How to Edge a Lawn With a String Trimmer: Steps and Checks

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Updated 20 October 2026 | Author: Ken, bestelectriclawnmower.org

If you are asking how to edge lawn with string trimmer, the short answer is to set the head for edging, clear the edge, keep the guard on and control the line as you go. The steps below follow that order. Each one is tied either to what a listing states about its trimmer or to a safety guide we opened, and we do not add technique that neither a listing nor a guide supports. The seven cordless trimmers in our catalog record for this keyword appear at the end, with the edging method, cut width and battery notes that each listing gives.

Quick answer

• Set the head for edging first. The listings use three methods: a head that turns 90 degrees, a wheel that guides the edge, or a conversion into an edger.
• Clear debris and check the guard and string guide before you start. The Texas A&M guide puts debris removal first, and the Virginia Tech guide says not to remove protective guards.
• Keep the head below waist level and keep bystanders, children and pets outside a 50-foot radius, as the Virginia Tech guide recommends.
• None of the seven listings includes a battery. Match the battery platform before you buy, and take old lithium-ion batteries to a recycling point, not the trash.

What you need before you start

None of the seven listings in this set puts a battery or a charger in the box. Each one names a battery platform or a battery model, so the first purchase decision is the battery you already own. For another brand’s string and spool questions, see our Ryobi One+ weed eater string post. For a different cordless weed eater, see our Black and Decker cordless weed eater post.

Listing	Battery platform named	Battery in the box
DEWALT DCST970B	60V MAX FlexVolt	No, listed as a bare tool
SHOHO trimmer	Milwaukee M18	No
MtiolHig 3-in-1	Makita 18V	No, not included
Elegarden trimmer	18V models BL1820, BL1830, BL1840, BL1850 and BL1860	No, not included
HEINPRO trimmer	DeWalt 20V MAX	No
Houselife trimmer	DEWALT 20V MAX	No, tool only
WORX WG163.9	Worx 20V, PowerShare	No, not included

Beyond the battery, the guides point to a short list of items. The Texas A&M guide recommends long pants, long sleeves, gloves, hard boots, goggles or safety glasses, and ear plugs. The Virginia Tech guide recommends eye and ear protection whenever you run powered hand tools. Several listings name a line count and some do not, so check the count on the listing before you buy.

Step 1: Choose the edging method your trimmer uses

The listings describe three ways to get a trimmer to edge a walkway. The first is a head that turns. The HEINPRO listing says you can rotate the cutting head 90 degrees to switch to a wheeled edger, and the Elegarden listing describes a 0 to 90 degree pivoting head that works as a lawn edger. The second is a wheel that guides the edge. The SHOHO listing describes an upright wheeled edger, and the WORX listing says its rubberized twin wheel set supports and guides the edger. The third is a conversion. The MtiolHig and Houselife listings both describe edging as one of their modes.

The DEWALT listing calls its unit an edger/trimmer in one bullet, but it does not name a wheel, a head turn or an edging mode. If you want to edge with a wheel or a head turn, the DEWALT listing does not confirm that either one is part of the tool. Decide which method you want before you choose a unit, and then read the listing’s wording for that method.

Step 2: Clear the edge and check the line

Before you start, walk the edge and remove anything that could become a projectile. The Texas A&M guide names glass, limbs, rocks and trash as items to remove before you trim. The Virginia Tech guide makes the same point with a different emphasis: string trimmers can throw stones, sticks and other objects at high speed. Clearing the edge first is the first step the guides name.

The Texas A&M guide also warns about exposed electrical wires, communication lines and extension cords that the trimmer string could damage. Look along the edge for any of those before you start the run. For an electric unit, inspect the cord for cuts, nicks and scrapes, and replace a damaged cord right away.

Check the line length periodically. The Virginia Tech guide says automatic-feed and bump-feed trimmers can release more string than needed, which increases the chance the string strikes the operator. Do not remove the protective guard or the string guide to get a closer edge.

Step 3: Set the head for edging

Each listing gives a different setup, and this guide does not supply step-by-step conversion instructions that the listings do not give. The figures the listings do state are useful for choosing. The HEINPRO listing says the cutting head rotates 90 degrees and has a 5-position cutting angle adjustment. The Elegarden listing says its head pivots from 0 to 90 degrees and its auxiliary handle turns 180 degrees. The SHOHO listing says its cutting head tilts from 0 to 90 degrees and its handle adjusts through 180 degrees. The Houselife listing says its 16-inch cut can be reduced to 14 or 12 inches, which it links to precise edging around flower beds and fences.

