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How to Choose Clippers
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Reprinted with permission from Pet Age-May 2005
How to Choose Clippers
Considering the number of clippers on the market today, it can be hard to decide which one to buy. But with a little basic education and some helpful hints from the pros, you can choose the clipper that best suits your style. By Daryl Conner In the “olden days” of grooming, choosing a clipper was easy because there was basically one model available: the Oster A2. This wonderful clipper was the mainstay of every pet and show groomer. If you are newer to the grooming scene, you will be amazed to learn that in order to change blades on the A2, we had to stop, get a screwdriver out, unscrew the blade, remove it, replace it and screw it back on. Thankfully, Oster Professional Products (Boca Raton, Fla.) introduced the revolutionary A5 clipper featuring detachable blades. It was close to being magical—it let us snap blades on and off with virtually no effort at all. This was a huge leap for the pet grooming industry, and one of the first advances made by equipment manufactures on our behalf. Fast forward to the present, and we find a wide array of pet clippers in a variety of brands, colors and styles, including single, double and variable speeds, and corded, cordless or cordless/corded models. This luxury of choice is at once delightful and daunting. With so many clippers on the market today, how do you choose the one that is right for you? We talked to a variety of grooming experts and manufacturers to find out. But first, let’s review clipper basics.
Two Types of Motors The clipper is the cornerstone tool of our trade. “We use clippers on almost every pet we handle, from shave-downs to perfectly styled poodles,” said Cheryl Russell-Miller, owner of The Grooming Gallery (Mooresville, Ind.). Yet most of us are a bit vague about the workings of this rudimentary tool. Here is the scoop: Clippers are designed to power through virtually any type of coat, and trimmers are designed to trim and tidy up lightly coated areas. It is important to buy the correct tool for the job at hand. “Don’t buy a horse/sheep clipper to groom poodles, and don’t use a small battery-operated clipper to groom a sheep!” said Gloria Ogdahl, owner of Gloria’s Pet Grooming (Loveland, Colo.). Clippers feature small, powerful motors surrounded by tough plastic cases. There are two basic types of motors: universal rotary motors and permanent magnetic rotary motors. Universal rotary motors are strong, reliable and long-lasting. They are found primarily in Oster brand clippers. However, ConairPro Professional Pet Grooming Products (Stamford, Conn.) recently introduced the Turbo-Groom II, which also features a universal motor. Most other brands of clippers use permanent magnetic rotary motors. One obvious difference between the two types of motors: The universal rotary motor requires air vents to stay cool, while the permanent magnetic rotary motor does not. Some groomers find the air blowing from the vents annoying. “Having only used vented clippers, I was unaware just how much hair they blew around until I purchased my first pair of non-vented clippers,” said Russell-Miller. John Vasone, director of marketing for Conair, cited other differences. “Universal motors need to be greased, oiled and have brushes replaced periodically, while the magnetic rotary motors are sealed and do not require operator maintenance. A well-maintained universal motor can last for years, while a rotary motor normally lasts 700 to 800 hours before it needs to be professionally serviced or replaced.” Whatever type its motor, the clipper must provide power to do what we need the most—clip hair. Power is perhaps best understood in terms of strokes per minute (SPM). Clipper manufacturers use this number to refer to the number of times the cutting edge of the clipper blade moves back and forth in one minute. The more times the cutting edge moves, the faster and smoother the clip will be. The low end of this range is 2,000 SPM; the high end, 10,000 SPM. The more powerful the motor, the more SPMs it offers. More power is desirable because the clipper not only zips easily through thick coats, but also leaves fewer clipper marks. The downsides to more speed and power are the accompanying friction and heat. When you are using a high-speed clipper, it is important to monitor blade temperature often and switch blades as they become hot. “Keep in mind that if a clipper is going twice as fast, it is going to wear out twice as fast,” said Carol Visser, a technical support advisor for PetEdge (Topsfield, Mass.). “The blades will dull twice as fast, and replaceable parts will need to be replaced more frequently. More speed equals more maintenance.” Three Types of Power Sources Clippers are powered in three basic ways: · Traditional corded