11 Best Lawn Edgers : Reviews & Buying Guide

What is a Lawn Edger?

If you want to remove weeds or trim grass around edgers in your yard or landscape, then lawn edger is the right garden tool. It is the best alternative for string trimmer and lawn mower because it can easily trim hard to reach areas around an edger. They are available in several designs and types so you can easily find a model that suits your requirements and needs.

How Does a Lawn Edger Work?

These machines are engine powered so you can run them either using electricity or fuel. Lawn edger comes with a vertical spinning blade which rotate vertically while in operation. This makes the easy to cut grass present around the edges and road sides. However, you cannot cut grass roots using lawn edger. Mostly, people using these machines for trimming, maintaining and enhancing their lawn, yard or landscape.

Why Should I Use a Lawn Edger?

Lawn edgers are capable of cutting off grass on sidewalks, garden beds, driveway and create separate lines of separation between the grass. They decrease any chances of damage that are often caused by spreading of grass to these locations. Apart from that, they can provide streamlined look and clean borders to your garden and landscapes.

Lawn edgers are specially designed for making tidy, neat and well-trimmed plant beds, driveway, patio, street and walkway. They are mostly used for enhancing and maintaining the lawns and yards with more grass coverage. If you have a scraggly grass over handing the driveway, then you can use lawn edger for keeping grass in proper shape and creating a neat line between the lawn and concrete.

Different Types of Lawn Edger

Before purchasing lawn edgers, it is very important to known the differentiation between the types available in the market. Based on this information, you can analyze which one suits your requirements. We have provided information on these types along with advantages and disadvantages. Read the information thoroughly to find out the best one for your needs.

 Manual Lawn Edger:

This is the most common lawn edger available in the market. They are suitable for small lawns or edging around 1 to 2 small flower beds or delicate grass beds. It comes with a sharp rotating wheel with a long handle using which the user has to walk behind or push it manually anywhere you want.

Due to no presence of motor or fuel, it needs a lot of manual work. However, it provides precise results based on how efficiently you can use the lawn edger. They are easy to use and available at cost-effective rates.

Electric Lawn Edger:

Electric lawn edgers are the perfect option for smaller sized gardens or yard which require minimum maintenance. They are specially designed to be light in weight and easy to maneuver in tight or narrow spaces. With these machines, you don’t have to worry about using the right kind or quantity of oil and nasty gas fumes.

As they use electricity for powering up, they are considered environmental friendly.Electric lawn edgers are easy to start – all you have to do is plug the machine into an electrical outlet and it will start working. It helps you turn your garden into a piece of art. They are suitable for suburban life as they are quieter compared to gas-powered models.

The main drawback of electric lawn edgers is that they are easy to move around. As they have limited edging range, you should stay close to the electrical outlet. Or else, you have to use an extension cord. Electric edger is suitable for people who are looking for simple and effective way of trimming your lawn or landscape.

Battery Operated:

If you want a lawn edger that portable and eco-friendly as well, then we recommend to go for battery-powered edger. They are suitable for medium-sized gardens or lawns. As they need any fuel or electrical outlet, you don’t need to worry about any accidents of tripping cord or emit any harmful gases.

Most of the battery operated lawn edgers come with strong lithium batteries which provide long lasting battery life and get charged quickly as well.Power consumption of cordless (battery powered) lawn edgers is calculated in terms of volts. Standard lawn edger models consume with 18 volts. But for a corded model, power consumption is measured in amps.

Models with 10 to 12 motor is the best option to choose.The main drawback of battery operated lawn edger is battery life as it depends on the yard size and how long you recharge the battery. In case of large garden, then it needs a lot of maintenance. We recommend to purchase a second batteryBattery-operated lawn edgers don’t generate any noise as well.

Including that, they are portable and emission-free. The operational costs of lawn edgers is minimal too, when compared to gas-powered and electric models.While purchasing an electric lawn edger, we recommend to choose a model with strong blade. If you prefer corded unit, then go for a model that comes with a cord with tangle-free option. If you prefer cordless model, then go for a model that uses lithium ion battery as they last much longer.

