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Corona EdgeMASTER Lawn & Garden Edger (LG 3684): Product Review

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GPR RECOMMENDATION

Ease of Use:
Quality:
Performance:
Final Thoughts

A sturdy edger with comfortable footrests and handle to tackle your toughest edging.

Overall Score 4

Available on Amazon

Buy It

The Corona EdgeMASTER is a sturdy yet lightweight tool specially designed to help gardeners make quick and clean cuts around garden beds or between lawns and walkways or driveways. The long-handled tool has a Corona ComfortGEL grip, grooved footrests and a carbon steel blade.

corona edgemaster handle

The Corona EdgeMASTER works for most sizes and comes with a ComfortGEL grip.

Specifications

  • Weight: Just over 4 lbs
  • 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) measures about 7.5 inches across and tapers slightly toward the bottom center
  • Blade Material: High carbon steel
  • Footrest: Heavily grooved surface
  • Handle Size: 14 inches across
  • Handle Material: ComfortGEL padding
  • Special Features: Corona says the blade is self-sharpening, but if needed it can be sharpened without voiding the warranty
corona edgemaster blade end and footrest

The blade end, with the blade below a ribbed footrest.

Testing the EdgeMASTER

I took the EdgeMASTER out to an area along our front driveway where the grass grows thickly and the individual blades of grass also are thicker than many types. I initially had trouble getting the edger blade into compacted and weedy areas, which I attributed to the thickness and dullness of the edger blade. However, with a little extra weight on the footrest, the blade readily slipped into the soil. It was easy to get the blade close to the concrete to make a clean edge along the driveway.

I also tested the EdgeMASTER against plastic edging and fencing in our vegetable garden where the tool easily cut through weeds and roots and I was able to insert it into the ground right up against the vertical surfaces.

About the Footrest

The footrest is large enough to be able to place a lot of weight on it and the grooved surface prevents slipping (Corona calls this a “double-traction footplate”). You can use either side of the footplate that suits your style and rock the blade from side to side for equal cutting. It’s easy to switch back and forth between feet to push on either side.

corona edgemaster used at driveway's edge

Stepping on the edger pressed it down against the driveway’s edge.

You also can rock the blade forward and backward for leverage to cut through turf or roots. This worked well for me; I was able to make a thin and straight border where the grass used to run over the driveway.

The thickness of the steel blade made it feel really strong; I wasn’t worried about rocking the tool in either direction and bending the blade (unlike some other edgers I’ve tried). The Corona EdgeMASTER holds up to a lot of pressure.

corona edgemaster removing grass roots

Rocking or leveraging the blade up helped remove the grass roots.

A Second Test

I took the EdgeMASTER to my daughter’s new home for her to test it further in some areas that hadn’t yet been mowed or trimmed. The tool was lightweight and easy to place in my car, by the way.

corona edgemaster tight space

Bermuda grass had grown in the space between a sidewalk and a fence (left) but was easily removed with the EdgeMASTER (right)

corona edgemaster fit small space

The EdgeMASTER (and her foot) fit in the tiny spot between sidewalk and fence.

She tried out the EdgeMASTER on Bermuda grass growing in the tight space between a sidewalk and fence, where it performed beautifully.

Then she moved to an area where the grass had overgrown the sidewalk. Her husband had used hand shears to trim the grass off a part of the sidewalk a few days before. She had an easy time pushing the edger down with one foot and rocking it to make a clean edge. The end result looked a lot nicer than the area that had been trimmed with hand shears.

Corona edgemaster before and after

Before shot: Thick grass is grown over the walkway. After: Using the edger leaves a nice border.

About the EdgeMASTER Blade

The blade on the Corona EdgeMASTER looks quite different from your typical edger. It has a ridged surface (rather than the usual flat surface), is “self-sharpening” (I’m not quite sure what that means), and is almost square with a pointed end (rather than the half-moon shape I’m used to seeing).

It’s made of heat-treated, high carbon steel that should last a long time, and I found it easy to wipe clean after use. I recommend cleaning (or at least drying) it after every use to prevent rusting.

Although it’s tough and can take a lot of weight and rocking back and forth, I had two issues with the blade: 1) it wasn’t sharp enough to easily cut through tough surfaces and 2) the thickness of the blade (plus the ribbed surface) made it a little harder to insert into tight spaces. The “self-sharpening” feature didn’t seem to make the blade sharper with continued use. I would sharpen it before using it (you can find the best sharpening tools for the job on our Best Sharpeners page).

corona edgemaster steel blade

The carbon steel blade of the Corona EdgeMASTER

Comparing the EdgeMASTER

I’ve used long-handled edgers with curved blades in the past but the blades were thinner on those tools. As a result, I had some concerns about the thickness and nearly square design of the Corona EdgeMASTER blade and how well it would penetrate thick sod, compacted soil and roots.

To test the difference, I found an old standard edger and tried it in the same area where I tested the EdgeMASTER. Yes, when properly sharpened, this thin-bladed model made slightly cleaner cuts, more easily sliced through typical grass surfaces and fit into narrower spaces. But when I tried the thinner blade in the same tough conditions where I tested the EdgeMASTER, it did not noticeably outperform the Corona edger. Plus, the standard curved blade felt like it could bend if someone strong really forced it. What’s more, the old standard edger has a wooden handle, which is not as comfortable as the ComfortGEL handles and could snap.

My takeaway is that the Corona EdgeMASTER is best in difficult edging situations, while the traditional tool worked better in more typical conditions. I have confidence that I can stomp or jump on the EdgeMASTER’s footrest, shove the tool back and forth to wedge it into tight spaces and basically do whatever’s necessary to get a clean edge. Those are things I wouldn’t do with a standard edger.

Warranty

As with all Corona tools, the EdgeMASTER comes with a limited lifetime warranty against defects in materials or workmanship.

Recommendation

The Corona EdgeMASTER is lightweight yet strong enough to take a lot of abuse, making it a good choice for edging in tough conditions, such as in compacted soil, heavily matted turf and through thick roots. The ComfortGEL handle makes it easier on your hands than models without the extra cushioning, and the highly ridged footrest gives you a secure footing when putting your weight on it. The tool can be rocked back and forth without any concern about bending or snapping the blade, shaft or handle.

The blade would benefit from sharpening before use and the “self-sharpening” feature doesn’t seem to make the tool any sharper with continued use.

Overall, if you need a sturdy tool for a tough edging job, the EdgeMASTER is a good option. For edging under less difficult conditions, a more traditional edging tool, such as the Radius PRO Edger, might be a better choice.

Where to Buy

The EdgeMASTER (LG 3684) is available on Amazon. It is also available on the Corona website where it currently retails for around $43 (plus shipping). You may also be able to find it at some of the big box stores, such as Lowe’s.

Corona LG 3684 Edge Master
The Corona EdgeMASTER is lightweight yet strong enough to take a lot of abuse, making it a good choice for edging in tough conditions, such as in compacted soil, heavily matted turf and through thick roots.

Last update on 2024-03-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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Disclaimer – GPReview would like to thank Corona for giving us a free sample to review. There was no expectation that it would be a positive review and we received no compensation for writing it. All opinions expressed here are those of the author based on personal experience using the product.

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