lawn edger
 

So the new place is in a civilized neighborhood, and I'm thinking of
acquiring a real edger. She has a manual type but it's tiring to use. I
edged once with the string trimmer but went through a lot of string.

Craigslist has some used electric and gas powered edgers; I'm inviting
feedback on brands or styles to look for or avoid.

lawn edger
 

Smitty Two wrote:
So the new place is in a civilized neighborhood, and I'm thinking of
acquiring a real edger. She has a manual type but it's tiring to use. I
edged once with the string trimmer but went through a lot of string.

Craigslist has some used electric and gas powered edgers; I'm inviting
feedback on brands or styles to look for or avoid.

does your sidewalk have a whole mess of overgrowth? For the first
go-round I've found it easier to use a sidewalk scraper and just cut
through all the stuff at the edge of the sidewalk. edger is really only
good for neatening up after it's already relatively neat.

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

lawn edger
 

In article ,
Nate Nagel wrote:

Smitty Two wrote:
So the new place is in a civilized neighborhood, and I'm thinking of
acquiring a real edger. She has a manual type but it's tiring to use. I
edged once with the string trimmer but went through a lot of string.

Craigslist has some used electric and gas powered edgers; I'm inviting
feedback on brands or styles to look for or avoid.

does your sidewalk have a whole mess of overgrowth? For the first
go-round I've found it easier to use a sidewalk scraper and just cut
through all the stuff at the edge of the sidewalk. edger is really only
good for neatening up after it's already relatively neat.


Hmm, it's not too wild yet. Maybe an inch of overgrowth since I hit it
with the string trimmer about six weeks ago. I guess that represents
about two or more inches of grass growth, since I did have a 1" (or
thereabouts) dirt buffer.

lawn edger
 

On Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:33:08 -0700, Smitty Two
wrote:

So the new place is in a civilized neighborhood, and I'm thinking of
acquiring a real edger. She has a manual type but it's tiring to use. I
edged once with the string trimmer but went through a lot of string.

Craigslist has some used electric and gas powered edgers; I'm inviting
feedback on brands or styles to look for or avoid.

Once I observed a man walking backward with a string trimmer. He
held the weed wacker so the string spun vertically. I mimicked what I
saw everytime I edge (about every two weeks) to make a perfect edge. I
use a small gas-powered Weedeater for an acre lot.

lawn edger
 

Smitty Two wrote:
In article ,
Nate Nagel wrote:

Smitty Two wrote:
So the new place is in a civilized neighborhood, and I'm thinking of
acquiring a real edger. She has a manual type but it's tiring to use. I
edged once with the string trimmer but went through a lot of string.

Craigslist has some used electric and gas powered edgers; I'm inviting
feedback on brands or styles to look for or avoid.
does your sidewalk have a whole mess of overgrowth? For the first
go-round I've found it easier to use a sidewalk scraper and just cut
through all the stuff at the edge of the sidewalk. edger is really only
good for neatening up after it's already relatively neat.


Hmm, it's not too wild yet. Maybe an inch of overgrowth since I hit it
with the string trimmer about six weeks ago. I guess that represents
about two or more inches of grass growth, since I did have a 1" (or
thereabouts) dirt buffer.

oh, never mind then. I was thinking more along the lines of a couple
places I've rented in the past where the sidewalk was so overgrown that
there was actual soil and root systems on top of the concrete, which I
always felt compelled to remove, even though I was only renting the place.

Now that I own a place, I have no sidewalk to edge (it's only on one
side of the street, the opposite side) so I've ceased worrying about
proper edging equipment and procedures :)

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

lawn edger
 

On Aug 10, 8:33*pm, Smitty Two wrote:
So the new place is in a civilized neighborhood, and I'm thinking of
acquiring a real edger. She has a manual type but it's tiring to use. I
edged once with the string trimmer but went through a lot of string.