Gas-Powered Lawn Edger:

Gas powered lawn edger uses a powerful engine that provides more effective work at tackling more lawn quickly. They are suitable for medium to large sized gardens or yards that need a lot of garden maintenance. Compared to electric edger, these machines provide cleaner and precise cuts with just single pass. These are heavier, louder and more expensive than cord and cordless models.

Gas lawn edgers come with either 2- stroke (runs on oil and petrol mix) or 4 – stroke engines in which 4-stroke engine (run on petrol) is more powerful and emits less pollution. Four-cycle engines are usually recommended for heavy-duty works and it will emit less fumes. You don’t have to add any engine oil.

Two-cycle engines need a combination of fuels but they weigh much less. Drawbacks of gas powered models are – expensive price, emit fumes and noisy as well. Gas-powered models are usually labelled CARB-compliant which states that they are suitable for using in California without any issues.

How To Choose a Lawn Edger?

While purchasing a lawn edger, you have to consider suitable for your lawn, its blade shape, pre and post maintenance, the lawn size, etc. So, here are some important aspects which you have to ponder to grasp the lawn edger that suits best for your lawn edging job.

1. Yard Size

It is one of the main factors to consider while analyzing lawn edgers. Mostly, these machines ae used around sidewalks, driveway and perimeters around the garden and flower beds. Lawns or gardens come in different sizes and shapes. If you don’t consider this factor, then you may end up with wrong tool. Some of the questions you should ask while analyzing this factor are…

• Is your lawn small in size and easy to maintain?
• Is your medium-sized garden shaped irregularly?
• Does your large yard have a wide driveway, lot of pathways, veggie patches and circular flower beds?

For small lawns, an electric pole single-wheel edger is suitable for completing the task efficiently and quickly. For medium to large-sized garden with several flower beds, meandering pathways, and lot of areas to cover and wide driveway with raised curb, then we recommend to go for walk-behind multi wheel edger (battery operated) or gas-powered model.

2. Time

This plays an important role in finding out the best lawn edger for your requirements. Edging a lawn will take a lot of time, especially if it is large and has many variations. If you have more time to spend for doing yard work, then manual edger is the right choice. But, if you don’t have much time on your hands or want to complete the tasks quickly and efficiently, then electric lawn edger will be sufficient. If you enjoy working in the yard, then smaller edger with less power and small blades is sufficient. But if you want to make each second count, then we recommend choosing an advanced edging machine with lot of features.

3. Power

Be it manual, gas powered or electric, you have to check power before making the purchase. Power of lawn edgers is represented in terms of horsepower and torque. These machines need enough torque and horsepower for to perform the task efficiently and continuously. Lawn edgers need at least 4.75 torque and 3.5 horsepower motor to handle standard size yard effectively.

4. Blade

Lawn edger that comes with high quality blades will provide precise cut. Apart from that, also consider whether it is easy to change or replace the blades easily or not. Choosing a model with at least three different blade positions and adjustable cutting depth will ensure a precise and clean cut. Also make sure the blades come with a guard as it prevents any grass cuttings or debris from flying around or damaging.

Different models of the lawn edgers comes with different blade types. They vary on several factors that include shape and style and design. They provide with wider gap between the path and the grass to make your lawn look neat and clean. Also, choose angled blades (we are able to angle) for different angled finishes rather than straight blades that run perpendicular to the ground. A detail information of these factors is provided below…

Straight blades with no frills are suitable for small yards. However, lawn edger with multiple blade positions and angle settings is worth to invest, even if it is expensive. They are suitable for large yards with many flower beds, several pathways and specialty features. Below are the three main lawn edger blade types…

• Flat Rectangular and Plain Edge Blades – They are the most common blade type available in lawn edgers. They are suitable for several garden tasks including basic edging (where the lawn is flush) and leveling the hard surfaces like sidewalk and driveways.
• Flat Rectangular Scoop-Cut Edge Blades – They are capable of handling perimeters of delicate landscaping features like flower beds. If you use any other blade, then the flower beds get disturbed with a lot of debris generated because of rough cutting. These blades are perfect for gardens or yards with uneven surfaces.
• Star-Shaped Blades – They are capable of cutting grass that ends at a sturdy surface or wall.

