To edge or not to edge

[Scag48]

Well, as many of you know, I am in a squeeze for cash and am trying to decide which is a better investment-edging or blowing. I want to get a blower for cleanup after I'm all done mowing and maybe for fall leaf cleanup. I also would like a stick edger for those people with loads of cash that would like the lawn looking perfect (mowing, edging, trimming every week). Most of my customers only want me to trim every 2 weeks (don't ask me why, they just do). I tried cutting through sod with my trimmer but that didn't really work, so I guess you have to cut the sod with an edger, than cut whatever blades of grass that grows over that edge with a trimmer every week (vertical edging). The only thing that is holding me back from an edger is price and safety. I guess I'm kind of a wimp but a sharp blade whirling around pretty fast kinda scares me. Some friends of mine that live down the street from one account I have chucked a couple of rocks at me last night so I wouldn't want to be distracted with an edger. Anyway, what would you recommend for my situation, blow or edge?

[yardsmith]

You will usually use a blower every time you cut a lawn; an edger gets used on a portion of your lawns, only once (2x max) a season, when the grass starts growing back over the walks.<br>Get all your customers lined up ahead of time & edge them all in the same day. That way they each pay for the rental (or a good % of it) while you crank them all out in one day.<p>----------<br>Smitty ô¿ô<br>

[Scag48]

Thanx Smitty, I thought you would edge more than 2 times a year. That really helps me, would have made a bad purchase without the help. Thanx again. 80)

[MOW ED]

I have an edger and I use it on select customers as an included service 2 or 3x per season.<br>All other edging is done as an additional service. This helped pay for the edger and now every time I edge its profit.<br>The only time its bad is new jobs that are growing over the concrete by a foot so make sure you look at all jobs and charge accordingly. Good Luck.

[Scraper]

Edge 2-3x per season? Around here we do it biweekly. After more than a 3 weeks it's leaning over the walk. A nice crisp edge looks awesome. No more extra time to do then to use a string trimmer to do it, but much more perfect! All edging is provided for as standard service. Sometimes during real dry weather it can go longer without needing it, but never longer than 4 weeks.<br><p><font size="1">Edited by: Scraper

[Evan528]

Around here every house has sidewalks along the entire lenght of the property. Edging once a week is a must to keep the edges crisp and manicured looking at all times. Some people hear edge every two weeks but to me the edge just looks very shaggy after a week and makes the service cutting the grass look unprofessional. people above are right... rent an edger for a day and edge all your costomers edges to get the grove going and to straighten them all out. After the edge is made nice by the edger you can use the string trimmer from then on and make it look just as nice if you no what your doing. I paid about 400 bucks for a new little wander last spring... i have used it at all my houses twice in 2 years. They get edged the first mowing with the edger than the rest of the year with the trimmer. Dont waste your money on a edger... rent one for 20 bucks.

[Scraper]

Evan...I wouldn't say buying one is a waste of money as my MTD cheapie is still going after 5 years. The quality by far is more superior using an edger as a regular tool as opposed to a string trimmer. Yes...it can be done with a string trimmer, but it can't really be as perfect as a steel blade as the string gives as well as &quot;frays&quot; the grass causing yellowing. The edger is used for walks and drives. For tree rings and beds we use the string trimmer to create the &quot;half-moon&quot; effect. Tree rings and beds are done at least once a month. Makes reedging in the spring all that much easier.<p>Just my opinion. <p>Actually most of the other LCO's around here don't even use edgers and when they use their string trimmers it's like in another post that they are on 45 degree angles and cause die back. Best is when one of my sidewalks runs into the competitions. Mine is &quot;perfectly perpendicular&quot; and theirs is all over the place. :)<br><p><font size="1">Edited by: Scraper

[Evan528]

i love that! I have one yard that makes me look like a godess! the two yards on either side of it are done by the homeowner... the edges on either side aRE out about 7 inches over the walk and they meet my perfectly straight crisp edge. Also my lawn is dark green with srtipes and not a weed on it while the ones next to it are cut in ciircles with push mowers and are full of dandilions, oxalis and plantain like crazy. Makes my lawn look like a masterpeice between two weed infested unmanicured lawns.

