Every homeowner wants their gardens and lawns to look their best all year long. Unfortunately, edging isn't particularly the most popular lawn care job, which is why you need the right tool to take the headache out of the task. The best lawn edger helps you give your garden a perfectly manicured finish while also making the task a breeze.
What makes a power lawn edger well-suited to the job? Power lawn edgers come with vertical spinning metal blades that cut and trim grass and foliage. This feature allows the tool to access what would be hard-to-reach spots, particularly along the edges. Therefore, you end up with impeccably landscaped lines on your lawn, sidewalks, walkway, driveway or even garden beds.
Types of Lawn Edgers
There are plenty of options to choose from when you're looking for the best lawn edger. As such, it's important to look into the different types of lawn edgers to narrow down to the best fit for your individual garden needs. Lawn edgers come in two main categories, mainly based on the power source:
1. Manual Edgers
A manual lawn edger is entirely powered by the user.
a). Rotary Edgers
These come with a long wooden shaft that's attached to a cutting wheel, resembling a pole with a spiked wheel on one end. Rotary edgers run by applying manual pressure to the cutting wheel while rolling it along the edges to cut and trim the overextended turf.
b). Spade Edgers
These look like a shallow spade that has a sharpened edge. Spade edgers work by lining up the bottom of the spade edger with the overgrown turf, then stepping down on the flat surface at the top of the blade to cut through the turf.
c). Shear Edgers
These handheld edgers are built to clean up small pieces of turf or make cuts in narrow corners inaccessible with other edging tools.
2. Motorized Edgers
Manual lawn edgers are evidently quite intensive on manual effort and physical endurance. As such, the best lawn edgers are typically motorized to make the work significantly easier and more efficient. Just as important, a wheeled edger also offers plenty of efficiency and convenience.
a). Electric Edgers
These are either battery-powered (cordless) or connected to an electrical outlet (corded). Electric lawn edgers tend to be more budget-friendly and more suited to small lawns.
b). Gas-Powered Edgers
These come with considerably more power, making them more suited for larger lawns. However, they tend to cost and weigh more and are often criticized for being less friendly to the environment.
With this background information in mind, let's look at our top picks for the best lawn edger.
1. BLACK+DECKER 2-in-1 Edger & Trencher LE750
- 12-amp high torque motor of the edger trimmer tackles tough...
- Exclusive pull-up edge guide of the edge trimmer converts from...
- Three-position blade depth adjustment of BLACK+DECKER edger lets...
- Built-in cord retention keeps extension cord secure
- Tool-free assembly is quick and hassle-free
BLACK+DECKER has a robust reputation when it comes to power tools, hence it's no surprise they also produce some of the best lawn edgers. The LE750 is a great choice if you have a small-sized garden that needs a quick trim. Plus, this versatile gardening tool can also double as a trencher when you need to dig clean-looking trenches.
It comes with a powerful 12 amp 2 1/4 HP motor that delivers an incredible 150 in-lbs of torque, strong enough for cutting through tough grass. Its 7 1/2-inch blade is 3/16 inches thick, meaning this solid lawn edger delivers clean and tidy cutting action, even when you're edging along hard surfaces such as driveways. Furthermore, the 3-position adjustable blade depth offers greater control over how deep you want to cut in and around the garden bed and trees.
The LE750 edger & trencher is also incredibly lightweight and pretty easy to use. One thing that also stands out is the Left or Right Handed Assist Handle, designed to offer more flexibility for maneuvering in tight spots. In fact, this is arguably one of the easiest to use lawn edgers you could ever get your hands on.
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2. GreenWorks Corded Electric Edger
- 12 Amp motor delivers powerful edging capabilities
- 7.5" double edged blade provides robust edging capabilities and...
- Spring assist front wheel provides variable blade depth
- Adjustable auxiliary handle for added user comfort and control
- Integrated cord lock feature prevents accidental disconnect
If you're looking for a sturdy electric lawn edger for cutting and manicuring a small yard, this is well worth your consideration. The GreenWorks Electric Corded Edger comes in a bright green, solid yet lightweight design while also stacked with several attractive features. You won't find yourself struggling to start it, for starters, since it does so with just the push of a button.
