#1: Edging revisited... true edger vs. attachment edger

Posted on 2006-06-11 03:06:33 by iman5802

I read the recent thread on edging and it reminded me how much I really
hate the edging aspect of my lawn care. Yes, I could hire someone to
do my lawn, but its good exercise and I guess I'm too cheap to do so.

My question is which is better for edging as far as speed and ease, a
true edger or one of those attached edgers that goes onto a weedeater?
I also have a corner lot and there is a sidewalk that goes around it,
so I have triple edging duty on 3/4 of my lot! I have been using a
true edger but it isn't easy to adjust it for curbs and I go thru a
blade each season. I've tried just using the weedeater but it isn't
that easy nor is it as strong as the blade of the edger. I am curious
about the blade edger attachments for the weedeater though.

Anyone have exerience and input?

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#2: Re: Edging revisited... true edger vs. attachment edger

Posted on 2006-06-11 19:50:55 by Timothy

On Sat, 10 Jun 2006 18:06:33 -0700, iman5802 wrote:

> I read the recent thread on edging and it reminded me how much I really
> hate the edging aspect of my lawn care. Yes, I could hire someone to do
> my lawn, but its good exercise and I guess I'm too cheap to do so.
>
> My question is which is better for edging as far as speed and ease, a true
> edger or one of those attached edgers that goes onto a weedeater? I also
> have a corner lot and there is a sidewalk that goes around it, so I have
> triple edging duty on 3/4 of my lot! I have been using a true edger but
> it isn't easy to adjust it for curbs and I go thru a blade each season.
> I've tried just using the weedeater but it isn't that easy nor is it as
> strong as the blade of the edger. I am curious about the blade edger
> attachments for the weedeater though.
>
> Anyone have exerience and input?

Good day iman5802. It sounds like your 'riding' the concrete way too much
when your edging. You shouldn't see sparks very much when you edge. After
the first few times of edging, you should have a 1/2 inch wide cut along
your concrete where you can run your blade and trim off the grass.

Depending on the soil movement, foot traffic and the like, the edge should
stay rather true and not fill in very much. You will find it's easier to
edge if you do it every time you mow. Try to edge when the soil is dry.
It's a lot easier to do and less work for the blade.

Wheeled edger Vrs stick edger.
I own both. I use the wheeled edger for badly over-grown edges. After the
edge has been 'found' again, I use the stick edger. Stick edgers are very
easy to use compared to wheeled edgers and work very well for dirt edges
in a lawn area. These flower bed edges tend to have curves in them that
are hard to do with a wheeled edger, while a stick edger gives you much
more freedom and speed.

Wheeled edgers have lots more power but less moveability. Stick edgers
have less power but are more capable of detailed work.

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#3: Re: Edging revisited... true edger vs. attachment edger

Posted on 2006-06-11 20:53:30 by fr0g

<iman5802@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1149987993.268995.46180@c74g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> I read the recent thread on edging and it reminded me how much I really
> hate the edging aspect of my lawn care. Yes, I could hire someone to
> do my lawn, but its good exercise and I guess I'm too cheap to do so.
>
> My question is which is better for edging as far as speed and ease, a
> true edger or one of those attached edgers that goes onto a weedeater?
> I also have a corner lot and there is a sidewalk that goes around it,
> so I have triple edging duty on 3/4 of my lot! I have been using a
> true edger but it isn't easy to adjust it for curbs and I go thru a
> blade each season. I've tried just using the weedeater but it isn't
> that easy nor is it as strong as the blade of the edger. I am curious
> about the blade edger attachments for the weedeater though.
>
> Anyone have exerience and input?

I have a Mantis tiller:
http://mantisgardentools.com and really like it.
So when I wanted an edger, I looked for the edging attachment.

I found a dealer on ebay:
http://tinyurl.com/r6yza and have been satisfied with the performance.

It will not stand up to the abuse of commercial use, but it's fine for my
home use.

