Best Lawn Edger Tools for that Perfect Finish when Edging Lawns

Looking for the best lawn edger ?

Fed up with untidy garden lawn edging where it is not obvious where the lawn ends and flower bed start ?

Need a lawn edger that does the job at creating clean lawn edges, showing off the lawn and garden flower beds to their best?

Your spade just not giving you that perfect edge?

Purchasing easy to use lawn edger tools will give a much neater lawn edging , line or curve and be far easier to use than a spade.

Here I present a buying guide for edging tools that are easy to use and give that perfect finish.

As usual I only review the best garden tools from leading brands that make for hassle free gardening and a good investment for years to come.

I have covered a couple of manual hand shears, battery and petrol grass trimmers lower on the list for that perfect finish . The following garden tools reviewed are the best, easy to use, half moon design – edging knife type lawn edge cutters.

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Best Garden Lawn Edgers

Spear & Jackson Stainless Steel Lawn Edger

For the money this is a great edging tool. Spear & Jackson make a few edging tools but for those looking for a lightweight model with a great blade this is a great model from the Spear & Jackson range.

Why we like this garden tool.

Cuts through turf and soil with minimal effort. The cutting blade is easy to clean and will not rust due to being stainless. This also helps when working with sticky clay soils in the garden as there is minimal soil adhesion . Maintenance is just a quick wipe down after use and good as new.

The harwood handle gives this garden tool a traditional feel. Easy to use and move around the borders and flowerbeds. Perfect for prolonged use or if you have a problem using heavier tools.

With these specifications and backed by a 10 year warranty we think this is a great edging tool.

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Heavy Duty Bulldog Premier Carbon Steel Lawn Edger

Why we like this

A serious edging tool that will tackle the toughest of edging jobs. Bulldog are renowned for making British, well made tools that are tough and rugged. This is no exception .

It features a Carbon Steel blade that offers 50% more strength than the stainless counterparts, useful if regular edging is required and you need a tool to rely on. The head on this tool is forged from one piece of steel and not with welds, welds always seem to be the weakest point on any garden tools.

The solid Ash wood handle feels solid enough to work through clay soils without bending. Just what I need from a lawn edger.

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Wolf Garten RMM Stainless Steel Lawn Edger

What we Like

Wolf Garten have been making well respected, quality tools for nearly 100 years. Quality, German precision engineering make their brand extremely popular amongst gardeners and always with great reviews.

What we like most about this edger is that it is part of the ‘multi-tool’ range of products . This range has different sized handles to suit your height (purchased separately). This is really beneficial if you are tall or suffer from a bad back, working with edgers that are too short or not suitable can cause discomfort.

This unit also features a deep tread at the top, making it easy to use when pressing down into the edge.

In addition, sold with a 35 year guarantee, Wolf Garten provide the best warranty of all reviewed here.

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Our best lawn edger

Despite it not being as light as other edgers, as a professional gardener I need something that is heavy duty as the lawn edger is used almost daily.

Therefore my best lawn edgers are the Bulldog Premier. The only downside to this is that it is twice the weight of the other models but it’s features outweigh this and I don’t mind heavier products if they get the job done.

I own a few Bulldog products, spade, fork etc, they are very tough and built to last.

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Other tools needed for a great lawn edge

Grass Edge Cutters

Putting a new edge is not necessary every time you mow but trimming the grass edge is if you want the garden to look neat. For this you will need need edging shears, not your usual gardening shears.

C.K Carl Kammerling G5057 Legend Adjustable Lawn Edging Shears

Every now and again a tool comes along that you just have to say ‘wow, they really got this right’

C.K Tools have been manufacturing in Germany for 100 years. You may recognise their branded red & yellow tools used by professional tradesman, noticeably for the electrical sector.

What we love.

For a telescopic, trimmer edger shear the first noticeable difference is the weight. At 1.75kg this shear is lighter than most.

Secondly the telescopic function. It’s easy to use and easy to position both arms so they can be locked into place at different positions. Which with experience is much needed feature with edging shears.

Thirdly, self sharpening blades. They cut through grass like butter.

What more could you wish for from a gardening tool?

