Ten top ways of keeping the snow and ice at bay this winter

From a really mild early winter we have now plunged into a really freezing bitter period with deep snow, dangerous ice and freezing fogs.
But with the right equipment there is no need just to down tools and admit that winter is the winner.
So here are ten top ten tools for dealing with the snow and ice to help you keep on the move.

First is the Garant Large Canadian Snow Shovel/Pusher, a 45 cm wide tool made especially for shifting large piles of snow by the Canadians, where they know a thing or two about snow.
This lightweight shovel can shift huge amounts of snow easily and quickly.
But what’s more it’s been designed to act as a pusher, so that when you don’t need to shovel the stuff too far you can just set it down and push the stuff out of the way.
Try doing this with a garden spade and you’ll soon realise the advantage of a shovel specifically made for the job.
It is corrosion resistant and has an ash handle which will not split or easily break and has a traditional D-shaped handle.
A clever locking mechanism secures the shovel to the handle.
The maker’s recommended price for this shovel is £33.95 but we have it for just £19.95 including free next working day delivery.
The thought of owning you own snow plough probably never entered your head but here’s a great simple little hand-propelled machine which is brilliant for shifting the stuff.
The Einhell MSF 570 Manual Snow Plough is German designed and engineered for clearing snow using a revolving auger which forces the snow out to the right hand side of the machine, as you can see in our photograph.
It is 57 cm wide ideal for clearing paths and drives with the minimum of fuss.
The blade and auger are made from strong plastic and the handlebar is metal with a plastic grip.
Light and simple to use this could well be the answer to keeping access to properties open during the next few days, or maybe weeks if we’re unlucky.
The recommended price is £99.99, we normally sell it for £49.95 but as a special offer it is just £29.95.
It is delivered free the next working day and has a one year maker’s guarantee.
A product to keep paths and drives ice free is always welcome and LNT Magic Ice Melt is used extensively by airports throughout the world to keep them operational in bad weather.
It is non toxic and won’t harm garden plants or lawns and is also non corrosive so it can be used safely near cars and other equipment. Plus it is biodegradable.
A 10 kg tub will be sufficient for 2000 sq metres and it is very free running so it will not clog garden spreaders.
A 10 kg tub costs just £39.95 and ii is delivered free the next working day.
So to spread it you could do worse than look at this great value for money machine, the MD THS80 Walk-Behind Spreader.
Perfect for spreading ice melt evenly it has a 36 kg hopper made of strong polypropylene.
The flow rate can be easily adjusted and the spreading width is up to three metres depending on the speed at which you walk.
The frame is made from steel, powder coated for a longer life and the wheel have deep tread tyres for good traction.
There is also a hopper screen to prevent clogging, for remember that this spreader can also be used with fertilizers and weed killers when it gets warmer.
So make sure you clean it thoroughly before putting it away.
It costs £89.95 compared with the recommended price of £129.95. Delivery is free the next working day and there is a one year manufacturer’s warranty.
When you buy this machine you can also purchase fertilizers for the garden and lawn at special prices.
If you are looking for a simple machine to do the hard work for you then the Stiga Snow Electric Single-Stage Snow Blower may well be what you want.
To get underway all you need do with this simple machine is plug it in and push the button, it’s as simple as that.
It comes with ten metres of cable and has a rubber bladed auger which clears right back down to the surface, or back to black and works best on hard surfaces.
As the augers turn they move the machine forward and drag snow and ice into the central compartment. The snow is then blast away through a chute which can rotate through 180 degrees and is remotely controlled.
It has a clearing width of 45 cm and an intake height of 25 cm so it can deal with a pretty heavy fall of snow.
It comes with a one year maker’s guarantee, is delivered free the next working day and costs £179 compared with the manufacturer’s recommended price of £199.
If you want a more substantial machine which is petrol powered and so able to wherever you want without trailing cables, then you may well like the Stiga Snow Patrol Dual-Stage Snow Blower.
