TheEngineer
Well-Known Member
My annual informative post, which I hope may be of some help.
Well, that time of year is now with us and those clippers you chucked in the back of the tack room last season, will be dragged "kicking and screaming" into the light of day. Therefore I decided to put a few posts together, as I did last year to be of assistance with any clipper problems or questions.
For those that didn't read any of my posts last season, my background is, that I work for one of the "big four" clipper companies as an engineer, with nearly 16 years experience in sharpening, repairs and clipper related problems.
I don't say who I work for, because i am not here to generate business or plug my "brand", merely to offer advice or try and answer queries. Please feel free to PM me with any questions and I will try my best to answer.
For starters a little free advice before the season leaps into top gear!
1) Get your clippers out now, check the mains lead, check they run and send them in for a service/safety check before the rush starts.
2) Clean your blades off and get them sharpened fresh for the new season, check for damaged teeth, rust and corrosion, all of which will hamper your clipping.
3) Get you power sockets, trip switches and extension leads tested, ready for the season.
4) Throw the WD40 in the bin and buy some proper clipper oil, then you are ready to go, with a clean, safe machine, the correct oil and sharp blades.
When your clippers do go wrong and trust me they will at some time, try and stay calm. Think logically and firstly ask yourself the question "Has anything changed?" You would be amazed the number of machines that I see, where perhaps, the user has finished a can of oil and bought a different brand. Suddenly clipper is red hot and "its the clippers fault". Or they have changed from sharpening man A to his cheaper rival and the clipper wont cut, teddy is chucked out of cot and the clipper gets the blame, because "I've just had my blades sharpened etc etc". A different mains socket in the stable is used and the clipper is dead, or other such scenarios.
Remember, most clipper companies that are any good, will have an in house service dept. We are here to help and in my own personal experience, the people who get help the quickest are those who are polite, concise and able to listen. We want you to be clipping again as soon as possible, so when you speak to the engineer who is going to repair your clipper, try not to take out your angst on him or her and you will get a lot better service. Also bear in mind that it pays to have your machine looked at by the man who sharpens your blades, on many occasions I see machines without blades sent in for repair, whilst the user sends the blades to "old Joe" down the road, because he is £6 and we are £9, yet three weeks later, I see the same machine back under complaint, with blades this time, in 80% of the cases, I sharpen the blades "CORRECTLY" and the machine works fine, yet the user expects the repair to be FOC. Not a problem that occurs if you have blades and clipper maintained by the same firm.
************************************
A tip for getting nervous horses used to clippers, recommended to me by several customers:
One thing you could try, is get an old set of clippers and hang them from a hook on the wall of your horses stall, leave them turned on for a couple of hours (no need to fit blades) this may help your horse get over their fear of the noise?
*****************************************
If your clippers have died and you are looking to replace them, here are my top tips for you when searching for the right machine!
Just a little advice if searching for new clippers. When you are looking, be aware of what you want to do and how much clipping you will do each season. Also bear in mind the thickness of your horses coat and his/her sensitivity to noise etc.
Fashion of late, is for many of the big trimmer manufacturers to sell trimmers with "wide" blades as suitable for clipping. Whilst some of these are suitable for clipping clean dry, well groomed horses occasionally. They are still not up to heavier jobs and thicker coats. Remember the old adage, "Clippers clip, Trimmers Trim"!
Also, look for a renowned Brand, Wolseley, Lister, Liveryman, Hauptner, Heinegar etc. There are many clippers on E Bay and discount web sites which are poor quality copies of well known makes, with inferior quality blades, which are made in china and sold on the net. These clippers may look a bargain, but next season when the warranty is out and you need service and spares, you will find no one will be able to, or want to service/repair them.
I had a very interesting conversation with the Health And Safety Executive last season and they were actively seeking to stop one "E Bay Brand" which does not conform to British safety spec" so BUYER BEWARE...a cheap clipper is not worth a dead horse........
Whilst you may see these cheap bargains on the net, remember that the well established companies, will usually have an in house service dept, for sharpening and service/repairs, plus technical advice and spares backup. Thats why their machines may cost a bit more, a price well worth paying.
