Break Up With Your Manual Lawn Edger: Upgrade To An Electric Solution

When people are looking for the right edging product to keep grass out of a flower bed or from infringing on the sidewalk or driveway, they'll often start the search with a manual edger. This tool usually has a thin blade that easily penetrates the ground, severing any grass blades or roots that are in the way. Some of the designs work almost like a tiny shovel, others have a spiked cutting wheel that slices into the ground. One downside to manual edgers is that they require significant physical force to slice through the grass blades, roots, and any compacted soil. If using a manual edger is too physically demanding, powered tools can do much of the cutting work for you. One option available at Lowe's that has consistently strong customer reviews is the WORX Electric Lawn Edger and Trencher, priced at about $126.

Once assembled, the machine runs from a standard electrical outlet using a suitable outdoor extension cord. Its 12-amp motor can turn the blade at up to 4,700 revolutions per minute, which simplifies penetrating hard soil. As an added advantage, you can turn it into a shallow trencher, cutting grooves up to 1.5 inches deep for applications such as burying compatible boundary wires for an invisible dog fence.

Many Lowe's customer reviewers focused on ease of use when leaving positive reviews of the WORX electric edging tool. "I'm 68 years old and have a quarter-acre. It has made my [work] so much easier and fast," one reviewer said. Another older reviewer said the WORX edger helped them achieve cleaner-looking edges than their neighbors could manage with their tools. The powered blade may make edging less physically demanding for people who struggle with the effort required to use a manual tool.

The WORX electric edger weighs 14 pounds. That's several times heavier than some manual edgers, which usually weigh between 2.5 to 5 pounds. Even though it's heavier than many manual tools, customers praise the WORX model's relatively light weight. By comparison, some gas-powered edgers weigh around 25 pounds. "This is very light and easy to use for my small frame," said one customer reviewer.

One of the biggest mistakes people make when edging a lawn is going too deep with the blade. A manual edger makes it difficult to precisely control the depth that the blade penetrates the soil because you're relying on physical force. The WORX electric edger lets you choose from three preset cutting depths. ou can select cutting depths of 1, 1.25, or 1.5 inches. You can also adjust the height of the shaft to make walking behind the tool more comfortable. (Some manual edgers allow you to adjust the length of the handle, while others don't.)

Creating a straight, clean lawn edge along sidewalks, patios, and driveways is a desirable look for many homeowners. Many customer reviewers of the WORX electric edger said they had success achieving straight lines. However, a few reviewers said it takes some practice to achieve perfectly straight lines and maintain control of the machine. "I have only used it twice and there is a learning curve to making the most out of it," one reviewer said.

Some reviewers were disappointed that this WORX edger uses a power cord rather than a battery. WORX offers a range of cordless tools that use interchangeable 20-volt PowerShare batteries. One reviewer who had invested in other WORX battery-powered tools expected to be able to use those same batteries with this edger. "The whole purpose of Worx tools is that I can use them in my large yard because a cord won't drag around my big yard with all the trees in it," the reviewer said. (WORX does make a Nitro 20V Battery Lawn Edger that costs almost twice as much as the corded version.)

Price is another potential drawback of this electric edger compared to a manual model. You'll generally pay two to four times as much for this WORX edger than you'll pay for various designs of manual tools. (Some manual edgers carry a price tag of $100 or more, though.) If you purchase a gas-powered model, you could spend between $225 and $500, making the corded WORX tool considerably less expensive.