Traditionally, front lawn makes a significant first impression to anyone passing by. Regular lawn care is essential to maintain curb appeal, improve neighborhood aesthetics, safety, and improves how friends and family feel when they enter your property. In order to maintain your lawn properly and adequately, by using a lawn edger, they perform a simple task, but creates a great deal of curb appeal by presenting a clean look and feel.
Typically, edgers are used with lawnmowers and hedge trimmers in landscape maintenance. These power tools can help create an attractive lawn that makes a good first impression. These machines can make a huge difference when it comes to maintaining your lawn’s edges and defining borders. In this article, we will explore the benefits of using lawn edgers, how to choose the suitable edger for your garden, and safety precautions. Let’s begin!
Lawn Edgers Vs. Line Trimmers
You may wonder why you need to edge your lawn if you’ve previously used trimmers to clean up your property. A trimmer is used with a lawn mower to cut grass horizontally and even reach hard-to-reach areas or overgrown areas of your yard. If you use a trimmer to the edge, you’ll have a mess on your hands. Many professional landscapers prefer to use a line trimmer to accomplish both tasks, but if your dealing with overgrown border edges, it can become almost impossible to cut through thick buildup. Usually, when using a lawn edger you find your edge, engage your blade and left the machine to all the work. If the lawn edge is overgrown, a few passes normally does the trick.
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While line trimmers do compliment lawn edgers in regards to regular maintenance, it all depends on what your trying to accomplish. Sometimes lawn edgers aren’t necessary where a line trimmers is all you need, and other times, you may have a long stretch of lawn where you may not want to carry a line trimmer for a long period of time. Furthermore, if you would like to start a lawn service, many clients may want clean edges where line trimmers just can’t perform a thorough job.
Regardless, in my opinion, line trimmers are perfect for small areas and deep cleaning around sprinklers and around hardscapes, whereas, lawn edgers accomplish the clean cut look of a fresh mowed lawn.
For more information on lawn and garden maintenance, check out our other articles below.
- Is Landscape Edging Necessary?
- Can I Use a String Trimmer to Cut Grass? (Pros and Cons)
- What Can Possibly Happen if you don’t Cut Your Grass?
- What can I use for Garden Edging? (Pros and cons)
The Advantages of Lawn Edgers over Line Trimmers
Even though line trimmers are commonly used for trimming grass around obstacles or along walls, they can be challenging for edging. A edger, however, is designed specifically for edging lawns and gardens precisely. The lawn edger uses a spinning blade to cut a clean line along the edge of your lawn or garden bed.
A lawn edger offers a cleaner, more precise cut than a line trimmer. It enables you to create sharp, defined borders that set your lawn and garden apart from the rest. In contrast, line trimmers leave messy and unprofessional edges that look frayed.
Another advantage of lawn edgers is their speed. Manual edging takes much longer. lawn edgers allow you to edge your entire lawn in a fraction of the time and with less strain on your arms and back than manual edgers and line trimmers.
Let’s examine some of the general benefits of lawn Edging.
Some Benefits of Lawn Edging
- Clean lawns with uniform grass lines that meet concrete areas.
- Easily uncovers concrete surfaces from all angles.
- Removes trash and grass clippings from the grass edge.
- Provides easier snow removal because your equipment doesn’t get tangled in the grass overhanging your sidewalks.
- Provides pedestrians with a safer sidewalk by removing some trip hazards.
At least once a year, lawn edging is necessary to keep overgrowth to a minimum. Ideally, it should be done twice a year ( the first time in the spring and then again in the fall). As a result, you will reap the maximum benefits. Particularly during the winter, making shoveling easier. Although a rough suggestion, this depends on the growth rate of individual lawns and grasses which is especially true during warmer months and lawn feed cycles.
How Lawn Edgers Improve Garden Aesthetics
Applying a nice clean cut lawn edge to your lawn and garden really does impact its aesthetics. If your like me and have walked past a mowed lawn and thought to yourself, why didn’t they edge the sidewalk? Although the lawn may look nice and all, a clean cut edge makes the job pop out. For whatever reason, the work is always in the details, and cleaner edges amplifies aesthetics and once again curb appeal which applies to all yard and garden maintenance.