This GreenWorks lawn edger comes with a sound 12 amp motor and a 7.5-inch double-edged blade. The blade cuts up to 1.5 inches deep, plus it can be adjusted depending on the thickness and size of the grass. Therefore, you can rest assured of smooth and precise cuts. The machine itself is also well-balanced, with 2 larger wheels at the back and one spring-assisted on the front, making the edger fairly easy to guide and maneuver.
This electric edger also features an extendable shaft that allows you to tweak it to your ideal height. It also has a secondary handle that offers more flexibility when you're maneuvering small flower beds or working with grass. And it also features a nifty cord lock to prevent the extension cord from detaching.
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3. McLane 101-5.5GT-7 Gas Edger
- EDGER AND TRIMMER - Make your yard or outdoor space look...
- PRECISE - This motorized trimmer is designed to ride on most...
- ANY ANGLE - McLane edgers and trimmers cut vertically or...
- MEET SAFETY STANDARDS - All McLane edger and trimmers meet all...
- MADE IN THE USA - This cordless gas powered lawn edger is proudly...
The McLane 101-5.5GT-7 is the best choice if you want a professional style edger with excellent performance for a medium-to-large-sized property. It's powered by a robust Briggs and Stratton 3.5 HP engine that delivers 4.74 gross torque. In other words, this gas edger boasts superior cutting and trimming power, making light work of virtually all garden manicuring tasks.
It's built for tough cutting and edging tasks, thanks to the 9-inch edging blade, including a single-level blade clutch that offers better control over the cutting depth. Naturally, it's a pretty sturdy machine with a solid steel frame and 4 large 8-inch rubber wheels. These replaceable wheels have ball bearings to provide additional control and maneuverability for uneven terrain.
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4. Earthquake 23275 Walk-Behind Edger
- POWER AND FLEXIBILITY: The 79cc Viper Engine spins a 9” spring...
- MUTI-ANGLE CUTTING: Our multi-position pivoting head offers 5...
- PRECISION LINES: Clean professional lines can be easily achieved...
- FLEXIBLE DEPTH CONTROL: Take complete control over your depth of...
- DEBRIS GUARD AND TOOL HOLDER: A durable chain skirting protects...
As the name suggests, this is a lawn edger built for one specific purpose - solid gardening. First, it features a powerful and reliable 79cc Viper 4-cycle engine that takes all the hard work out of trimming and edging tasks. Furthermore, the 9-inch spring steel blade ensures that you consistently make precise cuts and crisp lines.
It features an adjustable bevelling head that cuts angles from 70-110°. This includes 5 different settings for depth range from 0.5 - 3.5 inches. Therefore, the Earthquake 23275 is well-engineered to allow you to trim and edge your lawn to your desired perfection, create bespoke landscape beds or cut small trenches regardless of the type of grass.
Its 4 well-balanced wheels help maintain consistently straight edges, especially if you're trimming along your sidewalk or driveway. In addition, this lawn edger also sports a durable chain debris guard to prevent flying debris from causing you any injuries. And it also has an attached tool holder on the handlebars for storing smaller hand tools.
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5. WORX WG170 GT Revolution
- [3-TOOLS-IN-1] Easily transforms from a precision string trimmer,...
- [AUTOMATIC FRESH LINE] Proprietary Command Feed tech lets you add...
- [DO IT ALL WITH THE SAME BATTERY] Worx Power Share is compatible...
- [FIND YOUR POSITION] 7 handle adjustments and 6 rotating head...
- [LONGER & STRONGER] An entire foot longer than the last version...
If multifunctionality is what appeals most to you, this is certainly the best tool to consider. The WORX WG170 GT Revolution can be used as an edger, line trimmer or mini mower for small-to-medium-sized lawns. It converts from a line trimmer to an edger without any tools, meaning you can easily switch between both functions quite easily.
It features a handy 12-inch cutting swath with a one-line feed system, so there's no bumping to extend the line. Furthermore, the in-line wheels and adjustable spacer guard help guide the edger along the edges of a driveway/walkway, or around a flower bed for crisp, precise landscaping while also protecting the foliage. It also features a lightweight and adjustable telescopic shaft, plus a cutting head that pivots up to 90° so that you can easily trim places that would be hard to reach and even in between rocks.
