Eeeek! + Need advice on clippers

[bigboyrocky]

Clippers packed in last year - Just stopped dead when i was half was through clipping (so one side was nearly done and the other untouched, was very funny!) Finally got round to taking them to be looked at a couple of days ago and had a text from him today saying the motor blew and the borad (???) is broken... so just wondering what makes the motor blow... I oil them regularly and usually end up having to stop about 3 times during a clip to let them cool. Not sure what caused it as only had them 3 years! Obviously dont want a £100+ bill again, so help! What causes the motor to blow?

 

[PucciNPoni]

It could be lots of things.

Clippers are funny ol things, and horsey people (no offense intended) aren't known for being terribly nice to them. I'm a dog groomer, and I keep 3 sets working with one spare at all times. But horsey people tend to whip them out of the box once (or maybe twice) a year, and shove them back in to the box, forgotten til next autumn.

Anything with moving parts actually should be used regularly. It's a bit like a lorry, if you leave it parked up for months at a time, and then expect it to start and run nicely 2x a year, you'll probably be in for a nasty surprise. Brakes seize, batteries go flat, tyres go soft....(trust me I know! LOL). Clippers can wear down faster with blunt blades, corrosion from damp stable yards etc.

My normal regime for operating clippers is as :

1 - while I'm clipping, I keep a liquid lubricant called Blade Majik (google it) in which to dip my running blades. This cleans off the loose hairs, but also disinfects and cools them. Then with an old rag, I give them a thorough wipe, and then a drop of oil between the blade and the cutter, and then resume clipping. I avoid sprays like the plague! You will probably need to stop to do this on a horse maybe 5-6 times if the coat is clean, more if it's dirty.

2 - after clipping, I remove the blades and give them a thorough clean, cleaning out every single bit of hair and debris between blades, and in the drive mechanism. I do this with a brush (or in my shop I have a high velocity dryer that blows them out with air). I keep the blades stored til next use in something like a slightly oily rag - to keep them from forming rust. Rust can form in as little as 15 minutes in the right conditions (hmmm, damp stable yard, perfect for rust!)

3 - Service! Even if you're only using them a couple of times a year, I would highly recommend having them professionally serviced annually - before or after your clipping has commenced. You might even need to do more if you do lots of clipping. Each of my dog grooming clippers get serviced 4x a year and I clip 1000s of dogs...but my dogs are always clean when clipped and I am super @nal about keeping them clean and oiled between dogs, or it'd have to be more often.

4 - clip only clean coats if possible. This will extend the life/sharpness of your blades, as well as make it easier on the clippers. Not only that, but the finish will be like 10 times better. We used something called Davis Degrease (it's a dog grooming shampoo, but OMG, it was amazingly fabby!) on a horse at the weekend that had been living out til recently - and he's nearly black so you can imagine the grease on the coat. However, he was soooo black and shiny before and after clipping it was stunning!

5 - store your clippers at home, in a heated tack room or some other place where there is less dampness and condensation (eg rust and corrosion are the enemy!)

If that doesn't help, then I dunno!

 

[bigboyrocky]

thank you very helpful!! tbh i think it may have been a combo of blades not being sharp enough, and not being used often enough (probably 8-10 each winter).. thankyou!