Side by Side Comparison of: Garant vs Union Tools

Living in SW Wyoming where the winters can be brutal, I ordered 2 of these snow pushers knowing they didn't come with a metal blade. I don't know how long they will last with just the bare poly blade. I've used these several times now and they work better than expected. They cut through tire-packed snow and hard frozen slush as work well or better than the metal shovel I've been using. There are side barriers that keep most of the snow from falling off to the sides. That counts for a lot. These shovels are light, but very sturdy, well made and well balanced. I just ordered another one today. It's always been my luck that if and when I purchase an item that works well and I like, they are gone the next time I need one. So, the extra spare that I can squirrel away for when this one wears out, if it does within 2 or 3 years. Some reviewers say they've had theirs for as many as 7 years. Let's hope they are right. They are cost effective at $47.00 and free shipping with minimum purchase.

I have had this same shovel for 15 years. It finally broke a couple of years ago due to abuse, pushing on the top of it with my foot to get under hard snow or ice. In my judgment, the molded plastic on this is very sturdy. The breaking of the previous one was wholly due to my abuse. This type of shovel is great for clearing 1 to 4 inches of snow on a paved drive way, wide enough to make a difference but not so wide as to catch too much snow. While the price may seem high for what one might expect to pay for a snow shovel in stock at a physical store, I simply haven't seen one in a store for a long time. A great aspect of Amazon is that one can purchase this shovel without all the running around to physical stores to find one. Even if I had found one, the cost of running around would have been greater than any price premium. Also, the handle on the new shovel is fatter, which makes it more comfortable on the hand when pushing snow.

I bought this after my old snow shovel broke near the end of the season. I only used it twice so far but it seems great for a normal driveway. The first time I used it we had about 4 inches of snow and it seemed to handle that ok but it did take some effort to push all that to one side of the driveway. It does have a long handle that makes it easier to push without bending over. I cleared the driveway in about 25 minutes taking my time which was much faster than it would have been with my old, smaller snow shovel. The second time I used it, we only had about 1-2 inches of snow. I cleared the driveway in about 5 minutes with it. The shovel size difference makes an amazing difference in time especially for lighter snow amounts.My shovel blade did seem a little loose when it arrived as other people mentioned in the reviews. The remedy mentioned worked for me as well. I will repeat it. Just hold the shovel blade on each side with it facing up over a solid but soft surface like the carpet in your home. Simply push the handle into the surface with a small amount of force. You may hear a click and the shovel blade should be tighter now.

I'm not sure if some people just get bad batches but my shovel was perfectly flat when I received it. I looked specifically for this since this seemed to be the main complaint but it lays perfectly flush along every wall and floor I tested it with. It's a really wide shovel perfect to push along a sidewalk and just have to do it once. My primary purpose for it was to clean up my driveway after my runs with a snow blower and it's perfect for that. I even use it to pick up show and throw as well and this winter if you're tossing snow you have to lift it at least a foot or even up to five fee high! This worked great for it. One of my other options was a 30in shovel with the vertical bars along both sides then a loop on top which forms the handle. Boy am I glad I didn't get one of those because no matter how much you want to just push snow you always inevitably want to scoop some and throw it and I don't know how you'd do that with one of those others. This shovel worked perfectly.

I made the mistake in not realizing this shovel had a metal strip, as metal strips wear down and leave gouge marks on the driveway. I removed the metal strip and the shovel works like a charm cleaning up the aftermath of storm "Electra"!! I love the curvature of the blade which moves snow easily and the "D" handle which allow for heavier snow removal. I will opt for this over my snow thrower if my driveway only has a few inches. I should have ordered another one for the future.

I had never had a plastic shovel before and didn't really know what to expect. But so far after its first Michigan snow storm, it has worked great. I expected quite some flex because of it being plastic, but the flex is very minimal. Seems to be very sturdy, and the steel scraper works great, and makes the shovel very rigid. The handle attaches with a clip instead of a bolt, but seems to hold quite well so far. The curve in the plastic shovel part makes the snow roll over in front of the shovel, instead of coming over the top and falling behind the shovel, so you can push lots of snow. The only thing I would change is that I wish now I would of gotten the 30" shovel so I could move more snow.