The WORX listing says the trimmer converts to an edger in seconds and that its 90-degree tilting shaft orients the head for sloped and hard-to-reach areas. The MtiolHig listing says its 75-degree tilting head reaches slopes and says it converts to edge sidewalks. Choose the setup that matches the method you picked in Step 1.

Step 4: Start the trimmer and hold your position

Start with the guard in place. The Virginia Tech guide says to maintain balance and firm footing, to keep the string head below waist level and to avoid over-reaching.

Several listings describe a safety feature at the start. The HEINPRO listing names dual safety switches for secure operation, and the Houselife listing describes a dual safety switch that prevents accidental start-ups.

Keep everyone else away. The Virginia Tech guide uses a 50-foot radius as the example for bystanders, children and pets, and the Texas A&M guide says to make sure all children and bystanders are out of the way before you begin trimming. Set that boundary before you start, not after you see someone walk into the path.

Step 5: Edge a run and manage the line

Line feed differs by listing, and it matters for an edge. The HEINPRO listing describes a dual-action system: each trigger press releases about 0.5 inch of line automatically, and a button on the head lets you pull out a chosen length by hand. The SHOHO listing describes automatic feed that releases about 0.4 inch each time the trimmer starts, provided enough line remains. The Houselife listing describes a dual-line bump feed with 0.08-inch line on both ends, but it does not describe how the bump feed is triggered, so do not assume the method from another brand. The WORX listing names a Command Feed spool system for instant line feeding.

Line counts are in the listings too, and they are worth reading before you buy. The HEINPRO listing gives six pre-wound spools of 0.055-inch line, each 16.5 feet long. Six times 16.5 equals 99 feet of line in the box. The SHOHO listing names eight spare spools. The MtiolHig listing names 18 extra lines of 0.11 inch. The DEWALT listing gives one Quick Load spool of 0.08-inch dual line installed, and the other listings do not state a count in the data we used.

The feed amounts are small but they add up. At about 0.4 inch per start, ten starts would release about 4 inches of line. The Virginia Tech guide’s point that feed systems can release more string than expected is one reason it tells you to check the string length.

Step 6: Stop, remove the battery and store it

When the run is done, stop the trimmer and inspect the line before you do anything else. The Virginia Tech guide says to unplug an electric trimmer before inspecting, repairing or maintaining it. A cordless unit has no plug, so the equivalent step is to remove the battery before you change the line or clean the head. The extension guides do not address cordless units directly, so treat that step as general practice.

Battery disposal is the last step. The U.S. EPA guidance on used lithium-ion batteries says these batteries should not go in household trash or recycling bins, and that they should go to a separate recycling or household hazardous waste collection point. EPA recommends taping the terminals and placing each battery in its own plastic bag to prevent fires, and it notes that even a used battery can have enough energy to injure or start a fire. EPA names Earth 911 and Call2Recycle as ways to find a recycler.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Running the trimmer with the guard or the string guide removed. The Virginia Tech and Texas A&M guides both say not to remove them.
• Reaching above the level of your waist or stretching past your balance, which the Virginia Tech guide warns against.
• Starting the trimmer while children, pets or bystanders are inside the work area. The guides place the boundary at 50 feet for the Virginia Tech example.
• Using an electric trimmer with a damaged cord or in wet conditions. The Texas A&M guide says not to operate electric trimmers around puddles or when conditions are wet.
• Assuming a battery fits because the platform name looks similar. The Elegarden listing says to verify the battery model before you buy.
• Assuming the DEWALT unit edges with a wheel. Its listing names no wheel or head turn for edging.

The numbers that matter for edging

Three figures from the listings are worth comparing before you choose. The first is cut width. The Houselife listing gives a 16-inch cut, and 16 divided by 12 is about 1.33, so its full cut is roughly a third wider than the 12-inch cut that most of the other listings state. The second is weight. The DEWALT listing gives 12 pounds and the Elegarden listing gives 3.8 pounds, and 12 minus 3.8 equals 8.2 pounds, which is the gap in weight you would carry along the whole run. The third is line. The SHOHO listing’s 0.4 inch per start and the HEINPRO listing’s six spools of 16.5 feet are the two line figures you can compare directly.

Those three figures tell you how much you can cover in one pass, how much weight you will carry along the edge, and how much line you can expect before a refill. They do not tell you how clean the edge will look. None of the listings reports that result.

The seven trimmers in this guide

Each card below gives the edging method the listing states, the figures it gives, and a skip-if condition. Each affiliate link goes to the listing itself.

How we chose

We started from the seven listings in the catalog record for this keyword and used that record as it stood on 20 October 2026. We did not add trimmers to the set, and we did not drop any from it. We did not use price, availability or customer feedback data when choosing.

