What’s the Best Snow Shovel with Wheels?
Before I show you the best snow shovel with wheels let me explain why buying an efficient snow shovel with wheels or a single stage snow blower, is highly recommended for your health, time, and peace of mind. Oh, and it may also allow you to live longer.
Every Winter in the US over 12,000 people end up in hospital rooms due to an injury suffered from shoveling snow – and those are the lucky ones, many people actually die from this seemingly innocent task. Also, not all injuries bring people to the emergency room of a hospital so the number of injuries is much higher than 12,000. What are the causes of these injuries and deaths?
Snow Shovel with Wheels
There are many reasons why people get hurt. First, shoveling snow, especially wet snow, is a very strenuous activity that far too many people underestimate. Shoveling snow is like lifting weights and having a difficult workout. That’s not necessarily a bad thing if you’re in good shape but if you’re physically unfit then your chance of getting injured is greatly increased. If you have heart disease or high blood pressure and decide to start shoveling snow you need to know that your risk of a heart attack increases your risk by about four times.
Sorry, I don’t mean to bring you down but this is important for you to know. Even if you’re perfectly healthy, shoveling snow is risky due to the cold weather, coupled with the slippery conditions and the physical stress of shoveling heavy snow with a shovel that isn’t ergonomic. Let’s face it, the standard snow shovel is poorly designed and yet so many people still use them. It’s safe to say that snow shovel with wheels is a big step up from your everyday shovel. We’ll get to the reviews soon, but first a few more facts.
Most Common Injuries from Snow Shoveling
Based on a study that looked at injuries from 1990 to 2006 the most common injuries, as summarized by WebMD, were the following:
Overworking your muscles, falling, and being hit with the shovel were the most common reasons for getting hurt.
Muscle, ligament, tendon, and other soft tissue injuries topped the list of snow shoveling mishaps. Among these, lower back injuries were common.
Other common snow shoveling injuries included cuts and broken bones. The arms and hands were the most likely body regions to sustain a bone fracture.
Heart-related problems made up only 7% of snow shoveling injuries. However, all deaths due to snow shoveling were caused by heart problems.
Heart attacks can happen while shoveling snow because the cold and physical exertion causes a spike in your heart rate and blood pressure triggering a change in the shape of your blood vessels, which leads to the plaque within the vessels loosening up and getting swept in the blood stream, eventually reaching the heart. The result is a heart attack.
My advice to anyone with a pre-existing health condition is to refrain from shoveling snow and instead, ask a family member who’s is healthy or hire someone else to do it. The other option is to not worry about it at all and let the snow melt on its own. Do not risk your health.
If you do have a medical condition then consider purchasing a portable medical alert device such as the GreatCall Splash Waterproof One-Touch Mobile Medical Alert Device, but that’s beside the point. You still shouldn’t be shoveling snow. Period!
Here are a few tips before starting to shovel snow:
- Warm up first with a little bit of light exercising.
- Wear slip-resistant shoes or buy YakTrax, traction aids for your shoes.
- Go slow and take breaks.
- Push the snow instead of lifting it.
- Avoid throwing snow over your shoulder or to your side as the twisting motion involved can cause back injuries.
The signs of a heart attack are as follows: pressure in your chest, pain radiating down one arm, shortness of breath or dizziness, profuse sweating, or intense nausea. If you have any on these symptoms stop immediately and call for help.
Okay, now that we understand the importance of using an ergonomic shovel and the risks associated with shoveling snow, let’s get started with my recommendations of the best snow shovel with wheels.
Snow Wolf | Wovel | Snow Shovel with Wheels
The Snow Wolf, otherwise known as the Wovel, is the best of the best when it comes to a snow shovel with wheels. The design of the Wovel eliminates the majority of back stress caused by traditional snow shovels. This was based on an independent study done at the University of Massachusetts which set out to study lower back stress and the intensity of effort required to use the Snow Wolf snow shovel.
Studies have shown that the Wovel allows you to clear snow 3x faster than traditional snow shovels (Suncast SC3250) and almost eliminates the risk of back injuries. Now, you have to remember that there’s always a risk of injury when doing any activity, especially when you’re out in wet and slippery cold conditions, such are the conditions you’d be in when using the Snow Wolf. It’s still possible to slip, but that’s why it’s a good idea to buy traction aids for your shoes, to eliminate the risk of falling.
