[sandim]

Just picked up an Echo bed edger yesterday! Can't wait to try it!! Our vendor can't keep them in stock. It's great to have a good relationship with your vendors. We expressed interest and before he sold the last one, he checked with us. Lucky for us. He doesn't know when he'll be able to get more in if at all this year.

[Greensmith]

Let us know how it goes, After screwing around with my bedbug edger yesterday for a little edging job I was looking at that Echo as a fill in.

[VoodooChile]

My Bluebird Bed Edger sucks, unless you like tightening Allen nuts every half-hour.

[Greensmith]

Originally Posted by VoodooChile

My Bluebird Bed Edger sucks, unless you like tightening Allen nuts every half-hour.

Mine doesn't seem to have that problem. My main complaint is it weighs a ton, and going up and down hills with it is damn near impossible.

I bought it used from home depot rental, it has done me well for the most part. Although one of my commercial accounts is a pain in the ass with all their trees still wrapped in wire cages @#$)@!

[Greensmith]

Ever get a chance to use it Sandim?

[dan deutekom]

This thread had me checking out the Echo Bed re-definer and ultimately we picked one up today. Using it this afternoon has impressed me. It is only good for edging previously edged beds but the time I saved on my first spring re-edging of existing beds was incredible. What normally took 2 of us 4 hours to hand edge with a spade took me only about 35 minutes with the echo. I have to admit a hand spaded edge is nicer looking but most people wouldn't notice the difference unless the 2 methods were side by side to compare. The labour savings alone will pay for this tool withing a month. This is a machine I would recommend to anyone that has a lot of bed re-edging to do.

[Greensmith]

Easy to use? The big edger scares me when I have to hand it off to new worker.

So this is more for the edges where the mulch/sod has filled in the previous edging?

[dan deutekom]

It is very easy to use. And yes it is for re-edging where mulch/sod has filled in the previous edging. It is not designed to create new edging just maintain the existing edges.

[sandim]

I'm sorry it took me so long to get back to this thread, but like all of you, we've been just jammin'. I finally tried the bed edger today and was very very disappointed. In the video it shows a deep, clean edge. Not so. If found it not very deep and very sloppy. edge certainly isn't as clean as it would be if you used an edging shovel. I'm either going to see if I can have my dealer take it back or I'll sell it. For the $ I paid for it and the quality of job it does I can't justifiably ask my clients to pay for the results I got. Happy I tested it at my own house rather than a clients.

[dan deutekom]

Now that I have used this machine more I am learning what it does well and what it's limitations are. It does a great job of cleaning up an existing edge. I agree that it is not as nice or deep as a spaded edge but with the budget restraints in labour our municipality faces it definitly does an acceptable job. If the edge is completely filled in or non existant then this machine really doesn't do much. I have also found that on some beds I went around them twice to make a clean edge. I have to admit that the video is deceiving.

[johnkeegan]

I'm glad to read this review of the Echo. I was also looking at the Brown "Redefiner" (Brown Products, Inc. >> Products >> BedEdger ) the standard Bed Edger has worked out well for us, but may be a little overkill for just redefining.
I believe the local dealer said the Brown was twice as much...From reading these reviews there may be a reason for that.

[NCSULandscaper]

for the price, i think ill stick to my brown bededger

[Fine Edge]

Since we don't do any maintenance, our Brown is perfect for the new installs. Once in awhile we get the call from an old client that wants their beds redefined and we just price it as doing a new bed edge.

[johnkeegan]

The Brown Bed Edger is a great machine for initial installs. Just define the edge and rake the "spoils" back into the bed before mulching. On re-edging however, (especially after 2,3 or 4 times) all those spoils become a nuisance. If you rake them way back into the bed, it's a mess..If you only rake them back a little, you enventually end up with a hump at the edge..If you have to scoop them out, it somewhat defeats the purpose of having the Bed Edger.

So, I was hoping the Refiner is more "job specific."

I'll do a demo and let you know if it seems worth it.

[4seasons]

John
I use the redefiner exclusively( too lazy to switch blades!) on my brown edger. We love it. A lot less spoils to get rid of. For new beds it just doesn't slant inside the bed like the other blade, so we just take a spade and shave the ridge and spoils at the same time.