LOVE THIS THING. I live in Florida. Yes, we don't get snow. Still, I can't imagine why the big box stores locally wouldn't stock at least a FEW snow shovels. I'm originally from Ohio and dang it, I know snow shovels can do a heck of a lot more than shovel snow. In my case, I'm using it as a giant dust pan to help with grass and other leaves that I blow into a pile and then need to transfer into a trash can. This thing is sturdy and well made, for sure. Sure, I could use a small dust pan from Walmart or Home Depot and take 10 trips to get it all into the trash can, or I can use this thing and do it in 2 trips. Sold. Will buy another if this one breaks.

It's hard to become enthusiastic about shoveling snow, but this Union Tools ALUMINUM snow shovel has changed that. What a great shovel: lightweight, sturdy and has the nice, sharp blade at the bottom. I've had my fill of plastic snow shovels that break or that won't slice through any snow that isn't freshly fallen.The only drawback which I didn't know is that one should not store the aluminum shovel outside. Seems the cold weather allows the snow to stick to the aluminum. That's certainly not this shovel's fault.All in all, this shovel is first-rate quality and - in my opinion - far surpasses any plastic shovel.

Know how hard it is to find anything but PLASTIC Snow Shovels?Well, these are METAL, affordable, and I've been able to blast into that hard-packed snow, sometimes Ice, without any of these (I ordered Three) bending in the least. And, they are light-weight, which means a lot to me, because if you're already making your heart lift 40 pounds of snow, why would you want to add the weight of a heavy snow shovel.I have bought True Temper snow shovels before, which was what attracted me to these. Great Product.

I live in the Mid West, grew up here, and have been shoveling snow my entire life. I'm not so young anymore, so bulldogging the snow is not something I enjoy. This shovel lives up to its rep. I honestly think it's the best shovel I have ever owned. It's really light, but it digs in, gets right down to the pavement, strips the compressed snow tire tracks like stickers off a piece of fruit. I was using it and already worrying that if they ever stopped making it, I would be upset, so I am seriously going to buy a couple more and just stash them in the garage, for future use, because this will wear out eventually. I think I will make it through about another 20 or 25 winters, I don't want to be without this shovel. There you go.

My husband bought one of these years ago. Plenty of storms later the steel wear strip has worn all the way back up until the center two rivets wore away and the strip is now loose. Not bad - actually wore it out. It's light and the coating releases most snow well. Sometimes if the snow is real sticky periodically spraying the blade with silicone spray helps. Looking for a store that carries these now to get a replacement.Update 12/12: I bought a new one of these and the coating has changed from the old one. It's just painted now. The old coating had some texture to it & some kind of slipperiness, almost like teflon.

The shovel is extremely well built and I'm sure that it will last for many years. It moves snow very easily and cuts through thick ice with the metal blade. Being able to push the snow around is much better for me than a normal shovel. I hurt my back just before this winter and there is no way I would be able to clear my driveway with a scoop style shovel. Don't waste your money on a plastic shovel if you live in an area with lots of snow and ice!

Have only used once. Bought it for those days when you get just a couple inches of lighter snow. Not sure it would work very well in a wet heavy snow because it gets a little flimsy on the ends. But it did the job in a light snow.

This is HUGE! You may want to get a smaller one than I did. Stopped snowing once I used it twice....

Yes, I liked how it preformed clearing snow. It's the second Garant snow pusher we've had. The first one had really good reinforcement around the area the handle attaches to the blade and we used it for years till it literally got worn down from use. This second pusher has less reinforcement and has a bigger blade so we are disappointed in that respect but it did the job even better than the first. Wether or not it survives as long as the first one is in doubt but I think if we're careful with it, knowing it has less reinforcement around the handle to the blade, it will survive quite a while.

