somebody please help diagnose my clipper problems before i go mad!

[NeverSayNever]

Here’s the history -

Wolsley Swifts approx 3 years old, had fairly light use, just used on my own horse and last winter did a couple of clips on my shetland also.

There was nothing wrong with them but I thought Id better send them for a service and for the blades to be sharpened prior to this winter.

they came back with a new tension set and crankhead roller (apparently it had been missing) and both sets of blades sharpened.

I know how to set the tension correctly having had these clippers for 3 years and also use wolsely clipper oil every 5 mins or so of clipping.

so... put the blades on (A2) and set about clipping and they clipped for about 20 seconds perfectly before just fluffing the coat. the motor sound didnt change, the clippers appear to be running normally but the coat just fluffs. I faffed about adjusting the tension, no change. Took them apart to check for hair between the blades and nope, nothing there and no change. So i took the blades off and put on my 2nd set (A2 fines) and thought ah ok, these are fine... as they clipped for about 30secs... before the same thing happening! They just started to fluff the coat and no matter what I do with them, just wont cut!

Ive spoken to the company who did the service and they are flummoxed and asked me over and over again to make sure the roller was in place but it is! I sent the blades back to them to be checked and re-done and Ive had them back today and exactly the same has happened again!

Help please! I now have a patchy horse again and a comp on Sunday!

 

[Bikerchickone]

I have no idea but thought I'd give you a little bump! Hope someone else can help.

 

[NeverSayNever]

thank you bikerchck 1

ive been ‘googling’ a bit and when they are fluffing the hair i do think maybe the outside edges are cutting... this could be a problem still with how they have been sharpened cant it? But then why would they start out ok for the first 20 secs

 

[Bikerchickone]

Very strange. Only thing I've ever had go wrong is when a friend who sharpens clipper blades for hairdressers sharpened mine for me and because of the size of the blades compared to their normal ones they didn't sharpen properly. But if that was the case with yours I'd have thought they wouldn't cut at all? Can't honestly remember if mine would cut at all before being useless though.

Maybe worth taking them somewhere else?

 

[Thea]

I had this problem with my clippers half way through a clip, took them to the clipper servicing guys and it turned out that the drive block was knackered, the clippers were only two years old but are in heavy use. They serviced them and fitted a new block, I think it cost me around £30.

 

[NeverSayNever]

I had this problem with my clippers half way through a clip, took them to the clipper servicing guys and it turned out that the drive block was knackered, the clippers were only two years old but are in heavy use. They serviced them and fitted a new block, I think it cost me around £30.

hmmm, thanks thea did you notice any change in the motor sound or anything? did they appear to be running normally otherwise?

 

[StormyMoments]

i had this problem when my blades were blunt but you have just had them sharpened... also if they are over tightened or overly loose. also damp coat and if hair or dirt gets between the blades.. other than that no idea but then mine are moser avalon clippers so they are self tensioning

 

[springtime13]

Interesting, I've got a set of old clippers - and I mean old (almost 30 years old) but great clippers, really heavy duty. I've always had them serviced once a year and never had a problem. But last season I had exactly the same problem as the OP. Had them in for servicing and the guy couldn't find a problem, the motor runs fine and the blades move, but even with brand new blades they just fluff the coat.

 

[devonlass]

I have this exact problem with my liveryman harmony clippers but only with one particular blade,and even more strange the blade i have the problem with is the genuine liveryman one,the after market non branded one works fine

Assumed like OP that blade was blunt (even though had not been hardly used since last sharpen) so sent away to be sharpened,still exactly the same.Cuts for a few seconds then carries on exactly the same but not cutting!!

My OH thinks it must be something to do with tension,but has yet to get around to looking at it for me

 

[thatsmygirl]

Grease in the coat or dirty coat can course this. Did u try lots of different areas in case u had a greasey patch in the coat

 

[NeverSayNever]

yup she is clean as a whistle and there isnt any hair between the blades

 

[thatsmygirl]

Have u got a new set of blades to put on?
I work closely with lister and this has happened a few times in the last month and each time the clippers were sent back with just a new tension kit as if the motor is working fine it can only be a blade or tension problem. The only other thing maybe is if the blades are over tensioned they can slightly be put out of shape which u will not see but can be slightly damanged.

 

[Liesel]

Sorry I cant help but you could try messaging The Engineer on here for his advice.

I had problems, although different to yours, he was very gracious receiving a message from a nutty stranger!

