One of the most common musings is whether your grass edger can also be used as a landscape trencher.
The good news is that there are several multifunctional edger trencher tools out there so if you need something that will border the lawn but also dig a little deeper for a flower bed, for example, then a landscape edger and trencher could be the answer.
In this article, we are going to be looking at both edging and trenching and how to find the perfect flower bed trencher edger for you.
Table of Contents
What is an Edger?
A yard edger tool is a common piece of garden equipment that is used to create a boundary along the edges of the lawn. This boundary will prevent the grass from growing over into other parts of the garden and will leave you with a professional and well-manicured lawn.
These tools come in a variety of different types, and this is surrounding how they are powered. In the main, you will use one of four different grass edger trimmer; electric, battery-powered, gas or manual.
Each type of lawn edger trimmer is designed to create a precise and straight edge, and the style you use will depend on several factors including the size of your lawn, your access to power and your personal preference.
What is Trenching?
Trenching refers to creating much deeper and larger borders and is commonly used when making things like flower beds or a deeper border around large structures such as a tree.
To create trenches, you will need a much larger and more robust tool, although trenching can be achieved with a manual grass edger, this would be far more physically demanding.
Trenching comes with a whole world of benefits; many are similar to edging the lawn and include preventing the grass from growing into other areas such as where flowers are planted. However, you can vastly alter the aesthetic of your garden by trenching, and this will make your garden much more appealing.
Can a Lawn Edger be Used as a Trencher?
The good news is that if you already own a lawn edger tool, you can use the edger as a trencher. However, it is essential to keep in mind that a gas or electric model will be far more powerful and a lot easier to use when digging these deeper and longer holes in the ground.
Many garden edger tools will come with an adjustable depth setting which means that you can dig anywhere from half an inch to a few inches, this makes an edger for lawn care an excellent option for trenching.
If you are going to use a trencher for edging, you must remember to alter the depth accordingly so that you can create a trench that is the right size.
Things to Consider
If you want to kill two birds with one stone then finding a lawn trencher and edger in one is a surefire way to do this. However, you will find that there are many substandard tools on the market and also those which may be useful for merely edging but where trenching is concerned, may be lacking.
With this in mind, it is crucial to take your time to explore your options and find a garden edger tool that will work well for you and meet your needs. Looking at the various features of each lawn edger can help you to determine if the machine is the right fit.
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Power Source
As we have discussed, lawn edger trimmers come in a variety of forms, and the way in which they are powered will have an impact on how they perform. If you are looking for a tool that will double as a trencher, then you will want to find something that has a decent level of power and can offer excellent performance.
Manual lawn edgers are great for small gardens and for creating a small boundary around the edge of your lawn. However, when it comes to the more demanding task of trenching, you will likely find that using a manual tool is far too strenuous and takes far too long. In contrast, powered tools like the gas and electric powered yard edger tool will deliver continuous power and have blades that rotate at some impressive speeds. This means that what may have been a lengthy and challenging task is made far easier. Gas edgers are known to have the most incredible amount of power, but some of the modern electric models are beginning to rival this.
There are also battery powered lawn trenchers, but since you are limited on how long you can use them before the batteries need to be recharged, they may not be the best edger trencher for this type of work.Speed
We mentioned that the speed at which the blades move has a bearing on the power and ability of the grass edger trimmer. The RPM will tell you how many times in a minute the blades spin and what is most impressive is that there are some incredibly speedy edger tools out there that will make cutting through even the most solid ground look like a hot knife through butter.Lawn Size
One of the most important things to think about is the size of the area you will be working in. This will also help you to determine the type of lawn edger that will work well for you. If you are working on a very large project, a battery-powered option would not be suitable, for example.
You will also need to consider the things that might be an obstruction. Some people use a trencher for pruning tree roots, and in this case, you would need an extremely robust piece of equipment with strong blades.Ease of Use
It stands to reason that you are not going to want a trencher that is going to be complicated to use. Since trenching can sometimes be a big job, the last thing you need is a complex tool. There are several things that might make your trencher for edging a lot more user-friendly, and this could include how easy it is to adjust, where the power controls are located and whether the handle is adjustable for comfort.
