Best Clippers to buy?

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alfie8

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Hi,
I'd like peoples opinions on different clippers please. I can afford to spend up to around £250. I've done lots of research on here etc but don't seem to be getting anywhere?
I've narrowed it down to a few..

Heiniger Handy
Liveryman Harmony
Lister Star.

or any others you'd recommend?

I'd need them to clip a hairy connemara and a thin coated lusitano. The connemara would only need a blanket clip at most! There both pretty good to do and would need clipping every 6/8 weeks.
Originally i thought the liveryman harmony would be best but have read there not great with thick coats and take quite a long time? as i wouldn't want to spend all day clipping. They wouldn't be done on same day though.


Any opinions would be really great.
I'd be wanting to buy something within the next few days. :)

Thank you in advance :)
 
I recently bought the Lister Star clippers (about a year ago now) absolutely love them, thought they were very good value for money and the blades seem to do very well on them. I have a hairy maxi cob that I clip fully, as in hogged the lot every 6-8 weeks and they do a great job.

Hope this helps!
 
Thank you for your help. :)

I've definitely knocked out the liveryman one now after some bad reviews.

The only thing swinging the heiniger ones (apart from people on yard rating them) is the fact they have a 2yr warranty.

Decisions!
 
I have the Heiniger Handy clippers - I love them! They get used a LOT as Jasper is very hairy and I have to clip his legs every 6-8 weeks. They do the job wonderfully, are relatively quiet but powerful.
 
I have the Harmonys and really like them, but I clip early and then clip at least every 4 weeks through winter. I don't think they'd cope very well with a huge thick coat and I find my blades heat up quite quickly so I have two sets of blades.
 
Well my last set of Wolseley clippers lasted me 30 years and they only died when a friends horse stamped on them.

I bought a new set, which are actually almost identical to the old ones a couple of years ago.

I find they are fine to do a full clip, dont bother about taking the hairy legs off cobs and even hog through wiry manes. All three of mine will let me clip their whole heads with them too.

They dont look modern or pretty but they are pretty much indestructable.
 
I repair and service clippers and blades for a living so I would hope that my opinion would be useful to you!

Although many have recomended the lister star in this post, I would tend not to agree. For what it is the lister star is heavy, noisy and is made entirely of plastic. Clipping will lead to worn comb studs on the clipper head quicker than any equivelent part on any other clipper other than the wolseley swift.

It obviously doesn't happen with every one, but more than most clippers the motor dies for no good reason at all.

Heineger, on the other hand are a thing of design and engineering beauty. The handy is fine, but the progress is lighter, smaller and cheaper and probably the better clipper for small scale clipping. All the drive parts are made from metal so it will not /does not wear quickly.

Hope that helps!
 
Shear Ease said:
I repair and service clippers and blades for a living so I would hope that my opinion would be useful to you!

Although many have recomended the lister star in this post, I would tend not to agree. For what it is the lister star is heavy, noisy and is made entirely of plastic. Clipping will lead to worn comb studs on the clipper head quicker than any equivelent part on any other clipper other than the wolseley swift.

It obviously doesn't happen with every one, but more than most clippers the motor dies for no good reason at all.

Heineger, on the other hand are a thing of design and engineering beauty. The handy is fine, but the progress is lighter, smaller and cheaper and probably the better clipper for small scale clipping. All the drive parts are made from metal so it will not /does not wear quickly.

Hope that helps!
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Really sorry I would have to disagree with the Lister Star being heavy and noisy- when i've been clipping my horses i've even had people comment as to how quiet they are!
I really rate them:) previous to that i put up with Hauptner 2000's for a few years, they drove me mad, lightweight, but not half as good as the Listers- I've had my Listers for about 4 yrs now and they are fab and reliable!

My first pair of clippers that i had years ago were the Heineger Handy which were very reliable clippers but they were a bit heavier and bulkier to use.
 
I am not a fan of Lister Stars either!! Bought a pair new, they didn't seem heavy but very noisy. They heated up very quickly too, so much so that they gave my already clipper-shy horse a complete clipping phobia :mad::mad:

I sent them back to Lister as they got so hot, they thought there was nothing wrong with them so I sold them on. No Listers for me, thanks :o:rolleyes:
 
I'm a Lister fan :p

I had some Liverymans ('Arena Blue' I believe?) which broke on me so many times. Rubbish! I've heard of other stories like this too. Stay away!

I have Lister Legends which are fantastic! Really rate them. I've done lots of clips with them over the last two winters (clipping others horses for them too, so they had to be good!) and they've done me very well. I think they're actually quiet too, compared to the Liverymans that is. My friend has the stars, I've never actually clipped with them myself so cannot comment on weight/heat but they did a good job, didn't fault and the pony seemed happy enough during the clipping session :D
 
I have Lister Showmans - but I think the equivalent is the Lister Liberty now. I have had them 20 odd years, and they are still brilliant. IMO they are quiet enough and the battery life on them is really good (any my battery, although not the original one, is at least 12 years old).

The only clippers that I have used, and really did not like were the Hauptners - they were noisy, rubbish at clipping and were just awkward to handle really.
 
Having had twenty years experience in the trade, my advice would be to ensure you buy a clipper from one of the "Big three" IE Wolseley, Lister or Heinegar. Sadly there are a great number of cheap and nasty Chinese E Bay type clippers about this season, some even being marketed by people who are using their companies previous good reputation to mask what they are actually selling. Also avoid the smaller trimmers with the snap on type blade sets......as trimmers they are superb, but when it comes to clipping out a full clip on a wiry pony, you will be in a world of hurt. Make sure your blades are correctly sharpened and good quality...again many cheap Chines steel blades floating around. Work on the assumption that if they are cheap, they are cheap for a reason....IE they have been made from recycled Chinese scrap steel, not quality sheffield, solingen, or japanese quality steel. All clippers will have their pro's and cons, a lot of the decision is on personal choice or the type of horse, but good luck in your search.

Ian

(The Engineer)
 
I have Liveryman Arena and they are brilliant, my friend has a set too and has had hers absolutely donkey's years

Not a fan of the Heineger, think it might have been the blades that were on the set I borrowed when mine were having a service, they were awful
 
Flo_Bell said:
The only clippers that I have used, and really did not like were the Hauptners - they were noisy, rubbish at clipping and were just awkward to handle really.
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I love my Hauptner 2000. Its been doing all year round clips on the hairest cob for 8 years with beautiful results. Also does the TB's with different blades just as nicely. Lightweight, quiet, doesn't over heat and no tramlines.
Definite thumbs up from me.
 
You should also consider the pedigree of the company. Heiniger are the largest suppliers in the Australian/New Zealand sheep shearing market and the Aussies do not pamper their equipment so they are forced to clip in the severest conditions. On top of that 5 of the top 6 competitors at the last World Championships used Heiniger - including the Champion.

The clippers share the same pedigree that created the Sheep shearers. Their modern Progress and Saphire look realy awsome and have slim handles designed for the fact that ladies do most of the clipping.
 
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