If your curious to see what I’m talking about, pay attention to mowed lawns and you will quickly see the details. Furthermore, if your looking to hire someone to mow your lawn, make sure they perform this task. You’d be surprised with what people try to get away with. In addition, by clearing overgrown grass from walkways and other hardscapes, people can visibly see safe paved or graded walking surface areas in and around lawns and gardens. Just because you know something is there, other people don’t ultimately reducing tripping hazards.
Choosing the Right Lawn Edger for Your Garden
Edgers come in a variety of features and capabilities, which makes choosing the right one for your garden an important decision. When selecting a power edger, consider the following factors:
Type of power source:
Edgers are available with power sources, including gas, electrical cord, or batteries. Each has its advantages and disadvantages.
An electric edger is more environmentally friendly and easier to maintain but requires an electrical outlet or extension cord. While gas edgers are more powerful than electric edgers, they are louder and require more maintenance. Battery-powered edgers tend to be quieter and more portable, but their battery life may be limited.
Blade size:
An edger’s blade size plays an important role in choosing a lawn edger. The blade size determines the width of the edge cut. Generally, small blades are better suited to small gardens, while large blades are better suited to larger gardens.
Depth control:
A depth control feature lets you adjust the depth of the cut, which is especially helpful on uneven terrain. Depending on the model, some models offer a single depth adjustment, while others offer multiple settings.
Durability:
Select a power edger that is made from high-quality materials and will last for a long time. A power edger is usually constructed from durable plastic, aluminum, and steel. Choose the most durable one when purchasing.
Price:
They can range in price from under $100 for a basic model to over $500 for a high-end model with advanced features. Consider your budget and the features you need before making a purchase.
Brand and user reviews:
Additionally, look into the brand and user reviews of the edger you’re considering. Consider brands with a good reputation for quality and reliability, and read user reviews to learn from others’ experiences.
These factors can help you select a power edger that is well-suited to your garden’s needs and provides years of reliable service.
- Check out these Amazons edger by clicking here. Power Edger
- Also click here to view our affilate retailer edger product category: Edgers
Safety Precautions When Using Lawn Edgers
Although edgers help edge lawns and gardens, they can also be dangerous. Therefore, safety precautions should be taken when using a power edger. Keep these things in mind:
- Wear protective gear: Always wear protective gear when working with a power edger. These include eye protection, ear protection, and sturdy shoes. Long pants and sleeves are also recommended to protect against flying debris.
- Keep children and pets away: When using a power edger, it’s important to keep children and pets away. Be cautious when using the spinning blade, as it can cause serious injury.
- Watch for obstacles: Remove any obstacles, such as rocks, sticks, or toys, before you begin edging. A spinning blade can turn these objects into dangerous projectiles.
- Keep an eye on your surroundings: When working with an edger, it’s important to be mindful of your surroundings. Be aware of obstacles, such as other people, and stay away from steep slopes and uneven terrain.
- Follow the manufacturer’s instructions: Finally, always follow the instructions provided by your power edger manufacturer. Doing this will ensure that the machine is being used correctly and safely.
Is a Lawn edger really necessary?
The length of lawn edging required will determine whether a lawn edger is necessary. You can get away with using a cord-style trimmer on a small lawn, for example, only 10′ x 25′ or so. However, consider a dedicated edger if you have a large lawn, perhaps 50 feet or longer, along a single edge.
Gas or cordless edgers might be the best choice for substantial properties, but run times may vary. Since it seems everything is going electric, many brands are optimizing their tools to be sufficient to perform a variety of small to medium sized jobs.
Conclusion
Anyone who wants to maintain a polished, professional-looking lawn or garden should own an edger. These powerful machines cut cleaner, more precisely than line trimmers, and can transform an untidy garden into one that is neat and tidy. So, invest in a lawn edger which will help you maintain a beautiful lawn and garden. hope this helps, happy gardening.