You should also consider the weight of the product since some edgers, particularly those that are gas-powered, can be very high, and this can make them difficult to move around.The Best Edgers for Trenching
Once you have considered the above factors, you will be ready to source an edger that will also work as a trencher, but it is vital that you do not merely go for the first one you come across.
We have spent some time researching lawn edge trimmers and discovered some excellent 2 in 1 products that we think you will love.
Swipe the table!
| Blade Depth | Power | Adjustable Shaft | Weight | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Three-position blade depth | 12 Amp | No | 13.2 lbs |
|
 |
Adjustable 0.33" 0.7" 1.2" |
12 Amp | No | 14.4 lbs |
|
 |
Adjustable 1” 1-1/4” 1-1/2” |
12 Amp | Yes | 16 lbs |
|
Black and Decker Edger and Trencher LE750
It works on a powerful 12 amp motor that delivers just enough to cut through overgrown and solid ground with ease. We know that speed is essential, so when you learn that this machine offers 4700rpm, you begin to appreciate how effortlessly it will work.
Whether you want to edge or trench, you can do it all with this tool and converting it from one to the other couldn’t be any more simple. With the quick pull up guide, the Black and Decker goes from an edger to a trencher and back again.
The blade adjustment is super-simple and gives you a choice of three cutting positions making this a very versatile offering.
In terms of user-friendliness, this edger has got it all. It features a long adjustable handle so that you can change it to suit your height. Furthermore, it boasts a front wheel which helps when you need to move the tool. It is also very lightweight, and the corded nature means that you won’t ever run out of juice.
Martha Stewart MTS
This is another electric edger that boasts a 12 amp motor which delivers an impressive amount of power that is ideally suited to this type of work. It has a 7.2-inch blade which is wide enough to work on medium-sized projects. But one of the most extraordinary things about this blade is its durability. Users have reported how strong and long-lasting this blade is, so no matter what challenges you throw at it, it will keep going.
This is a tool that is very comfortable and easy to use, and this is partly thanks to the ergonomic handle, which has been designed with comfort in mind. It also has a 3-wheeled design that makes it so much easier to move around; of course, the super-lightweight nature of this one certainly adds to this.
There are three depth positions ranging between 0.33” and 1.2” which gives you the versatility you will need from a tool that both edges and trenches.
Worx Lawn Edger and Trencher
Much like our other choices, this one runs on a 12 amp motor; this is comparable to that of a chainsaw, so it isn’t hard to see how powerful this edger is. Furthermore, the 7.5” blade spins at a whopping 4700rpm, demonstrating just how easily this device will cut through the ground, making trenching easier than it has ever been.
It features a cutting line indicator which means that you will never veer off course and will always be able to create straight and precise edges and trenches. This is something that many people struggle with, so it is, without a doubt, a nice little extra to have.
It comes with a 3-year warranty giving you the confidence that it will stand the test of time, but if that isn’t enough to convince you, you may wish to consider the strong steel blade that can be adjusted to a choice of three positions.
You are getting a very user-friendly tool which has a fully adjustable handle with a D grip for extra comfort. It is also extremely lightweight and very easy to move around the garden.
If you are looking for something that offers deep cutting alongside precision and power, then the Worx edger would meet your needs.
Conclusion
There has long been confusion among homeowners as to the difference between edging and trenching. Both of these garden maintenance jobs involve creating boundaries and digging into the ground; however, trenching digs far deeper and is often used for things like flower beds.
If you need to be able to do both of these jobs, you probably won’t be looking to fork out for various pieces of equipment, especially when you learn that a lawn edger can often be used as a trencher.
There are several lawn edgers that also work as a landscape trencher, but before you go running off to the store, you may wish to take a few things into consideration to make sure that you are getting a tool that is up for the job.
We have sourced three of the best edgers for trenching that are powerful, easy to use and affordable; we are confident that you will be just as impressed by them as we were.
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