After reading some bad reviews, I felt I needed to review and defend this snow shovel. This is my second one. I've had the first one for about fifteen years, and it finally is just worn down too far to use. But I've always liked the "way it felt". There is something about the way the blade is shaped, that seems just right. What this is, is a nice lightweight snow pusher that is great for clearing a few inches of snow. Because there is no metal on the blade, its great for clearing my wooden deck without harm. What it is not, is a heavy duty snow shovel for clearing deep snow, or crusty, hard, frozen snow. I've purchased many different snow shovels over the years, but I've specifically sought out this one again. The only reason I didn't give it five stars, is that the handle on the new one is a few inches shorter than the old one, so I've put the old handle on the new shovel.

Has a fairly wide swath so fewer walking passes are needed to clear a driveway or sidewalk. So far construction is sturdy and hasn't faltered, but visually expected much thicker/heavier construction especially where the shaft mounts into the handle and blade. Time will tell.If snow depth is 5" or greater, the height of the blade could have been 6-8" taller so that snow does not flow over the top in use, which the prior brand/model this is to replace had. So in deeper snow must retrace path as snow has fallen over the top of the blade and back onto the ground behind the shovel.Else, good as it's wider than most manual snow push blades and relatively light.

I’m only 5’ 3” so the handle is a little long for short people like me (the shovel comes up to my nose). The blade is not attached to the handle very well as it’s a little wobbly when shoveling snow. I do love the fact that the blade is very wide so it makes shoveling a wide path easy to do. I love the angel of the blade (it works out well for people who are short like me and tend to keep the handle at waste level when pushing snow.) All in all I am happy with the purchase other than the fact that it's a little wobbly but that might just be the one that I received. (I think that the blade could have been attached to the handle a little better to make it sturdier.) I have had to shovel a ton of snow this year. (We had over 12” dumped on us all at once and I shoveled my entire driveway all by hand using this shovel.) It worked very well in heavy deep snow.

This is your big traditional snow shovel. One point off for not having a heavy-duty lip, it's aluminum and will wear away if you're chipping at ice with it. But if you want something to carry in your big SUV other than one of those tiny little snow shovels that might as well be a teaspoon if you really need a snow shovel, this one quite well, and is much lighter than a steel one would be. Which is good, because snow certainly isn't light!

Purchased this shovel for the "Snowzilla 2016" storm. Here's the lowdown:1) It's extremely light due to being made of aluminum. Makes it easier on the back in terms of being able to lift and throw snow.2) It really cuts through the snow - the blade effortless went even through packed snow left by the plow (though we didn't have much ice in this storm)3) Seems reasonably good quality - much better than anything I've seen in Washington DC stores (which tend to have the crappy plastic)4) However, there's nothing on the sides to hold that snow in - so once you pick up snow, it's almost always unbalanced and the snowwants to fall off to the side. This is the main downside - I ended up having to pick up the snow in layers and throw it quickly almost in one motion.

I havent had a chance yet to actually use this shovel yet, but I will say that I know it will hold up better than the plastic shovels that seem to be all you can get anywhere these days... Just to be clear, so others aren't misled by other reviews, this is exactly as pictured, and is not painted as some reviews state, and there is no "blade" rivited on the end of the main shovel. It is just a standard aluminium snow shovel with a wooden shaft and plastic handle.

Haven't had a chance to use this yet as no snow here yet. Bought to replace an old plastic one that finally wore out after 8 years, actually was worn out a few years ago, but I only use it to shovel where I can't get with the snow blower. Am a bit disappointed in this however as based on the reviews I read it appears that at one time this shovel did have a metal reinforcement strip on the leading edge which it now does not and the shovel came with the edges bent already from shipping. I may add a thin strip myself to remedy this. We don't get much powder type snow in Northern Virginia as ours tends to be wet and I can see the edges bending due to the weight of the snow. This is a nice shovel but most definitely not the same quality as one that I had in Jersey in the 60's but then again nothing really is made as well as back then.

