A lawn edger generates a forced air stream which is divided into two separate air paths, one path discharging a first forced air stream behind a cutting blade of the edger to direct clippings generated by the cutter blade away from the edger and the underlying surface and a second path in which a second forced air stream is discharged in front of the cutter blade to clear the surface over which the edger is moved of debris. In an alternate embodiment, exhaust gasses from the drive motor are directed by a conduit into the two separate air paths.