need help in buying a gas edger

[brianslawncare]

im looking to buy a gas edger,and i dont know if a hand held or walkbehind is better. i would like to use it on both beds and sidewalks. i never used one before. if a walkbehind is better can anyone tell me some good commercial makes? i was thinking if a hand held is better i was going to look at a echo or stihl.thanks for the help.

[MikeRi24]

Pretty much a walk behind one is good to cut in new edges which have no been maintained previously. McLane makes the best Walk Behind edger IMO. After that initial growth is cut back, a stick edger is the way to go. Although I currently run Echo, I'm going to be switching to Stihl so I would recommend them. Power is something that you DO NOT want to skimp on with an edger. Unlike a trimmer, you really WILL notice it (or lack there of) in an edger. Also don't skimp on a straight shaft one, they have a solid driveshaft in them which transfers torque a LOT better. Not sure if that answers your question, but in a perfect world its good to have both, but if you can only afford one right now go with a stick edger just make sure that its very powerful and be aware that on unmaintained edges its going to take a little longer.

[mdlwn1]

Tanaka......Only someone who hasnt used one would recomend something else.

[hoylebros]

we have a stihl fc-75 and pretty much hate it...wish we would have gotten an echo...the stihl runs good, but just feels kinda cheap

[Groomer]

I've been using Tanaka walkbehind edgers on walks and beds for over 15 years, good stuff.

[1993lx172]

Walk behinds are great for cutting new edges, if you have a lot of edging to do (like side-walks or long driveways), with some units you are able to adjust one wheel so that you can do curbs. You will have no problem using one for routine edging but it may take an extra pass or two but does just as good of a job as a hand held.

Hand-helds are better for weekly edging, they are more maneuverable, and are better for shorter runs than a walk-behind.

What I do is cut the edge with the walk behind and after that just use my 2 cycle one (curbs are done with the walk-behind) and then every two weeks or so I will run the walk-behind over everything to keep the edge where I want it. For really fast growing yards all I use is the walk behind so that I can keep up with the growth rate.

Also before edging for the first time remember to ask about phone lines, cable lines, power lines, water lines, gas lines, and invisible fence cables. Trust me.

[fritowrdo]

Originally Posted by Groomer

I've been using Tanaka walkbehind edgers on walks and beds for over 15 years, good stuff.

Agreed.

Bought a Tanaka TLE600 last year.

Great purchase!

[brianslawncare]

can anyone tell me about the walkbehind edger by havener its a 4hp brand new for 249.00 will this be abel to do everything like walks and beds? i know you guys told me to use a stick edger if it has been edged before, but i know some will be and some wont. i just didnt want to buy two edgers( walkbehind and stick) will the walkbehind take care of the beds with out any trouble if they were previously done? will it be a pain to do a walk that was never done with a stick? thanks for the help

[Merkava_4]

I like my little McLane edger. Mine has four 8" wheels and
the light weight Briggs & Stratton engine. I mainly use it
for edging along concrete sidewalks and driveways.

I've never used a stick edger, but just looking at them, they look
like they'd be cumbersome for long sections of sidewalks.
I wouldn't want to edge a shopping center with one of those.

[arlawncarellc]

I have a Stihl curved shaft edger with KM135 powerhead. It tears up anything, whether it is maintained growth or unmaintained growth. But its personal preference!