Snow shovels
Think I need a new one. Any recommendations?
I have been using a very light weight one with plastic handle, plastic shovel, and wood shaft. Nothing fancy just a straight edge on the blade. Probably one of the cheapest out there but light, light, light. Can not chop ice with it.
Probably will try to replace unless someone has a better recommendation.
mistergoogle 
5catmom mg, I've had this one for about 5 years and have no complaints. The bent shaft really reduces the strain on your lower back.
http://m.homedepot.com/p/True-Temper-18-in-Ergonomic-Mountain-Mover-Snow-Shovel-1603400/100258384/
iPhone-imal I've never had a -plastic- snowshovel that could effectively chop ice. I use a root cutter (a broomstick with a blade on the bottom) for chopping ice.
Best show shovel I ever owned was a plastic blade- didn't even have the metal edge on the blade, it was just plastic. Glided more smoothly over all surfaces, the only problem is that it wore out faster, of course.
JeffersonRepub I normally use the regular blue (or lime green Target version) plastic-bladed $9.99 shovels with the steel-core handle, though after seeing Ian's link, I may buy one to give them a shot. The early "back-saver" shovels were known to many as "back-breakers", since they were only good for a bit of snow-pushing, since lifting and turning it to dump the snow out was always a major chore, since you had to lift it too high and you seemed never to be able to actually "throw" the snow with them.
In the Home Depot case, it seems to have a black blade:
http://m.homedepot.com/p/True-Temper-16-in-Poly-Snow-Shovel-1673300/100686343/
Works for me.
Phil D. use a big one for light snow, use a smaller one for wet snow, and i use the flat bladed garden shovel for the ice. the bent handle one does save you back a bit, it's amazing how different ones work better on different days or even on the same day
i got some handles and some shovels that need a new blade, in the old days you could run down to the hardware store and buy just the replacement blades. does anyone know where you can do that today?
i don't; use a blower because the workout is good for my health, on the the really big snows the blower would be helpful, but my 60 year old snow blowing machine is on the fritz. don;t even want to fix it any more
BrotherDog 
The actual blade is white plastic, riveted onto the shovel head in six places. Like JR said, it glides great but is pretty useless for breaking ice.
ignatz Yup. that's it- I need to get one, I used my new one (from the end of last season) yesterday, and I don't like the metal blade at all, seems to get caught on my pavers much more so than the plastic blade. If there's too much snow to push, I take out the snowblower.
I hate those metal blades. I have two snow shovels that are less than 5 years old (newer one is only 2 years old) and the blades have broken partially off. I've had to manually break/grind the spurs so I can properly shovel. I've thought about getting a new piece of metal and making my own blade but no one sells rivets large enough to attach it. I may just use washers/bolts/nuts.
For chopping through heavy stuff - ice on the driveway, frozen piles of snow at the end of the driveway - I use a dedicate ice scraper with a long wooden handle. It chips through ice with ease and it makes a great pry bar when trying to break up hardened, heavy snow before throwing it with the blower.
emaxxman i thought this video might be helpful, but i started laughing so hard around the four minute mark i think missed his main points.
'how to repair a snow shovel'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fG7CJsQIO8
A few years ago I was coming through Morristown I saw a guy using a wovel snow shovel....I had no idea wth this thing was.I pulled over and asked him,I came and googled it and it's on you tube,very strange/different if you ask me.
Dam I purchased this one from Costco in Wharton at the beginning of last winter. I couldn't find an example of it on the Costco USA website. Here it is on the Costco UK site:
http://www.costco.co.uk/view/product/uk_catalog/cos_9,cos_9.1,cos_9.1.6/571295?referer=carousel
Paid $21 and change. A couple weeks back I saw the Costco in Wharton had them back in stock for this season for the same price. I think the color was slightly different. No complaints...lightweight...gets the job done.
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