This has a 182 cc petrol engine with a weatherproof transmission and four forward and two reverse gears.
The clearing width is 55 cm and the intake height is 50 cm making it ideal for larger domestic premises and small businesses.
The revolving augers drag in the snow and then an impellor blasts it clear through an adjustable chute which rotates 180 degrees.
It is powerful enough to throw the snow up to ten metres away.
Skid shoes fitted to the front let you adjust the working height of the machine so you can use it on gravel with the right setting.
Twelve inch wheels have special Snow Hog tyres for added grip.
This machine costs £599 compared with the maker’s recommended price of £679, there is a one year maker’s warranty and free next working day delivery.
We have put together a winter snow and ice treatment package for the professional responsible for keeping paths and public areas safe.
This package consists of an Agri-Fab spreader, ten large tubs of LNT Magic Ice Melt and three large Garant snow shovels.
The spreader has been designed for working when the weather is at its worst and is geared the maximum efficiency.
The spreader has controls to regulate the amount being used and it has an extra large hopper and large pneumatic tyres.
The Magic Ice Melt is no toxic to plants and animals and will not scratch floors if walked inside.
It gives six to ten times the coverage of conventional rock salt and each tub can treat 36,000 sq metres.
And the snow shovel can pick up a pick load each time and doubles as a pusher when that’s a better way of shifting the stuff.
This package costs £599 and is delivered free within two to three working days. There are also special prices on extra spreaders, ice melt and shovels.
Sometimes the only machine which can shift huge amounts of snow is a snow plough and the Al-Ko BF-5002R Two-Wheeled Snow Plough is a really powerful machine from a German engineering company made to clear paths and drives quickly and efficiently.
It is powered by a Briggs & Stratton engine and the hard wearing plough blade has a clearing width of 85 cm.
This blade has a rubber scraper fitted to enable it to clear back to the surface – black to black. It can also be adjusted so you can clear to the right or the left.
Deep tread tyres give it excellent grip and there is a reverse gear so you can back up if necessary.
And if it’s really rough, snow chains can be fixed.
There are several attachments which can be fitted, for instance a sweeper which will clear litter and twigs.
It costs £938 compared with the maker’s recommended price of £1188, is delivered free within two to three working days and has a one year manufacturer’s guarantee.
If you want a real workhorse then this American made machine will fit the bill.
The McCulloch PM55 Two-Stage Petrol Snow Blower has a Briggs & Stratton for power and smooth running.
It is a two stage machine, first steel toothed augers break up the snow and ice and drag into the body of the machine.
The n a powerful impellor throws it away through the exit chute. The chute rotates so you can direct the stream of snow and ice where you want and the direction and pitch can be altered from the driving position.
The transmission gives very precise control over speed and a differential lock can be disengaged to give even better control.
Deep tread tyres give the grip and adjustable snow kids let you set the working height.
Currently this machine has £300 of the manufacturer’s recommended retail price as it is for sale for just £999.
There is a one year maker’s warranty and free next working day delivery.
And finally a machine for really tough tasks.
The Stiga Snow Power Dual-Stage Self-Propelled Petrol Snow Blower has a very wide clearing width of 84 cm and an intake height of 61 cm, so it can deal with really heavy falls of wide areas.
The working depth by can adjusted through altering the front snow skids.
Once the revolving auger has broken down the snow and ice the impellor throws it out and up 12 metres away
The power comes from a 305 cc Briggs & Stratton Snow Series engine designed for cold weather and to use minimum amounts of fuel.
It has a variomatic drive with six forward and two reverse gears giving great manoeuvrability.
It can be started by recoil or electric key start
And the snow chute has a rotation of 200 degrees with both direction and pitch controlled from the machine’s dashboard.
And a front headlamp keeps you going when it’s dark.
This one costs £2059 compared with the recommended price of £2359, it is delivered free the next working day and there is a one year maker’s guarantee.