Based on your requirements, you can choose any blade of your choice for your lawn edger. You can also swap the blades as required. However, the transition may take some time.

When it comes to size, standard blade size length is available from 7 to 9 inches. Width usually ranges from 1 ½ to 2 ½ inch while thickness ranges from 0.098 to 0.125 inches.

When it comes to lawn maintenance, cutting depth plays a major role. Cutting too deep (close to the roots) may kill the grass while cutting very less may not make much difference. So, it is better to look out for a lawn edger that comes with height and cutting depth adjustment feature. Most of the lawn edgers come with 2.5 inches cutting depth and 7 to 9 inch blade height. This range is sufficient for most of the cutting needs.

Based on the area of your garden, you have to adjust the cutting blade depth. While edging flower beds, you have to make the cut is deep enough to remove any overgrown turf or garden buildup for a clean and tidy finish. While edging pathways, you should only trim just enough to remove any overgrown parts for a nice sharp line and perfect manicured look.

If the yard is bordered with garden walls and hard surfaces like concrete pathways, then choose a lawn edger with a head that can pivot 90 degrees. Make sure it also has flower guard so that you can protect the delicate foliage.

5. Number of Wheels

To get more precise edging while cutting, the edger should have two or more number of wheels to assist with balance and control. If you are purchasing a gas-powered lawn edger, then you have to decide whether it is better to have three or four wheels.

Whatever type of lawn edger you choose, the rear wheels support the movement while front wheels maintain the balance. Together all four wheels will provide enough control and flexibility just like a curb wheel. They can also be used on street level or while edging fixed curb because of their great stability and balance.

6. Lawn Edger Styles

Based on its operation, lawn edgers are categorized into different styles that include pole, walk-behind, and string. We have mentioned their advantages and disadvantages below for your reference. Read thoroughly to choose the right option.

•  Pole Lawn Edgers: Whether it is a difficult terrain or uneven surface, it is very to maneuver around. Compared to other edger styles, they provide more control and stability. However, if you are not careful while using it, you may make some mistakes.Pole single wheel lawn edgers look same as weed trimmers. However, they have 2 or 3 wheels at the front and 2 wheels at the back. Being in light in weight, they are very easy to move in narrow and tight spots.
• Walk-Behind Lawn Edgers: They are similar to lawn mower and have 3 or 4 wheels. As the name implies, you have to walk behind the edger for trimming the grass. Though it is a bit difficult to see where are mowing, most of these devices have laser sight or a guide which makes it easy to maneuver while edging.They have a large and more powerful engine with wide handle or two lever type handle which makes it easy to control the edger movement.
•  String Edgers: These machines are perfect if you have a yard with different surfaces. Compared to other edgers, they are a bit difficult to control while in operation. They have also lets you expose to the grass cuttings flying around which is not the case with pole or walk-behind edger.String edgers are multi-functional with string trimming features as well. Most of these string edgers are available with removable wheel on the trimmer which can also be used as a guide for edging work. Compared to walk-behind and stick edgers, these machines come with a string instead of blade. It wears off quickly if you are using it for edging sidewalks and walkways. So, you have to replace them regularly.

7. Additional Features

Some lawn edger models come with additional features. We have mentioned them clearly below for your reference. Having them makes the whole process of using lawn edgers comfortable.

