Clipper advice livery harmony clippers

J

J1993

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Recently purchased some clippers

http://item.mobileweb.ebay.co.uk/viewitem?itemId=281205824258

will be clipping my mare towards the end of the week but I'm a newbie clipper.
How often do the blades need sharpening?
Can you tell they need doing?
How often shall I put the oil in?
Can I use wd40 instead of oil?

I have seen good and negative reviews so not sure how I will get on!! Do you have them? Are they any good??

Thanks!!
 
I've got a pair and had no trouble?

Takes longer to clip as the blades are smaller, but I managed to clip my wimpy mare no problem with these. Clipped about 3 times (full clips) so far and the blades are still good.

I would use proper clipper oil IMO
 
This is a link to a previous thread about these clippers, it may be of use to you:

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?409377-opinions-on-liveryman-harmony-clippers

I'm a newbie clipper.
Make sure your clippers are fully charged as you will take considerably longer than someone experienced & you don't want to end up with a half clipped horse.

How often do the blades need sharpening?
Depends on the use & also the tension you have on the blades, your blades may not have a tensioner on them though so less for you to worry about.#

Can you tell they need doing?
When the clippers labour & you're not seeing the coat coming off easily you know you need them sharpening. Buy yourself a second set to if they go blunt on you you can replace them & finish the job.

How often shall I put the oil in?
Brush off the blades & the air vents every 10-15 minutes or so & lubricate after brushing off the clippers, you can't really over lubricate. If the blades start to get hot then pause & let them cool down so the horse will be more comfortable. Sometimes overheating blades are due to over tensioning them.

Can I use wd40 instead of oil?
NO! WD40 is definately not ok to use on clipper blades you need the proper clipper blade oil. This is available in most tack shops or on line. If you use WD40 you will overheat & ruin your blades.

Good Luck with the clipping & it does get easier the more you do it........honest!
 
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I have a pair and they have done exactly what I needed them too. Clip a nervous horse without stressing her. They did a decent job but she doesn't grow a heavy coat. I bought some wide blades to make it a but quicker too.
 
J1993 said:
Recently purchased some clippers

http://item.mobileweb.ebay.co.uk/viewitem?itemId=281205824258

will be clipping my mare towards the end of the week but I'm a newbie clipper.
How often do the blades need sharpening?
Can you tell they need doing?
How often shall I put the oil in?
Can I use wd40 instead of oil?

I have seen good and negative reviews so not sure how I will get on!! Do you have them? Are they any good??

Thanks!!
Click to expand...

I have the other harmony type clippers and LOVE them! So each to their own....
My horse last year fell over while being clipped as he panicked so much.....this year he was loose in his box with no headcollar on! And the number of clips I've done with them has already out weighted the cost of paying someone to clip my horse! I have also never clipped before so wanted something small and light weight!

In answer to your questions
I Do believe the blades are ceramic coated..... So when sharpened this comes off and the blades won't work, unless you have them recoated.....
Don't know, not clipped enough with them.....
I oil before starting up, then once started, then every time I've clipped off a major patch of hair and move on.... I turn them off at thus point, brush offall hair and give a good oil..... I found you need quite a bit of oil to get a good clip.
NEVER use wd40..... Only clipper oil......liverman oil if you can get it!
 
I have these clippers and have clipped my horse twice with them and my sons Shetland with no problems. I only had a problem when I came to charging them and they wouldn't charge, sent them back and they have come back all fixed Free of Charge as under warranty.
 
i personally like them. they are not a powerful as some mains powered ones, but they still easily do a full clip. found them very useful at a yard with no mains electric and for my mare when she was scared of being clipped, so wanted quieter clippers with no cord to get tangled in. i also got some relatively wide blades for them, not sure what width they come with?
others have answered your clipping questions really, i just wanted to add a positive review
 
I'm another who find them useless, they stuggled to get through a thick coat and in my mind unfit for purpose. I work in tack shop and have stopped selling them due to the amount being returned due to being useless. Honestly if I was you I would return them before u have used them and buy a decent pair of clippers
 
Thanks for all your replies! I'm hoping cos she is quite fine coated that they will be ok but if they are crap or have any problems I will send them back. They were the only ones I could find that had an ok battery life as our yo is quite funny about using the electric so thought I would make it easier by finding some cordless. Bit sad but can't wait for them to be fully charged so I can have a go ha ha! Only had her a few months so fingers crossed she's a good girl :)
 
I liked them, they where fine for my arab, and it was lovely not to have to keep making sure the mains cable was out of the way.
 
I love mine, but I have the normal Harmony, not the plus ones. You can get wide blades so a little bit easier (be aware the blades to replace are expensive in comparison). I have clipped my Haff perfectly okay, several times, but I am not a newbie to clipping so I am quicker. Might be an idea to start with a trace clip and work up to blanket etc. in case they do run out.
 
They're great for fine coats won't get through anything thick though. When mine pack it in I plan on getting some listers as I have realised its so much easier having something popular for blade sharpening and replacing.
 
Toby Zaphod's response was a great one, in addition, I would add:

Toby_Zaphod said:
your blades may not have a tensioner on them though so less for you to worry about.
Click to expand...
- You cannot be adjust the tension on the blades that fit this clipper so don't worry about that

How often do the blades need sharpening?

