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If you want your yard to have that polished, professional look, you’re going to need some kind of lawn edger. These tools are designed to create a clean, deep notch where the grass meets the curb, sidewalk, driveway, or patio, creating a clear and visually appealing edge. In addition to a string trimmer and a lawnmower, a dedicated lawn edger is an important piece of a well-rounded landscaping tool collection.
The Best Lawn Edgers
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Best Battery-Powered
Greenworks Pro 80V 8-Inch Brushless Lawn Edger
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4
5
Best No-Frills
Earthquake 23275 Walk-Behind Landscaper and Lawn Edger
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What to Consider
Most lawn edgers use a motorized vertical blade to chop through anything in their paths and feature stabilizing wheels to help you stay on track. Stick-type edgers use a long handle, like a weed whacker, with a gas engine or electric motor at the top and the cutter at the bottom.
Stick edgers are lightweight and easy to store, but can take some time to learn how to steer so that you get the desired straight, clean notch. They’re also available as an accessory that you can attach to an existing machine, like our best overall pick. These accessory-style edgers are the least expensive and take up minimal space, but you may experience vibration with these since they’re attached to the driveshaft near the main power head.
Walk-behind edgers are larger, typically gas-powered machines that use three or four wheels for maximum stability. These machines create the cleanest and straightest cuts, but are typically much more expensive than stick lawn edgers, and take up a lot of room in your garage or tool shed. We only recommend these for folks with large properties or landscaping businesses.
You can also achieve an effective result by using a manual edger. These are essentially a rounded blade attached to a long handle—you use your foot to stomp down the blade and chop through the grass. Manual edgers are affordable, but can take a while if you have a long edge to work with.
Safety
Edgers are like saws: As the blade spins, it can kick up dirt and small rocks. Occasionally, they can jam up from this debris, so make sure you wear safety glasses and, ideally, long pants to protect your shins from anything the blade kicks out.
How We Selected
We used our expertise in lawn care and landscaping to recommend a selection of edger machines and accessories designed for use in the home, so you don’t end up with a large tool that’s overkill for your propertly. We prioritized lawn edgers from manufacturers we’ve tested products from and grown to trust, making sure to include a range of uses, styles, and price points.
Pros
- Respected manufacturer
- Rubber flap reduces chance of flying debris
- Comfortable to use
Cons
- Prohibitive pricing if you’re also investing in other tools
We’ve recommended Echo’s products for decades. This is a dedicated stick edger that’s well priced with enough engine for topsoil and typical cool-season grass. (For southern grass species, clay soil, or soil with small stones, you may need the company’s PE-2620 with a 25.4-cc engine).
The 21.2-cc engine that powers this machine takes a professional-grade 50:1 gas-oil mix, and the starting system has a spring-assist mechanism to make starting as easy as possible. We’ve tried other Echo products with the i30 starter and they are, indeed, very easy to start.
Key Specs
Style | Stick |
---|---|
Weight | 13.1 lbs |
Power | Gas-powered |
Dimensions | 73 x 12 x 13 in. |
2
Best Battery-Powered
Greenworks Pro 80V 8-Inch Brushless Lawn Edger
2
Best Battery-Powered
Greenworks Pro 80V 8-Inch Brushless Lawn Edger
Pros
- Comfortable grip
- Variable speed trigger
Cons
- Does not include battery
There aren’t many cordless options in edgers because it takes so much torque to do this job. That’s why Greenworks equipped this edger with an 80-volt brushless motor and a variable-speed trigger, designed for maximum torque only when you need it.
You can give the motor full power for deep cuts or cutting through clay soil, or back off the trigger for light cuts, such as refreshing the edge after weekly mowing. You’ll need to supply your own battery though, so this would be ideal for folks who already have a Greenworks tool collection.
Key Specs
Style | Stick |
---|---|
Weight | 16.72 lbs |
Power | Battery |
Dimensions | 68 x 12 x 6 in. |
3
Best Corded
Worx 12-Amp 7.5-Inch Electric Lawn Edger & Trencher
3
Best Corded
Worx 12-Amp 7.5-Inch Electric Lawn Edger & Trencher
Now 24% Off
Pros
- Simple to start
- No fuel mixing required
- Cut line indicator keeps you on track
Cons
- Corded power limits portability
Edging, especially at full depth, takes lots of torque. That’s why the Worx is powered by a powerful motor—the same kind of current that a mid-duty circular saw draws.
But the Worx has more than just power going for it. Its depth adjustment is simple and tool-free: Flip the latch on the side open and move the wheel and mounting bracket to the desired depth, then flip the lever shut.
Another feature we find intriguing is the machine’s cut line indicator, a drop-down fin that rides in the trench you’re cutting, steadying the machine and making mis-cuts a lot less likely.