I sent them off to ************ and they serviced and replaced part for £41 plus VAT & postage. The part was only approx £10 so i thought it was pretty good value considering Ive seen some charge £65 for a service plus parts. The Engineer had been correct in his diagnosis and clippers came back looking like new

I highly recommend both TE and ************

 

[NeverSayNever]

Have u got a new set of blades to put on?
I work closely with lister and this has happened a few times in the last month and each time the clippers were sent back with just a new tension kit as if the motor is working fine it can only be a blade or tension problem. The only other thing maybe is if the blades are over tensioned they can slightly be put out of shape which u will not see but can be slightly damanged.

thanks, the company that did the service are going to send new blades for me to try

 

[Toffee44]

Mine for some reason won't do any clean lines using the right hand side of the blade. Gonna send them off as think its tensioning. So I have a clipped horse with rubbish lines!!

 

[Liesel]

Oh have I been inadvertently advertising :-(

I typed the name of a clipper servicing company and its been changed it to asterixs. Sorry TFC!

 

[NeverSayNever]

liesel could you please pm me where you sent yours? ta

 

[Littlelegs]

If you try switching them on without blades on does the roller turn properly for a few minutes or stop? Cos if its turning fine continuously without blades you know its not the motor, it has to be blades or tension.

 

[NeverSayNever]

If you try switching them on without blades on does the roller turn properly for a few minutes or stop? Cos if its turning fine continuously without blades you know its not the motor, it has to be blades or tension.

yup i tried this and it turns ok, good thinking thanks

 

[Liesel]

liesel could you please pm me where you sent yours? ta

I've pm'd you

 

[Thea]

Am on my phone and can't work out how to quote. Yes all was running okay, no change in sound, they just fluffed the coat up and wouldn't cut, changed blades and didn't make a difference. The servicing guys said it was a common problem. My clippers are livery man ones.

 

[NeverSayNever]

well neither the new blades or tension kit worked so the clippers are on their back to the workshop and the engineer there has said he is going to try them on his own horse to see what is going on

 

[thatsmygirl]

Let us know the outcome I'm interested in this

 

[Lynds]

this happened to my liveryman harmony clippers too. really annoying.

 

[NeverSayNever]

this happened to my liveryman harmony clippers too. really annoying.

did you get to the bottom of it?

 

[TheEngineer]

Hi, sorry for delay in reply. Your problem realy foxes me, there are a few cowboys out there in the clipper service world, but if you sent them to one of the pro's like c l I p p e r s h a r p or HCS I would expect impeccable service! Most service guys would fit maybe a new roller, tension set and filters on a standard service, plus sharpen blades. Having spent 16 years of my life building and working on Wolseley machines, the Swift are second natüre to me. There s very little to go wrong with them. If the blades move correctly from left to right and the roller is in place, with sharp blades they should cut. Tension used to account for a large number of problems with clippers, but having had your machine for a while, I would not expect this to be a problem. Please have a look at my three you tube videos on swift tension, is that how you do yours? Let me know, I am sure whatever if you have used a pro repair service they will try to help, it may be something mysterious, that will only show up if they try to clip. Keep me posted. All the best....

The engineer.



Http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBsCMT00NJI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[NeverSayNever]

TG thank you so much. I watched all 3 vids really hoping to see something i havent been doing but nope, I do all that. Will keep you updated and yes the company is one of the good ones.

 

[TheEngineer]

Your welcome, I know it can be frustrating, but sometimes problems with clippers can be very strange. I am sure your repair man will sort it, but please keep me posted as to your outcome. If I can be of any further help please PM me.

Regards

The Engineer

 

[Shear Ease]

Hi,

Firstly FAO NeverSeenSanta,

The problem to me does sound suspiciously like blunt blades or blades that are not 100% sharp.

It is incorrect to assume that blunt blades do not work at all. A blade that needs sharpening can work for a strip or two (or a matter of seconds, either way). You can get round this temporarily by tightening the tension but it is at this point which blades need sharpening. If blades dont work at all, no matter how much tension you put on, your blades should have been sharpened ages ago.

That is slightly besides the point but I'm sure someone posted back that if the problem was with the blades then they wouldn't work at all - this isn't true.

New blades can also be blunt. Given that you have had blades sharpened and tried new blades and they still don't work it may seem to be a bit of a coincidence but this is my suggestion. I see blades straight from the manufacturer that come back to us having not worked at all. We justv sharpen them and send them back. (Again besides the point but it does happen)

The above paragraph assumes the tension set is not stripped and undoing itself (I think I remember a previous post suggesting you had a new one).

Either way, I look forward to hearing your conclusion!

Secondly FAO devonglass:

Liveryman harmony clippers get worn drive levers all the time which cause this problem. The latch occasionally snaps on them too. As you cant adjust the tension any tension problem is definately the responsibility of the sharpener. Either blade tension or sharpness are the responsibilty of the sharpener and are not your fault at all. Again, even new blades can be blunt causing the problems you are experiencing.

Liveryman wides are decent enough but they are not Wahl or Moser wides, these are premium blades.

Hope your clipper problems get sorted in good time for you both!