pipe, but it needs to be cut with a grinder and straightened a little.
- Cut out 2 metal plates, measuring 20 by 10 cm. In the resulting parts, make 3 holes, located one above the other. Weld the plates on the back side of the paper clip horizontally at a distance of 5-7 cm from each other.
- From a steel tube, cut a handle corresponding to the height of the worker.
- At the lower end of the handle, weld another metal plate vertically to the ground and at an angle of 120-1300 to the shaft axis. The wheel axle and blade will be fixed on it.
- At the upper end of the handle, weld the handle.
- From a pipe with a diameter of 30 mm, cut off a piece, 60 cm long. The resulting tube must be used as a wheel axle.
- Make a hole in the plate welded on the handle, insert the wheel axle and weld it securely.
- At the free end of the vertical plate, fasten the swivel loop. Fix its second leaf on the back side of the blade surface.
- Make a hook out of thick wire. Insert it into the holes of horizontally located plates, thereby fixing the position of the blade.
You can see the design of such a scraper on wheels in the photo:
It is not at all difficult to make such a scraper with your own hands. Anyone can do this task. For greater manufacturing accuracy, it is recommended to first make drawings and think over the sequence of actions.
Another option for making a do-it-yourself scraper on wheels can be seen in the video:
On the video, you can also evaluate the simplicity and efficiency of using such inventory.
Conclusion
Thanks to the efforts of engineers and just amateur craftsmen, the design of a conventional snow shovel has changed. Today on the market you can find various options for this inventory, including shovels on wheels. They have high throughput and productivity. Such scrapers can be purchased at a store, on the market, but when buying a tool, you should pay close attention to its quality. Do-it-yourself inventory will surely be the most convenient and reliable to use.