Are you speaking of a three-wheel gas edger from the 70s? OR! A straight shaft hard blade trimmer on one wheel? I thought I was the only one with gas powered equipment from the 80s. I have had a straight shaft trimmer since the late 80s and never thought it could be so versatile, easy to use and store. It was given to me with a problem. It solved my problem after I solved the problem of it needing a carb kit and fuel maintenance. I have not been able to master the gas vs electric string trimmers w/o breaking the lines 8-10 on my small yard. The powerful Green Machine with the straight shaft and hard blade saved me. loger

I have a Mantis with the edger attachment and it has worked fine for me.

BTW I also have the crevice cleaner attachment that I use on my patio

I'm partial to a wheeled edger. Grew up in California with a series of Power Trim, McLane, and King O'Lawn machines. Never heard of Little Wonder until I moved to Jersey.

The two best in my opinion are the Power Trim and the Little Wonder. They range from pro-sumer quality in the $500 range to models for professional gardeners up $800 or more. For your use a Little Wonder 6002 or a Power Trim 200 or 200-4 are probably best. Both retail for about $500 to $550 and if you shop can be had for $450 to $475. Both are fitted with Briggs 3.5hp engines, and if serviced regularly the engine will last a lifetime. Edger service is much easier on an engine that mower usage. Edger engine also sees much fewer hours than a mower. Key is regular oil and filer changes.

A step down, but still a credible machine is the McLane. I recommend the 101 or the 801. Both have four wheels and come with Briggs 3.5hp. List price is about $425 although they are often flogged on the internet for about $300 - $325. Pretty good machine for home use, and again Briggs is good in this application. Downsides are plastic wheels and generally less robust construction.

Whatever you do avoid the McLane 137. It only has three wheels, and the front wheel is fixed. For less than $10 less at list price, it is not a good value proposition.

I currently use a Little Wonder 6232 Commerical with the Honda. I got a good deal second hand (paid less than $350) and love the edger. However, I could not justify the expense of the Honda if I were buying new ($850 - $900).

If you need to go cheaper than $300, a stick edger or string trimmer may be what you need. I don't think they edge as well, and are more tiring, but that's the trade-off.

For edging along concrete I like the stick edgers. For me they're faster than the larger wheeled units. If the edges are done on a routine basis the sticks have plenty of power but getting the edge established on a neglected lawn will be a chore. I have a Tanaka but I don't think there is a whale of a lot of difference between the better manufacturers (Echo, Stihl, Shindaiwa, Kawasaki and others). Check which dealers are around you as they will most likely be your source for repairs.

I've also looked at the stick edgers and Stihl have a few nice ones and I like Stihl products. Seeing my edging i done and I keep up with it a stick edger may be the way to go. Any other brands I should look at? I have a Echo line trimer that has always been there when I needed it. Also with a stick edger I can easily do the landscaped beds as they are filled in with bark and I usually do that edging by hand with a flat blade shovel but a stick would be faster and easier on my aging body. Any ideas would be helpful.