Well made, sturdy and light-weight shovel. Cuts right Down to the Pavement, but gets caught up on uneven surfaces. Works great for pored concrete steps and sidewalks, not so great for asphalt driveways or other uneven/broken surfaces. Very slick blade, snow slides right off, sometimes too much so that you may loose some mid-throw. Just waiting to see how long this one will last as opposed to it's plastic counterparts which usually only make it 1-2 years before they are worn or break completely.

Made my way through a foot of snow and ice yesterday with this shovel. First, it's lightweight. That makes a world of difference when you're shoveling your driveway, walkway, porch, and steps. 18" serves its purpose, but you won't be getting a large scoop of a shovel with this one. For me, that's a good thing because it ensures my shovelfuls are reasonable and my back usually thanks me for it in the morning. Second, it's sturdy. I bang it up between chopping ice and scraping concrete steps. It does bend a bit when you work it over, but it can easily be hammered back into place if you feel the need. Has not affected the performance of the shovel for me. Metal blade ensures you get down to the pavement and helps chip away at ice. I'm 5'11" and have no complaints about the height of the shovel. Plan to get a second one before the next big snowfall. Included several images to provide a visual.

Would love for this shovel to have a metal edge..without a metal edge it wears down too quickly. Like the dimensions (wide blade) and the ergo handle.

Super large shovel and heavy but that's expected for the size. I should have paid more attention to the size. This was way too large for the space I was intending shovel, so I had to return this item. This would have been okay for shoveling long, smooth sidewalks or a large driveway. This does not work well for residential city-life.

Just received this and on time btw, Amazon delivery is great! I will give an updated review once I've actually used the product. It is a heavy shovel\pusher which may turn out to be a negative but will see during the next snow.

The shovel came in a huge box. When I removed it the plastic part was all warped and twisted. I laid it on the basement floor and put some weight on it for a week. Believe it or not I actually straightened it out. The 30" is a bit much to handle but works well on a couple inches of light fluffy snow. Next time I will get the 24"

The handle broke on me today the first real snowfall of the 14/15 season. I was excepting this to last more than the half season I had it for last years 13/14 season. Blade and shaft are still fine. But seriously broken on three inches of snow? Can't imagine if you were in buffalo today.

I can't see using this for anything more than a couple inches of fluffy powder,at best.As I inspected the shovel closer,I noticed the connection of the poly blade to the handle,is a bit loose.And,there is no steel wear strip on the blade,as was advertised in the description.I finally got a chance to use this pusher today(Feb 22,2011).We got a nice little storm here,about six-seven inches of wet/slushy snow.The pusher performed well,got the job done fairly quick.No doubt,today's snow was a bit much for the pusher to handle.The snow piled up on the blade rather quickly,making it quite heavy.I had to stop every few feet,to toss the snow off the blade.A powdery/fluffy two-four inch snow,is probably best for this pusher,given its lightweight construction.That said,I'm pleased with the results.And,I have a clean driveway,now! Would be better with the "steel wear strip",it was SUPPOSED to have!As for the "loose blade" problem...I contacted the people at "Garant".After about a week,I finally got a response as to how to rectify the loose blade.If your blade is a bit loose at the handle,here's what you should do.I did this today (Feb 17,2011) and it worked perfectly....... Stand the shovel up,blade facing toward the ceiling,Dgrip handle facing down toward the floor.Lift the shovel straight up,about two inches or so.Grasp the blade firmly,with each hand on either side of the blade.Once you have a firm grip of the blade,in a quick motion,push the handle straight down,with the Dgrip handle hitting the floor.Don't be afraid to add a little force,while pushing down on the handle.If you do this properly,you will hear a "SNAP" type noise.No more loose handle! Your pusher is now ready to push snow.I hope this helps!

Aluminim bends easily. It is more of a snow shovel, not for use with ice and snow.

I had these growing up but after 1 and a half season the edge shredded apart. Move in the modern age and construction. Good Bye old friends...

It works well to shovel fluffy snow. It started to bend on the edges by the end of a season of use, though. If you need to shovel plowed snow, you may want to look for something else. I ended up getting a similar styled replacement from a local hardware store.