Key Specs
Style | Stick |
---|---|
Weight | 15 lbs |
Power | Corded electricity |
Dimensions | 22.6 x 14.1 x 11 in. |
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Pros
- Powerful engine
- Wide rubber tires create sturdy foundation
Cons
- May be too bulky for some users
This is the ultimate high-torque edging solution. The McLane lawn edger is U.S.-built and solidly constructed, weighing about the same as a small-engine lawnmower. It has a thick-bar stock frame, ball-bearing wheels, and a dual-ball-bearing cutter head that tilts, allowing you to edge at an angle (horizontally or vertically).
The spacer between the front wheels makes this even more versatile than your standard edger. Leave the spacer in place for making straight runs, or remove the spacer and slide the wheels together and reinstall the spacer on the outside for edging curves with a tight radius.
The curb-riding feature lets you set the front wheels together so they ride along the curb while the blade cuts the notch between the curb and the grass. (There's definitely a learning curve with this maneuver, so be patient).
Unlike many gas-engine edgers for which the blade turns automatically when the engine is started, the McLane is equipped with a handle-operated clutch mechanism that allows you to disengage the blade until you’re ready to make cuts.
Key Specs
Style | Walk-behind |
---|---|
Weight | 66.2 lbs |
Power | Gas-powered |
Dimensions | 29.8 x 19.0 x 17.0 in. |
5
Best No-Frills
Earthquake 23275 Walk-Behind Landscaper and Lawn Edger
5
Best No-Frills
Earthquake 23275 Walk-Behind Landscaper and Lawn Edger
Pros
- Integrated tool holder
- Affordable for a walk-behind option
- Chain links prevent flying debris
Cons
- Very heavy and challenging to store
We’ve tested a variety of Earthquake machines over the years, and they deliver on the brand’s promise of no-frills power. While we haven’t tested this particular Earthquake model, after reviewing its specifications, it looks in line with the low-cost power-equipment that’s made the brand so popular among consumers.
In terms of layout and configuration, it’s much like the McLane above, complete with a clutch-activated blade. It’s got an engine appropriate for this class of equipment, a tilting cutter head, and an odd (though robust) debris catcher made from short chain links.
If your taste in outdoor power equipment tends to be old-school simplicity, give this edger some serious consideration.
Key Specs
Style | Walk-behind |
---|---|
Weight | 57 lbs |
Power | Gas-powered |
Dimensions | 38.96 x 19.47 x 39.67 in. |
6
Best Attachment
Trimmer Plus 41BJLE-C902 Lawn Edger Attachment
6
Best Attachment
Trimmer Plus 41BJLE-C902 Lawn Edger Attachment
Pros
- Compatible with wide range of machines
- Guide wheel increases accuracy
Cons
- Requires an existing machine
If you already own an attachment-capable string trimmer, the Trimmer Plus edger attachment is a great investment. Like a string trimmer shaft, the edger accessory slides onto the end of the shaft and tightens with a knob there.
A guide wheel at the back of the housing gives you a steady rolling surface on which to support the accessory so the torque doesn’t make you lose control of the machine.
Key Specs
Style | Accessory attachment |
---|---|
Weight | 5 lbs |
Power | N/A |
Dimensions | 35.5 x 12.5 x 6.25 in. |
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7
Best Manual
AMES Handheld Saw-Tooth Lawn Border Edger with T-Grip
7
Best Manual
AMES Handheld Saw-Tooth Lawn Border Edger with T-Grip
Pros
- Simple to use
- Practical for small projects
- Saw tooth blade
Cons
- Not as efficient as motorized options
This manual edger from Ames is an affordable to alternative to the heavy-duty machines on our list, especially if you don’t have a ton of edging to do. Although it requires a decent amount of physical effort, the simple design allows you to maintain maximum control during use, unlike automatic options that can be a challenge to keep on track.
Plus, since it takes up about the same amount of space as a rack or hoe, you shouldn’t have any trouble hanging it or storing it when the job’s finished. We’re also big fans of the convenient footplate, which lets you sink the blade into soil with ease.
Key Specs
Style | Manual |
---|---|
Weight | 3 lbs |
Power | N/A |
Dimensions | 39.27 x 14.05 x 1.49 in. |
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Roy Berendsohn
Senior Home Editor
Roy Berendsohn has worked for more than 25 years at Popular Mechanics, where he has written on carpentry, masonry, painting, plumbing, electrical, woodworking, blacksmithing, welding, lawn care, chainsaw use, and outdoor power equipment. When he’s not working on his own house, he volunteers with Sovereign Grace Church doing home repair for families in rural, suburban and urban locations throughout central and southern New Jersey.
Alex Rennie
Alex Rennie is a freelance writer who specializes in the Home Improvement, DIY, and Tool space. As a former residential and commercial carpenter, Alex uses his hands-on experience to write practical buying guides, how-to articles, and product reviews. His work has also appeared in Business Insider's Insider Picks, and before his writing career, he was a full-time carpenter living in New York City. There, he worked as part of a team designing, building, and installing large furniture pieces, as well as performing a variety of home repair and maintenance projects. Alex currently lives in Los Angeles, CA, and spends his free time exploring the beaches and mountains with his fiancé and their dog Louie.