This trimmer/edger comes with 2 20V max lithium batteries, assuring you of longer runtimes, quick charging times and hardly any power loss. Additionally, its front auxiliary handle has 7 locking adjustments for extra maneuverability and comfort while operating.
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Factors to Consider in the Best Lawn Edger
1. Power
Understanding the power potential of these tools is important to find a good lawn edger for your yard. Since manual lawn edgers are wholly powered by the user, let's look at the motorized options.
a). Electric (Corded) Edgers
Corded edgers are designed for small-sized gardens that require little maintenance. They are built to be lightweight and easy to operate even in tight spots. Plus, they are normally cheaper and rather friendly to the environment with no toxic emissions.
On top of that, most electric-powered edgers are usually plug-and-use. They are also particularly suited to suburban homes since they're fairly quiet in operation. The only significant downside is the limited portability since they have to stay plug into the power outlet.
b). Battery-Powered Edgers
If portability is important to you, then battery-powered edgers are the ideal option for you. They are better suited to medium-sized gardens since movement is not exactly restricted. More so, you don't have to worry about tripping over the cord or harming the environment with both noise and pollutants.
The only downside to a battery-powered edger is possibly limited runtime, which ultimately depends on the size of your lawn. However, you can get around this by having a second battery that you can use when the first one needs recharging.
c). Gas Edgers
A gas-powered lawn edger is normally the ideal option for medium-to-large-sized lawns. Generally, they are more powerful than their counterparts, run more smoothly and get things done quicker, more so with cleaner and more precise cuts. There are two types of gas edgers:
- 4-cycle engines - are ideal for heavy-duty edging and are more friendly to the environment since you don't need to mix fuel. However, they are also heavier.
- 2-cycle engines - require a mixture of fuel, hence more harmful to the environment, but are also lighter than 4-cycle engines.
On the flip side, gas-lawn edger will usually be more expensive, emits pollutants to the environment and is generally noisier than electric models.
2. Cutting Width & Depth
Proper lawn maintenance is all about the final cut. This means looking out for a lawn edger with a height adjustment capability and an adjustable blade, which allows you to tweak around the tool to suit your ideal height and cutting depths. Generally, a 2.5-inch cutting depth and a 7-9-inch blade are more than sufficient for most cutting tasks. These specs should be enough to allow the adjustable blade to plunge into the yard deep enough to remove even deep root systems.
3. Comfort & Ease of Use
Operating a lawn edger can be pretty tiring, especially if you're using a manual edger. That said, there are multiple factors in the best lawn edgers that can help make the work a whole lot easier, from the size of the shaft, weight of the machine to expected runtime.
- If you have a small yard, you would be better off with a lightweight edger, especially for tight corners.
- If you have a large yard that probably needs a walk-behind lawn muti-wheel edger, then look out for a model with a wide handle or 2 levers for easier control and maneuvering.
- You can also consider an edger with left or right-handed assist handles or adjustable shafts for easier access to the hard-to-reach spots in your garden.
4. Safety
Safety is always a key priority when it comes to power tools. Therefore, it would be prudent to go for a lawn edger with built-in features for safety while working. These would include trigger locks, debris guards and padded grips.
5. Extra Attachments
Some lawn edgers are multi-functional, coming as 2 0r 3 tools in 1. Therefore, on top of operating as a basic lawn edger, they can also be used as a line trimmer or trencher with a quick change of attachments. Additional accessories would also include extension cords, chargers and extra batteries, particularly for an electric lawn edger.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Lawn Edgers
1. What should I use on the lawn after edging?
It's always advisable to clean a freshly manicured lawn with a stiff brush to get rid of the grass or soil residue. You'll also get better results if you clean the lawn when the grass is still damp because the debris tends to harden as it dries, making it harder to remove later.
2. When is the ideal time to edge my lawn?
Preferably when the soil is damp so that it's easier to maneuver the shovel.
3. Are lawn edgers noisy?
Electric edgers are typically less noisy than gas-powered models. However, it's worth considering that quieter doesn't always imply better. Say, if you needed more power to cut through heavy grass, a gas-powered edger would certainly be a better fit for the task than an electric edger.
