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Edger vs Bed-Redefiner

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JonLawn

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
I am beefing up the equipment inventory in the off-season. In preparation for spring clean-ups and mulch jobs I am curious about people's experience with using "Bed-redefiners" on mulch beds vs edgers.

I will be getting a new edger and possibly a bed-redefiner based upon what I hear. Can an edger handle it all?

I have heard that they are good for touch up but not creating new bed perimeters. What about engine size? Probably going with Echo because they are available but am open to Stihl or others if people are convinced they are better.
 
#2 ·
I have both

. A brown bed edger. Only really good for making new beds or edges that have NO edge at all.

Echo bed redefiner. Good on existing edges for a touch up. It doesn't go very deep though barely a few inches. We use this pretty much daily in the spring.

I offer to customers the redefiner included in my mulch pricing but if the edge requires the big one or they want hand edging that is more money. Hand = lots more
 
#3 ·
3 options work for us depending on the situation:
1. ww manufacturing spades for small areas (sharp and really worth cost)
2. Stihl bed redefiner for existing beds (saves loading the brown)
3. Brown bed edger with 8hp Honda for new beds (hard to load, but digs like a champ)

I like CNYscapes live in Syracuse and we have heavy clay and lots of rain in the spring. For us a brown bed edger is the only way to go to open up new beds and not kill your feet/joints. Topsoil is a luxury here unless in some nicer areas so redefiners' are frustrating sometimes.

I do use my brown but it is heavy and hard to maneuver. The stihl edger is nice, but it only does the surface and I think it is really a quality issue. The brown digs a nice deep edge that lasts all season. The Stihl? Not so much. I think having both is a great option and I was able to get my brown bed edger used for 550 dollars cash while new is 2700 plus tax last time I checked.

I also always take a soil sample on the interview/estimate portion! That is the biggest time saver because sometimes you don't need a hernia loading the brown!

SIDE NOTE: I did check out a setup last year from the largest landscape company in the area (proscapes) and they used a smaller reciprocating unit from Turfco. The crew I talked to said they loved that it was lighter and easier to handle than the brown units and they also liked that it did not shred the material but just left a sod strip to pick up with pitch forks. They said it was 50% faster and saved a ton of raking of debris. The disadvantage it that it did not dig as deep. They are quite a bit lighter and also have a much better service record/wear down rate from what they said. (Here we go through rotors pretty fast if your not careful)

-Chris
 
#4 ·
I have a 8hp Brown and it can do a new edge extremely fast, its useless to redefine existing edges because its messy and you cant see what your cutting.

I also have the new sthil kombi redefine, its ok but not all that great.

I also have a couple of "trench blades" a sponser on this site used to sell them, its basically a bent edger blade, wish you could still buy them.
 
#5 ·
JonLawn said:
I am beefing up the equipment inventory in the off-season. In preparation for spring clean-ups and mulch jobs I am curious about people's experience with using "Bed-redefiners" on mulch beds vs edgers.

I will be getting a new edger and possibly a bed-redefiner based upon what I hear. Can an edger handle it all?

I have heard that they are good for touch up but not creating new bed perimeters. What about engine size? Probably going with Echo because they are available but am open to Stihl or others if people are convinced they are better.
Click to expand...
If you're thinking of a stick edge that isn't going to work for beds.

I use a spade
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#8 ·
To the op, good question to ask. Looks like you are wanting to fine tune your edging skills and i commend you on that. I consider myself to be an expert on bed edge installs (grass/dirt). I take allot of pride and spend the proper time needed to make them stand out. IMO proper bed edges set apart the men from the scabs!

I use a Bluebird Bed Bug Bed Edger to install new edges and redefine existing edges. I NEVER, repeat NEVER worry about shaving time off this, it takes what it takes and when they are done they look mint. After they are installed i maintain them with the trimmer turned upside down keeping the line. I'll try to post some pics.

I hand edge all edging at the start and the end of the bed. The one downfall of my edger is that considering the size of the machine its tough to get it from start to finish and maintain the continuity. So i'll just hand edge the 1st and last foot and finish the rest with the Bed Bug. Continuity is the key here, i even go as far as measuring straight aways (should be standard practice). For example if i have a 20' straight away i will make sure i take points to measure off of so i know that 3' feet in is the same distance as 18' in. Now your landscaping has to be manicure too as well but this really attracts people. I've attracted allot of biz from my edging.
 
