How to Get an EDGE Over The Competition: String Trimmer for Edging or Stick Edger?

Lawn perfection:
Deciding between a string trimmer and a stick edger for edging.

Edging is an important part of manicuring a lawn. 

It adds that final touch that is required to take a lawn’s appearance from good to great!

But when it comes to your arsenal of lawn care tools….

Is it acceptable to use a string trimmer, or should you be using a stick edger?

Below we will weigh the pros and cons of each tool, and help you come to the best decision about which is the best piece of equipment.

Let’s get started!

The Importance of Edging

Look, I don’t care how good your stripes are on the lawn. If you aren’t edging the driveway, walkways, and garden beds properly. You aren’t being all you can be. 

Edging creates a “frame” around your wonderfully manicured lawn stripes. And without that amazing frame, you simply aren’t getting the most out of your work. 

If you are looking to create an appearance of professionalism, edging your properties properly is a crucial step!

So, Stick Edger or String Trimmer?

Ok, so the great debate at hand… string trimmer or stick edge which is better?

I know this is one of the more heated lawn care debates among lawn care pros. Second only perhaps to the great guard, no guard debate. 

Well, I have to tell you, they each have their place. 

The Stick Edger
Stick edgers are specifically designed for edging a properties walkways, driveways, etc. 

Because many lawn care professionals don’t have direct experience with a stick edger, they are likely to cast it off as inferior to using a string trimmer. 

On the other hand, many lawn care professionals are adamant that the stick edger is the only way to get a crisp edge. 

 Benefits of a stick edger: 

• Removes dirt better
• Less debris flying around
• And cuts overgrown edges faster

It’s true, stick edgers are generally safer as far as flinging debris about the lawn and risking damaging property. Especially if you need to edge a driveway near a parked car.

Further, a stick edger can be a fast and easy way to establish a sharp edge along the borders of the lawn. 

Using a String Trimmer To Edge
The weedeater isn’t just used horizontally, if you flip the head vertically, it can make quite the tool for edging. 

While that is not its primary purpose, edging with a string trimmer has its benefits. 

 Including: 

• Faster edging,
• No need to swap tools,
• And can allow you to carry one less tool on your truck.

It’s true, a weed eater can not edge thick grass, or heavily neglected edges as quickly as a stick edger. This is why you may want to consider having a stick edger on hand for extreme edging. 

But in general, with a little practice, a weed eater can maintain edges very efficiently. 

Warning! Look, if you are a pro-guard, pro-stick edger lawn care pro what I am about to say will likely drive you crazy. But I'm going to risk it.

For those that proselytize the no-guard weed whacker method, the main argument they have is that leaving the guard off allows you to see better when you are edging with a weed whacker. I know that sounds absolutely insane to some of you reading this, but it’s a fair argument.

Getting an Edge Over The Competition

Think about it, while the ‘proper way’ to start an edge is to use an edging spade, but it can take a lot of time to edge a lawn using this manual process. And let's face it, most homeowners aren’t going to pay you extra to take the time to use the manual edging, method. 

That's where the stick edger shines! 

It allows you to remove the dirt along the edge, and establish a strong edge in much less time than using a spade. 

After the initial edge is created using a stick edger, a string trimmer (with or without a guard) can be used to maintain the edge throughout the season. 

This combo strategy can give you a better edge by using the strengths of the stick edger. Best of all, you can use the string trimmer to maintain the edge the rest of the season. 

Which will still allow you to save time, and maintain the edge over your competition. 

So, Which is Best?

An old man who quarried rocks by hand once told me:

 And I think that rule applies to lawn care too. There are scenarios where each method has its practical uses. And you will likely find that whichever side of the fence you fall on, you will find practical applications for each method. 

But now the bigger question at hand is, what's the best weed eater to edge with? Find out in our review of commercial weed whackers. 

Quick summary:
Stick edger for precision, string trimmer for versatility in edging – purpose, benefits, safety, efficiency, competition.