Shopping for a new edger

[Pat'sPerfectLawnService]

I am in need of a new edger, the john deere POS is not running the best so i started to look into a new edger. I have used other echo equipment and i have many tanks of echo oil mixed so i didnt really want to buy stihl or anything else. I saw the PE-230 and it looks like a decent edger. I was just wanting to get any imput about it being very good or not. I also saw the pe-265 which is a little more but may be worth spending it, just want to get some imput on that to. If there are any well known problems with them hat would be nice to know aswell. I dont mow all day everyweek so i dont need to get the most expensive edger.
Thanks yall,
Pat

[Lagniappe]

I have a PE-230, and no complaints. We edge every property, every time, six days a week. Mine is 3 years old, with no problems.

[lawns4life]

i've had a pe230 since the beginning of the year and its been great for me. I edge all of my houses weekly, but on new accounts where it hasn't been edged in years it'll still get through it, its just takes some work

[elitelawnteam1]

Originally Posted by Pat'sPerfectLawnService

I I have used other echo equipment and i have many tanks of echo oil mixed so i didnt really want to buy stihl or anything else.

2 cycle oil mix is gonna be pretty much the same, just cuz it came in an echo label doesn't mean you can't use the fuel with other 2 cycle brands.

While some guys like to bash walkbehind edgers, but i've got one, and it works great, especially when cutting down overgrown areas. I get it cut in ONE pass! They are almost as much as a handheld too, you can probably check craigslist for a decent used one. Little Wonder and McLane have edgers.

[johnny_boy02]

Ahhh I know some people are overly anal. But name brand 2 stroke oil is 2 stroke oil.

I have a stihl FC 90. It works great and I got it on sale.

[Keith]

Originally Posted by elitelawnteam1

2 cycle oil mix is gonna be pretty much the same, just cuz it came in an echo label doesn't mean you can't use the fuel with other 2 cycle brands.

While some guys like to bash walkbehind edgers, but i've got one, and it works great, especially when cutting down overgrown areas. I get it cut in ONE pass! They are almost as much as a handheld too, you can probably check craigslist for a decent used one. Little Wonder and McLane have edgers.

For overgrown stuff, you are right. But he's in Florida. Edging is routine maintenance. It needs to be done every week, or at least every other week. It's much easier to grab a stick edger for this kind of work. Plus, pushing an edger through St. Augustine to get to those remote beds sucks.

[whosedog]

I had a little Wonder belt drive that lasted over 10 years till I wore it out.Got a Power trim,belt drive ;it was good for 3 years then it started eating up the belts.I got new pulleys but it still eats them.I wouldn't get another power trim but that's all the dealer has;maybe i should try the stick edger attachment for my red max pole saw/hedge trimmer?It wouldn't have the same power as the belt drive though.

[Pat'sPerfectLawnService]

thanks for the imput guys! i ended up getting the pe230 edger on sale today at my local lawnmower shop. Ill let yall know how it holds up and works!

[PlantscapeSolutions]

I just don't understand why in FL everyone uses dedicated edgers. I know it's very popular there. Running around with two pieces of equipment when one will do the job doesn't make sense to me. Is it that hard to find guys in FL who can kick azz with a string trimmer?

I realize your average Joe (Jose en Espanol) sometimes has trouble keeping the trimmer line perpendicular to the ground so you get a super clean edge. But well trained guys should not have trouble edging neat, clean and straight as an arrow.

Edgers tend to displace more soil and can damage sprinkler heads that are along walks and drives. In flower beds cutting landscape lighting cables can be a problem. Here in Austin cable TV wires are buried about 1" deep and can be easily cut as well. If anyone in the Austin area wants some heavy duty edger blades I have about $100 worth I'll give you. The blades are left over from a FL worker I had for a while.

[yardguy28]

Originally Posted by PlantscapeSolutions

I just don't understand why in FL everyone uses dedicated edgers. I know it's very popular there. Running around with two pieces of equipment when one will do the job doesn't make sense to me. Is it that hard to find guys in FL who can kick azz with a string trimmer?

I realize your average Joe (Jose en Espanol) sometimes has trouble keeping the trimmer line perpendicular to the ground so you get a super clean edge. But well trained guys should not have trouble edging neat, clean and straight as an arrow.

Edgers tend to displace more soil and can damage sprinkler heads that are along walks and drives. In flower beds cutting landscape lighting cables can be a problem. Here in Austin cable TV wires are buried about 1" deep and can be easily cut as well. If anyone in the Austin area wants some heavy duty edger blades I have about $100 worth I'll give you. The blades are left over from a FL worker I had for a while.

while i don't know EVERY single market, you will find it's this way in a lot of them. i live in IN and most professional lco's have a dedicated edger.

it has nothing to do with carrying around more equipment. using a stick edger or walkbehind edger is easier and nicer looking (no matter how good you are with a trimmer) than using a string trimmer.

it also saves a lot of trimmer line.

i disagree that a trimmer can do the job of an edger. no matter how good you are with a trimmer. but purhaps thats based off of my market and the type of grass i'm dealing with. but i personally have yet to see a picture of any property where the edging looks as good done with a trimmer as it does with an edger.

all that said to the OP i would recommend for weekly maintenance of edges a stihl. i personally use my kombi motor with the straight shaft attachment. but if i didn't already have the kombi with i would have purchased a stick edger i would have purchased a stihl stick edger.

as for starting up edges from excessive overgrowth i would recommend the brown sidewalk edger. i don't own one but would love to. i rent this machine every time i need to do a new edge and the stick edger won't cut it.