The other thing to bear in mind, when purchasing clippers, is "READ THE INSTRUCTIONS", in the course of my work I see so many clippers sent back, with minor, "user related" problems. Many of which are caused by "a know it all attitude" and an inability to read the instructions. You may be able to clip with "brand x" but that does not mean that "brand y" works the same and your "mate" may have used WD40 to lubricate his blades for years, but that doesn't mean that it is the correct thing to do!
Overall, buy a clipper which is comfortable to hold, a recognized make, powerful enough for your needs (both today and next year), fitted with the correct blades for the job. (it is worth buying a set of A6/coarser blades to accompany the standard A2 blades, for slightly thicker or matted coats)
On the subject of blades, buy a brand you know, preferably made from either quality German steel or Japanese steel. Avoid blades made from recycled "Chinese" steel, as the hardness and quality of the metal is not of the same standard and will greatly affect the quality of the clip and the strain on the clipper. As with "cheap clippers", cheap blades are too good to be true. You will find that the established "quality" clipper suppliers will sell "branded" blades, alongside quality machines. This speaks for itself!
But most importantly, look after your blades!!!!! The number of machines I see with rusty, damaged and dirty filthy blunt blades increases every year. If you bought a car, you wouldn't dream of running it on bald tyres, so why buy a clipper, then run it with blunt blades? Have them sharpened regularly, by a suitable firm, who come recommended by other users, or return them to the manufacturers own service dept.
Overall, you will find whatever brand you buy, if you follow the above tips, you will have safe, hassle free clipping...
Most repair firms have a busy workload once the season kicks in, so be an "early bird" and you wont be panicking, with a half clipped horse and a dead pair of clippers when you need them most.
Last of all, remember I give my advice for free and am happy for anyone to PM me who would like clipper advice or electric fencing advice............I don't always promise to know the answer, but am happy to find out if it is something a bit "off the wall". Also, if you have any tips that work wonders, I am always interested to hear them.
Any advice I give, is pureley my own opinion based on my years of experience and I make no claims as to the effectiveness of my advice, you take it at your own risk. (Sad world that I have to say this, but thats life)
Happy clipping season and ride safe, remember your High Viz on these dark evenings so us Motorcyclists who do slow for horses can spot you in time......
Well, that time of year is now with us and those clippers you chucked in the back of the tack room last season, will be dragged "kicking and screaming" into the light of day. Therefore I decided to put a few posts together, as I did last year to be of assistance with any clipper problems or questions.
For those that didn't read any of my posts last season, my background is, that I work for one of the "big four" clipper companies as an engineer, with nearly 16 years experience in sharpening, repairs and clipper related problems.
I don't say who I work for, because i am not here to generate business or plug my "brand", merely to offer advice or try and answer queries. Please feel free to PM me with any questions and I will try my best to answer.
For starters a little free advice before the season leaps into top gear!
1) Get your clippers out now, check the mains lead, check they run and send them in for a service/safety check before the rush starts.
2) Clean your blades off and get them sharpened fresh for the new season, check for damaged teeth, rust and corrosion, all of which will hamper your clipping.
3) Get you power sockets, trip switches and extension leads tested, ready for the season.
4) Throw the WD40 in the bin and buy some proper clipper oil, then you are ready to go, with a clean, safe machine, the correct oil and sharp blades.
When your clippers do go wrong and trust me they will at some time, try and stay calm. Think logically and firstly ask yourself the question "Has anything changed?" You would be amazed the number of machines that I see, where perhaps, the user has finished a can of oil and bought a different brand. Suddenly clipper is red hot and "its the clippers fault". Or they have changed from sharpening man A to his cheaper rival and the clipper wont cut, teddy is chucked out of cot and the clipper gets the blame, because "I've just had my blades sharpened etc etc". A different mains socket in the stable is used and the clipper is dead, or other such scenarios.
Remember, most clipper companies that are any good, will have an in house service dept. We are here to help and in my own personal experience, the people who get help the quickest are those who are polite, concise and able to listen. We want you to be clipping again as soon as possible, so when you speak to the engineer who is going to repair your clipper, try not to take out your angst on him or her and you will get a lot better service. Also bear in mind that it pays to have your machine looked at by the man who sharpens your blades, on many occasions I see machines without blades sent in for repair, whilst the user sends the blades to "old Joe" down the road, because he is £6 and we are £9, yet three weeks later, I see the same machine back under complaint, with blades this time, in 80% of the cases, I sharpen the blades "CORRECTLY" and the machine works fine, yet the user expects the repair to be FOC. Not a problem that occurs if you have blades and clipper maintained by the same firm.