Your mileage may vary

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#4: Re: Edging revisited... true edger vs. attachment edger

Posted on 2006-06-12 00:37:09 by iman5802

Timothy wrote:
> On Sat, 10 Jun 2006 18:06:33 -0700, iman5802 wrote:
>
> Good day iman5802. It sounds like your 'riding' the concrete way too much
> when your edging. You shouldn't see sparks very much when you edge. After
> the first few times of edging, you should have a 1/2 inch wide cut along
> your concrete where you can run your blade and trim off the grass.
>
> Depending on the soil movement, foot traffic and the like, the edge should
> stay rather true and not fill in very much. You will find it's easier to
> edge if you do it every time you mow. Try to edge when the soil is dry.
> It's a lot easier to do and less work for the blade.
>
> Wheeled edger Vrs stick edger.
> I own both. I use the wheeled edger for badly over-grown edges. After the
> edge has been 'found' again, I use the stick edger. Stick edgers are very
> easy to use compared to wheeled edgers and work very well for dirt edges
> in a lawn area. These flower bed edges tend to have curves in them that
> are hard to do with a wheeled edger, while a stick edger gives you much
> more freedom and speed.
>
> Wheeled edgers have lots more power but less moveability. Stick edgers
> have less power but are more capable of detailed work.
>

Thanks for the reply. I agree, I think I often try to get so close to
the "edge" that I do wear the blade too much. I'll work on cutting a
little further into the lawn. I think the stick edger may indeed be
easier to use and thus more convenient than having to use 3 or 4
different tools to do the lawn (mower, edger, weedeater, blower)...

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#5: Re: Edging revisited... true edger vs. attachment edger

Posted on 2006-06-13 04:34:01 by I Love Lucy

"Timothy" <yardworks@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:pan.2006.06.11.17.50.52.476511@gmail.com...
> Wheeled edger Vrs stick edger.
> I own both. I use the wheeled edger for badly over-grown edges. After
> the
> edge has been 'found' again, I use the stick edger. Stick edgers are
> very
> easy to use compared to wheeled edgers and work very well for dirt
> edges
> in a lawn area. These flower bed edges tend to have curves in them
> that
> are hard to do with a wheeled edger, while a stick edger gives you
> much
> more freedom and speed.
>
> Wheeled edgers have lots more power but less moveability. Stick edgers
> have less power but are more capable of detailed work.

That is a good link. Thank you for that.

What is a stick edger? I bought something you step on with a huge sharp
blade underneath. It works, but not as well as I thought it would. Is
that what you mean?

Years ago I bought a regular edger and never got the hang of it, was
always hitting the concrete and gouging. Maybe I will try that again as
I have a corner lot, too, and just quit bothering with edging, but it
sure would look better. The comments on this thread have been helpful.
>
> --
> http://resources.ywgc.com/info
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> Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com
>

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#6: Re: Edging revisited... true edger vs. attachment edger

Posted on 2006-06-13 21:12:01 by trader4

You can't beat a true edger for ability to quickly get the job done and
to cut through areas that haven't been done in a long time. The
tradeoff is they cost more and are one more thing to store.

I have a Troy Bilt combo string trimmer and edger. I'm very happy
with it. I have about 150 ft of edging to do and it works fine as long
as you do it about every month or so. If there is a lot to do and it
hasn't been done in a long time and is tough, then it may be best to
rent a regular one for the first time. But given that it changes from
an edger to a trimmer in a minute and stores easily, it's an excellent
choice for the right application.

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#7: Re: Edging revisited... true edger vs. attachment edger

Posted on 2006-06-14 01:58:39 by Timothy

On Tue, 13 Jun 2006 02:34:01 +0000, I Love Lucy wrote:

> That is a good link. Thank you for that.
>
> What is a stick edger? I bought something you step on with a huge sharp
> blade underneath. It works, but not as well as I thought it would. Is
> that what you mean?
>
> Years ago I bought a regular edger and never got the hang of it, was
> always hitting the concrete and gouging. Maybe I will try that again as I
> have a corner lot, too, and just quit bothering with edging, but it sure
> would look better. The comments on this thread have been helpful.