Eh...this shovel bent while shoveling some very frozen snow this past winter. The thinness of the metal is what drew to to buy it- thinking it would be able to get under icy patches well. It's just OK. Won't know if it's useable for the coming winter until we get it back out of the shed. We might have only gotten one winter out of it (I must add here that it was a fairly brutal winter in Western New York).

Decent shovel. My wife decided to shovel the driveway but while do it she thought she was shoveling dirt and was using her feet as leverage on top of the shovel and bent the top two corners. Shovel still works but the top corners bent pretty easy. Obviously there not meant to be stepped on but I feel like they bent a little too easy.

This snow shovel has good construction and feels sturdy in hand. It would be great for areas that don't get much snow, or for smaller shoveling tasks. It does have some drawbacks though for larger snow removal jobs.The shovel is a bit too short for my 5'11" size. This requires me to hunch a little more than is comfortable and after a lot of shovel I can feel it. Also the blade shape is not idea for pushing snow, it's more suited to cutting into the snow and lifting a chunk, to be deposited after carrying it a little way. If you need a smaller shovel for that purpose it would be great, if, like me, you needed a shovel for clearing a driveway, it's not the best.

Not recommend for commercial use. Wore too fast and uneven so couldn't be used after half a season.Should work fine for residential use not heavy or commercial.

The bigger shovel doesn't have the metal lip like the smaller ones. Definitely not meant for heavy wet snow or icy conditions. Just a waste of space now. Stick with the 26 inch or smaller.

Used it for 3 minutes and it started to bend. Cheap shovel. The look and size are as advertised. Those are the only good aspects of the sale. The product design is at fault. Not reinforced enough to use.

Handle is loose inside the sleeve, causing the shovel to wobble on the handle. Fix does not look easy as it looks as if I might need to drill an extra hole, potentially ruining the handle.

Ordered 2 of these shovels to replace 2 others of the same kind that had worn out blades. For the high price I was quite disappointed, as the plastic blades are already showing signs of wear after just 3 uses with snow shoveling only (no ice chipping, etc.). They also changed the shape of the handle from the previous model, and it doesn't feel as comfortable as the previous ones.

Relatively flimsy and difficult to balance (bends back to one side or the other) when used in anything more than 1-3" of light snow. I bought this to replace a worn Suncast SP2725, but I have been very careful when using it in heavy snow as I fully expect it to break. The Suncast is significantly more expensive (which is why I tried this model), but MUCH more sturdy and worth the cost. I will likely buy another Suncast as a result.A minor note: the metal handle is very cold compared to the Suncast!

I ordered this shovel last minute when winter storm Jonas hit MD, since hardly any stores carry shovels in MD. Being that it was made of aluminum I assumed it would be heavy duty and durable.Unfortunately, after a few hours of use, the edge of the shovel started to bend and split, causing it to get caught on any little chunk of snow or bump in the pavement. It handled scooping snow well enough, but was terrible for scraping down to pavement. I had to use pliers several times to straighten the edge back out to something somewhat usable.After that storm, I went out and bought a durable plastic shovel with a reinforced metal edge for half the price. I would definitely recommend saving your money and going with a different shovel.

Always happy to get a shovel that's not plastic, and I did like how lightweight this one is.The actual shovel head is way too small. I felt like I was scooping snow with a gardening shovel -- had to repeat the same spot 3 times over before it was completely snow-less.

Did not survive Snowzilla. Unless you can avoid hitting pavement, this shovel is junk. It bends, dents, gouges on the lightest obstruction.This shovel gets 2 stars because it has a nice handle. Hopefully I can buy a quality blade to use with the handle, since that's all that's left.

This is a low quality shovel. The handle isn't attached firmly to the blade, the blade is thin and flimsy. The blade also deforms very easily, making it useless for hard packed snow or ice. I would not recommend buying this.

We received an abundance of snow during 2014-15 in the Northeast and this shovel barely lasted a week. I expected that a metal material would have more durability versus plastic, but the leading edge bent, broke down the middle and had curling edges after moderate to little use. I've had better luck w/ plastic shovels purchased for $8.99 at the local drugstore. Buy something else.

