Trimmers & Edgers
Best cordless lawn edger
This is the one yard tool where the attachment usually beats the dedicated machine, and the runtime figures show why.
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We have not tested these units. Every spec on this page comes from the manufacturer's own documentation and is linked to it. Every computed figure is arithmetic you can redo. Prices are checked daily — last verified January 1, 1970. Here is exactly how we pick.
Quick picks
Ranked on the published specs and the arithmetic below. Tap any row to jump to the full write-up. We have not tested these units -- here is exactly how we pick.
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No photo EGO Power+ 8" Edger Attachment EA0800 The only edger here that publishes a runtime for every pack size in the range -- and it costs a fraction of a dedicated tool. | Best edger if you own an EGO power head | 8.2 | |
| 2 | No photo EGO Power+ 15" POWERLOAD Carbon Fiber ST1521S A lifetime shaft warranty and a head that reloads line at the push of a button -- the two things that actually go wrong with a string trimmer. | Best overall | 8.9 | |
| 3 | No photo Ryobi 40V HP Whisper 17" Carbon Fiber RY402110 67 published minutes and a swath you can dial from 15 to 17 inches -- the only adjustable-swath trimmer here. | Best runtime | 8.6 |
#ad Buy links are affiliate links. Prices come from a live daily check; where we have no verified price we say "check price" rather than print a stale one.
Edging is the job that makes an average lawn look cared for, and it is also the job with the clearest economic answer: if you are on a multi-head platform, buy the attachment. If you are not, do not buy a power head to justify one.
The attachment case, in numbers
EGO publishes something almost nobody does: a runtime for every pack size in the range on a single attachment.
| Pack | Watt-hours | Published runtime | Wh per minute |
|---|---|---|---|
| 56V 4.0Ah | 224Wh | Up to 50 min | 4.5 |
| 56V 5.0Ah | 280Wh | Up to 60 min | 4.7 |
| 56V 7.5Ah | 420Wh | Up to 100 min | 4.2 |
| 56V 10.0Ah | 560Wh | Up to 132 min | 4.2 |
From the EGO EA0800 product page. Watt-hours and per-minute figures are our arithmetic on EGO's published numbers.
The per-minute figure is essentially flat across a 2.5x range of pack sizes, which tells you the edger draws a constant, modest load. That has a practical consequence: on this tool a bigger pack converts almost linearly into more time. Not every tool behaves that way — a mower working near its current limit does not — but a light, steady tool like an edger does.
The specification that actually matters
A depth adjustment you can change without a wrench is the difference between setting it once and setting it correctly for the job in front of you. Edging a maintained boundary and re-cutting one that has grown across a path by two inches are different depths, and you want to change between them in ten seconds.
Edger versus string trimmer on its side
Plenty of people edge with a string trimmer turned vertical. It works, and it is worth being honest about why a real edger is better rather than just asserting it.
| Edger blade | String trimmer on edge | |
|---|---|---|
| Cutting element | Rigid steel blade | Flexible nylon line |
| Depth consistency | Set by a guide wheel | Set by your wrist |
| Line consumption | None | High -- concrete abrades line fast |
| Straightness over distance | Wheel tracks the edge | Freehand |
| Root severing | Cuts through crossing roots | Struggles |
| Cost if on-platform | One attachment | Nothing extra |
If you edge twice a season, the trimmer is fine and you should skip this purchase entirely. If you edge every few weeks and want the line to stay crisp, the blade and guide wheel are doing real work your wrist otherwise has to do.
Notes on the picks
The EA0800 wins on-platform and loses off it
On an EGO power head you already own, this is an inexpensive attachment with the best-documented runtime figures anywhere on this site. Buying a power head plus an attachment purely to edge one driveway is worse value than a standalone tool, and we score it accordingly — 4.0 out of 10 on standalone value, 9.5 on-platform.
The 8-inch blade is also small next to a dedicated wheeled edger. Over a suburban front lawn that does not matter. Over a hundred yards of curb, it would.
The trimmers are here as the honest alternative
The EGO ST1521S and Ryobi RY402110 are on this page because for a lot of readers the correct answer to "which edger" is "the trimmer you already own, turned on its side". Both take 0.095-inch line, which stands up to concrete better than the 0.080-inch gauge does, and the Ryobi's 67-minute runtime means an edging pass costs you nothing you will notice.
Two things that matter more than the tool
- Cut the same line every time. An edge is a boundary you maintain, not one you rediscover. Re-cutting a wandering edge is the work; the tool is incidental.
- Edge before you mow, not after. The mower then picks up what the edger threw onto the lawn, and you skip a clean-up pass with the blower.
The picks in full
Specs are the manufacturer's own and linked to the page they came from. Prices come from a live daily check; where we have no verified price we say so rather than print a stale one.
EGO Power+ 8" Edger Attachment EA0800
EGO · EGO 56V ARC Lithium · Our score 8.2/10
#ad No verified live price right now, so we show none rather than a stale one. How we're funded.
