It is the dream of many to have a beautifully manicured garden with perfect edges. But this doesn’t need to be a dream if you invest in one of the best manual edger and rotary tools. But before you commit, take a look at our guide to the choosing the best rolling lawn edger for you.
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The Best Rotary Edgers
Truper 32100 Tru Tough Rotary Lawn Edger
Furthermore, this dual wheel rotary lawn edger offers a stable base and excellent ease of movement. The blades are steel finished and coated offering excellent robustness and a precise and effective cut that will leave your lawn looking its best.
AMES 2916000 Dual Wheel Rotary Edger
The Ames edger has a hardwood handle that offers excellent durability and is ready to heavy duty use. Furthermore, it features a soft grip making it extremely comfortable to use.
Wolf Garten RBM Lawn Edge Trimmer
In addition to this, the Wolf Garten rotary edger features a cold rolled steel blade coated in zinc that promises great durability and is rust-resistant. However, it is important to point out that this one doesn’t come with a handle although these can be purchased separately.
How To Use a Rotary Edger
That being said, it is still important to learn how to correctly use these pieces of equipment in order to give your garden the most effective makeover. Take a look at our quick tips for using a manual rotary edger.
- Begin by mowing the lawn as you usually would. There are some people that prefer to edge before they mow but edging afterwards gives you the advantage of being able to correctly see what needs to be trimmed and eliminates any guesswork.
- If you are creating a new edge then you will need to mark out where you are going to cut. This can be done using a garden hose and then marking with chalk or spray paint. This isn’t a mandatory step but it can be helpful in providing you with a guideline. Furthermore, you won’t need to follow this step if you are touching up an existing border or if there is a pathway alongside the lawn as this will act as its own guide.
- Before you start cutting, be sure to wear any of the necessary safety equipment such as work gloves.
- Now take the edger and line the blades up with the marked out area or the existing border. Be sure that, if you are cutting next to a driveway or path that the blade is always on the turf side and the wheels on the concrete.
- Next, push the blades down into the ground a little before wheeling the edger forward by about ten inches and then bringing it back towards yourself. You may need to go over the same area a few times before you have the desired result and this is one of the downsides of a manual edger; it will require more physical exertion from you. However, the various advantages far outweigh this.
- You’ll need to perform a clean up afterwards, removing any additional vegetation and sweeping up the debris. Once completed, you may need to perform maintenance once a month or any time that the grass begins to grow over the edge.
What To Consider When Buying A Rotary Edger
When you decide to purchase a rotary edger, you could be forgiven for thinking that it is as easy as popping out and buying the first tool that catches your eye. However, while this may seem like a simple piece of equipment, there are many things that you should consider before settling on any particular model.
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Wheels
Perhaps one of the most important things, aside from the blade, is the wheels. These are important as they will determine how easily the edger moves. In most cases a dual wheel rotary edger will provide you with a much better degree of stability and is a great choice for people who are just getting to grips with this kind of equipment.
You want to make sure that the wheels move freely and that their movement does not become easily restricted. While there will be a certain level of resistance when pushing the edger along the ground, a good wheel will make a significant difference. -
Size Of The Lawn
The size of your garden will dictate the best type of edger for you. While we are focusing on rotary edgers in this guide, there are also half-moon manual edgers which are typically better for smaller spaces. The rotary edger is a great choice for those who want a manual tool but have a larger garden.
A lot of people would suggest investing in a powered garden edger for bigger lawns but there are downsides to these. If you are lacking in storage space, powered models can be much larger. In contrast, a manual rotary edger is slim and easy to store but provides a decent cut. -
Durability
The last thing that anyone wants is to start doing their garden chores only to find that their equipment seemingly falls apart. Finding a manual rolling lawn edger that is durable and well-made can be the difference between having a long-lasting tool and one that needs replacing almost immediately.
You should be looking for tools that have a strong handle and that are well put together. -
Blade
The blade is perhaps the most important part of this tool since it is what is going to create that beautiful edge for your lawn. Not only do the blades need to be sharp but they also need to be long-lasting. Blades that are made from steel are the best option since these will resist moisture and rust as well as being lightweight.
You might also look at other features regarding the blade including how easy it is to clean. There are some tools that have self-cleaning blades whereas others rely on you to do the hard work. If you must clean the blade, it is important to look for one that makes this maintenance job as easy as possible. -
Height
The beauty of the manual rotary grass edger is that this is a tool that allows you to get your garden jobs done without having to hunch over and reach down to the ground. For this reason, it is vital that you select a tool whose handle is long enough for you to comfortably operate.
Similarly, you don’t want a handle that is too long and that has you over-reaching as this can also cause strain. One of the best things to do is to look for a lawn edger tool that features an adjustable handle. Many of these are telescopic and very easy to change.
You may also wish to consider how comfortable the handle is to hold. A lot of modern edger tools come with a padded grip that is soft and won’t leave sores on the hands, even when the tool is being used for extended periods.
Summary
Finding the best manual rotary edger involves much more than simply performing an internet search and clicking ‘buy’ on the first product you see. It is vital that you look at your choices and assess the features to make sure that you come out with a hand rotary edger that will exceed your expectations.