Good day I Love Lucy,
Thanks for the comment on the link. I never have time to build up the
content on the site. Guess I'll have to go at it in the winter again.

A stick edger is an edger that looks very much like a string trimmer (aka
"weed-eater"), but instead of having string head on it it has an edger
blade.

The edger that you describe would be called a foot edger. They can give a
high quality edge but are time consuming. To get better performance from
your foot edger, sharpen the blade with a file. Just sharpen one side of
the blade. While you have the file in your hand, run it over your shovels
and weeding tools also. You'll be shocked how much nice it is to dig with
a sharp shovel.

Have a nice day........... 80)

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#8: Re: Edging revisited... true edger vs. attachment edger

Posted on 2006-06-14 02:14:48 by Timothy

On Tue, 13 Jun 2006 12:12:01 -0700, trader4 wrote:

> You can't beat a true edger for ability to quickly get the job done and to
> cut through areas that haven't been done in a long time. The tradeoff is
> they cost more and are one more thing to store.
>
> I have a Troy Bilt combo string trimmer and edger. I'm very happy with
> it. I have about 150 ft of edging to do and it works fine as long as you
> do it about every month or so. If there is a lot to do and it hasn't been
> done in a long time and is tough, then it may be best to rent a regular
> one for the first time. But given that it changes from an edger to a
> trimmer in a minute and stores easily, it's an excellent choice for the
> right application.

I tend to agree for the most part when it comes to the average home
-owner. I can't say that I like the Troy Bilt brand very much though. They
just don't hold up over time and they look funny. I know what are looks
about, but still... just funny. Ryobi makes rock solid engines, don't know
about the rest of the machine tho....

Btw, what newsreader do you use? I've read many of your post and you never
quote. This makes it very hard to follow the thread.

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#9: Re: Edging revisited... true edger vs. attachment edger

Posted on 2006-06-14 02:38:02 by trader4

Timothy wrote:
> On Tue, 13 Jun 2006 12:12:01 -0700, trader4 wrote:
>
> > You can't beat a true edger for ability to quickly get the job done and to
> > cut through areas that haven't been done in a long time. The tradeoff is
> > they cost more and are one more thing to store.
> >
> > I have a Troy Bilt combo string trimmer and edger. I'm very happy with
> > it. I have about 150 ft of edging to do and it works fine as long as you
> > do it about every month or so. If there is a lot to do and it hasn't been
> > done in a long time and is tough, then it may be best to rent a regular
> > one for the first time. But given that it changes from an edger to a
> > trimmer in a minute and stores easily, it's an excellent choice for the
> > right application.
>
> I tend to agree for the most part when it comes to the average home
> -owner. I can't say that I like the Troy Bilt brand very much though. They
> just don't hold up over time and they look funny. I know what are looks
> about, but still... just funny. Ryobi makes rock solid engines, don't know
> about the rest of the machine tho....
>
> Btw, what newsreader do you use? I've read many of your post and you never
> quote. This makes it very hard to follow the thread.
>
> --

I use google groups. I do quote when it makes sense to do so, like
now. I didn't quote in the prior post, because it was pretty clear
the OP was just asking for opinions on the two types of edgers and I
wasn't responding to any other specific reply.





