Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Edging the Beds: A Review and Giveaway!


Many of you know that I'm part of the Troy-Bilt Saturday 6 Team, now in its second year. As a part of that team, I get to test and review some Troy-Bilt garden equipment of my choice. Even before I became of part of this team, I was a fan of Troy-Bilt and did some testing and reviewing of products that they provided for me free of charge, in exchange for any suggestions I might have as an actual consumer of their products.

A few years ago, some other garden bloggers and I tested a string trimmer and our experiences and comments led to a redesign of the product in an effort to improve it. Now that is how a testing and review program should work. Everyone wins: Troy-Bilt, me, and the consumer.

TB554 Triple Blade Gas Lawn Edger
One of the products I received this year was the TB554 Triple Blade Gas Lawn Edger. I chose this edger because of its beveling capabilities. I've always admired the sharp knife-edged borders I've seen when touring other gardens and wanted that for my own garden beds. I believe the beveling helps keep the grass from moving in on the garden quite so quickly, because I can cut the roots back a bit, under the grass edge, rather than just making a straight perpendicular cut.

My first concern with this edger is one that I always have with products that have a pull-start. Will I have enough strength to pull it quickly enough to get it started? With some products, I simply do not, and I need my husband to do it for me. With the edger, I could do it myself. Yay!

Push the button three times to prime the engine before pull-starting.


I set the blade at the sharpest angle (three available) it would allow and at the deepest level (six available). I started it up and away I went.

As with any type of equipment like this, running it at full speed made it easier to cut through the turf. Earlier in the summer, when we had no rain and the ground was so hard (we've got heavy clay soil here), it wasn't quite so easy to do the edging. Not impossible, but with just a little rain to soften things up a bit, it was so much easier, so I waited to do the edging until after we'd gotten some rain.



I found that the best way to get a nice edge on a bed that badly needed it was to run the edger twice. Set the bevel, run it along the line where you want your edge, then run it again along the existing edge. This created a loosened wedge of grass and dirt that I then simply pulled away and discarded, leaving me with that nice edge I wanted.



Adjustable curb wheel
Another feature that this edger has is the adjustable curb wheel, making it easier to edge along a curb. We don't have curbs, so we didn't adjust this wheel, but it's easy enough to do. In fact, my husband and I both found everything about the edger pretty easy to do and we got the look we wanted with it.

Would we recommend the TB554 Edger? Absolutely, with no hesitation. You can read more details about the edger here.

********************************

Now, the best part for you! Troy-Bilt is providing an edger just like the one they sent to me, to one of my readers! All you have to do is:

1. Leave a comment here, telling me if you do anything special to edge your garden beds.

AND

2. Fill out the Rafflecopter form with your contact information.

The giveaway will end on Wednesday, September 19th, at midnight EDT.  HEY! That's my birthday! How cool is that? Troy-Bilt gives YOU an edger for MY birthday! They're awesome that way. Now go enter...

a Rafflecopter giveaway


*The products that I've tested for Troy-Bilt® have been provided to me free of charge. The Saturday 6 partnership that I have with Troy-Bilt® includes monetary compensation. Any opinions expressed by me regarding Troy-Bilt® products or events are my own.

62 comments:

Rose Prairie Quilts and Farm said...

I wish I could say I use a special machine to edge but right now I just spray a weed killer. That edger would come in handy.

Cheryl Schier said...

I don't have a tool for edging, but in the spring I rent one. At my age I need power tools to help out. At one time it was a small hand spade that took forever. Yay for Troy Built

Erin @ The Impatient Gardener said...

I'm an edging fanatic. Not that I LIKE edging but I sort of get a tear in my eye when I see sharply edged beds. You can have a garden full of weeds but if it's perfectly edged it looks pretty good.This year I bought a small electric edger but this would be soooooo much better!

Jenny said...

I use a shovel & dig a trench to edge some of my beds. I use brick on some & rock from our woods on some.

Kerrie Rosenthal said...

Use elbow grease & a flat shovel. Consequently, it gets done about once a summer.
Love the way your edging looks, Kylee!!
Most attractive thing about the Troy-Bilt Edger--It's easy to start. Gives me great satisfaction to be able to start a machine like this on my own!!

