How do woodies edge their lawns?

Dear all,

On the weekend just gone, I was ordered to clean up the lawn. I have a Ryobi line trimmer which I don't use much as it's more trouble to set up than to do the actual job. It is supposed to have a bump feed action which supposedly releases some reel just when the machine needs it. Well it started ok then tapped the thing on the lawn and nothing happened. On closer examination the plastic wheel which screws the bump feed onto a revolving shaft had bent totally out of shape. I rang several Bunnies and Mega Mitre 10. The part I need is out of date, try Ryobi during weekdays, they might have it. I use the Ryobi line trimmer to neaten up the edges of my lawn but without it, I got out a hand edger which is a metal disc attached to a handle. That was hard work and it would go off-line so that wasn't much help even after I sharpened it. My mind got to thinking there must be another way. I'll ask the guys on the forum. What techniques do you use on your lawn edges? Do you worry about the edges? We would all rather be working with wood so how do you speed up this painful process? I know this is not a typical woodworking question but I'd like to hear what you guys do.

Poison!!:D

I poison a strip about 2 inches wide out from the edges. Means that you can mow up to the edge but the dead strip is not to big to look really bad.

Poison, good solution. What's your poison called?

I get "The Man" in.


Al :D

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Originally Posted by ozwinner

I get "The Man" in.


Al :D

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Some of us can't afford to get someone else in.

Chamfer the edges (hold your trimmer upright like it's a push broom) then mow. The mower picks up most of the cuttings from the edges, and I can't seem to see what's left.;)

Regards,
Rusty.

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Originally Posted by Tiger

Some of us can't afford to get someone else in.

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Its cheaper than me stopping work to do it.

Al :(

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Originally Posted by ozwinner

I get "The Man" in.


Al :D

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You don't watch Desperate Housewives do you? :)

Ask the garden service man to do it - leaves me more time in the shedhttp://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ons/icon10.gif

I bought an electric GMC edger to do around the concrete paths and verandahs. Very quick to use. The first one stopped working after about 10 times of use, took it back and got another one one month before the warranty ran out.

I use a Tanaka whipper snipper with a bump head on it. I have used two other types of heads but the bump one is far superior. It is a generic one that I bought from a mower specialist and really an industrial one that cost me about $45.00.

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Originally Posted by Tiger

You don't watch Desperate Housewives do you? :)

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Err, No.
I have enough desperation in my life at the moment, without looking at some one elses.

Al

Ask the garden service man to do it - leaves me more time in the shed

I use a talon whipper snipper. Once I worked out the dodgy priming button, it works a treat. It even starts most of the time.

Trav

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Originally Posted by Tiger

Poison, good solution. What's your poison called?

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I use Roundup CT - pinch it from work. It's basically high strength roundup. Works a treat!

G'Day All,

Just bought my second Tanaka, bigger motor that the first but a lot lighter and easier to start. I use this for around the fence line, down pipes etc, for the edges I made an edger just for the driveway, footpaths etc. It uses a traditional industrial blade (disc type as oppossed to the straight blade type) like the Victa model. I just made it out of spare parts and put a 4hp Brigg and Stratton 4 stroke engine on to it, no throttle control is used as it is governed, V-belt driven and fully hight adjustable. I tried several ways to engage the drive pully and found a bit of threaded bar to a pivoting front wheel assembly works well all be it slow, if you are interested in seeing a few pics let me know, it is simple to make just time consuming getting the parts together. It has given me years of service.
savage(Eric):)

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Originally Posted by Tiger

Some of us can't afford to get someone else in.

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If you don't have a wife, I suggest you find a girlfriend!

Sounds like women's work!

Cheers,

P :D :D :D

Ahh! well, I'll put some pic's up anyway, have a look if you like, it might give someone a few ideas, enjoy!....:o

savage(Eric):)

I let the edge get long, then undercut it with a shovel, and pull it out before I mow.

I don't give enough of a stuff to get too fancy. If the edges looked good, then it would mean I'd have to pay more attention to the lawn.

I don't use poison, too worried about my dogs getting a touch up.

The custom solution sounds by Savage sounds good though, but then I am getting ready for MYTHBUSTERS.... :D

I use a Shindawa line trimmer.
Added grease nipples to the head and shaft,
and grease every so often........can't remember last time :confused: :confused:
Run it with "Rich" 2-stroke Mixture and rev its Rings off.
Still going after 18 years.
Replaced the head once with a Sthil unit :eek:

Shindawa is Sthil good value for me.

Suggest you see your friendly mower shop for an aftermarket bump feed head

I replaced the single sided mculloch head with a no name double sided bump head about 10 years ago, its still going, just feed it line and keep going

Doug

I agree with Midge, thats woman's work, my job is making sawdust

Useta be a Jim so did this caper for a crust.

Trick is to maintain the edges, by using the line trimmer every time you mow. Hold it so the line is spinning vertically, and work your way around all the path edges. Looks heaps better than edges trimmed flat or at a bevel. Bit of a knack to doing this well but perseverence brings reward.