Craigslist has some used electric and gas powered edgers; I'm inviting
feedback on brands or styles to look for or avoid.

Depends on the size of your yard. I have a Craftsman electric edger
that does a pretty fair job and I can reach all my areas with a 100'
extension cord. I'll edge, then the next 3 times use a gas powered
weedeater to keep the grass back. I've found that the weedeater uses
very little string when it's hitting the edger trench instead of the
concrete. Dragging out the extension cord once a month is not that
big of a hassle.

Red

lawn edger
 

Smitty Two wrote:
In article ,
Nate Nagel wrote:

Smitty Two wrote:
So the new place is in a civilized neighborhood, and I'm thinking of
acquiring a real edger. She has a manual type but it's tiring to use. I
edged once with the string trimmer but went through a lot of string.

Craigslist has some used electric and gas powered edgers; I'm inviting
feedback on brands or styles to look for or avoid.
does your sidewalk have a whole mess of overgrowth? For the first
go-round I've found it easier to use a sidewalk scraper and just cut
through all the stuff at the edge of the sidewalk. edger is really only
good for neatening up after it's already relatively neat.


Hmm, it's not too wild yet. Maybe an inch of overgrowth since I hit it
with the string trimmer about six weeks ago. I guess that represents
about two or more inches of grass growth, since I did have a 1" (or
thereabouts) dirt buffer.
If yer lookin for that manicured look, a step-on edging tool is the
cheapest solution. Basically a sharpened half-moon on a stick. Make sure
the handle is long enough- I'm 6-3, and mine gives me a backache. (Why
are garden tools all sized for 5-2 women?)

--
aem sends...

lawn edger
 

Smitty Two wrote:
So the new place is in a civilized neighborhood, and I'm thinking of
acquiring a real edger. She has a manual type but it's tiring to use. I
edged once with the string trimmer but went through a lot of string.

Craigslist has some used electric and gas powered edgers; I'm inviting
feedback on brands or styles to look for or avoid.

I bought an electric edger at a garage sale for $5. It works fine now
that I removed the plate that covers the blade. With the cover on there
it quickly becomes clogged with dirt and grass.

I also tried a string trimmer as an edger and it doesn't work well. As
you stated, you go through a lot of string, and it's also difficult to
get the string where you want it to go.

lawn edger
 

Smitty Two wrote:
So the new place is in a civilized neighborhood, and I'm thinking of
acquiring a real edger. She has a manual type but it's tiring to use. I
edged once with the string trimmer but went through a lot of string.

Craigslist has some used electric and gas powered edgers; I'm inviting
feedback on brands or styles to look for or avoid.

My gas trimmer has the standard (twist & click maybe) interchangeable
system so you can use the same power head for multiple tools. I bought
the edger attachment about five years ago and it works fine.

lawn edger
 

On Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:18:16 -0700, SMS
wrote:

Smitty Two wrote:
So the new place is in a civilized neighborhood, and I'm thinking of
acquiring a real edger. She has a manual type but it's tiring to use. I
edged once with the string trimmer but went through a lot of string.

Craigslist has some used electric and gas powered edgers; I'm inviting
feedback on brands or styles to look for or avoid.

I bought an electric edger at a garage sale for $5. It works fine now
that I removed the plate that covers the blade. With the cover on there
it quickly becomes clogged with dirt and grass.

I also tried a string trimmer as an edger and it doesn't work well. As
you stated, you go through a lot of string, and it's also difficult to
get the string where you want it to go.

That sounds like the experience I had. Also, it was hard to get the
cutting line wound right.

I now use a real edger (one with a blade). It works a lot better.
--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us

"Properly read, the Bible is the most potent
force for atheism ever conceived." -- Isaac Asimov

lawn edger
 

In article ,
George wrote:

Smitty Two wrote:
So the new place is in a civilized neighborhood, and I'm thinking of
acquiring a real edger. She has a manual type but it's tiring to use. I
edged once with the string trimmer but went through a lot of string.

