DIGGS moves to the Shovel Town! Coincidence? I Think Not.

Two Broken Shovels, a Two-Foot Storm, and the Question of Whether All Snow Shovels Are Created Equal

Somewhere between clearing the driveway and wondering how much snow was still coming down, I realized I had officially entered that familiar New England headspace — cold, tired, halfway done, and quietly questioning my life choices.

That’s also when it happened: two different snow shovels broke in the span of one storm.

Same snowfall. Same conditions. Different designs. Same outcome.

And maybe it was the cold talking, but somewhere in the middle of all that I remembered hearing that Stefon Diggs had moved to Easton — a town literally known as Shovel Town. Coincidence? I think not. At the very least, it felt like the universe nudging me to pay a little closer attention to the tools I was using.

Which immediately got me thinking about a question most homeowners don’t ask until they’re standing in the snow holding a snapped handle:

Are all snow shovels actually created equal?

The Broken-Shovel Reality Check

Neither shovel failed in a dramatic way. They didn’t crack in half with a heroic snap or give much warning at all. They just quietly reached their limit. And if you’ve been shoveling through this storm, you know exactly how deep, dry, and unforgiving this snow has been.

That moment alone was enough to pause and reassess. Not just which shovel broke, but why it broke — and whether certain designs are simply better suited for storms like this than others.

A Quick Look at the Main Snow Shovel Designs

Traditional Flat Scoop Shovel

This is the classic shovel most of us grew up using. It’s great for stairs, walkways, and tight spots where precision matters, but it also requires the most lifting. In deep snow, it gets the job done — just not efficiently — and your lower back usually feels the cost first.

Plow-Style Shovel

Years ago, a Canadian coworker of mine swore this was the most efficient shovel you could own, and after this storm, it’s hard to argue. Designed to push snow instead of lifting it, the plow-style shovel excels at clearing large areas quickly. It’s not ideal for stairs or tight corners, but for volume and efficiency, it’s tough to beat.

Wide Push Shovel

These look great in theory and work incredibly well in light, fluffy snow. The problem shows up once the snow gets deeper or more compacted, which is when these shovels tend to struggle — and in some cases, fail entirely. Fast on the right day, unreliable on the wrong one.

Ergonomic or Bent-Handle Shovel

These can feel awkward at first if you’re used to a straight handle, but the design does what it promises. By reducing how much bending is required, they noticeably reduce strain during longer shoveling sessions. Once you adjust, the comfort difference becomes hard to ignore.

Metal-Edge or Reinforced Shovel

When snow turns packed or the plow leaves behind a dense mess at the end of the driveway, this is the shovel you want. Heavier and less forgiving on surfaces, but far more durable when conditions get tough. These aren’t about finesse — they’re about surviving the worst of it.

A Quick Detour Into “Shovel Town”

As it turns out, there’s a reason snow shovel design even feels like a discussion worth having around here. Easton earned the nickname “Shovel Town” thanks to the Ames family, who built one of the largest tool-manufacturing operations in the world starting in the early 1800s.

Their shovels were used for everything from farming to major national infrastructure projects like railroads and canals. At a time when tools weren’t disposable, durability wasn’t a bonus — it was a requirement. If a shovel failed, the work stopped.

That history makes storms like this one feel a little more fitting.

Ranking the Shovels: Best to Worst for New England Winters

After breaking two shovels and thinking through how each design actually performs, I put together a simple ranking based on overall practicality for New England winters — not perfection, but what tends to hold up when the snow gets deep and conditions are less forgiving.

The takeaway isn’t that one shovel does everything best. It’s that using the wrong shovel for the wrong job is usually the first thing to fail — whether that’s the tool itself or your patience.

Final Thoughts Before the Next Storm

Homeownership has a way of teaching lessons at inconvenient times. Sometimes it’s about preparation, sometimes it’s about maintenance, and sometimes it’s about realizing that even something as simple as a snow shovel deserves more thought than we usually give it.

If this storm proved anything, it’s that not all shovels are created equal — and choosing the right one matters more than you might expect.