•  Angled Blades: Some lawn edgers come with a blade that spins perpendicular to the ground. For most of the edging works, this feature is sufficient. Angled blades provide have more flexibility which provide nice finish. For most of the people, straight blade will work perfectly fine.
•  Adjustable Shaft: The adjustable shaft and D grip handle will help the users (any height) to use the edger in a comfortable position suitable for them.
• Adjustable Handle: The handle can be adjusted easily according to your comfort and for maximum control.
• Depth Adjustments: Based on the requirements of edging, you can adjust the depth according like 1”, 1-1/4^th inch and 1-1/2”.

8. Comfort

Apart from power source and cutting action, you have to purchase a lawn edger that is comfortable and easy to control or operate. For small yards or lawns, you can choose light weight edger models as it will be easy to tag, use, and move in the tight corners.

For large lawns, you have to choose a walk-behind multi-wheel edger. Make sure these models have wide handle or else two levers as it makes the edger much easier to move and control. Some models come with left or right handed assist handles while others have adjustable shafts. These models provide flexibility of adjusting the height according to your requirements.

9. Maintenance

Just like any other product, lawn edgers also need maintenance to maintain its efficiency and longevity, regardless of the power source. However, gas-powered models need more maintenance and manual ones need very less maintenance.

10. Extra Attachments

It is always better to choose a product that provides several benefits. Some lawn edgers come with multi-functional features like 2 or 3 tools in one. Apart from using it as basic edger, you have to use as trencher or line strimmer by just changing some attachments. These extra tools will let you use the edger for trimming long grass or reshape the flower beds.

11. Convenient Features

Whether you can choose an electric model or gas model, some features make it easy to use the edger conveniently. For instance, gas trimmers that come with push-to-start are more easy to start than a pull mechanism. As the name implies, you can just push the button for starting the machine. When it comes to battery powered trimmers, having additional batteries or choosing a model with quick charging feature are important. They make the process of completing the job easy without any power issues.

12. Construction

Choose a lawn edger has strong construction so that it can perform the tasks easily and move quickly on hard surfaces. Models with low quality construction will be filmsy and wobbly. Some lawn edgers need to be assembled before using while other don’t need any assembly. Having height adjustable handle will ease up the work of edging properly.

13. Weight

Weight is another aspect to consider while buying the lawn edger, especially if you have a large yard. Although, a heavier model is powerful and durable but it is difficult to push around and may develop fatigue while handing large landscaping projects. When it comes to lightweight lawn edgers, they are easy to maneuver and need less energy to complete the task.

14. Price

Most of us like to purchase a model within budget range. All you need is to consider the performance of the product, which reduces your stress and strain in maintaining a precise edge between lawn and path.

For manual model, the price range will be around $20 to $55. For electric & cordless models, the price range will be $50 to $100. For gas model, the price range will be $150 to $550 (4 – Stroke engines are more expensive).

Advantages of Using Lawn Edger

Lawn edger will trim the grass endings exactly as you wish. Apart from that, there are several benefits of investing in a lawn edger. We have mentioned them clearly below for your reference.

• Ease of Use – Some garden tools have complex and severe operation. But lawn edger is very easy to understand the operation and use it for edging tasks. They are designed to make the user comfortable while edging the lawn.
•  Efficient – Lawn edgers will provide efficient results just like a professional groomed lawn. They remove the outgrown grass in the edges and provide a neat, tidy and clean look.
•  Manage Grass Growth – Some grass types grow quickly so you can restrict their growth in the areas like pavements. By using the lawn edger, you can direct their growth of grass in certain directions and areas.
• Maintain Flowerbed – Most of the home owners like their flowerbeds organized and less messy. Lawn edgers have rotating blades which clears away the grass and debris. It will also develop a trench around the flowerbeds which prevents any accumulation of water. This will further improve the health of flowers.
•  Maintenance of Lawn Edger – These machines don’t undergo any wear and tear so they need any special efforts for maintaining them. And moreover, they are only used occasionally for removing grass on the lawn edges.
•  Flexibility – There are several features and customization that make the edger a versatile tool. They come with different blade options that can also be adjusted for different heights – which provide different cuts for fulfilling the requirement. This is more important if you have a lawn is not in proper shape or size.
• Lawn Care – If you want to maintain the lawn neatly and aesthetically pleasing, then lawn edger will make this happen by restricting the grass growth and resolving any issues related to weeds.

