Snow shovels.. aren't great?

[Matheld]

The concept behind them is great, a shovel specifically meant to get rid of snow and push it around? to save your regular shovels durability? But in practice? .. It's not better, or faster, than just using a regular shovel to clear an area of snow.

Whether it's skill issue on my part, I haven't been able to get them to shovel snow at all on stone paths.

They also haven't been the most reliable in actually pushing snow around on ground with grass on it (the main reason I am clearing an area of snow is to harvest a lot of grass with a scythe), and sure, that makes sense realistically too I guess. But I think it's just that the grass hitbox gets in the way of the shovelling mechanic.

But even on perfectly flat ground, such as an ice field, it just isn't as reliable, or faster; than a regular shovel is at clearing snow. The time it would've taken me to start from one end and push snow to the other, I could've probably done a lap and back with a regular shovel.

A few ways that could make it better at it's job, is a configurable mode or two. Such as... 
Maybe the shovel can cover a large area? 3 blocks? 2 blocks? It would help clear a larger area faster than you would with a regular shovel.
Maybe the shovel only push snow to one side, rather than both; Your choice. How many times did I have to go back and redo a straight line I had already shovelled, because snow had fallen down from the side when I shovelled the adjacent straight line next to it? Too many times. It's tedious, and IRL, I would angle the shovel diagonally to push snow either left or right when shovelling.

Anyway, those are my thoughts. 

Also hello, my first post on the forums. Nice to meet you. 

[Professor Dragon]

I agree. 

I just tried out a snow shovel for the first time (hadn't really had a need before). 

I have just built a 14x14 Greenhouse, except the interior space was a full field of grass covered with snow. "Perfect to test the new snow shovel!" I thought.

 

Except . . . it was underwhelming.
I was expecting it to do something like clear three blocks wide, quickly. A bit like a scythe.

Instead, it seems to be not much quicker (if at all?) compared with just punching the snow with an empty hand (or bed or food bowl . . .).  I was thinking of going "Brrrrrrr!" as I buzzed across the field. Here I am though, checking on the internet if I just didn't understand snow shovels and how to use them.

It's only benefit is that it is cheap (a few planks - so saw technology required). Durability is consumed though.

So, basically useless for clearing snow in practical terms.

The only good use case I have seen while looking around, is that it allows you to clear snow off chiselled blocks or those other janky scenarios where snow falls oddly. This is a very good use indeed.

In short, snow shovels could do with a buff to make them worth crafting.

Professor Dragon.

 

Edited July 19 by Professor Dragon

[Vratislav]

It is just a nice thing to keep it leaned next to the door as a reminder of incoming winter and not to bother with putting the actual shovel into the hotbar when snow comes. Nothing more.  Still, little buff would be welcome, at least as a part of some vanilla tweaks mod - if anybody bothers.  

[Lielac]

The one use I've seen for snow shovels: they pile the snow layers and allow you to turn them into full snow blocks.

[Zaph42nd]

For snow shovels I've mainly used them for cosmetics rather than actual utility since rarely do you need snow-blocks and if you already invested in a decent shovel, it'll do just as well. Still, agree with others that it's not bad for edge-cases or if you want more cosmetic-flare to either your builds (placing/propping against blocks looks very nice and making paths look a bit more used is nice I suppose). Far as buffing goes, would be good if durability was increased somewhat, although with how rarely it gets used, not sure what the ideal durability actually is

[Professor Dragon]

All good points. I did find one other similar use to the one I mentioned earlier - and that is that you can clear snow off broken blocks.

For example, thatch roof when broken will retain snow on it, meaning that you now have two inventory items (times the number of different thatch block types you are using) instead of one.

You can now place each block down again individually on the floor, clean it, and then stack it again in your inventory.

 

So yeah, all nice little tweaks, and good suggestions. But add a buff to ACTUAL SNOW CLEARING and it will be a better tool.

Professor Dragon.