Your favorite hair clippers

Lightbringer · 2019-12-29T20:50:25.000Z

pennzy:

It’s not just the cost savings but I feel I do a better job and much faster than going to a barber.

That’s the thing, though. Does it do a better job? I’ve seen people who quite obviously cut their own hair (or give their toddlers scissors and let them have at it).

Then again, my usual place, my usual “stylist”(?) buzzes me nice and evenly, going over everywhere a bunch of times to make sure everything’s perfectly even.

Once she wasn’t there and I didn’t want to wait, so let the other guy do it. I said I just wanted it buzzed, he’s insisting on an actual cut (scissors, comb, etc.), and I get crap like, “Hey, who’s the professional here, you or me?”, telling me what I want instead of listening to me when I said it.

Got home, spent the next 20min in the bathroom in front of a mirror snipping off the loose hairs that were sticking up at random. :person_facepalming:

Yah, never again.

Lightbringer · 2019-12-29T20:59:55.000Z

raccoon city:

Now I get my hair cut by a professional in her own home.

She charges $20, plus I leave a tip.

It’s the most expensive haircuts I’ve ever gotten, and my hair looks amazing when she’s done.

She knows what she’s doing, despite having a crappy clipper.

Yep, it’s the artist, not the tools.

Only once ever was I getting compliments left’n’right from almost everyone who saw me post-haircut. Even I saw the difference. And this was done by someone fairly new to the place (æons ago, now closed).

Unfortunately, after not seeing her in a while, I finally asked what happened to her (still worked there, quit, etc.). Found out she died of cancer shortly after That Haircut.

raccoon · 2019-12-29T21:01:43.000Z

I quit cutting my own hair because I didn't do a very good job.

It was pretty obvious that I cut my own hair, even though I went over all areas a multitude of times.

jf_smm · 2019-12-29T22:03:18.000Z

I used to have an Oster and thought it was great until it died. There weren’t any Oster clippers in stock when I was trying to replace it so I bought a Remington and found it was much better. When it eventually dies I’ll get another Remington.

flightless22 · 2019-12-29T22:08:41.000Z

ValuseekeR:

My Wahl clippers are still going strong after nearly 20yrs of use.

Same for me. The cord got busted up but I replaced it and were back in business.

vwpieces · 2019-12-29T22:43:07.000Z

Wahl Color Pro Complete Hair Cutting Kit, #79300-400T

Had this one over 5 years, paid for itself in one use. Stopped working once, but I figured out there is an adjustment screw for the vibrator. Wonder how many get thrown out cause of this? Oil blades every couple uses and still going strong. Used for beard and hair.

Jerommel · 2019-12-29T22:49:27.000Z

Cereal_killer:

Same as a pair of scissors; they have 2 opposing blades = a pair.

Ah, yes, but isn’t a clipper a single thing that happens to have 2 opposing blades?
A hair clipper in this case.

Jerommel · 2019-12-29T23:22:24.000Z

Mine i’ve had for… i don’t know, probably like 12 years or so? Maybe even longer though.
It’s a cheap Bestron® that i bought at the Kijkshop (Dutchies remember).
Better mechanism than Wahl, blade moves twice as slow but with about twice the excursion.
Had to fix (superglue) the adjustable cutting depth though, which is often a weakness in modern clippers.

I used to have a full metal Wahl my gandfather used as a barber.
Wahls can be tedious to adjust though, it takes some patience to get it just right between hardly moving at all and running wildly out of control.
Sometimes you think you’ve got it right, but then you give it a drop of sewing machine oil between the blades and there it goes: TRRRRAAA ! (it should be HMMMMMM).
It was a nice thing to look at and to use though, but one day the coil decided to break off a wire, and i wasn’t able to repair it…

So, good old Wahl died, so i got a cheap modern one with the same mechanism, with the same adjustment problems…
It didn’t last long though. Can’t remember what failed, but it stopped working.
That’s when i got the Bestron®.

But maybe the Wahl system works better at 60Hz AC, i don’t know.
For the same reason American made transformers (used to) have a bad reputation in 50 Hz countries.

FYI, before i started cutting my hair with clippers i had the Steven Seagal hairdo, for a number of years even.
I decided to go for the army look some 15 years ago.
I let it grow until it’s too fussy to make it look good without hair gel to glue it into position.
So i clip it 4 or 5 times a year.
Comb # 4 on top and # 2 for the sides and the back.
And no comb for the neck pubes.

Ironhorse · 2019-12-29T23:55:56.000Z

When my previous clippers died, I bought pet clippers.
They have the same attachments, but they seem to be built a little better.
I want to say they are Wahl, but I would have to check to be sure.

Spartan · 2019-12-30T00:22:50.000Z

I got the Oscar Fast Feed and the Andis Professional T-Outliner about a decade ago.

Use them every two or three weeks.

Probably going to be good for the rest of my life….or as long as I have hair on my head.