There are so many variables it's impossible to apply a time. the answer is when they are blunt! They will stop cutting efficiently and will get hot. More important is to have a backup set of freshly sharpened blades at all times as if a set goes blunt mid click your horse will look very soppy indeed! I would have the blades sharpened at the end of the clipping season ready for storage. You should store them well lubricated because if they rust in storage they will not work next season.

Can you tell they need doing?

See Above.

How often shall I put the oil in?

Oil 'in'? Not sure what you mean by that but brush off excess furr and run a line of clipper oil along the teeth of the blade and where the two blades meet at the back (with the blade running).

Toby_Zaphod said:
Brush off the blades & the air vents every 10-15 minutes or so
Click to expand...
- Your clipper does not have air vents.

Also somebody (sorry can't find who) said that you cannot over-oil clippers. You can! You can destroy most clippers with too much oil. Some advise running the and dunking only the blades in a pool of oil (which is an effective way to clean and lubricate) but anything more than a quick line of oil (probably every 10-15 mins but more if the blades are hot) where the blades meet (particularly along the teeth) has the potential to be a very expensive decision in terms of damage and associated repairs.
 
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
Hate to tell you this hun......... but they're a waste of flippin good money IME.

I pay a professional to do mine now because they're Sweet FA use :(
Click to expand...

KVH said:
This.
Click to expand...

Also this :( could barely get through his normal fur as for feathers forget it! Not sure how they would be if connected to the mains but wasn't going to go through that again and bought red rockets instead, but I nearly launched the harmony across the stable more than once! It was not harmonious!
 
I bought these clippers for my nervous mare, and they worked a treat. No they aren't as powerful as mains clippers, but they are very quiet in comparison, and they were comfortable to hold (and I have small hands).

I've never clipped before, but they were perfectly adequate for my very densly furred Mérens. I did about half an hour completely cordless and finished off with the battery pack.

I used an aerosol type clipper oil, and switched off and re-oiled about every 15 minutes.

The only problem I found was that the wide 2.4mm blade struggled with her very thick mane (bridle path), but i switched the the standard width blade, and I had no issues afterwards.
 
No battery pack, only one blade and a narrow one at that. Hmm, that's more trimmer deal than clipper deal. Each new blade will be around £40 for Liveryman branded ones. I have the previous ones that don't have a rechargeable battery so you need to use the battery pack, the good thing about the plus model is that the on/off switch is in a much better place. I swear like a sailor as I'm about to do a tricky bit and hit the bloody off switch every-single-time.
 
9tails said:
No battery pack, only one blade and a narrow one at that. Hmm, that's more trimmer deal than clipper deal.
Click to expand...
An astute observation. This can't be considered a clipper without a wide blade!

9tails said:
Each new blade will be around £40 for Liveryman branded ones.
Click to expand...
Not true - £20-325 is all you need to spend on a wide blade (including postage).

9tails said:
I swear like a sailor as I'm about to do a tricky bit and hit the bloody off switch every-single-time.
Click to expand...
lol This is true. Also the switch terminals are not insulated at the factory and short against the PCB which sits behind it making the switch 'switch' on and off all the time - has been corrected now but is still atrocious design work!
 
I have these clippers and think they are brilliant, my boy is pretty big (16.3) with a medium thickness coat, I usually do a blanket clip on him and have no trouble at all. It is great not having to worry about a mains cable, they are quiet and if you have small hands like me they are easy to hold, but like others have said the on/off switch is in the wrong place. I think I've had mine for 4-5 years and I have only just had to have the blades sharpened! I always use liveryman clipper oil.

My local saddlery shop sells the replacement blades for £25 - Ingatestone Saddlery.
 
True, Ingatestone Saddlery do the wide blades but only the medium cut ones at £25. To put it bluntly, those blades would have trouble trimming your pubes let alone a horse. The only ones that cut IME are the fine blades and they are £31.10 at Ingatestone plus delivery.
 
9tails said:
True, Ingatestone Saddlery do the wide blades but only the medium cut ones at £25. To put it bluntly, those blades would have trouble trimming your pubes let alone a horse. The only ones that cut IME are the fine blades and they are £31.10 at Ingatestone plus delivery.
Click to expand...

I have to admit to referring to the medium wide blades but still being wrong!

Medium wides, or to give them their more universal name, 10 wides (2.6mm) are the standard blade you get with any manufacturer that make a horse clipper that uses A5 type blades. Admittedly I personally think that any A5 type blade will struggle to clip a horse, I consider them trimmers. Manufacturers on the other hand market them as clippers.

I can't find fine wide blades for £25, the cheapest I can find them for is £35.94 inc. postage - sorry!

The normal wides I can find for £27.94 inc. postage.

I have sent an email to the manufacturer asking for their RRP because that sort of price makes them a premium blade and i'm not convinced they are!

Masterclip Royale (wide blades) are all £24.95 inc. postage. They are supposedly made of German steel but you can tell Masterclip that a new blade has gone blunt after one clip and they will say it needs resharpening and that 1 clip is normal.
 
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