Please excuse all the typos. Sheesh. :)
Pam

Pam, I have one and love it! Not only does it edge, it trenches as well. It's pretty light weight and easy to use. Go for it!

X

I bought a Stihl (model FS 55T) for several reasons:

First, I went to consumer reports, epinions.com and places like that and Stihl products were among the top-rated.

Second, my Stihl is gas-powered: no electric cord to drag around or (accidently!) cut. I can wander all over the yard and down to the street without worrying about power or the length of a cord.

Third, I bought three tools in one. I bought the multi-tool Stihl. It is a single engine with optional attachments. I bought the stick edger, the string trimmer (weed whacker, as I like to call it) and the hedge trimmer. Each of those is easy to switch in and out - it takes only seconds.

Lastly, being female and 40-something, I can easily carry and work with the Stihl. It is not too big or heavy for me.

I've had my Stihl for three years and am a very happy, satisfied customer.

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: Stihl USA

I had an electric edger and absolutley hated it. And they really aren't made to last very long. Depending on the size of your yard, you are going to need multiple extension cords and you will have to move them to different outlets as you work. They are always in the way and, at least the electric trimmer I had, the cord was always unplugging itself from the trimmer.

I bought a Homelite gas trimmer 3 or 4 years ago and love it. Overall, the quality of gas trimmers, even relatively inexpensive ones, is much better than electric. They also have more "guts" to them and do a much better job, in less time, than an electric edger.

I'm over 40 too and don't find my gas trimmer to be more than I can handle.

Laura

I have a Weedeater brand gas edger. It is lightwieght and easy for me to use - does a great job. Got it at Lowes.
My DH says that Echo and Troy built are top-of-the-line but I am very happy with mine so far.
I was told that the electric edgers do not have the power to really do a good job and I am on an acre so I'm sure I would not like having to deal w/ the power cord issue.

Gurley,Tuezday, and Love the yard,
Are any of your edgers the kind that have wheels and that you don't have to support the weight of them as you edge? I'm looking for something that I can maneuver or guide but that I don't have to hold...I have back problems and can't do that type of "lifting" for any length of time. All input is appreciated.

Pam

Yes, mine has little wheels on it and I just roll it forward. There is really no effort on my part. The only physical effort required is the pull cord at start-up. I have moved to a fairly lazy stage of my life, I have gotten over my back problems and I don't want to create any new ones.
One of my biggest concerns when I went shopping for an edger was wieght and the angle that I would stand to use it. You might want to check out different brands to see which one best fits your hieght so that you are not working at an awkward angle when you use it.

My edger is what they call a stick edger. It has a single wheel. It took a little skill to get used to, but after three or four uses, no problems. Here is an attempt to insert the picture and a link to a picture, below:

Here is a link that might be useful: FCB Curved Lawn Edger Attachment

I use an ECHO pas 230 which is similar to the Stihl because you can put different attachments on it. It is a bit long, pricey, but not heavy, and does an awesome job of edging. Much better than any other I had borrowed from my neighbor. You can also get a string trimmer and lots of other attachments for it.

Thanks so much, everyone! You've given me just the kind of info I was seeking and helped me make a decision. :) This is such a great forum with such nice people.

Pam

I have alot of this concrete curbing around the flower beds. Is there a type of edger that works better in this situation? Also, which kind or edger works best for street-side curbing?

I know this thread is old, but I'll post this for the benefit of anyone that finds it in a search...

I have the Black & Decker Edge Hog and I am waiting for it to die so I can replace it with a gas-powered model. The corded design is fine for smallish yards, and in fact works very well just edging my driveway...but once your range expands, the cord is a major PITA. It gets in your way, it gets hung up on trees/obstacles, and generally just drags the edger as your working it.

The problem is, the dang thing is so durable, I'm not sure it's going to die anytime soon, now after 5+ years of use. Maybe I should just unload it on the in-laws.

I'm the OP on this thread. :) I ended up with a B&D Edge Hog and I like it very much for using along sidewalks and driveway. I agree with mrsig about the cord, but it's a small price to pay, at least for me, to have less weight to shift around, less noise and the convenience of plug and go. Hope this helps.

It's a fine tool for frontyard edging (sidewalks, driveway, walkway, etc), I agree. Lightweight, sturdy, durable, and simple to use.

Trying to expand it to a larger yard is where the problems come into play. In fact, I was thinking of this thread last night while I was trying to edge my backyard...and that's the reason I came in to post my review. :-) Trees and other obstacles made navigating the cord a huge hassle.

Oh, and pfmastin, don't forget to clean the underdeck every so often as well...you'd be surprised at how much dirt/debris accumulates under there. It actually has a nifty quick-release system just for this purpose.

Thank you for the reminder about cleaning the underdeck. I tend not to look at the instructions after the first day. ;)

I use a manual half moon edger or a square spade for all my beds. It's a time consumer, but I like that it lasts a long time.

Thanks again!