Spartan · 2019-12-30T00:33:41.000Z

Coyotehawk:

I taught myself at a young age how to cut my own hair. It has saved me lots of coin. The inky thing I have my wife do is straighten up my line on the back of my neck. Everything else I can do. Glad I learned years ago. However, the wife won’t let me cut my son’s hair. :disguised_face: Not sure why.

1” on top, 3/4” sides and 1/2” on the neck bottom. “Feel” and experience. Don’t need a mirror. About 7-8 minutes in the bathtub. Another couple of minutes for the wife to clean up the neckline. Done in 15 minutes including clean-up.

Versus going to the barber then coming home to take a shower. At least a one and half hour waste of time.

Plus I do this 20 times a year….about $400 for a barber.

Plus I have short hair which I like. Versus waiting a month or so to go to the barber.

(Then there is the manscaping.)

Been doing this for maybe 10-12 years and never looked back.

Most important…….bought good equipment to get consistent results. Only need to buy it once.

ChiggerPepi · 2019-12-30T00:51:55.000Z

I’ve had the Wahl Chrome Pro for about 13 years. Oil it every so often, clean it every so often, it’s fantastic. Find it here: (NON-affiliate)

https://www.amazon.com/Grooming-husbands-boyfriends-Professionals-79524-2501/dp/B0026IBSVE/

Also, if you haven’t cleaned and/or adjusted your clippers, there are fantastic videos on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxeqj0M3QR4

pennzy · 2019-12-30T01:28:11.000Z

Lightbringer:

How do youse cut your own hair, I’d like to know. Unless going for a buzz-cut, and even then, doing the “edging” around the neckline and such…

I just go to the chickie a few blocks down, toss a 20, and get a quick buzz. Done.

For the amount of hair I have left, $20 a pop would be wasteful.

Lightbringer · 2019-12-30T03:24:19.000Z

pennzy:

For the amount of hair I have left, $20 a pop would be wasteful.

Wellp, I used to joke about my “annual haircut”. Not quite, but close to it.

jacktheclipper · 2019-12-30T04:52:51.000Z

Well , I feel like I ought to chime in on this thread , since I have been a practicing barber for forty ( That’s right , 40 ! ) years .
My patrons call me Jack the Clipper .

I have tried many clippers over the years , and my favorites are the Andis Master Clipper . For balding and edging I prefer the Andis Styliners .They are quiet and powerful .
I still have the Andis clippers I was given in barber school and they work just as well as the day i got them .
Since mine are used daily , I have to replace the blades every three months .
Proper maintenance and adjustment is crucial . Keep them clean and lightly oiled .

I also like Feather brand shears . They have replaceable blades and are very sharp .

If you are grooming unusually thick hair or pets , the industry standard clippers are Oster . These have blades that are motor driven instead of magnetic vibration. Much more powerful .

matik42 · 2019-12-30T06:00:10.000Z

I use ~1.5 year this https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00BN1TW7C

tempo · 2019-12-30T15:24:55.000Z

The most often mentioned brand in this 2019 thread is WAHL oic. I watched several disassembly videos of the popular pro-grade cordless WAHL clippers (cordless Senior; cordless Magic Clip; cordless Sterling 4; cordless Designer; cordless 1919) and for the love of of god i cannot see a notable difference in the interior design/construction/engineering! The cordless WAHL's seem to be constructed the same: easily detachable 18650 battery with included charging circuit PCB, powerful rotary motor, very small simple/primitive main PCB, several big steel screws, plastic female threads.

Maybe the main difference between the 5 cordless models is the motor power (current draw), battery capacity (they all have 2200mAh batteries afaik), OOTB blade type, plastic color/finish, included accessories? The cordless 1919 is said to be a metal clipper (with machined metal female threads, really?).

WAHL has a fun product selector, but even after going thru the selection process, one ends up with a whole bunch of alternatives which i find confusing and annoying. I don't like companies with huge catalogs of similar models, turns me off

The other clipper manufacturers have a much smaller catalog which makes it easier to pick for example a cordless ANDIS clipper.

WAHL is the OLIGHT in the barber's world, dat true?

toddcshoe · 2019-12-30T15:32:29.000Z

Cereal_killer:

Same as a pair of scissors; they have 2 opposing blades = a pair.

Why do women buy a pair of panties but only, a bra?

Photonica · 2019-12-30T15:35:39.000Z

Lightbringer:

Cereal_killer:

Same as a pair of scissors; they have 2 opposing blades = a pair.

Just like a pair of pants, too. If you wore a pant, only one leg would be covered.

As George Carlin asked, “Why are panties plural, but brassiere is not?”

Adahn · 2020-01-01T18:09:22.000Z

Bra is a shortened version of the word “brassiere,” which has its origin as a Norman word for a child’s undershirt. Hence it is singular.
Panties are small pants. … Modern pants have these several pieces sewn together more or less invisibly, but the elements are all still there.