I have had my STIHL stick edger for a couple of years now, bought it because of my need for a edger that could cut massively overgrown concrete path edges, the ones that haven't been cut for a couple of years and the grass has grown over the edge of the path nearly a foot and is 2" - 3" thick or more, and earth has accumulated under it and the grass is going to take over the world! Oh sorry, getting a little carried away there, or am I ? When you come across these nasty edges you need a mighty tool to tackle them, otherwise you will have to spend literally hours sweating away, cutting them back with a spade.
This STIHL 2 stroke machine will do the job admirably in a very short time, it's strong metal cutter blade makes short work of the nastiest edges and leaves a clean and easily maintained edge.
The blades (about $5) last, if you don't hit the concrete whilst doing the edge, which you will, but after a little practice you will get the hang of it, and clean edge will result. Spanners a provided with the machine to change the blade, which takes only a minute or so.
Being a 2 stroke means making oil/fuel mixture, very simple these days with the little measuring bottles attached to the larger bottles of 2 stroke oil, just squeeze the larger bottle until the smaller bottle fills and you have the correct amount of oil, no calculations necessary.
Ear muffs and eye protection are a must have for these tools, and a good idea is an ear muff and face mask combination. Whilst on the safety trail, the blade of this tool is exposed and would result in serious injury if it contacted the body, be very careful. Don't be alarmed though, this tool is safe if used for it's intended purpose.
2 strokes have a deserved reputation for smelly fumes but on the positive side they are virtually maintenance free, no sump oil to check, just clean the air cleaner occasionally and that's it. One problem you can run into is using too much oil in the fuel mixture which gums up the engine and muffler and makes for hard starting.
This tool is trouble free, and for me, being a contract gardener is a must have piece of gear that will save a lot of time which always results in a better bottom line.
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