Craigslist has some used electric and gas powered edgers; I'm inviting
feedback on brands or styles to look for or avoid.

My gas trimmer has the standard (twist & click maybe) interchangeable
system so you can use the same power head for multiple tools. I bought
the edger attachment about five years ago and it works fine.

Can you give me any more details on this? It's a string trimmer with a
dedicated edging head? What does that head look like?

lawn edger
 

In article ,
aemeijers wrote:


If yer lookin for that manicured look, a step-on edging tool is the
cheapest solution. Basically a sharpened half-moon on a stick. Make sure
the handle is long enough- I'm 6-3, and mine gives me a backache. (Why
are garden tools all sized for 5-2 women?)

--
aem sends...

In this case, the manicured look is needed to prevent the neighbors from
scorning us. But, I'm not looking for the cheapest solution, I'm looking
for the easiest ...

lawn edger
 

Smitty Two wrote:
In article ,
George wrote:

Smitty Two wrote:
So the new place is in a civilized neighborhood, and I'm thinking of
acquiring a real edger. She has a manual type but it's tiring to use. I
edged once with the string trimmer but went through a lot of string.

Craigslist has some used electric and gas powered edgers; I'm inviting
feedback on brands or styles to look for or avoid.
My gas trimmer has the standard (twist & click maybe) interchangeable
system so you can use the same power head for multiple tools. I bought
the edger attachment about five years ago and it works fine.

Can you give me any more details on this? It's a string trimmer with a
dedicated edging head? What does that head look like?


second item on this page is one example. Didn't catch the brand of
Georges system.

http://www.stihlusa.com/accessories/...hangeable.html

lawn edger
 

In article ,
Phisherman wrote:

On Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:33:08 -0700, Smitty Two
wrote:

So the new place is in a civilized neighborhood, and I'm thinking of
acquiring a real edger. She has a manual type but it's tiring to use. I
edged once with the string trimmer but went through a lot of string.

Craigslist has some used electric and gas powered edgers; I'm inviting
feedback on brands or styles to look for or avoid.

Once I observed a man walking backward with a string trimmer. He
held the weed wacker so the string spun vertically. I mimicked what I
saw everytime I edge (about every two weeks) to make a perfect edge. I
use a small gas-powered Weedeater for an acre lot.

Maybe my electric trimmer is too wimpy. It does make a nice edge, using
it that way, but I spent 80% of my time unjamming the line feed after
the string broke.

lawn edger
 

In article ,
SMS wrote:

Smitty Two wrote:
So the new place is in a civilized neighborhood, and I'm thinking of
acquiring a real edger. She has a manual type but it's tiring to use. I
edged once with the string trimmer but went through a lot of string.

Craigslist has some used electric and gas powered edgers; I'm inviting
feedback on brands or styles to look for or avoid.

I bought an electric edger at a garage sale for $5. It works fine now
that I removed the plate that covers the blade. With the cover on there
it quickly becomes clogged with dirt and grass.

I also tried a string trimmer as an edger and it doesn't work well. As
you stated, you go through a lot of string, and it's also difficult to
get the string where you want it to go.

So you and Mark both mentioned blade edgers, which is what I was
thinking about, but now a new question occurs: Do they chip away at the
edge of the concrete or asphalt?

lawn edger
 

Smitty Two wrote:

Can you give me any more details on this? It's a string trimmer with a
dedicated edging head? What does that head look like?

Just make sure that the edger attachment has wheels (or at least one
wheel) that rides along the sidewalk, and isn't something you have to
hold off the ground.

The Ryobi attachment appears like it would work well, but it's nearly as
expensive as a complete electric edger.