The Wovel uses a see-saw motion that allows you to throw double the amount of snow you could normally clear with a traditional shovel in one scoop. It works well in snow up to 2 feet high. It has a 26-inch wide blade which is a good size for efficient snow clearing . It can be easily assembled in 20-30 minutes and also comes with a DVD video guide to help you get started.
Overall, if you’re looking for the best snow shovel with wheels then the Snow Wolf is definitely the one to buy. Personally, I feel that a snow blower is the best idea if you live in an area that gets a lot of snow as it requires even less effort to use than a Wovel and eliminates all stress and strain from your body. So, the Wovel is a great snow shovel with wheels but a step up would be a single stage snow blower.
The great thing about the Wovel is that there are a couple of great accessories for it to make your life easier. When’s the last time you had a snow shovel with accessories? This is a well designed product that takes the definition of snow shovel to a whole new level.
The Snow Wolf chipper plate accessory attaches to the lower-body assembly of your Snow Wolf wheeled snow shovel providing you with the ability to chip through ice and hard-packed snow on your path. Easy to attach and tighten this add-on will make your snow clearing duties a whole lot quicker and safer.
The gravel wheels accessory is another nice option to have as it gives you higher ground clearance, keeping your snow shovel blade approximately one inch off the ground so you never scrape the surface you’re clearing. Essentially, these wheels allow for a smoother and more efficient way to operate your Wovel, while making heavy loads a little easier to move.
The Best Snow Shovel with Wheels
The Wovel is my preference for the best snow shovel with wheels. It’s designed for the human body, which translates into far less stress and strain on your body. It greatly reduces your chance of back injury (as studies show) and requires far less effort on your part to clear the snow. It’s very well constructed which means it should last you a long time. It’s nice to see companies redesigning tools for the modern age. The Snow Wolf will make your life much easier when the snow starts to fall.
Watch the Wovel in action in this video:
Features:
- Suitable for lots of snow in a variety of weather conditions.
- Clears snow 3x quicker than traditional snow shoveling, with half the effort and reduced risk of injuring yourself
- Ergonomic Research confirms that it reduces lower back stress and cardiovascular exertion by as much as 3 to 4 times.
- Easy to store by folding flat or storing on your wall.
The Snowcaster 30SNC | Snow Shovel with Wheels
The Snowcaster 30SNC is another snow shovel with wheels and the name sounds like it should be a fantasy movie starring Meryl Streep but it’s not, it’s a 36″ snow shovel with wheels – and a pretty good one at that. The blade is made of a durable polymer plastic. This snow shovel is best suited for fluffy light snow and tends to have difficulty with heavy wet snow.
It has a convenient bi-directional blade which means the blade can be angled to either the left or right side for greater control over where to move the accumulated snow. Watch the Snowcaster wheeled snow shovel in action:
The Snowcaster is a decent machine but doesn’t compare to the overall ergonomics, durability and quality of the Snow Wolf wheeled snow shovel. Yes, the Wovel is more expensive but it’s worth the extra money if you want to buy a snow shovel with wheels. You should also consider that you can also buy a snow blower for the price of a Wovel, like the Power Smart DB5023. Personally, I’d buy a small snow blower, but that’s just my personal choice. If you continue reading you’ll notice that my last choice on this list is the Toro 38361 Power Shovel, which costs less than $100.
Either way, the Snowcaster is an option for you to consider for less than $100 but it’s not the best snow shovel with wheels you can buy.
Features:
- More efficient than traditional snow shovels.
- Reduce fatigues overall fatigue and lessens the strain on your back.
- Bi-directional blade for wind-rowing snow.
- Less than 10 minutes to assemble.
Power Dynamics Flip It | Snow Shovel with Wheels
Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of information about the Power Dynamics Flip It snow shovel other than the reviews you find on Amazon. It has a 30-inch blade for a wide snow clearing area. It’s similar in design to the Snowcaster 30SNC but between the two I’d definitely purchase the Snowcaster instead.
