Lawn edging. Are newer tools really better?

Inspired to _start_ taking care of my concrete drive, especially after dropping a grand into it for pad lifting, I figured it's time to buy a lawn edger and fight back the encroaching lawn. What could be easier? Plug it in, pull the trigger and push it along side the edge of the concrete. Well, maybe not. At least not on my unkempt lawn. For starters, I couldn't find the edge of the concrete. The edger was trying, flinging grass and dirt in front of the machine until it clogged up. It has wheels on one side that is supposed to run on the concrete and the blade hangs down slightly to dig in. Except if you have a lawn like mine. Then you get something like this:

Image you can see the dirt-splattered siding in this small picture.

Feeling a little disappointed, I grab a shovel.
Hmmm. Nice neat edging, dirt all in one place not scattered about, no extension cord to drag around. Maybe the electric edger just maintains the shovel edge once you put it in....