The Corona EdgeMASTER is a sturdy yet light-weight tool specifically designed to help garden enthusiasts make quick and tidy cuts around garden beds or between yards and sidewalks or driveways. The long-handled tool has a Corona ComfortGEL grip, grooved footrests and a carbon steel blade.
Requirements
Weight: Just over 4 pounds
Length: 40 inches from the top of the handle to the bottom center of the blade
Blade Size: The 5.8-inch blade (top to bottom) determines about 7.5 inches across and tapers somewhat toward the bottom
Blade Material: High carbon steel
Footrest: Heavily grooved surface area
Manage Size: 14 inches across
Handle Material: ComfortGEL padding
Special Features: Corona says the blade is self-sharpening, but if required it can be honed without voiding the service warranty
Evaluating the EdgeMASTER
I took the EdgeMASTER out to a location along our front driveway where the yard grows heavily and the specific blades of lawn likewise are thicker than lots of types. I initially had difficulty getting the lawn edger blade into compacted and weedy locations, which I associated to the thickness and dullness of the lawn edger blade.
I also tested the EdgeMASTER versus plastic edging and fencing in our veggie garden where the tool easily cut through weeds and roots and I had the ability to insert it into the ground right up against the vertical surfaces.
About the Footrest
The footrest is large enough to be able to position a great deal of weight on it and the grooved surface area prevents slipping (Corona calls this a “double-traction footplate”). You can use either side of the footplate that fits your design and rock the blade from side to side for equal cutting. It’s simple to switch backward and forward between feet to push on either side.
You likewise can rock the blade forward and backwards for leverage to cut through turf or roots. This worked well for me; I had the ability to make a thin and straight border where the grass utilized to run over the driveway.
The density of the steel blade made it feel really strong; I wasn’t stressed over rocking the tool in either direction and bending the blade (unlike some other edgers I’ve attempted). The Corona EdgeMASTER holds up to a lot of pressure.
A Second Test
I took the EdgeMASTER to my child’s new home for her to check it further in some areas that hadn’t yet been mowed or cut. The tool was lightweight and easy to place in my automobile, by the method.
She tried the EdgeMASTER on Bermuda lawn growing in the tight space between a sidewalk and fence, where it carried out perfectly.
Then she moved to a location where the lawn had actually overgrown the pathway. Her partner had actually utilized hand shears to cut the lawn off a part of the sidewalk a few days before. She had a simple time pressing the lawn edger down with one foot and rocking it to make a clean edge. Completion result looked a lot better than the area that had been trimmed with hand shears.
About the EdgeMASTER Blade
The blade on the Corona EdgeMASTER looks rather various from your typical edger. It has a ridged surface area (instead of the typical flat surface), is “self-sharpening” (I’m not quite sure what that suggests), and is nearly square with a pointed end (instead of the half-moon shape I’m used to seeing).
It’s made from heat-treated, high carbon steel that need to last a very long time, and I found it easy to wipe tidy after usage. I advise cleaning (or at least drying) it after every use to prevent rusting.
Although it’s tough and can take a great deal of weight and rocking backward and forward, I had two problems with the blade: 1) it wasn’t sharp adequate to easily cut through tough surfaces and 2) the thickness of the blade (plus the ribbed surface) made it a little harder to place into tight areas. The “self-sharpening” function didn’t appear to make the blade sharper with continued usage. I would sharpen it prior to utilizing it (you can discover the best honing tools for the task on our Best Sharpeners page).
Comparing the EdgeMASTER
I’ve utilized long-handled lawn edgers with curved blades in the past but the blades were thinner on those tools. As a result, I had some issues about the density and nearly square design of the Corona EdgeMASTER blade and how well it would permeate thick sod, compacted soil and roots.
To evaluate the distinction, I discovered an old standard lawn edger and attempted it in the very same location where I evaluated the EdgeMASTER. Yes, when appropriately honed, this thin-bladed model made a little cleaner cuts, more easily sliced through typical turf surfaces and fit into narrower spaces. However when I attempted the thinner blade in the exact same hard conditions where I tested the EdgeMASTER, it did not noticeably exceed the Corona edger. Plus, the basic curved blade felt like it could flex if somebody strong actually required it. What’s more, the old standard lawn edger has a wooden deal with, which is not as comfy as the ComfortGEL manages and might snap.
My takeaway is that the Corona EdgeMASTER is finest in difficult edging situations, while the traditional tool worked much better in more typical conditions. I have self-confidence that I can stomp or jump on the EdgeMASTER’s footrest, shove the tool backward and forward to wedge it into tight spaces and basically do whatever’s necessary to get a tidy edge. Those are things I would not finish with a basic edger.
Warranty
As with all Corona tools, the EdgeMASTER comes with a minimal lifetime warranty against defects in products or craftsmanship.
Suggestion
The Corona EdgeMASTER is lightweight yet strong enough to take a great deal of abuse, making it an excellent option for edging in hard conditions, such as in compacted soil, heavily matted grass and through thick roots. The ComfortGEL deal with makes it easier on your hands than models without the extra cushioning, and the highly ridged footrest offers you a safe and secure footing when putting your weight on it. The tool can be rocked backward and forward without any issue about flexing or snapping the blade, shaft or deal with.
The blade would take advantage of honing before use and the “self-sharpening” function does not appear to make the tool any sharper with continued usage.
Overall, if you require a tough tool for a hard edging task, the EdgeMASTER is a good alternative. For edging under less challenging conditions, a more standard edging tool, such as the Radius PRO Edger, may be a better choice.