Choosing Lawn Edging Tools
A lawn edger is a metal device for cutting a sharp edge on turfgrass that lines sidewalks, driveways, buildings and borders of planted beds. Both manual and powered edgers are available for manicuring residential landscapes after mowing the lawn. See the file in Yardener’s Helper Mowing The Lawn; at the end is a discussion of edging the lawn.

Design of Edging Tools
The fixed blade type features a half moon shaped blade attached to a long wooden handle. The top of the half moon is usually rolled or flattened somewhat to serve as a step edge for the user’s foot. An adult’s weight on the blade, drives the sharp edge through the thick turf at the edge of a paved area, cutting it off cleanly.

The rolling model usually has a circular blade mounted on the side of a rotating wheel at the end of a wooden handle. The operator aligns the wheel so that it rolls on the hard paved surface while the blade cuts any turf that overhangs onto it.

The gasoline or electric powered edger typically has a sharp circular blade mounted on a wheel that is, in turn, mounted on a gas or electric motor. Controls affixed to the end of the long handle permit adjustment of the depth and angle of the blade when it is run along the edge of a paved area so that it cuts the edge of the turf where it meets the paved area.

Using a Lawn Edger
Check the area you plan to edge for stones or other debris which may obstruct the edger blade. Do this manicure job when the soil is moist. Even the best blades, those made from polished stainless steel with solid socket construction can be gouged or bent if the soil is too hard and compacted.

Do not use edgers on graveled surfaces. Keep other people and pets at a distance in case debris is dislodged and projected. Wear long pants and eye protection when edging.

Use a manual edger to establish the edging line or pattern near curved walks or round beds. For best results on lawns that have never been edged, use a manual edger to establish the edge and use the powered model to subsequently maintain the manicured edge over the season.