[Youngster]

I edge every yard i cut every time i cut it! I dont know how ya'll can get by with one or two times a season, but if you can thats good. Scag, I was (still am) in your situation. I'm only 17 and dont have a whole lot of money to spend on good equipment. I'd definitely get a blower if you had to just choose one. But check around and maybe you can find a good used edger or something. I have bought a couple used items and so far have had great luck with them. Or (i'm sure i'll get some responses to this) if you cant afford some really good stuff right now buy a cheap one! I still use a $69.99 homelite handheld blower on my yards. It gets the job done, may not be as good as one of the nice backpack blowers or something, but it'll work for me until i get the $$$$ to buy a better one. Hope this helps a little!<p>Youngster<p>----------<br>Cashin' in on Others Laziness!!!!<br>

[AGG Lawn Maintenance]

Get a blower for now. Down the road check into an Echo pro series weed wacker, you can put an edger or hedge trimmer on it oh and the weed wacker. With one simply click of a button.

[richard2]

get both...you'll use 'em..also i'll throw rocks at you next time i see you!

[Dennis]

48<br>If you can find a way to pick it up I have a walk behind you can have.<br>

[Acute Cut]

I would have to agree with most of the posts above. I would get the blower. The edger can be rented cheaply. Just plan on buying one next spring. When you do get an edger you will definatly want a blower. As for buying the home depot special, i would have to disagree. Do you want to constantly fight to get power and functional operation out of your equipment? Like my dad used to say &quot;Do it right the first time.&quot; Get one of them hand held echo or tanaka blowers. I had a depot special once. Check what the expected life is of them things. Like 50 hours i think. That would work fine for a week. Then what? Good luck with your purchase.

[MOW ED]

If you are having trouble figuring on 2 or 3 times a season let me explain. <br>My agreement with most of my customers is to mow, trim and blow for which I have quoted them a price. A couple of customers had asked for edging to be included 2 or 3x a season and I include this in my initial price.<br>Other customers know I offer edging as an add-on service that I make a PROFIT on by not doing it for free. <br>You know what - they call me to edge and I get paid for it. Now my edger is paid for and every time I turn it on 95% of the money I make goes in my pocket.<br>Sorry to sound like a smart ass but people will take advantage of you sometimes by trying to get your add-on services included for free. I have been in this long enough to know that if it isn't a standard service offered in the market, it gets billed as an add-on. Every time you turn the edger on it is getting one step closer to replacement time. If you don't factor this in to your cost of business in some way you have lost money.<br>Yes you have to make the property look good but you have to learn to sell your services also and cover your costs. Good Luck.

[AGG Lawn Maintenance]

MowEd,<br>Where do you live? Here in New Jersey its part of you maintenance fee. Complete Lawn Maintenance(edging,triming,mowing,blowing)<br>I can't see it any other way!!! We as landscapers in my area would get fired real fast it we didn't edge. Its done weekly hear as is mowing. Its alot less ware and tear on you machines and you body. Don't mean to pick on you!!! Travis AG&G Lawn Maintenance :)

[Scraper]

Same here in PA. Included in cost of service.

[thelawnguy]

In my area, twice a year with a dedicated power edger, and weekly or every other week with your string trimmer will keep the walks nicely edged (and is expected).<p>Bill

[MOW ED]

Green Bay, WI. <br>I will include it as I stated but they pay more. <br>No complaints from anyone yet. I guess its a location thing. I do the edges with a string trimmer but if they want the power edge it costs extra.

[Runner]

We edge once every four cuts and keepthe grass tapered back (without burning) every cut. For those of you who run your trimmers straight vertically, wouldn't it be much more worth it to just drop your edger and move at a brisk walking pace? Especially for the cleanliness of the job.

[jeffyr]

I do trim at a brisk walking pace with my trimmer turned vertical. And it is very clean. In fact, I think I can get a cleaner cut faster with the trimmer, assuming the walk was edged in the spring with an edger.<br>Anybody Else agree ?<br>

[Bubba5]

well, as much as i know i'll be laughed at here, when i started i bought a ryobi trimmer with an edger attachment and a blower attachment, it cost just under 200 for the whole setup, used them all for the first year, and it aint no horrible idea for someone with 8 lawns. since then i have gone on to buy better trimmers and edgers and such(mostly stihl equip.) but, after 3 years, i still have that old stuff and still runs fine, i just use it around the house now for my own lawn. if i had to decide between the two, it would be the blower, you can make an edge with a trimmer(maybe not the best) but you cant blow the driveway and walks with an edger. good day all!