"http://tinyurl.com/ryobiedger"

For some reason, often attachments will say that they work only on
gasoline powered trimmers, maybe because they need more power. Not sure
about this edger.

lawn edger
 

On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 05:59:11 -0700, Smitty Two
wrote:

[snip]

Maybe my electric trimmer is too wimpy. It does make a nice edge, using
it that way, but I spent 80% of my time unjamming the line feed after
the string broke.

That last thing sounds like what I was doing.
--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us

"Properly read, the Bible is the most potent
force for atheism ever conceived." -- Isaac Asimov

lawn edger
 

On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 06:00:58 -0700, Smitty Two
wrote:

In article ,
SMS wrote:

Smitty Two wrote:
So the new place is in a civilized neighborhood, and I'm thinking of
acquiring a real edger. She has a manual type but it's tiring to use. I
edged once with the string trimmer but went through a lot of string.

Craigslist has some used electric and gas powered edgers; I'm inviting
feedback on brands or styles to look for or avoid.

I bought an electric edger at a garage sale for $5. It works fine now
that I removed the plate that covers the blade. With the cover on there
it quickly becomes clogged with dirt and grass.

I also tried a string trimmer as an edger and it doesn't work well. As
you stated, you go through a lot of string, and it's also difficult to
get the string where you want it to go.

So you and Mark both mentioned blade edgers, which is what I was
thinking about, but now a new question occurs: Do they chip away at the
edge of the concrete or asphalt?

Mine doesn't seem to have, although I do get a lot of sparks while
edging (when the blade touched concrete).
--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us

"Properly read, the Bible is the most potent
force for atheism ever conceived." -- Isaac Asimov

lawn edger
 

On Aug 12, 8:00*am, Smitty Two wrote:


So you and Mark both mentioned blade edgers, which is what I was
thinking about, but now a new question occurs: Do they chip away at the
edge of the concrete or asphalt?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

You'll see, hear, & feel the moment the blade touches concrete and
react accordingly before any damage is done. The blade will get more
results from the encounter than the concrete. Don't know about
asphalt.

Red

lawn edger
 

Phisherman wrote:
On Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:33:08 -0700, Smitty Two
wrote:

So the new place is in a civilized neighborhood, and I'm thinking of
acquiring a real edger. She has a manual type but it's tiring to use. I
edged once with the string trimmer but went through a lot of string.

Craigslist has some used electric and gas powered edgers; I'm inviting
feedback on brands or styles to look for or avoid.

Once I observed a man walking backward with a string trimmer. He
held the weed wacker so the string spun vertically. I mimicked what I
saw everytime I edge (about every two weeks) to make a perfect edge. I
use a small gas-powered Weedeater for an acre lot.
Hi,
Ditto here.

lawn edger
 

aemeijers writes:

Smitty Two wrote:
In article ,
Nate Nagel wrote:

Smitty Two wrote:
So the new place is in a civilized neighborhood, and I'm thinking
of acquiring a real edger. She has a manual type but it's tiring
to use. I edged once with the string trimmer but went through a
lot of string.

Craigslist has some used electric and gas powered edgers; I'm
inviting feedback on brands or styles to look for or avoid.
does your sidewalk have a whole mess of overgrowth? For the first
go-round I've found it easier to use a sidewalk scraper and just
cut through all the stuff at the edge of the sidewalk. edger is
really only good for neatening up after it's already relatively
neat.


Hmm, it's not too wild yet. Maybe an inch of overgrowth since I hit
it with the string trimmer about six weeks ago. I guess that
represents about two or more inches of grass growth, since I did
have a 1" (or thereabouts) dirt buffer.
If yer lookin for that manicured look, a step-on edging tool is the
cheapest solution. Basically a sharpened half-moon on a stick. Make
sure the handle is long enough- I'm 6-3, and mine gives me a
backache. (Why are garden tools all sized for 5-2 women?)

--
I'm 6-3 too... but I usually have to stand on it anyway to make a
clean, deep cut so the handle size doesn't bother me much.

