All homeowners want the best-looking garden. However, mowing and trimming are not the only steps you must perform to achieve a picture-perfect look.
One of the most tedious tasks in gardening and landscaping is edging, and you need to have a suitable landscape edger to accomplish this job.
Some people might ask, what does a lawn edger look like?
There are different types of lawn edgers, which we will look into as we go along this discussion.
First, let us understand what a lawn edger is and what it does for your garden.
What Is a Lawn Edger?
A lawn edger or lawn trimmer is an edging tool designed to make noticeable boundaries around your garden.
It defines the line where the lawn ends, separating it from the walkway.
An edge trimmer creates perfect landscape edging and crisp edges on your lawn, making it look like a well-manicured lawn all the time.
You can use a manual edging tool with a wooden or a metal pole handle and a semicircular blade attached to the other end.
A manual lawn edger is more affordable than electric lawn edgers but requires more effort before you get a clean edge.
On the other hand, motorized varieties are fitted with a rotating blade and guiding wheels in various designs using different power sources to function.
You can choose between electric edgers and gas edgers, especially if you have a lot of lawns to cover.
What Does a Lawn Edger Look Like?
Lawn edgers have plenty of options for various needs and users, and that is what we will look into next.
Generally, lawn edgers are divided into two main categories based on their power source: manual and motorized types of lawn edgers.
Manual Lawn Edgers
A manual lawn edger is a garden tool used to create clean-looking borders in your garden by utilizing your physical strength to complete the task.
You must remember that a manual edger is unsuitable for a larger yard because it’s more time-consuming than a power edger and physically intensive.
Generally, a manual edger comes with a semicircular or half-moon-shaped sharp blade, allowing you to create rounded edges easily.
Below are some examples of manual edgers.
1. Rotary Edgers
A rotary edger has a long wooden shaft connected to a spiked wheel on one end for cutting lawn edges, forming a straight and neat edge.
It functions by applying physical force to its cutting and guide wheel as you roll it along pathways or garden bed edges.
2. Shear Manual Hand Edgers
A shear edger is a handheld tool created for trimming small pieces of grass or making cuts in hard-to-reach corners that other edging tools cannot access.
Edging shears are different from ordinary garden shears because they come with long handles, making them easier to use around borders and edges.
You can also use these edging shears for pruning shrubs and bushes in your garden.
3. Spade Manual Edgers
A spade edger may look like a flat spade with a sharpened edge or scoop-cut edges that require physical strength from the user.
You need to line up the sharpened bottom of your spade edger on the overgrown grass before putting one foot on top of the blade.
Put pressure on your foot on the spade edger as you hold the straight handle to cut through the overgrown grass.
You have to repeat the edging process along the entire edge of your lawn.
Motorized Lawn Edgers
Manual lawn edgers require physical endurance and manual effort to function efficiently, while motorized powerful edgers need a power source to use the cutting blades.
That said, we can say motorized lawn edgers are far better in terms of efficiency and ease of use.
Similarly, wheeled edgers also offer the same efficiency and convenience to the user while providing consistent edging results.
A motorized edger can be divided into two sub-categories: gas-powered edgers and electric lawn edgers or battery lawn edgers.
1. Gas-Powered Lawn Edgers
A gas lawn edger is a perfect tool for larger yards, offering enough power to tackle the task.
However, a gas-powered model is expensive and heavier than its electric counterparts.
Most consumers criticize a lawn edger with a powerful gas engine about its contribution to air and noise pollution.
A gas-powered lawn edger comes with a vertical blade that can make crisp lines and borders on your lawn.
It’s easier to make a straight edge using a wheeled walk-behind edger.
However, it’s sold at a higher price than handheld varieties.
These wheeled edgers come with a front and rear wheel for added stability.
Some have two wheels at the back for balance and a single wheel in front for control.
Most gas-powered edgers have 2-stroke or 4-stroke gas engines.
A 2-stroke model is an affordable edger but requires more care and attention before use.
On the contrary, a 4-stroke gas engine is quieter but more expensive.
Some people consider a gas-powered tool a power edger because of its excellent performance compared to an electric model.
Also, users don’t have to deal with short power cords, far electrical outlets, and fixing extension cords.
Apart from being large and expensive, gas lawn edgers are loud and dirty, harder to start using a pull cord, and need more care and maintenance.
2. Electric Lawn Edgers
An electric type of lawn edger uses two kinds of power sources.
Battery-powered lawn edgers are cordless models, while electrical edgers are corded.
These edgers are lightweight with a variable speed trigger suited for small to medium-sized lawns and come at more reasonable prices than gas edgers.
Both electric lawn edgers and battery lawn edgers are available in wheeled and handheld designs and are environment-friendly and easy to use.
The wheeled models are smaller versions of gas edgers, while most handheld ones come with rotating or removable heads doubling as a string electric trimmer.
Some handheld models come in edger and string trimmer combo kits with a separate edger attachment and auxiliary handle.
- Corded Lawn Edgers
The motor’s power of a corded electric edger is rated in amps.
Most tools under this category use ten or 12-amp electric motors.
If you want a corded lawn edger, look for a model fitted with a strong blade about seven to nine inches.
Otherwise, you may need a replacement blade often whenever it’s chipped or damaged.
It’s also vital to look for a safety feature to prevent the power cord from tangling or coming unplugged easily while edging your lawn.
That is the main drawback of a corded lawn edger; you need to connect to an electrical outlet for your edger to function.
- Cordless Lawn Edgers
On the other hand, a cordless string trimmer and edger measure their motors’ power in volts.
The most common motor size for battery-powered ones is 18 volts.
For cordless models, look for edgers using lithium-ion batteries because they have longer battery life, allowing you to complete the task with consistent power over time.
The problem with battery-powered lawn edgers is the battery’s runtime which usually lasts for 30 minutes on a full charge.
How To Move With Your Edger
Apart from learning what does a lawn edger look like and their types, you must also have basic knowledge of handling them safely.
While using your power edger, you must hold it straight and steady.
You can move your body, but you must maintain a stable hand.
Also, walk on the path and not on the grass while edging.
This position ensures that your arms are closer to your body, keeping them steady.
A Better Understanding of Lawn Edgers Helps
It’s now possible for you to perform lawn edging without the help of professional landscapers after learning the basics of a lawn edger.
Proper edging will give your entire landscape a well-kept appearance, adding beauty to the overall look of your house.