When this item arrived, the handling during shipment had already bent one of the corners of the blade. The blade is made from much flimsier, thinner metal than I expected. I have my doubts that it will be able to handle any packed snow or ice without bending on me. Feeling a bit ripped off.

Arrived with no handle rendering it useless.

When pushing this shovel, the left side is short and the right side is long. They should be even to evenly distribute the snow when pushing it.

Premium Price for a snow shovel that bent within the first snowfall. This should be made much better for the price paid.

Works great when there is the light fluffy snow here in Colorado. Exactly what I wanted to clear our driveway when there's not enough snow for the snowblower.** UPDATE **If I can, I would give it less than 1 star.I purchased this in Oct 14. I'm writing this on Feb 16. The shovel did not last that long. Since it does NOT have a steel wear strip, the edge has deteriorated to the point that it does not deal with snow very well anymore. See the pictures. I would definitely NOT recommend this. I've bought the wirectutter.com recommendation: The SnowPlow Snow Pusher (ASIN: B00BVC8058).

Do not buy this rip-off. It has the exact same flimsy blade as on a cheapo snow shovel that I bought locally, a couple of years ago. It will wear out fast, if it doesn't break first, like mine did.

The too-short straight handle and wide 26" blade make lifting snow with this pusher an impossibility for most of us gals. It has a sharp metal edge that catches on every flaw in the sidewalk and driveway.After a heavy snowfall, one push won't get you more than a few inches along. Unless you are using this to shovel a deck, avoid it. Get something with a bent longer handle if you have a bad back. Also, even after you push down on the handle with the shovel upside down as they suggest to lock the blade on the pusher, it still wobbles. Good quality plastic but way to hefty for most people to handle. Get something smaller without the metal blade for most jobs.

Flimsy. The metal is razor-thin and bends like crazy and stays bent. Its only real use is to scrape slush off the sidewalk and the edge will get chewed to shreds doing that. I'm incredibly, profoundly disappointed.

I'm an avid reader of reviews so I was pretty certain this shovel would be a winner. Wrong! This is a truly useless product. I shoveled the driveway one time and the whole edge of the shovel was completely curled up on itself. Total waste of money. Do yourself a favor and buy something else. Anything else.

Unfortunately, this is the worst shovel I've ever used. On the first movement, one of the sharp corners caught on my driveway and bent about an inch. From there, things just got worst. Once the corner curls, that holds the shovel further from the face of the snow, making it hard to clear a surface. I flattened out the bent corner with my shoe but it just kept bending back. After 10 minutes, both corners were curled under and the middle of the edge was crumpling. Literally, I finished my work with my kid's plastic snow shovel.

This shovel is poor quality. It also arrived with bent edges; it does not have a bottom metal strip; it's almost worthless even in powdery snow. If there is any ice or crust it flexes and crumples. Look elsewhere for a better quality shovel. I disagree with all the good reviews and don't believe this shovel is what is represented in the description. I would not recommend this product. I have another True Temper snow shovel that is well made and much better quality. It is had a blue blade and a bottom strip that is riveted on.

After 3 minor snowstorms my shovel is bent, creased and torn. The handle has held up just fine which is expected since it was pretty lightly used. The length of the shovel is ideal for pick up and moving(throwing) snow. Just like a standard D-handle shovel. But you'll be hunched over if you want to push/plow anything. The blade itself is thin and fragile. It will bend and crumple if you hit rocks, cement, frozen ground and even ice crusted over. I found I was spending part of my shoveling chores stomping on the edges to straighten out the blade. And the abraded metal wear on the edges and bottom from my driveway and sidewalk is severe. This shovel wouldn't last one heavy season. As it is I'll continue to use it for light yard work(dead leaves, grass piles) and find something stronger for next season.

Looks great, strong and durable. Still waiting for winter to come so I can try this out. Very lightweight. More reviews coming up after I try this when it snows!Edit: Horrible!!!!! We finally got snow, I used it once, it got damaged, just like that! It wasnt even heavy snow. So disappointed. :( I got pictures but I dont knw how to upload it...