Tips and Precautions to Consider While Edging Lawn

We all are aware of the fact that there is some risk involved while using power tools, especially for garden. Among them, safety is one of the important things to consider. This is very important because lawn edgers have high speed rotating blade and there is a high risk of ejected material.

• In order to keep your eyes safe from flying debris, it is recommended to wear safety googles and glasses.
• While purchasing a new lawn edger or replacing an old one, make sure it is International Standards Approved Safety Equipment.
• Lawn edgers generate some noise while clearing out the debris over the edges of driveways, sidewalk and pathways. Noise levels can be high if you are using gas powered lawn edger. To prevent any hearing issues, we recommend to wear ear muffs or ear plugs.
• It is better to wear protecting clothing as well like steel capped boots and pair of long pants as they protect your legs while using the lawn edger.
• If you have an electric model, then make sure to use right extension head. Along with that, prevent using more than single extension cord as the edger may not be earthed properly.
• Before using lawn edger for trimming, make sure you mow the entire lawn. This will not save the time but also reduce the effort of removing any patchy sports that were missed while moving the yard.
• To keep proper track of where you want to drip, we recommend lay rope of 20 to 30 feet as a mark. And also leave ½ inch space between the lawn edge and the mark.
• To remove the large roots, rocks, stones or other obstacles, we recommend to carefully walk along the path according to your marking. Also ensure you are not going through the power or water lines or manhole or sewer pipes.
• If the lawn ground is fairly moist, then edge the flowerbed or lawn outskirts because it will make the lawn easy to cut through dry earth. If it is cold climate, then avoid edging the flowerbeds it the ground will be hard and difficult to complete the edging task.

How To Maintain Lawn Edger in Proper Condition?

Regular wear and tear can impact the effectiveness of any power tool, including lawn edger. To prevent the efficiency from decreasing, we recommend to follow some tips mentioned below…

• Maintain Them Clean – We recommend to clean or wipe out the blades of lawn edger after every use. Also clean the rest of the device thoroughly. Often small grass pieces and other debris can get caught between the blades. If left without cleaning, then they can corrode the blades, resulting in damaging the blades completely.
• Replace the Blades – You may have to change the blades of lawn edger as required. This can be achieved by following the instructions provided in the manual. You can also find information on which blades are best for replacement.
• Change the Oil – For small motored power tools, it is important to replace the oil once in every 50 hours of usage. If you have used the lawn edger less this time duration and still want to change the oil, then you can do it once in a year at minimum.
• Replace Spark Plug – Once in every 25 hours of usage, you have to check and change the spark plug of the lawn edger. This will maintain the efficiency of the machine and also improves the safety of the operator as well.

Most of the gardeners use string trimmers instead of lawn edger to make their work done of clearing the messy lawn edges. But you should know how to use this trimmer properly for edging your lawn. Simply use the string trimmer in vertical position and walk along the path to get a neat trim.

It would be best if you remove the stones, small rocks, and other debris in that path before edging. Tilt the machine to take away all the weeds in the path (either on the driveway or sidewalk) without getting into contact with the pavement.

We all know that regular maintenance is essential to keep the product work perfectly for a longer time. Here are a few tips that help you to take care of this edger. Inspect the engine regularly – Make sure that the engine belts should not be frayed or cracked.

If you find the belts damaged then stop running the machine or else it will ruin the whole lawn edger. Also, lubricate the engine and prevent removing excess debris will prevent stucking the recoil. Check the Oil Levels – Always check the oil before starting the engine to avoid some problems. Check the dipstick and clear any harmful dust and debris from entering into the machine. Also, change the oil and inspect it as per manufacturer’s guidelines.

