Snow-shovel Wear Strip Replacement

[D45]

So.............I have 3 nice shovels in my garage and the scrapers (edge scraper, wear guards, etc) ALL need replacing

I was looking online and new shovels, like the three I have, are $30ish each

The shovels themselves are all plastic, but the scrapers/blade edges are all metal.........just worn out over the years

I drilled out the rivets and removed the scrapers from all three shovels

(1) 24"
(2) 20"

Any tips or tricks for me, when buying and attempting to install new scrapers?

I can't even seem to find replacement parts.......which is annoying

Thanks for any and all info!!

 

[D45]

I can't find anyone, except for Suncast that sells replacement wear strips for $5..........but shipping is $14.50!

A new 24" shovel is $22.98 at Lowes

Sad...........

 

[Charlie51]

It just goes to show you--There's always something!

 

[rlitman]

Just buy a strip of aluminum, drill and rivet it. Done.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I have a heavy metal shovel with the same issue.

• Removed the old rivet
• Bought a cheap piece of steel (HD)
• Clamped it on the metal blade
• Drilled undersized hole
• Tapped 1/4-20
• Installed button head machine screw from the top

The screw were a bit too long, but the concrete driveway took care of that !

 

[Stuart in MN]

Just buy a strip of aluminum, drill and rivet it. Done.

I'd use steel since aluminum will wear out too quickly, but either way it will be easy enough to do - you can get metal flat stock at most any hardware store or big box store.

This reminds me, I have a snow shovel that could use a new wear strip too. Time to get that done.

 

[rlitman]

Hand powered grinder. I like it.

I've replaced one using aluminum, mainly because it doesn't rust. I have one shovel that came with an aluminum strip, which gave me the idea for a different one. Yeah, it wears faster than steel, but I really don't wear them out that fast. Plus that shovel is super light and plastic and has been my favorite for over 10 years now (with the original aluminum; the one I replaced is going on about 8 years now). On a heavy steel plow shovel, I too would use steel. But I haven't used one of those since I've owned a snowblower.

For my part, I only use shovels on my back stairs (front and side steps now have snow melting systems), and next to my cars in places where the snowblower won't fit. Those jobs are mostly lifting and throwing, and just about no pushing, so that too keeps the edge from wearing. Still, my wife has worn out more than one plastic grain shovel with no wear edge (cleaning leaves and things), and any metal helps a lot. Also, my back steps are a pale sandstone that would show rust streaks when I used a shovel with a rusty edge on it. FWIW, most new shovels come with electro-galvanized wear edges, so they don't rust too much.

Of course, being GJ, we should suggest getting a strip of AR500 steel waterjet cut for this.

 

[matt_i]

Aluminum if you like doing it a lot....or don't get much snow But it would be lighter!

Ideal would be something like 1075 or 1095 steel like would be in a moldboard plow but that's not going to be $5.00

Any other kind of tool steel, W1, O2, A2, or medium carbon steel 4140/4340 would be excellent as well.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Considering the size of the wear strip (24" by what, one inch?) I don't think weight is much of a factor.

Home Depot has a 1" x 72" by 1/8" steel flat bar for $12, and a 1" x 48" x 1/8" aluminum flat bar f0r $10.50.

I don't have a snow blower so I do a lot of scraping with a shovel, so they do wear out fairly quickly for me.

 

[csp]

1.5" x 1/8" flat bar is a wear strip.

 

[Jacko264]

I just bent a pice of 16g steel into a U shape and knocked it on the shovel and riveted it on
After removing the old edge
Graham

 

[no704]

I’d use titanium!

 

[D45]

I picked up a 1" wide x 36" piece of 1/8" thick steel to make into a wear strip

I will cut it and drill holes and pick up some rivets this weekend

If if works I will plan on repairing all the shovels

 

[laser3kw]

Of course, being GJ, we should suggest getting a strip of AR500 steel waterjet cut for this.

hardox is nice - look up T1 plate. We use to use that in high wear spots like dump beds
but seriously
most snow blowers have replaceable wear bars. Maybe adapt on of those.

 

[toolmiser]

I just get a piece of metal bar stock from big box store. I drill, tap and install. I have a sister that really wears them out and I can't figure out why other than she is compulsive. I don't mind a little extra weight on a shovel, it makes it clean better. If over an inch or two of snow, I go to rider with blade or blower. If I hand shovel, it's usually with a wide "pusher".

 

[HMCFab9]

Get a strip of stainless steel.
It will outlast the shovel

 

[LS6 Tommy]

X2 on Home Depot for the material. I had a brand new snow shovel given to me when we bought the house. We had so much snow the first two years before I got a snow blower I replaced the wear strip twice. Now the shovel looks nice hanging on the garage wall.

Tommy

 

[ssdave]

I had problems with the rivets wearing out immediately (pop rivets) so I started just drilling a hole and plug welding the new steel strip on. That works well. But, not on plastic or aluminum!

 

[landlord30]

I would love to be at a point in my life where repairing a snow shovel even made the to do list.

not knocking it, just saying.

 

[jhelrey]

I hate wear strips on shovels. Catches every crack in the sidewalk, driveway, etc. Handle to the gut a few times. No thanks.

