Best tool to break up ice on my driveway?

[Thump553]

What John P said. Hardware stores, etc. sell ice choppers (similar to what he linked but with a rectangular blade). That, plenty of elbow grease, gloves to prevent blisters. Chop down then scrape in from the edge, repeat ad infinitum.

Ice melt and some sun will help a lot eventually.

 

[MotF Bane]

A flamethrower, of course.

 

[ShawnD1]

Except you can't buy those at most hardware stores :hmm:

I got one at Home Depot for $30. It has a graphite shaft! :awe:

 

[EagleKeeper]

Ice chipper - ACE Hardware

 

[krunchykrome]

salt and an ice pick

 

[iGas]

Eh... i was thinking of using salt, but that's going to take too long. The ice is seriously thick and hard as a rock.

Copious amount of rock salts would make short work of it. Or, hot water & high pressure washer, then rock salts.

 

[EagleKeeper]

For rock salt to work; the temps need to be with certain ranges

Ice Melt Products

• Bagged Rock Salt - 10, 25, 50 or 80 lb. bags -
  . . . . . Optimal temperature range Sodium Chloride (20-22° F)
• Calcium Chloride - pellets, flakes or liquid
  . . . . . Optimal temperature range Calcium Chloride (-25° F)
• Magnesium Chloride - pellets, flakes or liquid
  . . . . . Optimal temperature range Magnesium Chloride (5° F)
• Potassium Chloride
  . . . . . Optimal temperature range Potassium Chloride (12° F)
• Urea
  . . . . . Optimal temperature range Urea (15° F)
• Magic-O Liquid (add to bulk rock salt to increase effectiveness and decrease costs)
  . . . . . Optimal temperature range Proven working temperature of -35° F.

 

[Arik5405]

Lay down on the patch of ice butt naked and let your body heat take care of it. Problem solved. You're welcome.

 

[RedRooster]

Put up a warning sign and wait till spring thaw.

 

[BoomerD]

Put up a warning sign and wait till spring thaw.

Rent ice skates...

 

[shortylickens]

Special ice salt, and/or 1 gallon jugs of windshield fluid.

 

[x-alki]

http://www.mcmaster.com/#ice-scrapers/=avlugx

 

[Engineer]

Nothing to add to this but...

 

[John P]

This will work: http://www.amazon.com/Bully-92200-Si.../dp/B000PAQEKU

This looks more like the one I remember using: http://www.amazon.com/Ames-True-Temper-1646200-Sidewalk/dp/B0015UGU8A

 

[Howard]

pour some kerosene on it and light a match

Won't burn.

 

[SKORPI0]

Get something with a handle you can hold into. Lowe's Home Improvement has these.

Ames True Temper 1693300 Brute Heavy Duty Multi-Purpose Snow & Ice Scraper

 

[eldorado99]

How about a sign that says "don't walk here unless you sign a paper saying you won't sue me." Then just wait. Or do what I do and just don't do anything.

 

[OBLAMA2009]

I was able to clear half the ice on my driveway, but there's a big section where the snow melted and the water came down the driveway and collected there and it's almost an inch of rock hard ice there now. I tried smashing it with my shovel but i bent the shovel and don't want to damage it anymore... I'm thinking of picking up a sledge hammer at home depot or something.

Or is there something better that i could use?

a couple illegal aliens with shovels?

 

[SphinxnihpS]

Thank you everyone. I can now teach engineering and chemistry at MIT, and I learned a new dance. Not bad!

 

[alkemyst]

make a poll of ATOT'ers in your area, we will vote who the best tool is.

 

[DrPizza]

I was going to say "ice scraper" but that's been mentioned numerous times in the thread. If you had a tractor with a bucket, you could use brute force. For 5 years, I've never bothered shoveling my own driveway - it's not on a slope & I'm not anal retentive about seeing the driveway surface. But, with the tractor - it's more fun.
However, going back to the salt solution, I'd suggest doing what they did in the old days. Tossing cinders on top for traction & not worrying about it. It'll melt in the spring, unless a new ice age starts in the next month or so.

 

[SparkyJJO]

Dang. Every idea I came up with someone already posted

 

[BeauJangles]

San Angelo bar or tamping bar.

 

[QueBert]

My urine is warm + full of salt, you could try taking a wiz on it. I suggest drinking a 12 pack of beer as it will give you plenty of urine.

 

[Demo24]

Nothing to add to this but...

I came in here for this :thumbsup: