Can Weed Trimmers With Wheels Also Be Used to Edge?

Trimmer Basics

• Weed trimmers, also called string trimmers or weed whackers, are the ideal tools to use for cutting down grass, weeds or other vegetation growing in places that are hard to reach with a mower. Trimmers have a series of strings shooting out from a central point, and the strings do the cutting. Weed trimmers that come without a wheel allow for more free motion. The ones with a wheel may be easier to operate, however, because part of the machine can rest on the ground as you cut.

Edger Basics

• The wheels make your trimmer similar to an edger, which also has wheels. Edgers cut a sharp, defined edge in grass or other vegetation, using a series of hard tines that cut deeper into the vegetation than trimmers. Edgers can be ideal for small yards where detail is important, or for areas that have very defined spaces, since they'll create that strong "line" between the two spaces. When using a trimmer for an edging job, the main difference is the depth of the cutting. Trimmers won't cut as deeply into the vegetation.

Multiple Zones

• If you have a yard or an area with two or more defined layouts, such as a patch of grass adjacent to a flower bed, you'll need to exercise caution when using your weed trimmer. Using an edger would help you manage your cuts and to focus only on the grass, while the edger's edge guard would help protect the flowers in the adjacent garden bed. If you're going to use your weed trimmer in this area, try to follow the 2-inch rule -- aim to keep the end of your trimmer's string about 2 inches from the flowers or other vegetation you don't want to cut.

Against Hard Surfaces

• The trimmer may not be ideal when working between two vegetative zones, but it will do just fine when you're working against hardscaping. For example, it would work well to cut grass that's adjacent to a sidewalk, where some people might otherwise opt to use an edger. Having a wheel on your trimmer will allow you to hold the machine steady, so it might be possible to create a straighter cut or "line" than you might cut with a weed trimmer that doesn't have wheels.