Crystal said...

I would love to win! My hubby and I just bought our first house!

Modern Mia said...

We use a dredging shovel (I think that's what it's called) to scoop out an edge for our beds. My back would appreciate the Troy-Bilt Edger.

Jeph said...

I actually hired someone to edge all my beds this year. Local guy does lawnmowing and some landscaping, and only charged $70 to do ALL of my beds, trees etc. GREAT deal...but if I pay him that every year - eh, maybe it'll be time to buy something like this. (Or win it!)

Anonymous said...

This would come in handy for my new garden space! We just purchased a new Troy built lawn mower, my son said it worked very nice!

Renee Wright said...

I just use a spade to trench the edge of my beds, but I find that I need to redo most of them in midsummer, when it's really hard to do. And my edges aren't very neat. I would love a tool like this to help me shape up my beds!

Kelly said...

I'm all about easy, so my edging doesn't get done. If I had a handy dandy tool like this, I'd be the envy of the neighborhood!

ruthie said...

Oh I would love a easy to,start edger. I just use weed killer because I can't ever get one started. And my birthday is the 30th. That would be awesome .

Judy F. said...

I love the way a nice clean edge looks on flowerbeds, and the bevel option sounds like a great idea. So you go around your beds twice to get a nice sharp edge?
I also have trouble pull starting equipement, It would be great to have an edger that I could start and use without asking my husband to start it for me! This sounds like a piece of equipment that would get a lot of use at my house.

Rebecca said...

I would love to have an edger like this. It would make my spring yard work so much easier. I can't start string pulled equipment, either, Kylee.

~Rebecca
mikereb1998@yahoo.com

Lona said...

Now those new edges of yours look wonderful Kylee. A wonderful little machine. Much handier that the shovel I use. LOL!

Kim said...

I currently use a flat edged spade, but would absolutely LOVE a piece of equipment like this. I feel your pain on string pull start equipment too!

Kim
collins4128 at yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

I would love a to have a tool like this in my gardening arsenal! I currently use a flat edge spade and it is tedious!

Thanks,
Kim
collins4128 at yahoo.com

brit said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
britt(pigbook1@gmail.com) said...

I don't really edge my beds, just weed around the rocks and such.

Gary K. said...

Hi Kylee;

First Happy Birthday!
Second a gift for me on your birthday would be a great thing, I would love to have this Troy-Built Edger. My wife Jenny and I bought our first home three years ago and she has been teaching me to garden and care for all things green. It would be nice to have this tool to give our new flower beds that perfect edged look!
Sign us up!
Thank you.

Alaine88 said...

I'd love to win! My husband would be so happy!
family74014 at gmail dot com

Anonymous said...

It would be great to have this -we don't have an edger so it doesn't look so neat around here!
vickie
vmorgan456 (at) yahoo (dot) com

Unknown said...

We're currently just using blood, sweat & tears to edge. Would LOVE to try this!

Anne Marie said...

We usually do it by shovel. We don't really have true curbs here - just a concrete rain ditch between the street and our property so any edging is done with manual hard labor. This would be a great help and save on the back breaking :D

Joseph said...

Every spring/summer I get out in the yard [3/4 acre] and edge the entire lawn/flowerbeds/garden area only using a 9" half-moon metal edger [w/wood handle], the bottom of my foot and hands. Then bi-weekly leading up to the Fall season I use a gas Troy-Bilt gas weed-eater to keep the edges nice and clean. A Troy-Bilt gas edger would definitely save me time and help to keep the yard maintained and even more beautiful year round.

Laura Coplan said...

I use a half moon edger which takes FOREVER and is my least favorite gardening chore. The overall appearance of our garden would be much improved with consistently clean edges.

Amanda said...

I just edge by beds with a spade, and it takes me forever. Now that I have a 10 month old, I would love to have a way to speed things up!

Michele Pearl said...

I have perenial, herb, & vegetable (organic) gardens. I have always have grass take over my gardens. I would enjoy the Troy-Bilt Edger to keep out the grass and make my beds more attractive.

RobinL said...

We just use our own sweat to edge the gardens, and we hate it! This edger would be a dream come true to us.....

