The different types of lawn edgers available today are more than a match for the old-fashioned garden tools that once ruled the lawn-edge cutting industry. Today’s lawn edgers come with numerous features that make them more convenient to use even for the beginning gardener. Edgers can be used to groom a large lawn, trim hedges, or beautify your flowerbeds. The edgers available today also come in a variety of sizes and styles to meet any budget or landscaping needs.
Lawn edging knives, or lawn edge cutters, can be purchased as a single unit or purchased with multiple blades. Some models will allow the user to switch which blade is used for specific tasks. Two-stone and pocket knives are two popular kinds that come with blades. The blades can be either blunt or sharp, allowing you to get closer to the tall grass that often goes unnoticed when using traditional garden tools.
Lawn edging knife blades come in both straight and curved blades. Blades that are curved to allow for more precise cutting. Curved blades can also curve inside the handle for more ergonomic comfort and safety. A two-stone style can be purchased as a single unit that allows you to conveniently do some grass cutting tasks without having to bring out the lawn edge cutter all together. If you have a larger lawn to edging tasks, consider purchasing the three-stone option, which is made up of three separate blade styles.
When purchasing a lawn cutting tool, one of the main considerations is whether to go with a plastic blade or a carbon steel blade. Each of these options has its pros and cons. For example, plastic grass edgers are lightweight and affordable. However, plastic blades will not hold up to the toughness of a heavier carbon steel edge blade.
The other primary consideration is the ease of which you can sharpen the blade. Edging shears can be either manual or automatic. Automatic tools sharpen, while a little bit more time consuming, allow you to get rid of the clumps and small blades that may get caught in between your fingers when using other garden tools. Manual sharpeners require that you put pressure on the blade to move it up and down. In addition to having a greater initial effort to use the tool, you may find yourself putting too much force on the blade, causing the blade to break when it gets stuck between your fingers.
A final consideration to keep in mind is the power of the trimmer. Edging shears come in many different sizes. Some are powered by batteries while others are powered by gasoline or electricity. Gasoline and electricity powered tools are ideal for those who need to trim lawns frequently but may not want to use other power tools for gardening. Gas powered tools also make a great choice if you are working in an area where gas is easily accessible, such as in a camping setting. You may also want to consider the electric powered trimmers for those who like the idea of trimming lawns but may not want to deal with the hassle of lugging heavy electrical tools around.
Another factor to consider is how easy it is to control the trimmer while in use. Edging tools should be able to be manually moved without any effort on your part. This means that the edge of the edger should be able to be moved without exerting too much effort. The best edgers allow for simple blade changes. Some tools feature a change blade system that allows you to simply flip the blade over and change the edge direction.
There are a number of lawn edging tools available on the market. Your selection will depend on your specific needs and your budget. Once you have made your selection you will have the lawn edge you always dreamed of having. Before you order your lawn edger tools, it is important that you test the blade to ensure that it is sharp.