Clipper brand/type recommendations?

[Ferrana]

Hey all. After losing my sweet riding horse to colic a month ago, I came to the realization I would not be getting another full sized horse but rather focus on my mini and driving. So! I have been doing a MASSIVE tack room clean out, selling 12yrs worth of "Wow, I collected a lot of stuff for just one horse!" on line. I'm using the funds for getting my mini Firefly tricked out for driving and shows, from lyrca sheet, hood, and tailbag to rain sheet to harness parts to show halter parts to...you get the idea.

Well, what I realized I really need to invest in are some mini-strength clippers. Her winter coat already killed my StablePros (lthe motor went POW! last season as I was clipping her), my cordless are obviously not up to the task, and while my Sterling works as long as I keep switching the blades out, it's still a colossal PITA to clip her. She gets the winter coat of a yak--it is crazy thick and fluffy. Her summer coat, meanwhile, is like how my Arab's winter coat was. Heh.

So! What clippers do you experts recommend for tackling the most obnoxious of mini coats? I want one strong enough to do the job, doesn't get gummed up by the cottony coat under her belly (or at least, not AS gummed up), and that doesn't leave her looking like the clipper-track-striped ragamuffin. I understand the really good ones are expensive, but I think it's time I bought really good ones.

Thanks in advance!

Pics, because CUTE!

Winter:

Post-Clip (oh, the ugly tracks):

 

[Marsha Cassada]

What a pretty girl!

If you search the Forum you should find lots of good posts about clippers.

I use the Andis 2 speed and it works fine for me, but sounds as though you want to upgrade over that style.

One of my horses had a coat like a sheep. It was so thick and wooly I could not even brush the mud out of it. When I clipped him, it came off almost like a pelt. My Andis worked fine on him. I do have three #10 blades that I alternate when they get warm. And I replace the blade drive every year--for $5. I drop the warm blades in a dish of blade wash between use; it cools and lubricates them.

I miss my cordless clipper; it was good to have on hand when I didn't have electricity handy.

 

[chandab]

They are noisy and cumbersome, but I have a set of Oster Clipmasters for winter woolie clipping. I clip dirty with them, and haven't had serious problems with clipping. Yes, I do end up with clipper tracks, but if I'm really ambitious, I bathe the horse and then go over it with my Wahl KM2 clippers for a more finished look. [i only clip for comfort, so really don't worry too much about the tracks.] My KM2s worked fine for me clipping one moderately woolie mini, but when I gained more horses, it couldn't handle the number of horses, the amount of hair and the dirt. It gets warm enough to clip here before it's warm enough to bathe.

 

[amysue]

I too, have a set of Oster clipmaster clippers that I use for body clipping. I like them, but as Chanda said, they're loud. The body of that particular brand is notorious for running hot, so I wear gloves when clipping. If the blades and clipper head are oiled properly, they do not heat up on me, just the housing does. I finish clip and clean up faces with my oster A5 with a #10 blade. I hear very good things about the laube and lister clippers however, they are out of my price range. I know ebay always has lots of osters listed, some at very reasonable prices.

 

[Barefootin]

Same thing here. We use the Clipmasters for the rough and woolie large areas. My KM2 clippers died this year after working great for 10 full years. There are now KM5 and KM10 clippers. I would have happily replaced my KM2s with one of those BUT I found Laube iClip on sale and bought those. So far so good with them. Finished clipping 6 horses with one set of blades an NO tracks as advertised. I hate tracks even on the horses not going anywhere.

 

[Ferrana]

Thank you! I have been searching the forums about clippers and I see Double Ks mentioned a lot. I know they're expensive, but are they worth it for my purposes or a bit of overkill? I see the Andis 2 and 5 speed ones mentioned too alongside. This is the first I've heard of the Clipmasters, but I'll look into them too. I also need to check out some of the recommended how-to videos.

Do you clip summer coats for shows? At my first driving show the other week, I was astounded at how finely clipped the other minis were. Heh, I also could not get over how they were so finely cipped with no track marks visible. Impressive work!

 

[sfmini]

We have used Double K's for years and swear by them, but recently got the Andis 2 and really like them too.

Yes, bodyclip before every show. I am so enjoying not showing anymore. No more endless clipping and clipping.

 

[Ferrana]

Holy frijole, I didn't realize the Double Ks were in the neighborhood of $400! Maybe the Andis are more my speed (ha! see what I did there). $200-$300ish is more in the neighborhood of what I was thinking.

Are 5 speeds better than 2? And, newbie question I know, but what is the benefit of multiple speeds? You can tell I'm used to one-speed-fits-all.

I see several different Andis animal clippers available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=andis+animal+clippers&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aandis+animal+clippers

Any recommendations on which ones? Or, perhaps should I try and get some used Double Ks?

 

[Barefootin]

I like the 2 speeds(never had or needed more) so you use the slow(quieter?less heat) most of the time. Then IF you need more power=faster blades for thick and/or matted hair you've got the option. I've never used the Andis clippers and I've never talked to anyone that has. I like the KMs, iClip, and the Osters with the best part being they all use the same blades making it easy and cheaper to find them.

 

[Ferrana]

Sounds like this is a good buy for us, then.

http://www.minitack.com/acAGC.htm

I still wonder if I shouldn't just get Double Ks, but if this does the trick at half the price, why not?

 

[JMS Miniatures]

Here is the list I have used of brands of clippers. The worst is Oster, then Double Ks, then Wahls, this year for the first time tried Andis and I cannot be happier with them, and they can clip thru the winter hair like butter. Just be sure they are clean.

A lot of mini people use Double Ks but they are bulky and over priced.