************************************
A tip for getting nervous horses used to clippers, recommended to me by several customers:
One thing you could try, is get an old set of clippers and hang them from a hook on the wall of your horses stall, leave them turned on for a couple of hours (no need to fit blades) this may help your horse get over their fear of the noise?
*****************************************
If your clippers have died and you are looking to replace them, here are my top tips for you when searching for the right machine!
Just a little advice if searching for new clippers. When you are looking, be aware of what you want to do and how much clipping you will do each season. Also bear in mind the thickness of your horses coat and his/her sensitivity to noise etc.
Fashion of late, is for many of the big trimmer manufacturers to sell trimmers with "wide" blades as suitable for clipping. Whilst some of these are suitable for clipping clean dry, well groomed horses occasionally. They are still not up to heavier jobs and thicker coats. Remember the old adage, "Clippers clip, Trimmers Trim"!
Also, look for a renowned Brand, Wolseley, Lister, Liveryman, Hauptner, Heinegar etc. There are many clippers on E Bay and discount web sites which are poor quality copies of well known makes, with inferior quality blades, which are made in china and sold on the net. These clippers may look a bargain, but next season when the warranty is out and you need service and spares, you will find no one will be able to, or want to service/repair them.
I had a very interesting conversation with the Health And Safety Executive last season and they were actively seeking to stop one "E Bay Brand" which does not conform to British safety spec" so BUYER BEWARE...a cheap clipper is not worth a dead horse........
Whilst you may see these cheap bargains on the net, remember that the well established companies, will usually have an in house service dept, for sharpening and service/repairs, plus technical advice and spares backup. Thats why their machines may cost a bit more, a price well worth paying.
The other thing to bear in mind, when purchasing clippers, is "READ THE INSTRUCTIONS", in the course of my work I see so many clippers sent back, with minor, "user related" problems. Many of which are caused by "a know it all attitude" and an inability to read the instructions. You may be able to clip with "brand x" but that does not mean that "brand y" works the same and your "mate" may have used WD40 to lubricate his blades for years, but that doesn't mean that it is the correct thing to do!
Overall, buy a clipper which is comfortable to hold, a recognized make, powerful enough for your needs (both today and next year), fitted with the correct blades for the job. (it is worth buying a set of A6/coarser blades to accompany the standard A2 blades, for slightly thicker or matted coats)
On the subject of blades, buy a brand you know, preferably made from either quality German steel or Japanese steel. Avoid blades made from recycled "Chinese" steel, as the hardness and quality of the metal is not of the same standard and will greatly affect the quality of the clip and the strain on the clipper. As with "cheap clippers", cheap blades are too good to be true. You will find that the established "quality" clipper suppliers will sell "branded" blades, alongside quality machines. This speaks for itself!
But most importantly, look after your blades!!!!! The number of machines I see with rusty, damaged and dirty filthy blunt blades increases every year. If you bought a car, you wouldn't dream of running it on bald tyres, so why buy a clipper, then run it with blunt blades? Have them sharpened regularly, by a suitable firm, who come recommended by other users, or return them to the manufacturers own service dept.
Overall, you will find whatever brand you buy, if you follow the above tips, you will have safe, hassle free clipping...
Most repair firms have a busy workload once the season kicks in, so be an "early bird" and you wont be panicking, with a half clipped horse and a dead pair of clippers when you need them most.
Last of all, remember I give my advice for free and am happy for anyone to PM me who would like clipper advice or electric fencing advice............I don't always promise to know the answer, but am happy to find out if it is something a bit "off the wall". Also, if you have any tips that work wonders, I am always interested to hear them.
Any advice I give, is pureley my own opinion based on my years of experience and I make no claims as to the effectiveness of my advice, you take it at your own risk. (Sad world that I have to say this, but thats life)
Happy clipping season and ride safe, remember your High Viz on these dark evenings so us Motorcyclists who do slow for horses can spot you in time......