Each trimmer was checked for three points that its listing states: it is a cordless string trimmer, it names a battery platform or a battery model, and it gives an edging method or a figure that bears on edging, such as a head angle or a cut width. All seven meet the first two points. Six also describe how they edge, through a head angle, a wheel, a conversion or a width adjustment. The DEWALT listing names an edger/trimmer with a 15-inch cut but does not describe how it edges, so it is included and marked as the weakest fit for edging.

Each card uses its own listing’s wording for the edging method, and the pros and cons come from that listing. Where a listing gives two figures for the same spec, the card reports both. The MtiolHig card shows the clearest case.

Edging features and figures from each listing

Listing	Edging method stated	Cut width	Weight	Warranty stated
DEWALT DCST970B	edger/trimmer named, no method given	15 in	12 lb	3 years
HEINPRO trimmer	head rotates 90 degrees to a wheeled edger	12 in	4.2 lb	not stated
SHOHO trimmer	upright wheeled edger, head tilts 0 to 90 degrees	12 in	not stated	1 year
MtiolHig 3-in-1	converts to edge sidewalks, 75-degree tilting head	12 in in specifications, 11 in in a bullet	6 lb in specifications, 5.5 lb in a bullet	not stated
Elegarden trimmer	0 to 90 degree pivoting head, lawn edger mode	12 in	3.8 lb	not stated
Houselife trimmer	cut adjusts to 14 or 12 inches for edging	16 in, adjustable	not stated	not stated
WORX WG163.9	converts to edger in seconds, twin wheel set	12 in	4.6 lb	not stated

What we could not verify

• Runtime. Only the MtiolHig listing gives a runtime range, 30 to 55 minutes with a 4 Ah or larger battery. The other listings give no runtime in minutes, so this guide cannot compare how long each battery lasts while you edge.
• Edge quality. None of the listings reports the finished edge, so we cannot say which method gives the cleanest line along a walkway.
• Durability and motor life. The listings use phrases such as brushless and heavy-duty, but they give no wear or life data, so this guide does not rank durability.
• Edging method for the DEWALT unit. Its listing names no wheel and no head turn, so the method it would use for edging is not known from the listing.
• MtiolHig. Its specification table and its bullets disagree on motor speed, on weight and on cut width. This guide reports both figures and does not choose one.
• Warranty. Two listings state a term: DEWALT says three years and SHOHO says one year. The other five do not state one in the data we used.
• Noise and vibration. None of the listings in this set states a noise level or a vibration figure.
• Walking speed. The listings give no walking speed or time per foot, so this guide gives none.

FAQ

Can a string trimmer edge a lawn as well as a dedicated edger?

The listings in this set do not compare a string edge with a dedicated edger, so this guide does not rank the two. The Virginia Tech guide notes that metal-blade edgers have their own hazards, including cutting through underground objects, splintering concrete and causing sparks. The seven listings here are string units, so that hazard is different from the one for a metal-blade edger.

Do I need a wheel to edge a lawn with a string trimmer?

No. The listings describe three methods, and only some use a wheel. The SHOHO listing describes an upright wheeled edger, and the WORX listing says its twin wheel set guides the edger. The HEINPRO listing describes a wheeled edger reached by a 90-degree head turn. The Elegarden listing describes a pivoting head instead.

Should I take off the guard to get a cleaner edge?

No. The Virginia Tech and Texas A&M guides both say not to remove protective guards or string guides. A guard that is in the way is a reason to adjust the setup, not to remove the guard.

How much line comes in the box?

It depends on the listing. The HEINPRO listing gives six spools of 16.5 feet each, which is 99 feet in total. The SHOHO listing names eight spare spools, and the MtiolHig listing names 18 extra lines of 0.11 inch. The DEWALT listing names one spool installed, and the other listings do not give a line count in the data we used.

How should I dispose of an old lithium-ion trimmer battery?

Do not put it in household trash or recycling bins. Take it to a separate recycling point or a household hazardous waste collection location. Tape the terminals, put the battery in its own plastic bag, and use a recycler finder such as Earth 911 or Call2Recycle to locate a drop-off point.

Bottom line

Set the head for the edging method you want, clear the edge, keep the guard on and watch the line. Check the battery platform before you buy, and treat old batteries as hazardous waste.

Sources

• Virginia Tech Extension, Powered Hand Tools Safety: Lawn Care Training Guide: throw hazard, eye and ear protection, bystander distance, feed and cord guidance
• Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Lawn Maintenance Safety: trimmer debris, cord inspection, wet conditions and unplugging before a line change
• U.S. EPA, Used Lithium-Ion Batteries: disposal, terminal taping, separate bags and fire risk
• University of Florida IFAS Extension, Lawn Mower Care and Safety: eye and ear protection, cited as a general lawn tool point