 

[like2wheel]

I hate wear strips on shovels. Catches every crack in the sidewalk, driveway, etc. Handle to the gut a few times. No thanks.

Unless you have a piece of round pipe on the end of your shovel, I don't see where the wear strip would be any different than if you didn't have one.

 

[Dustball]

I put 3/16 x 2" UHMW strips on two of my favorite shovels about 14 years ago and they're wearing like iron. I don't have to worry about rust stains or damage to the concrete either. One shovel is a 36" and the other is a 28".

 

[rlitman]

Unless you have a piece of round pipe on the end of your shovel, I don't see where the wear strip would be any different than if you didn't have one.

I have one Craftsman plow style shovel that looked good in the store, but would catch on every imperfection in the concrete. I made a tiny pair of skids for it that work just like the skids on my snowblower, and now it works great. No round pipe required. Or actually, round pipe required, but only tiny little pieces at each end.

 

[D45]

I put 3/16 x 2" UHMW strips on two of my favorite shovels about 14 years ago and they're wearing like iron. I don't have to worry about rust stains or damage to the concrete either. One shovel is a 36" and the other is a 28".

Great idea to use that material

Just pop rivets?

 

[Dustball]

Great idea to use that material

Just pop rivets?

Yup, aluminum rivets.

 

[D45]

1" wide flat steel stock ended up being a tad too narrow

I used 1-1/4" (1/8" thick) and it seemed good.

Drilled 8 holes and used 3/16" aluminum rivets and its finished

Just wonder if I should grind a point on the flat stock

I am going to repair the next shovel with 1-1/2" wide flat stock and see how it compares

I like the idea of flat aluminum stock but worry it will wear too fast

 

[nadogail]

My selective memory has allowed me to forget all I ever learned about Snow Shovels as I grew up in Alaska.

 

[mike93lx]

Get a strip of stainless steel.
It will outlast the shovel

Crazy. You clearly need ar500 to have it last.

 

[laser3kw]

Hand powered grinder. I like it. .......

Of course, being GJ, we should suggest getting a strip of AR500 steel waterjet cut for this.

hardox is nice - look up T1 plate

I’d use titanium!

Crazy. You clearly need ar500 to have it last.

already been suggested, as well as other exotics.

 

[csp]

The steel strip will have the edge ground as you use it. The more you grind beforehand, the shorter the life of the strip you added. Leave it alone and use it as is.

 

[intrepid]

I used the steel from an old 24" square that I had laying around. Worked great for about five years until the p,astic on the scraper cracked.

 

[BD1]

I replaced mine with an aluminum strip too .
Working great for years.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Algernon]

I put 3/16 x 2" UHMW strips on two of my favorite shovels about 14 years ago and they're wearing like iron. I don't have to worry about rust stains or damage to the concrete either. One shovel is a 36" and the other is a 28".

It's probably a little late, 2 years since your post and 16 years since you got the UHMW strips for your shovels, but I'm having a really hard time finding anywhere to get UHMW Poly strips of pretty much exactly the dimension you used. Amazon and other places have UHMW but it's expensive and not the right dimensions.
Any ideas?

 

[Algernon]

---

 

[isb cornbinder]

About 42 years ago, I bought an expensive aluminium snow shovel/pusher. the edge was worn heavily worn in the first year. I cut and fitted a stainless steel edge to the shovel. The stainless edge has lasted all of these years. My son cleans the sidewalks now, and he says the shovel works just fine.
I used stainless socket heat button fasteners to hold the stainless strip in place.

 

[DGersic]

So.............I have 3 nice shovels in my garage and the scrapers (edge scraper, wear guards, etc) ALL need replacing

I was looking online and new shovels, like the three I have, are $30ish each

The shovels themselves are all plastic, but the scrapers/blade edges are all metal.........just worn out over the years

I drilled out the rivets and removed the scrapers from all three shovels

(1) 24"
(2) 20"

Any tips or tricks for me, when buying and attempting to install new scrapers?

I can't even seem to find replacement parts.......which is annoying

Thanks for any and all info!!

I replaced them with 1“ X 1/8” steel ******** a couple of shovels. Works fine. The aluminum shovels last about as long as the steel wear strip.

 

[D45]

I repaired two shovels with steel flat stock, been working great

I have two more that need new wear strips, and I might try to find a different material to use, like stainless or aluminum or uhmw. More of an experiment

 

[duneslider]

I used to make my own quite often when I worked at a place with a small shear. I would just use 14-16ga galvanized (had scraps in the shop). Worked great. I made up a whole stack of them years ago, makes a shovel last a really long time. I am out now and may have a local sheet metal place make me up a handful again, I can do the drilling myself at home. Probably will cost less to get a dozen new blades than it would cost to buy a new shovel.

I tried uhmw and it worked pretty good but I didn't think it scraped the snow as well. It was def smoother to use.

 

[73project]

I stitch welded a piece of 1" X 1/8" on the backside edge of my old steel shovel. A couple new coats of paint and it's good for another 10 years! I ground a bevel at the edge of the wear strip to match the angle where it meets the cement. After a short time of wearing in, it will do a decent job of getting the stubborn icy bits where your wife/kids drove over it before you could clean up!

 

[D45]

It's great to know others repair a $30 shovel also

Most will just pitch it , when it wears down and will buy new