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Discussion starter · #9 ·
Awesome. Great advice. I will see if I can pick up something like that used. If you have any pics or vids please post. Thanks!
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#10 ·
Great topic.


I was thinking about buying a redefiner my self this coming season, to the people that use and have used them can you use them in the beginning of the season on old beds to bring them back to life instead of using an actual spade ? for a re edge job

They cost quite a bit of money !
 
#11 ·
I also keep looking at a redefiner. We don't do or have many request for edging beds since we don't do a lot of pine straw.

However as leaves finish up we slow down and redefining beds could be a great tool for winter work.

A traditional bed edger is $2k+ or I could get the kombi kit and add a trimmer attachment if needed as a back up. That would cost 1000 maybe?
 
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#12 ·
There is no comparison to a bed edger and redefiner. Try using a redefiner in july when the soil is hard & compacted. Bed edgers will trench and edge through the toughest soil out there. I wouldn't waste my $$$ on redefiners. Bed edger all the way. There a huge difference.
 
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#13 ·
I have one of the turfco walk behind edgers. It's a great tool. They're light, and cheap.(relatively). They don't cut the nicest edge, but a quick pass with a stick edger or string trimmer behind the turfco and it's perfect.

After using the turfco on my properties for the last couple years, Im finding it cuts such a defined, lasting edge that it's almost overkill to continue using it. For that reason I'm looking at buying a redefiner this year, hopefully it does the trick. Worst case scenario maybe ill alternate the turfco one year and the redefiner the following year.

Also, maintaining your edges throughout the season helps incredibly when cutting it for the first time in the spring. I have edges right now (buried under snow) that look almost as good now as they did in the spring. A quick pass with the redefiner and hopefully they'll look good as new.
 
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#14 ·
ashs inc said:
Trench blades. How did they work for you
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Click to expand...
I love those trench blades, I still have a couple as I bough a couple of dozen when the feller here on Lawnsite was selling them. Im thinking of trying to make some when I runout.

The Brown bed edger is great for new bed lines but not practicle for maintaining existing bed lines.

All the homes I do the bed lines are maintained literally weekly, kind of seperates me from the others.
 
Discussion starter · #15 ·
Looked up the Blue Bunny bed cutters and they are $650 used on craigslist. Might not be economical for the number I wil be doing this spring. They certainly look to make a great cut. I agree that the beds must look nice. I plan to make trimming bed edges part of the weekly maintenance as well.

I will look I to the turfco +trimmer option. Are the trenching blades sometging that can be put on a normal stick edger?
Posted via Mobile Device
 
#16 ·
JonLawn said:
Looked up the Blue Bunny bed cutters and they are $650 used on craigslist. Might not be economical for the number I wil be doing this spring. They certainly look to make a great cut. I agree that the beds must look nice. I plan to make trimming bed edges part of the weekly maintenance as well.

I will look I to the turfco +trimmer option. Are the trenching blades sometging that can be put on a normal stick edger?
Posted via Mobile Device
Click to expand...
Id look for a Brown, you can buy different "rotors" or cutters that will do different things. I have a stump grinding rotor that will grind small tree stumps, and a trench rotor that will give you a nice 7" trench for laying sprinkler pipe or wire for lighting.
 
#17 ·
Bed redefiner, for refreshing and new installs. Other than that string trimmers works better. Edger is out for me.
 
#18 ·
i don't have any customers that need the edges done on their beds. they all have some sort of border around them like metal edging or stones or bricks etc. i would try to go that route if you can. do border installs instead.
 
#19 ·
Love the idea of one but my reality is not the same. I constantly find wires and poorly done irrigation lines and invisible fencing when we touch up edges on beds. If I wasn't doing them by hand I would be cutting through a lot wires and lines that you would think shouldn't be there but always seem to be.
 
#20 ·
Kelly's Landscaping said:
Love the idea of one but my reality is not the same. I constantly find wires and poorly done irrigation lines and invisible fencing when we touch up edges on beds. If I wasn't doing them by hand I would be cutting through a lot wires and lines that you would think shouldn't be there but always seem to be.
Click to expand...
^^^^VERY TRUE!!! I cut through my own cable line at my house with the echo bed redefiner.
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