Straight shaft edgers [Archive] - LawnSite.com™ - Lawn Care & Landscaping Business Forum

unkownfl

07-07-2011, 05:34 PM

Any guys running straight shaft edgers? I find myself in a very small group that prefers them over the curved shaft. I bought a curved shaft to please my helper now my straight doesn't even make it to the rack anymore.

Landscape Poet

07-07-2011, 05:51 PM

Any guys running straight shaft edgers? I find myself in a very small group that prefers them over the curved shaft. I bought a curved shaft to please my helper now my straight doesn't even make it to the rack anymore.

Nope, curved is what I use. I just like the feel better.

cheapcuts1

07-07-2011, 06:29 PM

Tanaka = straight shaft. = bad ass

South Florida Lawns

07-10-2011, 01:20 AM

we have both, curved shafts and straight.

RAlmaroad

07-10-2011, 08:27 AM

I've never owned an edger but now I'm trying to decide which one to get. I've seen those weed eater types from Stihl and then the wheeled gas models with a gas engine. MTD has a nice Yard Machine with a 3HP engine which I like. What is the pro and cons of each? The grass will be mostly St. Augustine (A tough stolon producing grass) and will have to have a deep cut. I was so inspired by the looks of the "Historic District of Georgetown, SC" Any thoughts or suggestions?

Landscape Poet

07-10-2011, 09:04 AM

I've never owned an edger but now I'm trying to decide which one to get. I've seen those weed eater types from Stihl and then the wheeled gas models with a gas engine. MTD has a nice Yard Machine with a 3HP engine which I like. What is the pro and cons of each? The grass will be mostly St. Augustine (A tough stolon producing grass) and will have to have a deep cut. I was so inspired by the looks of the "Historic District of Georgetown, SC" Any thoughts or suggestions?

Get a stick edger...they are easier to transport job to job on the trailer, are more time effecient. If you are cutting SA you will enjoy having a edger as it is a must down here to give the clean finished look that is acceptable on most SA lawns.

Ric

07-10-2011, 12:44 PM

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I have a 32CC Echo Stick Edger left over from mowing days. I believe the reason is, it is Heavy as heck and wasn't used except on very heavy new accounts where the extra power was needed. It actually takes a thicker blade and has almost as much power as the walk behind units.

Like all equipment, everyone has their favorite and it is neither Right or wrong as long as it works for you.

Keith

07-10-2011, 01:29 PM

Get a stick edger...they are easier to transport job to job on the trailer, are more time effecient. If you are cutting SA you will enjoy having a edger as it is a must down here to give the clean finished look that is acceptable on most SA lawns.

In 1992 I was in the market for several pieces of new equipment. I had owned several "wheeled" edgers and that was what I was shopping for. I was going to buy a $600 Tanaka. The salesman at the mower shop pulled down an Echo PE-2400 and asked if I had ever used one. I said "no. Who would use something like that. I need an edger. Not a trimmer with an edger blade on it." He told me that I would never know what I was missing and that he was selling them left and right. Reluctantly I purchased it. $270 was a lot of money, but it would not be the end of the world if I hated it. I have not owned a "wheeled" edger since.

As Michael mentioned. Rolling an edger on and off the trailer, strapping and unstrapping takes time and takes space. But the main thing is that if you have beds all over the lawn, rolling a wheeled edger through thick grass sucks. The only benefit to a conventional edger is if you are constantly having to clean up edges that have not been maintained. Even then, I would have a tough time not picking one of the heavier stick edgers instead.

RAlmaroad

07-10-2011, 05:05 PM

Keith: I was in a box store looking at the stick edgers today. The problem that I saw was that almost all of them had a wimpy 8-9" blade. I need one that will cut down through about 3" of sod. Any suggestions as to a good heavy duty one? I hope to get by the Stihl shop tomorrow.

Keith

07-10-2011, 05:11 PM

All stick edgers are going to have an 8" blade. I do St. Augustine lawns almost exclusively. The only place where I can think it would be a problem is on lawns that had the soil all the way up to the drive or sidewalk before the sod was installed. In that case, the grass forms a natural curb that is very difficult to edge.

A Leaf Above

07-10-2011, 07:33 PM

I use stihl 110s with straight shaft and i love them ...The dealer i use here also has different blades that are actually used for different applications ....Straight shaft has a steel shaft were as the curved edger uses a cable to drive the head .....Personally i like the straight shaft ..

GreenT

07-10-2011, 09:24 PM

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This is how we roll.... :)

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQNdU5KWW5fD1DkJTD_7yrIm71hPkQeFuuaO3k-4TCqAWvZqi64Bw

And for big jobs, we pull out the big guns....

http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/rd/lawn-edging-tool-basics0.jpg

:weightlifter::weightlifter::weightlifter:

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Exact Rototilling

07-10-2011, 09:36 PM

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This is how we roll.... :)

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQNdU5KWW5fD1DkJTD_7yrIm71hPkQeFuuaO3k-4TCqAWvZqi64Bw

And for big jobs, we pull out the big guns....

http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/rd/lawn-edging-tool-basics0.jpg

:weightlifter::weightlifter::weightlifter:

.

Humm....:confused:

Tell me more....is that faster than the gas powered models. :rolleyes:

Landscape Poet

07-10-2011, 09:39 PM

Humm....:confused:

Tell me more....is that faster than the gas powered models. :rolleyes:

No but he makes up for the time with the savings in oil and gas and blades:rolleyes: