Electrical edgers are also a budget-friendly option. You can find them at hardware stores or home-improvement stores, and they typically cost as little as $30–40 USD.

Gas edgers come with either 2- or 4-cylinder motors; the larger 4-cylinder motors run cleaner than the smaller engines but weigh more and are more pricey. You can find gas edgers at hardware stores for around $150–180 USD.

Manual edgers are the cheapest, since they have no motor and require no fuel. You can find manual edgers at home-improvement or hardware stores for around $20 USD. You’ll get quite a workout using a manual edger, too, which could be a positive or negative thing depending on the region you live in and the season in which you’re edging the lawn.

Keep in mind that wheeled edgers only work on flat ground. If you have a sloped or rolling backyard, avoid using a walk-behind edger. These large edgers can cost as much as $400 USD. If the large price tag deters you, consider renting one from your local hardware or landscape-supply store.

Also wear protective goggles or eyewear, to keep your eyes safe from any flying debris the edger may kick up. If you don’t already have a pair of protective goggles or ear plugs, purchase them at a local hardware store.

Cleaning up the edges after you mow also gives you the opportunity to trim any patchy spots you may have missed while mowing.

Marking out the path will help keep you on track while you cut trim the edges. Once you’ve edged the lawn 3 or 4 times and have gotten some experience, you won’t need to mark the path.

If you’re edging along a well-manicured yard, there probably won’t be stray rocks. However, there could be rocks if you’re trimming near a sidewalk or vegetable patch. Also make sure you aren’t going to be digging where there are power or water lines or where there needs to be manhole access to sewer pipes.

This is where your marking will come in handy. Follow the guide closely and you’ll cut right along the edge of the lawn!

Then, pick up the blade and move it a few inches, and make your next incision.

It’s important to walk slowly, especially the first few times you use a lawn edger. The faster you walk, the more likely you are to inadvertently wobble or go off course.

Most motorized lawn edging tools will have a knob or switch you can adjust to change the depth to which the blade cuts. If you’re using a manual edger, of course, you can cut deeper than this. There’s not much reason to dig a deeper line, though; you’re only trying to clear grass away from the edge of the yard, not dig a trench.

If you’re edging through heavy brush or undergrowth, you could use a strong rake to clear a lot of debris off at once.

If you don’t have a pair of hand shears, you could also use an electric weed whacker or lawn trimmer.