Jan K said...

I edge my beds with a curved edger tool and a flat shovel and lots of muscle! I got about 10 feet this done this summer before I quit. It was like edging concrete!

FootlingMama said...

I didn't even know something like this existed. This is awesome. We use hands and garden shears and it ain't pretty.

Rita said...

Hello! I WISH I had a real edger! I use a round point shovel to scoop a wide border along my herb and flower beds. Then any thing that "jumps the ditch" gets chopped off with a hoe! LOL!
I don't use chemicals in my garden.

gardeningnaturallywithclaudia.blogspot.com said...

Nice tool. Thanks for the review, and be sure to pick my name!! Till next time - have a great evening.

Joyce Grigonis said...

Yes, I am doing all my edging by hand now too using the old fashioned flat bladed tool. Getting too old to do it this way!

Anonymous said...

WE use old bricks but this so much nicer and easier!

Rebecca said...

I took a walk around my gardens today. They could really use an edging. hint hint

~Rebecca
mikereb1998@yahoo.com

John Williams said...

I do all my edging by hand now, getting to old and have back problems so a machine would make things a lot easier.

Have a wonderful day,
John

Anonymous said...

I have never heard of edging the garden but mine sure could have used this thru the summer. I fought creeping grass which was so difficult doing to with a hoe. Our ground is largly clay and has to be loosened up or the water just runs off starving the roots. I need this badly!

SolakNC said...

This would be so beneficial to our garden. We have so many beds without the border 'definition' that a tool like this would give. Our biggest problem is invasive Bermuda grass, so maybe this would help with those deep underground runners. Thanks for the chance, Kylee!

Houston Birthday Flowers said...

I love your clear and direct explanation of using hand tools for lawn care. Excellent!It helps hold the munch into the inside, it helps keeps the grass come out from the outside. So as far as maintain our beds go good edging is one of the most important things.

Joel McAllister said...

I don't have any tools for edging but really need one

Lois Schmucker said...

We have used old bricks!

Lois Schmucker said...

We have used old bricks!

Jan @TWOwomenANDaHOE said...

Way KOOL, Kylee! Happy (upcoming) B'Day! <3

Dave@GrowingTheHomeGarden said...

Neat gadget! I usually use my shovel to create a good edge and line the beds with whatever stone I can find.

Anonymous said...

Would love this edger. I use a weedeater now but hard to get close without damage.
Happy Gardening!

Gail said...

I sure could use this to edge my native plant borders....

Anonymous said...

that would truly be the icing on the edge of my lawn....known as finishing touches.....

























JackieKC said...

I don't do anything special to edge. Just some elbow grease, shovel, and a pruner to cut away the grass.

JackieKC said...

I don't do anything special to edge. Just some elbow grease, shovel, and a pruner to cut away the grass.

Benjamin Vogt said...

I use a shovel to edge. It sucks. Good workout though.

Michele Cagle mbcagle@juno.com said...

I have tried several types of "edging". I love edging with stone, but my garden beds seem to be constantly evolving .... bigger, it seems. I think something like the Troy-Bilt edger would be a great tool to help maintain the edge of my edgeless edging!

plumbing said...

I would love to have an edger like this. I think its better use shovel for edging.

faithplusnothing said...

I would love to win! I need this!
annwwins@yahoo.com

Angie said...

My husband would love this!!!

Angie said...

I would love to win this! Mgoblue260@msn.com

Julie Kroske said...

I struggle with edging every year. This would be a dream come true. With the new flower beds my husband adds every year, this would make edging so much faster, I might have time to weed! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Eric Erland said...

I have a Troy Built Mulching Mower that I have had 17-20 years. Been a good mower.

Anonymous said...

We just use a straight edge shovel! Happy bday Kylee! ;-)

Laura Thomas said...

I edge with a manual edger. It's a slow and laborous process. I'd love a power edger!

Gene Burroughs said...

We have used a variety of edging methods; timbers, landscape edging, stones and trench done with a flat shovel. Would love to have a product like this, ecspecially for edging our driveway and walk.

barbara wise said...

right now I just use a flat shovel. would love to have something that makes this job a lot easier!

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