If the edges are overgrown ue a disc type blade edger, shovel, whatever to get them back, to then maintain as per para 1. You can "cut" the edges back with the line trimmer, just takes a while and can be tiring.

If you have a straight shaft trimmer it is possible to mount a blade and edge with that. I did this on occasion but very carefully. BEWARE - clouting the edge of the concrete isn't real nice to your trimmer.

Line trimmer tips. Use quality oil, ie. Stihl, at 40:1 or 50:1. Use fresh fuel, ie. no older than a month or so. Unleaded doesn't keep well. When trimming, don't continually cycle the engine revs from idle up to full bore, idle, full bore, etc - this will coke up the exhaust port and muffler. Try to run at a reasonable steady throttle, 2/3 to flat out. Pay attention to what the line is doing, try to only use the tip of the line, more than this is the usual cause of the line breaking, let alone working the engine harder than needed. If line has a habit of breaking, try soaking in a bucket overnight. It can dry out marginally in warm weather and become a bit more prone to breakage. The nylon used is called "hydrophyllic" or somesuch, meaning it absorbs water slightly.

Man, I don't miss those days at all.


Cheers.............Sean, wozza Jim :)

Stihl 120 brushcutter.

When i get that sucker out.......the grass s**ts itself.

Edged and fertilised in one easy step.:D

I use concentrated glyphosate, the active ingredient in "Roundup" etc. 50ml diluted in 5 litres does the whole garden (egdes, etc). A single bottle lasts for years, and is way cheaper than actual Roundup.

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Originally Posted by zenwood

I use concentrated glyphosate, the active ingredient in "Roundup" etc. 50ml diluted in 5 litres does the whole garden (egdes, etc). A single bottle lasts for years, and is way cheaper than actual Roundup.

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Never can spell it right . Yes I use 150ml to 15 litres so same mix as you suggest . 2 or 3 times a year makes for easy edging .

A great product for removing flatweeds and dandelions from your lawn is MCPA

How do I edge my lawns Concrete works every time for me, though some I know use pavers or bricks


The trouble with life is there's no background music.

Ashore

I've got a Ryobi - Hornet I think but it has two attachments one is the bump feed whipper snipper - the other is a blade edge trimmer. If you want seriously good edge trimming then this is the way to go. used regularly it keeps a margin between paths and mower strips that look good and only need to be redone about as often as the Roundup but look like you are serious about it and its quick and easy.

Jamie

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Originally Posted by bitingmidge

If you don't have a wife, I suggest you find a girlfriend!

Sounds like women's work!

Cheers,

P :D :D :D

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I already have a wife, don't think I can afford a girlfriend as well. Getting your partner to do the work, I like that ;) but it's easier said than done. She already says she is doing too much.

Thanks for the responses, I particularly like what you've done Savage, if only I could build it in a day.

For anyone who's interested, GMC will be releasing a petrol powered edge trimmer onto the market around the end of November this year. It will retail for about $199. It may well be the first tool that I have bought that my wife hasn't said "looks like a waste of money, hun".

“Father-in-law” :D

Let the bastard looks after the gardening department and I look after the joinery department.

Use an Atom lawn edger.

Purchased when first came out, never serviced and still going strong. On the second set of blades and I continually seem to edge the concrete rather than the lawn.

Great tool - noisey but very effective but does leave your hands feeling a bit numb after an hour or so.

Hi

I use a Scott Bonnar lawn edger. An old model now but IMHO one of the best. In fact I sold my newer three wheel edger to but the older model. Great handling I can zoom around the edges in about 10 minutes :D

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Originally Posted by Tiger

Thanks for the responses, I particularly like what you've done Savage, if only I could build it in a day.

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I have toyed with the idea of a tilling head for the vegie garden and to cut the lawn when I put the new irrigation system in(this is already a working turf cutter of sorts as I have done this already when marking out the paved area). I stand correctedalso, I said it was a 4hp its a 3.5hp, still heaps of power.
savage(Eric):)

How do woodies edge their lawns?

Well we lay down a nice hard wood straight edge and run a $29.99 GMC circluar saw along it!

Awww, c'mon! I'm a woody! I don't deal with miniscule strands of cellulose, I wait until they consolidate into a mass of at least around shoulder height and then break out the Black&Decker...

The neighbours can edge my lawns once they enter their property... if they dare. :p

Women's Work - not in my household. HWOM(O) uses the Roundup concentrate (the stuff I can't spell that Zenwood uses) along the edges of everywhere (like Wood Butcher does), but I have to supervise otherwise he'd spray the whole yard and replace it with concrete. Then Sully the LawnMower Man comes over occaisionally and edges everything with a whipper snipper, mows and takes all the clippings away for his garden.

Perfect - more wood time for me.
cheers
RufflyRustic
(HWOM(O) = He Who Obeys Me (occasionally) ):D