String trimmer vs. Edger

[Valk]

I'd like to try a stick edger, but I feel I should be prepared to repair any possible damages as a result.

Curious...when one does encounter/mangle a plastic sprinkler head with an edger blade, how much is the repair? Do you all perform these repairs yourself? Do you consult with your customer first? How many kinds of sprinkler head parts should I have on hand to make these repairs?

Seriously, do you all know (as well as your employees) where all these sprinkler heads are...or are they marked with a flag ALL year? I guess I just don't see the value in taking this risk cuz I see (or mostly know of) a LOT of pretty dang small sprinkler heads immediately adjacent to concrete edges that I SAFELY maintain with my string trimmer.

Would these edges possibly look sharper if edged with a stick edger? Yeah, maybe, but at what risk/expense?


PS - HAPPY MARDI GRAS!!!

[lawncuttinfoo]

Originally Posted by Valk

I'd like to try a stick edger, but I feel I should be prepared to repair any possible damages as a result.

Curious...when one does encounter/mangle a plastic sprinkler head with an edger blade, how much is the repair? Do you all perform these repairs yourself? Do you consult with your customer first? How many kinds of sprinkler head parts should I have on hand to make these repairs?

Seriously, do you all know (as well as your employees) where all these sprinkler heads are...or are they marked with a flag ALL year? I guess I just don't see the value in taking this risk cuz I see (or mostly know of) a LOT of pretty dang small sprinkler heads immediately adjacent to concrete edges that I SAFELY maintain with my string trimmer.

Would these edges possibly look sharper if edged with a stick edger? Yeah, maybe, but at what risk/expense?


PS - HAPPY MARDI GRAS!!!

Sprinkler heads that touch the sidewalk are installed INCORRECTLY by lazy installers. Inform your customers as such. Most will research it and agree.
If they want you fix it always repair these youself, its a $5-10 part and 5 min labor and the irr. guys will charge $70-100 for the "service call"

[yardguy28]

personally i've never hit a sprinkler head in the first place.

most of my clients don't have sprinklers to begin with but the ones that do aren't close enough to the sidewalk or driveway for me to do any damage with an edger. as said above, if they are that close, they are installed incorrectly.

[Mikegyver]

Originally Posted by lawncuttinfoo

Sprinkler heads that touch the sidewalk are installed INCORRECTLY by lazy installers. Inform your customers as such. Most will research it and agree.
If they want you fix it always repair these youself, its a $5-10 part and 5 min labor and the irr. guys will charge $70-100 for the "service call"

Yup. Why I love being an irrigator. I don't charge quite that much but it's still lucrative.

[nozzy]

I think it looks best to use a stick edger along concrete and a string trimmer along beds. From my experience a string trimmer will cause you to start pulling the grass back from the concrete, eventually resulting in a wider gap. I've added accounts where the previous lawn guy had been edging with a trimmer and there are a couple inches of dirt between the lawn and the concrete. To me, this looks terrible. You can never keep the grass edge as perfect along concrete using a string trimmer. If you can, you are spending more time than you should be. And, if you are teaching a new guy it is WAY easier to have him use a stick edger. Lastly, I really like to use the stick edger after mowing. This gets rid of mower tracks where the mower left the lawn and pushes the grass down onto the concrete. A much neater look when the homeowner first sees your work. The only disadvantage to the stick edger is when sprinkler heads are right next to the concrete. I try to push them over a 1/4" so the edger blade goes right between the concrete and the sprinkler. I've seen a ton of heads that have been flattened by the edger along one side. They often leak.