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Wilkinson Sword 1111138WF WS Lawn Edge Trimmer

What we love

Cost! Wilkinson Sword produce many great, well priced garden products accessible to most budgets, these do not let them down.

They are easy to use and extremely sharp.

Lawn Edge – Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between a lawn edger and lawn edging trimmer?

A lawn edger is a simple tool that consists of a handle, a shaft and a steel half moon edging knife at the end. An easy to use tool to make make clean, crisp lawn edges by cutting turf, vegetation and roots to the soil below creating a vertical edge.

An edge trimmer is either a manual shear or petrol, battery & electric strimmer.

Its intended use is as a grass trimmer to work around the edges of the lawn and flower beds. Also places a lawnmower can not get to, such as under shrubs , against walls etc.

What to look for when buying best lawn edgers?

A good lawn edger should last you a long time. It should be comfortable to use and capable of getting the job done as efficiently as possible.

Weight.

How heavy is the edger? For some the weight might not be a concern but if you find the weight of regular tools an issue then perhaps consider an edger with an aluminium handle rather than a traditional wooden lawn edger.

Blade.

There are two different type of edging knife blade on an edger. Stainless steel or carbon steel blade with a protective coating.

Stainless steel is completely rust resistant and have minimal soil adhesion (handy if you are working with clay soils)

Carbon steel versions are up to 50% stronger , however, they can rust if not properly cared for.

Also important to note is the cutting depth. If you have deep lawn edges then an edger with a larger cutting depth would be more suitable for ease is use and in creating the best edge.

How do I create the best lawn edges?

Creating the best looking lawn edges is a process. The process most gardeners perform is.

First, give the lawn a cut to it’s desired length. Some gardeners like to mow after edging, others like to do it before. It doesn’t really matter which was around.

If creating or tidying up an existing straight edge then I would recommend knocking timber pegs into the ground and running a string line between. Following this line when edging will give you the straighter edge than judging it by eye.

If creating a new curved edge then best practise is to lay hose on the ground and play with the shape of the curves until it looks right. Then simply follow this line with the edger.

Third, use edging shears or a grass trimmer / strimmer to tidy the grass on the overhang of the edge that the mower did not reach.

What makes the best edger blade?

With both stainless and coated carbon steel blades available on lawn edgers you may be asking yourself ‘what makes the best edger blade?’

This is ultimately going to depend on your garden size and usage.

If you have a large yard or you are a professional gardener then one with a carbon steel blade might be better suited than one with a stainless blade.

Just make sure if you choose a carbon steel version that the blade is wiped after use to avoid rust.

Lawn Edge Alternatives

If you’ve become tired of using your lawn edger and fancy something that will make the maintenance routine a whole lot easier and less time consuming perhaps it’s time to consider a permanent lawn edge. A well constructed one that will never need edging.

Popular choices of edger products.

Stone Sets

Popular in gardens these create neat border around the lawn and can be very eye catching if installed properly and by experts. Sets being small in size can easily be laid to accommodate curves or some other funky design you have in mind.

When laid by yourself or professionals make sure any permanent lawn edge is installed level, or just below the surface height of the grass so a lawnmower can pass over the top. If it is installed above the lawn height you risk causing damage to the blades on your mower .

Aluminium – Coated Steel Edging

This is becoming a popular choice when creating a neat lawn edge and makes one of the best options for a permanent solution.

They are fairly easy to install so any DIY enthusiast (with a bit of help) can tackle the project in a small garden.

Construction is rudimentary but effective. Simply excavate the soil to the depth of the edging strip then secured into place with supplied metal stakes which hold the strip into place in the ground.

What makes these strips super effective is that being a long length of coated metal they can be bent into all manner of curves and shapes to suit your lawn and flowerbeds.

Brick

You can create both a traditional and modern feel by using bricks as a lawn edge. It is also a good chance to bring some continuity by matching with the house bricks or using a brick that compliments the patio.

For further information on this technique can be found on Gardeners World

Sleepers and Wood

Using wood gives a more natural feel. Just ensure when buying you choose a timber that has been pretreated with a preservative.

Out of all available edges timber is the the most environmentally friendly version.

Raliway sleepers are heavy, get some help if planning to do this yourself.

Plastic

Avoid at all costs, it is flimsy and absolutely no good for the environment.