The only edger here that publishes a runtime for every pack size in the range -- and it costs a fraction of a dedicated tool.
Published specs
| Blade | 8 in |
|---|---|
| Edging depth | Up to 3 in, adjustable |
| Guide wheel | Depth adjustment knob |
| Runtime on 4.0Ah | Up to 50 min |
| Runtime on 7.5Ah | Up to 100 min |
| Runtime on 10.0Ah | Up to 132 min |
| Weather rating | IPX4 |
Source: 8" Edger Attachment for Multi-Head System (EA0800), egopowerplus.com
4.0Ah = 224Wh over 50 min = 4.5Wh/min. 7.5Ah = 420Wh over 100 min = 4.2Wh/min. 10.0Ah = 560Wh over 132 min = 4.2Wh/min. The draw is essentially constant, which is why a bigger pack buys proportionally more time -- not always true of higher-draw tools.
What the numbers favor
- Published runtime for four different pack sizes -- almost nobody does this
- 3 in edging depth, adjustable by a knob rather than a tool
- Costs a fraction of a dedicated edger if the power head is already in the garage
- IPX4 rated
What they don't
- Attachment only -- useless without an EGO multi-head power head (PH1400/PH1420)
- 8 in blade is small next to a dedicated wheeled edger
you are not already on EGO. Buying a power head plus an attachment to edge one driveway is more expensive than a standalone tool.
How it scores
Scores are our editorial weighting of the published specs above, not a test result. They are deliberately kept out of this page's structured data.
EGO Power+ 15" POWERLOAD Carbon Fiber ST1521S
EGO · EGO 56V ARC Lithium · Our score 8.9/10
#ad No verified live price right now, so we show none rather than a stale one. How we're funded.
A lifetime shaft warranty and a head that reloads line at the push of a button -- the two things that actually go wrong with a string trimmer.
Published specs
| Cutting swath | 15 in |
|---|---|
| Line | 0.095 in dual-feed spiral twist |
| Head | POWERLOAD automatic winding |
| Shaft | Carbon fiber, split shaft |
| Battery (kit) | 56V 2.5Ah |
| Runtime claim | Up to 30 min on 2.5Ah |
| Charge time | 50 min |
| Warranty | 5-yr tool / 3-yr battery, lifetime shaft |
Source: POWER+ 15" POWERLOAD String Trimmer with Carbon Fiber Shaft, egopowerplus.com
56V x 2.5Ah = 140Wh. 30 minutes of published runtime from 140Wh is about 4.7Wh per minute -- roughly a quarter of what a blower on turbo burns.
What the numbers favor
- Lifetime warranty on the carbon fiber shaft, published
- POWERLOAD winds the line for you -- the job everyone hates
- 0.095 in line, the heavier of the two common home gauges
- Split shaft, so it takes EGO's multi-head attachments
What they don't
- Ships with the small 2.5Ah pack; 30 minutes is a modest published runtime
- EGO does not publish a weight for this configuration
you only edge a short driveway. An 8 in edger attachment on a power head you already own does that job better and costs a fraction.
How it scores
Scores are our editorial weighting of the published specs above, not a test result. They are deliberately kept out of this page's structured data.
Ryobi 40V HP Whisper 17" Carbon Fiber RY402110
Ryobi · Ryobi 40V · Our score 8.6/10
#ad No verified live price right now, so we show none rather than a stale one. How we're funded.
67 published minutes and a swath you can dial from 15 to 17 inches -- the only adjustable-swath trimmer here.
Published specs
| Cutting swath | Adjustable 15-17 in |
|---|---|
| Line | 0.095 in bump feed |
| Shaft | Carbon fiber |
| Battery (kit) | 40V 6.0Ah |
| Runtime claim | Up to 67 min |
| Weight | 8.8 lb bare / 12.9 lb with 6.0Ah |
| Length | 72.25 in |
Source: 40V HP Brushless 17" String Trimmer (RY402110), ryobitools.com
40V x 6.0Ah = 240Wh. 67 minutes from 240Wh is about 3.6Wh per minute -- the most efficient published figure of the three trimmers here.
What the numbers favor
- 67 minutes published, more than double the EGO kit's 30
- Swath adjusts 15-17 in, so tight borders and open verge get the same tool
- Best published watt-hours per minute of the trimmers on this page
- Whisper Series noise engineering, same line as the 57 dB blower
What they don't
- 12.9 lb with the 6.0Ah pack fitted -- the heaviest trimmer here, and it is held at arm's length
- Ryobi publishes no noise figure for this specific model
- Bump feed, not an automatic reload head
you have wrist or shoulder trouble. 12.9 lb on the end of a 72 in shaft is a lot of leverage, whatever the runtime says.
How it scores
Scores are our editorial weighting of the published specs above, not a test result. They are deliberately kept out of this page's structured data.
Common questions
What is the best cordless lawn edger?
Can I edge a lawn with a string trimmer instead?
How deep should a lawn edger cut?
How long does a cordless edger run?
Is an edger attachment as good as a dedicated edger?
Sources
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