> http://resources.ywgc.com/info/
>
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#10: Re: Edging revisited... true edger vs. attachment edger

Posted on 2006-06-17 05:34:44 by I Love Lucy

"Timothy" <yardworks@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:pan.2006.06.13.23.58.38.621015@gmail.com...
> On Tue, 13 Jun 2006 02:34:01 +0000, I Love Lucy wrote:
>
> Good day I Love Lucy,
> Thanks for the comment on the link. I never have time to build up the
> content on the site. Guess I'll have to go at it in the winter again.
>
> A stick edger is an edger that looks very much like a string trimmer
> (aka
> "weed-eater"), but instead of having string head on it it has an edger
> blade.
>
> The edger that you describe would be called a foot edger. They can
> give a
> high quality edge but are time consuming. To get better performance
> from
> your foot edger, sharpen the blade with a file. Just sharpen one side
> of
> the blade. While you have the file in your hand, run it over your
> shovels
> and weeding tools also. You'll be shocked how much nice it is to dig
> with
> a sharp shovel.

So that's what it is called. It's a wicked thing, couldn't believe how
sharp it was when it came. I don't happen to have a file, maybe I do
somewhere, usually take everything to the hardware store for that sort
of thing.

Yes, everything needs sharpening around here, especially my photos, and
I'm slowly gaining on it. If I could learn to sharpen things, it would
be a great help as I noticed my tin snips are loose and dull and my bulb
planters I can't get in the ground and my one shovel which is flat that
I like, also my tile spades, all could use a sharpening. I can't life
heavy dirt like I used to be able to. Used a kid's shovel to prepare my
flower beds this year. Got the job done, and the plants don't seem any
the worse for it. With some it's touch and go, but it goes with the
territory no matter how well you dig. But this isn't the garden forum
so I'd better shut up about that.

When I pick up my door at the hardware store, I'll ask them how to do
it. In the meantime, will look for the one file I had at one time and
put that on my list if I can't find it. I swear I bought a big roll of
heavy plastic for all sorts of things and can't find it anywhere. Makes
me mad. As soon as I buy a new roll, it will turn up.

>
> Have a nice day........... 80)

You have a nice day, too. It was hot but bearable today. Will no doubt
get worse as the summer progresses.
>

>
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#11: Re: Edging revisited... true edger vs. attachment edger

Posted on 2006-06-17 07:06:17 by Dave Balderstone

In article <oLKkg.13923$921.3611@newsread4.news.pas.earthlink.net>, I
Love Lucy <nomore@monkey.biz> wrote:

> If I could learn to sharpen things, it would
> be a great help as I noticed my tin snips are loose and dull and my bulb
> planters I can't get in the ground and my one shovel which is flat that
> I like, also my tile spades, all could use a sharpening.

Start here:

< http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&p=32991& cat=1,43072,43091>

A dull tool is a lot more dangerous than a sharp tool.

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#12: Re: Edging revisited... true edger vs. attachment edger

Posted on 2006-06-18 14:40:47 by I Love Lucy

"Dave Balderstone" <dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_Sbalderstone.ca> wrote in message
news:160620062306177836%dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_Sbalderstone.ca...
> In article <oLKkg.13923$921.3611@newsread4.news.pas.earthlink.net>, I
> Love Lucy <nomore@monkey.biz> wrote:
>
>> If I could learn to sharpen things, it would
>> be a great help as I noticed my tin snips are loose and dull and my
>> bulb
>> planters I can't get in the ground and my one shovel which is flat
>> that
>> I like, also my tile spades, all could use a sharpening.
>
> Start here:
>
> < http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&p=32991& cat=1,43072,43091>
>
> A dull tool is a lot more dangerous than a sharp tool.

Yes, I'm sure you're right about that. Thanks for the link. That looks
like a great book. $22.95 on top of everything else, but I'm going to
give it some consideration. Just about all my knives are dull now. I
used to watch my father's method of sharpening them. I will have to
learn that, too. I have a knife sharpener on a can opener and just the
sound of it like it's grinding the knife up. Intuitively, I think that
is not the way to go.

Well, I found it at amazon.com for $10 and ordered it. By the time they
added some unspecified charges plus about $4 for shipping, it was
$18.91, so I cancelled it. I will call the library. Hope my
cancellation takes.

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