I included this Power Dynamics snow shovel with wheels because I want you to see the options available to you in order to help you make the best buying decision. I spend a lot of time on research for these articles and the one thing that always holds true is that once I’ve done the research it becomes much easier to recommend the best product in comparison to what else is available.
The Snow Wolf, is clearly the best snow shovel with wheels that you can buy but there are other options if you don’t want to spend the money on the Wovel. I understand that everyone has a budget to consider, but I think you’ll be excited about my next option on the list as it costs under $100 and it’s electric.
Features:
- 30″ Bi-directional blade.
- Snow rolls away with its angled flip blade.
- Less strain and effort than traditional snow shovels.
Toro 38361 Power Shovel | Snow Shovel with Wheels
The Toro 38361 snow shovel wasn’t exactly what you were searching for when you arrived at this article but it’s a product I want you to consider because it’s easier on your body than a snow shovel with wheels and it’s less than $100. It’s a small snow blower which means it’s very lightweight and easy to move through the snow and clear the areas around your home. It’s only a 7.5 amp motor, so it’s not going to clear large amounts of snow but it’s great for less than 4 inches of snow. Toro also makes a 12 amp and 15 amp version. If you want to learn more about snow blowers you can read my in-depth article on them so I’ll refrain from going into the details here.
This compact electric snow blower can remove 300 pounds of snow per minute. Look at it another way: That’s 300 lbs of snow that you don’t have to actually lift. Just push and let the snow blower do the work. At the end of the day it’s up to you to choose the right tool to clear the snow. My job is to give you options and perhaps a perspective that makes you think about what you really need. Sometimes what we want is not what we need – I think The Rolling Stones sang about it.
The Toro snow shovel produces high torque at low speeds making effective use of it’s low amperage motor. It can effectively clean your driveway, walkways, patio and anything else you need to clear. Just don’t expect it to clear large amounts of snow. It’s not a heavy duty snow blower. Toro has done a great job designing a cheap electric snow blower that’s also ergonomic and reliable. You get a lot for your money with this power tool. You can’t argue with the facts: With over 1,200 reviews on Amazon this snow blower is rated at 4 stars (out of 5). It’s clearly a well made snow moving machine, and it does have wheels so technically it fits the headline of this article. It fits snuggly in-between a snow shovel with wheels and a snow thrower.
Only you can decide if it’s the right snow clearing tool for you.
If you decide on this Toro snow shovel make sure you get a good quality all-weather extension cord to endure the cold, like the US Wire 98100 100-feet cold weather cord.
Overall, a great option if you want to clear snow with minimal effort. Yes, you’ll have to manage an extension cord but you’ll get used to it. If you prefer to clear snow the manual way then you should buy the Wovel instead of this Toro snow blower. The end result will be the same with only difference being in the amount of energy you have to exert to get the snow clearing done.
Features:
- 7.5 Amp electric snow shovel.
- Clears up to 4-inches of snow. Can clear a 50x20 foot area in about 20 minutes.
- Telescoping Handle: You can control the length of the handle to match your comfort level.
- Adjustable Handle allows you to change the angle.
- Lightweight and easy to maneuver.
- Cord Lock System: Keeps your cord secure while you clear snow.
- Power Curve Technology: Curved rotor with an inverted funnel reduces clogging and increases efficiency.
What’s the Best Snow Shovel With Wheels?
The answer is easy: If you want a manual snow shovel with wheels then the Snow Wolf is one of the best one money can buy. Sure there are a few other options for you to consider and they’re even cheaper but they’re not as efficient as the Wovel. If you’re going to spend money then buy something that will last.
Now, not to complicate things, but if you’re looking for an easy-to-use snow removal machine with a minimum amount of stress and strain on your body and at a very reasonable price I’m going to highly recommend the Toro 38361 snow shovel.
Who am I to say what you should buy. Think about where you live and how much snow you expect to fall this year. Also, don’t forget to factor in your overall health. If you have high blood pressure or heart disease then please don’t even consider clearing snow – even with a snow blower. Don’t risk your health. People die every year because they underestimate the stress of clearing snow. It’s a strenuous activity.
If you’re healthy and capable then choose a snow clearing tool that makes sense for you. This article is meant to present you with the best available options for snow shovels with wheels. Happy snow clearing!