As a general rule for small motored power tools, you should replace the oil in your lawn edger every 50 hours or so of use. If you’ve used it less than this, aim to change the oil once a year at the bare minimum. Air Filter – For proper maintenance of engine, you have to inspect the air filter why because the debris and dirt will get inside the machine and air filters due to outdoor environment. Also, replace the air filters as per the manufacturer’s guidelines.

Clean Engine – You have to use a clean cloth to wipe off the harmful debris and dirt from the engine. If you won’t take care on the engine then it became susceptible to leakers, loose parts and damaged components. Tighten the loose parts to prevent any leaks or vibrations and also replace the parts when needed.

Generally, the edger blade is likely to wear down which makes you to replace it with time. You have to replace or sharpen your blades when they appear dull. Here are some instructions that you have to follow while you want to replace the blades.

Power to be disconnected – While replacing the blades, you have to disconnect the power and switch off the machine. If you’re using a gas powered lawn edger, then remove spark plug and if you have electrically powered lawn edger then switch off the electricity.

Safety Tips – Wear a pair of gloves to protect your hands before beginning the process and remove the blade by using an adjustable wrench.

Fix the new one – Invest in the perfectly fixed new blade in the place of old one and ensure its proper working functionality.

Install – Install the new blade in the same manner where you removed the old one. Position the washers in the correct locations and tighten up the nuts and screws by using an adjustable wrenche.

There are various types of blades available for the lawn edger and some most common types are flat rectangular blades, star shaped blades and flat blades with scoop cut. Let’s know about each type of blades and their benefits in detail. Flat Blade with Scoop Cut – Suitable for edging the delicate areas like plants, flower beds or other places which are disturbed by rough cutting.

The scooped end design will help you to achieve a clean cut without much strain. Also, this blade will prevent the spread of weeds to all over the flower bed. Star Shaped Blade – The sharp points of this blade makes it ideal for edging fences, walls and other kinds of solid barriers.

It also keeps the shrubbery and hedges in control and also works great for aiding plantation of seeds and enhancing aeration. Flat Rectangular Blade – They has sharp edges on the opposite corners. Prefer to use for gas or electric models but not for manual edger why because it causes trouble rotating the blade in a tough weed and thick soil areas.

Main difference between trimmer and edger is that – trimmer is helpful in assisting with boundary maintenance while edger is helpful for creating a new boundary.

The removal of overgrown grass or unwanted sod from the lawn area by using a metal blade is termed as power edging. All you need is to mark the edges where you want to make relevant edging and perform power edging to make your lawn look beautiful.

The half-moon edger is used in the areas where you want to maintain the edge of your lawn. It works well to give the excellent results with regards to performance.

Just like lawn mower, you have to maintain the blades of lawn edger sharp and nice too. This will help you chop the edges properly every single time. Lawn edger usually has singular blade with multiple edges. For cleaning, first you have to remove the blades from the machine. However, this is not the same always as in some machines it may not be easy to remove the blades outright.

If you use the lawn edger rarely, then you can sharpen the blades easily. If not, then you may have to consider owing an angle grinder. While cleaning the blades, make sure you are wearing appropriate equipment to keep yourself safe. The safety thing you should consider is thick gloves. As blades are very sharp, you can hurt yourself using them if proper precautions are not taken.

If you have detached the blade, make sure to hold the blade using a clamp. This will make it easy to run the angle grinder easily along the blades for sharpening them. You should sharpen the blades once in a while to maintain the edger at optimum level.

The time duration to complete edging a lawn is similar to that of mowing the lawn. Most of the residential gas powered lawn edgers come with 4-cylinder engine which needs fuel mixture of oil and gas. Lawn edgers that use gasoline will have it clearly mentioned on the product like “No Mixing”.

Another consideration you should check out is the weight. Higher the tank capacity, heavier will be the lawn edger. If you are choosing gas lawn edger that is hand-held, then it can make a huge difference.

When it comes to electric pole lawn edgers, they are light in weight compared to gasoline powered models. Because you will not be carrying the tank with gasoline in it. Compared to electric models and gas models, battery operated lawn edgers are much heavier.