clippers must be plugged into an electrical outlet to work. As long as you have a properly functioning electrical outlet and have paid your power bill, you are in business. The only drawback is that you are tethered to the outlet. · Cordless clippers use batteries that are removable, replaceable and rechargeable. To offer enough battery power for a reasonable amount of power and clipping time (clipping time varies from 30 minutes to three hours), the batteries have to be fairly large. That can add weight to the clipper. It also can affect the balance since because most of the weight is on the non-clipping end where the battery sits. However, many groomers find the unrestricted mobility they gain to be a welcome trade-off. · Corded/cordless clippers have nonremovable batteries that are an integral part of the clipper. The clipper is plugged into its cord to charge. If you are busily clipping away on an animal and run out of battery power, you simply attach the cord to the handpiece and use the clipper as you would a corded model. The nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries are quite light, making for a lighter clipper all around. Clipper Blades · Almost all brands of clippers use any clipper blades that are designed to fit the Oster A5. These are called “A5-compatible detachable blades.” · Two exceptions to this are the new Chromado and Bravura clippers from Wahl Clipper Corp. (Sterling, Ill.). These corded/cordless units are not configured to use any of the traditional A5 blades. Slightly heftier versions of the extremely popular Wahl Moser trimmer, they use the same unique, adjustable blade as the Moser. Making a Decision Armed with this basic information, the next step is to consider your individual needs and preferences. “There is no clipper,” said Visser of PetEdge. “The best clipper is the one that best suits your needs.” List the qualities you consider important, then compare your needs to the features of each model: · Is the clipper heavy? · Is the clipper loud? · Does it vibrate excessively? · Does the clipper feel comfortable in your hand? · Does it feel balanced when you hold it in clipping position? · Are you willing to trade speed and power for higher blade heat? · Do you want a power switch that is easy to reach or one that you will not accidentally turn off during use? · Do you prefer a corded or cordless clipper? · Do you perform most clipper maintenance yourself? If so, are these clippers easy to work on? · Are replacement parts readily available to you and/or your repair technician? · Do you use a vacuum system? If so, is there an attachment made for this clipper? · If you purchase a clipper and are not satisfied, can you return it for a full refund? · Does the clipper come with a reasonable warranty? · Does the manufacturer offer good customer service? Some groomers find that it makes sense to own more than one clipper. Terese Sams, a stylist at Shelby Center Hospital for Animals (Memphis, Tenn.), uses the lightest clipper she owns as much as she can, saving her heavier, more powerful clipper for bigger jobs. “The weight of a clipper is important to me because it makes a big difference in how I feel at the end of the day,” said Sams. “I suffer from tendonitis, and a light clipper makes the difference between a painful flare-up or comfort.” “I ask myself, ‘What am I doing the most with this clipper, and is it the best choice for this application?’ said Debi Hilley of A Cut Above (Albany, Ga.). “Too many people look at the price before anything else. I would rather spend three times the money and get a set of clippers that works great for a specific application than buy one clipper to get modest results on every application. I suggest that people do not spare money when buying clippers. Anything that can save you time and energy is worth its weight in gold!” Hilley also tries the clippers out first. “I used to choose a clipper based on the strokes per minute,” she said. “Now I try clippers out at trade shows, because if a clipper does not fit your hand, you are sunk.” Giving clippers a whirl at trade shows is indeed a great idea, but not all of us have that option. An alternative: Ask other groomers for their advice. “Every year it seems there are more and more choices, so being a smart consumer is more important than ever,” said Joni Frank of The Clip Joint (Cle Elum, Wash.). “Ask around and see what other groomers are using. It would be great to be able to give a new brand a 'test drive,’ which is a good reason for groomers to be on friendly terms with their competitors.” By educating yourself about this important tool, talking to other groomers and trying the various clippers yourself, you should be able to pick the best clipper for the way you work pa Daryl Conner is a certified master pet stylist based in Appleton, Maine. She has more than 20 years’ grooming experience.
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