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Any tips on replacing the worn out metal wear bar on a snow shovel?

Should I simply buy a $4 flat aluminum bar and some pop rivets? About $8 total, vs $40 for a new shovel.

Seems obvious, just looking for advice from anyone who has tried it.

Not sure what the original bar is made of. Seems stronger and longer-lasting than aluminum. But doesn't rust. And surely isn't stainless steel, not in a $40 shovel. Thoughts?

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Here is a picture of my actual shovel.

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The wear bar is about 1/8 inch, and it's steel. But some interesting features:

  1. It is indented (as though countersunk, but bent not drilled) so the rivets are inset on the underside. The bar can wear through entirely to the plastic without the rivets wearing at all.
  2. It has a lip, and the plastic shovel has a corresponding ridge, along its back edge. I do not understand why.
isherwood
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jay613
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2 Answers2

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I have replaced the "wear edge"on my favorite snow shovel 2 times and will change it again this spring. I buy a 1/8" flat steel about 3/4" wide and pop rivet it to the shovel. I have found that it is better to pop rivet from the bottom instead of from the top to make the rivets last longer and not interfere with the concrete. Works great.

d.george
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D.george's answer remains my first choice as it is not brand-specific, but FWIW I did buy replacement wear bars for my shovel, they come with nuts an bolts that replace the original rivets and are designed to avoid contact with the ground.

And to answer the original question - yes, it is very worth it. My favorite shovel has lasted now 15 years or more, still in like-new condition. I've replaced the wear bar with one from the manufacturer and also the "ergonomic handle" with a generic one from Amazon. That's the handle mounted mid-way on the S-shaped handle. They snap off when abused by teenagers angry with being assigned the task and angrier still with stubborn ice.

Replacing these is easy, much cheaper than a new shovel, and this is, after all, a DIY forum ... it's satisfying.

jay613
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