It makes a neat cut but it is SLOW since you only can cut about 6
inches at a time (or less) since you need to overlap given the half
moon shape.

lawn edger
 

On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 05:57:01 -0700, Smitty Two wrote:

In article ,
aemeijers wrote:


If yer lookin for that manicured look, a step-on edging tool is the
cheapest solution. Basically a sharpened half-moon on a stick. Make
sure the handle is long enough- I'm 6-3, and mine gives me a backache.
(Why are garden tools all sized for 5-2 women?)

--
aem sends...

In this case, the manicured look is needed to prevent the neighbors from
scorning us. But, I'm not looking for the cheapest solution, I'm looking
for the easiest ...

Then you want a real edger. Mine is a four-stroke 3/5 HP unit with a
belt driven blade. Just walk slowly and guide it by listening for the
scraping of concrete. No effort and no back-and-forth crap (like I used
to do with an electric edger). Cleaning up the debris with a blower is
the hardest part of the job.

Many people trim along their concrete with a string trimmer. I am
certain it is better than doing nothing and I am certain that most are
completely satisfied with the look they achieve....BUT, it's not edging
in my opinion.

lawn edger
 

In article ,
Rick Brandt wrote:

On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 05:57:01 -0700, Smitty Two wrote:

In article ,
aemeijers wrote:


If yer lookin for that manicured look, a step-on edging tool is the
cheapest solution. Basically a sharpened half-moon on a stick. Make
sure the handle is long enough- I'm 6-3, and mine gives me a backache.
(Why are garden tools all sized for 5-2 women?)

--
aem sends...

In this case, the manicured look is needed to prevent the neighbors from
scorning us. But, I'm not looking for the cheapest solution, I'm looking
for the easiest ...

Then you want a real edger. Mine is a four-stroke 3/5 HP unit with a
belt driven blade. Just walk slowly and guide it by listening for the
scraping of concrete. No effort and no back-and-forth crap (like I used
to do with an electric edger). Cleaning up the debris with a blower is
the hardest part of the job.

Many people trim along their concrete with a string trimmer. I am
certain it is better than doing nothing and I am certain that most are
completely satisfied with the look they achieve....BUT, it's not edging
in my opinion.

I'm just a little worried because most of what I have to edge is asphalt
drive. Didn't think about it until after I started the thread, but would
the blade of a real edger eat the asphalt away?

lawn edger
 

On Aug 10, 8:33*pm, Smitty Two wrote:
So the new place is in a civilized neighborhood, and I'm thinking of
acquiring a real edger. She has a manual type but it's tiring to use. I
edged once with the string trimmer but went through a lot of string.

Craigslist has some used electric and gas powered edgers; I'm inviting
feedback on brands or styles to look for or avoid.

On my Echo I got the thickest line I could , its maybe 120 and doesnt
wear much edging. We had the 25 yr old BD electric edger out last
week, first time in 20 yrs, it took 45 minutes to do what an edger can
in 5 since I was cutting deep for the first time in years, and running
a heavy power cord for the 1.25hp motor was not fun.

lawn edger
 

Mark Lloyd wrote:
On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 05:59:11 -0700, Smitty Two
wrote:

[snip]

Maybe my electric trimmer is too wimpy. It does make a nice edge, using
it that way, but I spent 80% of my time unjamming the line feed after
the string broke.

That last thing sounds like what I was doing.

And here I thought my ten-buck garage sale electric Toro was just a
worn-out POS. You mean they all do that?

--
aem sends...

lawn edger
 

On Mon, 10 Aug 2009 22:31:49 -0400, Nate Nagel
wrote:

Smitty Two wrote:
So the new place is in a civilized neighborhood, and I'm thinking of
acquiring a real edger. She has a manual type but it's tiring to use. I
edged once with the string trimmer but went through a lot of string.

