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5 Of The Best Lawn Edgers For Various Gardens Sizes

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Are you a fan of overgrown, unkempt grass? Neither am I. As gardeners, keeping our lawns neat and tidy is one of our top priorities. Also, well-maintained turf speaks volumes about the person that keeps them that way.

One saying goes, “if you have a lawn, you need a mower.” The same principle is true about lawn edgers. After all, how neat and manicured will your turf look if the grass at the edges is invading the sidewalk, walkways, or plant beds?

Hence, as much as you would control grass height, one must also trim lawn edges. This need is where lawn edgers or edge trimmers come into play.

So, for clean and defined lawn edges, as well as spick and span garden boundaries, you’ll need the best lawn edgers. And for you, I’ve tried and reviewed the top five lawn edgers on the market at different price points and uses.

Also, I’ve included a helpful buyer’s guide, so you’ll know which of the best lawn edger will be perfect for your garden and that manicured finish.​

Your Guide to Lawn Edgers

As you consider getting your new lawn edger, look over this guide. Thus, you’ll have a good idea about the edger that will be perfect for your lawn. 

What is a Lawn Edger?

Best Lawn Edgers

Simply put, a lawn edger or edge trimmer is a tool the creates a distinct boundary between lawn turf and another surface feature in the garden such as a fence, pavement, walkways, plant beds, mulching and so on.

Lawn edgers vary in design and are available as manual tools or in motorized forms.

Practical Uses

So how exactly will you benefit with a lawn edger? Here’s a list of just some of the advantages that a lawn edger will afford you.

  • Similar to the striping on mown grass, a lawn edger will give you a lawn that has a professional and manicured finish.
  • Clearly defines turf area from plant beds, trees, and walkways.
  • Frames your shrubs, flowers, and other garden features.
  • Keeps invasive grass from creeping into flower beds.
  • Sets aside space for mulching.
  • Provides a distinct area for trimming and mowing grass.

Types of Lawn Edgers

There are two main categories of lawn edgers: manual and motorized. Then, under this two categories there are several kinds of edgers that you can utilize in your garden.

Manual Lawn Edger

As the category name implies, manual edgers are hand-powered and hand-controlled tools for edging. Under this type of edger, you’ll find three different edging tools:

1. Spade Edgers

Spade-based edgers are essential edging tools that produce distinct boundaries as they are driven into the soil, like a regular spade.

2. Lawn shears

Lawn Shears, on the other hand, resemble the standard garden shears. However, manufacturers specially-design them to cut along edges. Hence, many hand shears have long handles so you wouldn’t need to bend down to cut along the edges of your turf.

3. Rotary Edgers
Best Lawn Edgers 2

Lastly, my personal favorite in the Manual lawn edger category is the Rotary Edger. Rotary edgers trim lawn boundaries via a spinning vertical blade on one end of a handheld pole.

Powering blade is a gear or wheel that you would run on a firm surface such as pavement or compact soil. So, as the wheel turns as it runs on the ground, it spins the blade beside it.

Rotary are arguably the most efficient of the manual edgers, especially if your lawn is small and using a motorized lawn edger would be overkill.

Despite its efficiency, rotary edgers are still markedly affordable, so they are still an attractive option if you’re looking for a manual lawn edger. 

What is a Lawn Motorized Lawn EdgerEdger?

Under motorized lawn edgers, we’ll find two basic kinds:

1. Multi-purpose Trimmer & Edger

Many hand-held lawn trimmers also feature an edging function or blade that can either be a permanent feature or an optional attachment. You would call these tools multi-purpose edgers and are typically a great investment especially if you’re in the market for both a lawn trimmer and an edger.

Best Lawn Edgers 3

Typically, lawn trimmers with built-in edgers have the blade to the side. So, when using the edging function, you’ll have to the head of the lawn trimmer to access the blade and then start edging.

Meanwhile, lawn trimmers that utilize edgers as an attachment will likely need a separate purchase of an edging head or blade. This blade is what you’ll be using instead of the typical plastic trimmer line at the working end of your lawn trimmer

2. Single-purpose Lawn Edger

Best Lawn Edgers 4

Finally, we have the single-purpose or dedicated Lawn Edgers. These tools are available either as handheld devices with one or two wheels or as bigger walk-behinds with many wheels.

Professionals typically use single-purpose lawn edgers in lawn care maintenance. Hence, they will be a good choice if you have a large yard.

A Checklist of Factors before Buying

1. Garden Size

How big is your lawn or garden? Do you have a vast area dedicated to grass?

Smaller lawns may only require manual or light-duty lawn edgers. Meanwhile, larger properties may need dedicated motorized lawn trimmers.

2. Budget

How much can you set aside for a good lawn edger?

Depending on your budget, you might opt for an affordable lawn edger, a multi-purpose lawn trimmer, and edger, or invest in a heavy-duty edger instead.

3. Power source

What will be the most practical and convenient source of power for your lawn edger?

· Hand-powered

The manual lawn edgers are naturally the most cost-efficient when it comes to a source of power. However, despite their light weight, they can also be tiring especially when trimming in a large lawn. Additionally, hand-powered edges will take the most time.

