Clipping Tips ! Its that time of year..

TheEngineer

TheEngineer

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Hi to all, who are about to clip their horse, for the first time and for those who clip regularly. Its that time of year, when my workshop is overrun with the broken down victims of neglect, abuse and misuse. So I thought I would post some gems of wisdom for those of you who own and use clippers. Please note, I make no claims as to the correctness of my advise, merely the free sharing of knowledge gained after 14 years as a clipper repair engineer.

My top tips!!



1) Ensure your clipper is safe to use. Have it serviced pre season and electrically safety tested, check the mains lead for "stamps" "cuts" and "kinks".

2) Use an "RCD" trip switch, which will protect you and your horse, should the mains lead be severed, whilst clipping.

3) Make your horse aware of the clipper, let him/her get used to the noise and feel, so that he/she is comfortable with the sensation of clipping.

4) Ensure you have a spare set of sharp blades ready, as blades can go blunt at any time. A patch of greasy hair, scurf, dust etc can take the edge off instantly and a half clipped horse makes you and it look silly!! (Think of the poor horses street cred!)

5) Give yourself a safe working area in which to clip and if using a high power clipper, I always advise the wearing of goggles,mask and overalls, as hair gets blown everywhere.

6) Read the instructions!! Yes I know we are all "Experts" but, be aware that all clippers are different and the tension settings will vary. If in doubt, ring the manufacturer for advice. If they cant advise you, then they are not worth buying a clipper from.

7) Groom your horse, before clipping. You would be amazed at how many people do not bother to groom their horse before clipping. Then complain of poor clipping and blunt blades. A clean well groomed horse should be a joy to clip.

8) Check your mains supply, ensure the socket you intend to plug your machine into works and is safe.

9) CLEAN THE AIR FILTERS!!! Imperative with all modern large clippers. Remove the filters and hold them up to the light! If you cant see through them, the air cant flow through them and your machine will get red hot, you will get worked up and clipping will be a problem.

10) Use the correct oil!!! Again most imperative. If i had a pound for every person who has ruined a set of clippers using WD40 I could retire!!! If you read this post and walk away with one piece of advice, make it "DONT USE WD40" Whatever your best mate tells you, it is not a lubricant which is suitable for clippers, it is a penetrating oil, great for rusty padlocks and jammed bolts ,but totally useless for clippers or trimmers. The majority of clippers use an SAE30 oil, some come with a "bottle" others "a spray". Think about it, if WD40 was ok, the manufacturers would chuck a can in with the clipper..

11) Most importantly of all. Get your blades sharpened by someone who knows what they are doing! There are many people out there who have cottoned on to the number of blades that are sharpened each year and say they can do them. Be aware and ask friends who they use. Again, next to WD40, blunt/improperly sharpened blades are the cause of 75% of all returns to my workshop under complaint, another reason to have 2 sets of blades. For realy good sharpening, the following guys are the tops.

Clippers HG
R T Antony
HCS Clipping and Shearing
Clippersharp
Peasridge
Shaun Barrington
Alan Talbot

Or, of course, the manufacturers themselves, again, decent manufacturers invest in having in house support staff and repair/sharpening services. Another reason to buy a reputable brand.


Apart from the above tips, be safe, enjoy your clipping and the thrill of being astride a horse who looks clipped to perfection.


Ian (The Engineer)
 
I have used Sean Barrington for years, he is cheap, honest, quick and reliable! Good post
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Thank you! I get mine done by clippersharp, its £5 a set of blades and he serviced my arenas which have been kicked out my hand once too many times and had loose wires, was £42. Got them back to me in a week.

Can I add my own?!
12) Dont pay someone to clip your dangerous horse, and neglect to tell them it will try and kill them.
13) Vet sedation may be pricey, but explain that when said above dangerous horse smashes you into a wall. Now that its hurt you, OF COURSE you will get it sedated properly next time.
14) Seeing as horse has nearly killed the clipper, yourself, scalped the extension lead and nearly broken clippers- pay clipper minumum, complain to other liveries about the line/shape/untidiness of clip and dont offer to pay for exension.

gaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!! That was today!!!
 
Engineer, do you recommend the spray or oil? I am currantly using Lister oil ( my clippers are Lister Stablemates) People do have varying opinions as to which is best
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Am thinking of treating myself to some clippers for xmas. what are the best clippers on the market that are also resonible priced. I have 3 horses which will all be clipped. Any ideas please?
 
Sharpening ranges from £5 to £10 per set sometimes plus carriage and vat. Dont look at the price, talk to people who have had blades sharpened and repairs done by a company and listen for positive comments. Cheap is not always best. Repairs seem to average £25 to £35 for a service repair, plus the cost of any parts. Remember this time of year we are all busy with repairs, so there may be a two to three week turnaround.

The Engineer
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[ QUOTE ]
Engineer, do you recommend the spray or oil? I am currantly using Lister oil ( my clippers are Lister Stablemates) People do have varying opinions as to which is best
confused.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

Well here's a thorny subject, you will notice that Lister supply a bottle of oil, as I think, do Hauptner, Heinigar, Liscop and possibly Premier. Wolseley and Liveryman supply an Aerosol and Wolseley also sell a "bottle" oil similar to Lister.

On average, as far as I am aware, clipper oil (not trimmer) should be approx SAE30. Aerosol oil tends, even if the oil is actualy SAE30, to be "thinned down" by whatever propellant is used to spray the oil.

There is no denying IMHO of course, that plain bottled oil is best, from a lubricant point of view. However, aerosol oils tend not to leak in your clipper box and are easier to apply.

The secret with aerosols, is to shake the can well,so the contents are well mixed and spray accross the teeth and in the oil hole every 10 mins whilst clipping. Also after use, give your blades a clean and spray them with oil. Then wrap them individually for sending off for sharpening. Liveryman do a nice plastic blade case and Wolseley a super foam lined tin to store them in.

As a rough guide, if you can, use the oil from the firm that makes your clipper, if not, use oil from another make of clipper (not trimmer oil, too thin!!)

If buying aerosols, look for Lincoln, Wolseley, Gold Label, Liveryman oils, all of which seem to perform well.

Avoid!! WD40, Plus Gas, Diesel (especially!!!) and any sprays which say they are a "combined blade wash and oil", these tend to cause problem, IMHO of course.

Thats about all I can think of, have a good clipping season.

The Engineer
 
[ QUOTE ]
Am thinking of treating myself to some clippers for xmas. what are the best clippers on the market that are also resonible priced. I have 3 horses which will all be clipped. Any ideas please?

[/ QUOTE ]

Personally, I find the Wolseley Swift to be a good "2 to 4" horse person clipper, servicing is easy and they are simple to maintain. I find the Heinigar has got more popular this year, there seem to be lots around, although they are not as easy to work on. The Lister Star has I think replaced the Neon, but I have not heard any positive feedback about it yet. It is always worthwhile asking at a saddler's were the staff clip, they tend to be very Knowledgeable and are a boon when something goes wrong.


The Engineer
 
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