Craigslist has some used electric and gas powered edgers; I'm inviting
feedback on brands or styles to look for or avoid.

does your sidewalk have a whole mess of overgrowth? For the first
go-round I've found it easier to use a sidewalk scraper and just cut
through all the stuff at the edge of the sidewalk. edger is really only
good for neatening up after it's already relatively neat.

nate

The B&D edger I used to have would cut thru ANYTHING. It had a motor
the size of a skill saw and a metal blade about 6" long. It made a
beautiful edge cut. Loaned it to my sister in law and never saw it
again. Switched to a string cutter because its more versatile.

lawn edger
 

On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:49:40 -0700, Smitty Two wrote:

I'm just a little worried because most of what I have to edge is asphalt
drive. Didn't think about it until after I started the thread, but would
the blade of a real edger eat the asphalt away?

Doubtful. What you hear is the *side* of the blade scraping the
pavement. It's not the cutting edge.

lawn edger
 

On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 21:37:38 -0400, aemeijers
wrote:

Mark Lloyd wrote:
On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 05:59:11 -0700, Smitty Two
wrote:

[snip]

Maybe my electric trimmer is too wimpy. It does make a nice edge, using
it that way, but I spent 80% of my time unjamming the line feed after
the string broke.

That last thing sounds like what I was doing.

And here I thought my ten-buck garage sale electric Toro was just a
worn-out POS. You mean they all do that?

I've had several models Weed Eater, and Black & Decker (string
trimmers). They've all had line feeding problems.
--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us

"Properly read, the Bible is the most potent
force for atheism ever conceived." -- Isaac Asimov

lawn edger
 

In article ,
Rick Brandt wrote:

On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:49:40 -0700, Smitty Two wrote:

I'm just a little worried because most of what I have to edge is asphalt
drive. Didn't think about it until after I started the thread, but would
the blade of a real edger eat the asphalt away?

Doubtful. What you hear is the *side* of the blade scraping the
pavement. It's not the cutting edge.

Ah-so. Thanks. I think I'll get a Craigslist brand and give it a try.

lawn edger
 

Rick Brandt writes:

On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:49:40 -0700, Smitty Two wrote:

I'm just a little worried because most of what I have to edge is asphalt
drive. Didn't think about it until after I started the thread, but would
the blade of a real edger eat the asphalt away?

Doubtful. What you hear is the *side* of the blade scraping the
pavement. It's not the cutting edge.

The only thing I might be concerned with an asphalt sidewalk is that
often the edge is not as straight or as well-defined as concrete which
typically is made in a wooden form.

For asphalt, that makes it a little harder to define and follow the
edges. Also the asphalt may thin out considerably towards the edges
leaving it weak and irregular.

This could leave it more vulnerable to damage from a blade -- no
guarantees, just be cautious...

lawn edger
 

Mark Lloyd wrote:
On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 21:37:38 -0400, aemeijers
wrote:

Mark Lloyd wrote:
On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 05:59:11 -0700, Smitty Two
wrote:

[snip]

Maybe my electric trimmer is too wimpy. It does make a nice edge, using
it that way, but I spent 80% of my time unjamming the line feed after
the string broke.
That last thing sounds like what I was doing.
And here I thought my ten-buck garage sale electric Toro was just a
worn-out POS. You mean they all do that?

I've had several models Weed Eater, and Black & Decker (string
trimmers). They've all had line feeding problems.

Rueful chuckle. The damn thing is so annoying, I only bother to to edge
about 3 times a year any more. And when I suit up to walk out there,
along with the earmuffs and gloves, I also put a a big beat-up flat
blade screwdriver in my pocket, to pop the cap off the spool when the
line breaks. I did learn the hard way why you do not edge wearing
shorts- if a little too much line feeds out when you bump it, and you
place a leg a couple inches too close, it cat-o-nine's your exposed skin
very efficently, in a fraction of a second. That was six weeks ago, and
I can still see some of the lines. Hate to think what a real gas-powered
trimmer would have done.

--
aem sends...