· Gas
Best Lawn Edgers

Gas-powered lawn edgers are usually the most powerful types of lawn edgers, whether they feature 2-cycle or 4-cycle engines. Hence, thick blades of grass or dense botanical patches will be relatively easy to trim with a gas-powered edger.

On the downside, gas-powered edgers can be quite noisy, and will, of course, emit smoke and fumes.

· Electric

Electric lawn edgers source power either through a battery or via a power cord that is connected to the mains. Apart from the manual lawn edgers, electric models will be the eco-friendly option with minimal operating noise and generally lighter weight than gas-powered units.

One drawback, of course, is the exposed electric cord or a battery’s lifespan.

4. Versatility

What helpful features does the lawn edger have? Does it have additional functions in addition to trimming edges?

Many edgers can cut at angles improved precision and control. Others are a trimmer and edger combo. Ultimately, these additional features will depend heavily on you and your garden’s needs.

5. Ease of Use

An efficient lawn edger will be useless if it’s not comfortable to use. Hence, you might also consider the ergonomics of its design and the overall weight of the product.​


The Reviews of the Best Lawn Edgers

1. Truper 32100 Tru Tough – $

Details:

The Truper 32100 is a manual rotary edger that’ll be ideal for smaller lawns and yards. This lawn edger here is straightforward and ridiculously easy to use.

Simply run its wheels along the edge of the turf, and the gray steel blades will trim any unkempt weeds or blades of grass. Afterwards, you can rake or hose down the clippings.

That’s it. No noise, no fuel to mix, no cords to plug or batteries to charge.

So, if you want a hassle-free edger for your yard, the Truper is your trooper.

Pros
  • Sturdy steel blades and also lacquered ash handle
  • Lightweight as well as hassle free
  • Remarkably easy to use.
  • Requires little maintenance
Cons
  • You’ll need to coat it with silicone spray occasionally
  • Not the best for large lawns

2. Greenworks 13-Inch 4 Amp Corded String Trimmer 21212

Details:

If you need a good and affordable middle ground between manual lawn edgers and semi-heavy duty motorized model, then the Greenworks 21212 will be perfect for you! Its 12A motor uses a powerful 7.5” double-edge blade that’ll quickly and easily trim any invasive grass.

Additionally, you’ll be able to control how deep the blade will go via the springs at the front wheels. Lastly, the Greenworks is incredibly comfortable to use with its adjustable handles as well as a cord lock that keeps the plug from inadvertently disconnecting.

All you’ll need now is an outlet, and you’re ready to go!

Pros
  • No blade guide for precise trimming so you may at times drift and hit the pavement
  • You may need extension leads
  • The power cord is a tripping hazard
  • Quite heavy
Cons
  • Variable blade depth
  • Adjustable handles
  • Affordable motorized lawn edger

3. BLACK+DECKER LE750 – $$

Details:

If I didn’t already own the Black and Decker LST420, then I’ll surely get the LE750. This robust corded- lawn edger with its 1.25 Horsepower motor was amazing to use.

Its 7.5-inch blade left such a clean and distinct line along that turf that the edging process became less a chore and more of an enjoyable activity.

Watch out; you might just end up trimming not just your lawn, but your neighbors’’ too!

Pros
  • Variable blade depth
  • Additional trenching feature perfect for running electrical lines, pipes, or hoses.
  • Clean and precise lines
  • Powerful motor
Cons
  • Heavy
  • The power cord is a tripping hazard

4. BLACK+DECKER LST420 – $$$

Details:

The Black + Decker LST420 is a personal favorite. Interestingly, I bought this awesome machine for its trimmer while I largely ignored its edging features. Hence, it was a happy accident that I can also use this battery-operated trimmer to keep my lawn well-kept and immaculate!

You can almost always rely on Black + Decker, and they do deliver! The LST420 makes lawn care both a joy and a breeze!

How do you access the edging feature? Only hold the machine at an angle so that the orange wheels are in contact with the ground. In this position, the trimmer blade will be in a vertical position

Pros
  • Trimmer and edger combo
  • Lightweight
  • Long battery life
Cons
  • Non-adjustable blade depth
  • Finite battery life limits operation

5. McLane 801 5.50 GT – $$$$

Details:

If you have a particularly large lawn or several grass areas in a vast property, then the walk-behind McLane 801 5.50 GT will be the machine you need. This monster of an edger runs on a gas-powered 3.5 Horsepower engine.

Undoubtedly, the Mclane is the most powerful edger on our list and is the best choice for heavy-duty edging work for the most stubborn of turf and weeds.

Pros
  • Heavy blade as well as construction and durability
  • Covers vast areas
  • Variable blade depth and speed control
  • Minimal vibrations during use
Cons
  • Requires oil and gas mix
  • ​Noisy operation in comparison to the other lawn edgers on our list
  • Pricey

Edwin Willis

Tuesday 3rd of November 2020

A lot of lawn edgers use a metal chopping razor, while some work with a plastic-type material string-like lines such as these attached to grass eaters. Look at the cutting tool or the line and be sure that it's not physically broken. When the line spool razor of the edger is injured, swapping the poor piece might correct your trouble.