[VoodooChile]

As Spiderlilly mentioned in the Mechanical Bed Edger thread, we need to buy one of these beasts, but it is far from easy to get a consensus on what's best.

So please cast a vote for your favorite bed edger to help us decide. Much appreciated...

[Stonehenge]

I can only vote for what I know, and the only machine we've used is the Brown. But we like it quite a bit.

[VoodooChile]

My local rental place just recommended the Bluebird because: 1) depth is easier than the Brown to adjust, 2) steering is easier, and 3) instead of being belt-driven has wet-clutch and chain-drive.

He went on to say that the Brown has problems with shafts snapping. Both his rental unit from 2-3 years ago and a unit he services had this issue.

So add Blue-bird to the canidates...

[Stonehenge]

Snapping? I've heard of people using rented sod cutters to strip asphalt. No lie. I would imagine snapped shafts probably come from some similar misuse.

Re: depth - true

Re: steering - can't say

Re: Chain drive - what happens when it gets caught on a stone?

[Mark Oomkes]

I go for the Turf Teq, because it is much more versatile than the Little Wonder. We have a Little Wonder, although it isn't a Little Wonder, we bought it before that happened.

We demoed the Turf Teq last fall on an overgrown curb edging project. Worked great. Plus it worked great for the bed edging. Being able to move the blade in and out is indispensable as well as the many different blade options.

It is on my "Toys to buy" list. I mean "Tools to buy" list.

I just am too lazy to get excited about the Brown edger. I don't like going backwards and I don't like having to pull a machine backwards. JMO

[dan deutekom]

How come I didn't see "a good sharp spade" on the voting list.

[Mark Oomkes]

Originally posted by dan deutekom
How come I didn't see "a good sharp spade" on the voting list.

A what?

[jwholden]

There is nothing better than curved beds and a freshly sharpened spade the morning after a rain. There is nothing worse than giving that same spade to 'the new guy'. I keep an angle grinder with a flap disk on it to sharpen the spade.

I loathe edging beds in the Summer when the soil is dry and rock hard!

[NCSULandscaper]

ill vote for the Brown, since thats what i have

[dan deutekom]

Originally posted by Mark Oomkes
A what?

You mean if it dosn't have a gas engine and hydraulics you don't know what it is?

[VoodooChile]

Sod knife = good sharp spade

[cutntrim]

I voted for rental units, but I'd have voted for sod knife if I knew you meant "spade edged".

I spade-edge then keep them clean by using a string trimmer during the season. It's worked o.k. so far...14yrs. If I had miles of new gardens to edge all the time I'd buy, otherwise I'd just spade-edge or rent.

[dan deutekom]

I have never heard of a spade being called a sod knife before either but I am just like Cut. Edge with spade early in season and then use the string trimmer for the rest of the season to keep clean.

[Mark Oomkes]

Originally posted by dan deutekom
You mean if it dosn't have a gas engine and hydraulics you don't know what it is?

Exactly.

[VoodooChile]

Like the Supreme Court, we followed the voters' advice, and bought the Bluebird today.

Actually, the local rental guy has treated us very well through the years, always been real forthright in his opinions about how we spend our repair/equipment purchase money, and spoke knowledgably about both the Brown and Bluebird, and since I have had good luck with the Bluebird sod-cutter, we went with that.

We start this edging project next week once the soils have dried out some. I'll try to snap some pix and give my evaluation of the Bluebird Bedbug then.

Thanks for voting; isn't it nice to know that your vote counts and really makes a difference!?