So you’ve just bought your first set of clippers, or maybe you’re a seasoned clipper!
Are you maintaining your equipment properly?
Clippers, blades and trimmers are expensive pieces of kit - looking after your tools is important.
New clippers
First of all, make sure to read the instructions which should come with your clippers.
The instructions should tell you how to set up your clippers - putting on the blades, how to tension, and about any safety features they may have.
Every brand of clipper has a different tensioning system - so make sure you are setting the tension correctly for your specific brand of clipper.
For example
Liveryman clippers are tensioned by sound - it’s like finding the biting point in your car. Too loose and the blades won’t have enough tension to clip, and could shake loose and damage the mechanism. Too tight and you’ll overheat and strain the motor, possibly damaging it.
Lister clippers are tensioned by tightening the blades, then turning back approximately 1 1/2 - 2 turns
The Lister tension is much tighter than the Liveryman tension, so if you were to follow the Lister guide for Liveryman clippers, then you could damage the Liveryman motor.
If you don’t have instructions, and are not sure, please contact the appropriate clipper manufacturer and they will tell you how to do it.
Please do not take advice from ‘horsey help groups’ more often than not, the incorrect advice is given.
Blade care
Your clipper blades, if new, should be sharp and ready to go!
Oil the blades along the teeth, and a drop in the hole behind the tension set.
Please check your instructions again as they may have more details on where to oil.
Make sure your tension is set correctly, and start clipping, making sure to clean and re-oil your blades every 5-10mins.
Blade wash and clipper oil is recommended.
Do not clip wet/muddy/gritty/dirt fur. This will damage your blades and blunt them very quickly.
On clean horses, I would realistically expect to get around 5 hunter clips per set of blades before sharpening is required (sometimes you get more clips, sometimes less).
On a very dirty horse, you could end up using multiple blades, as the dirt in the coat will prematurely blunt them.
Coat types can be a factor in how quickly your blades will go blunt - fine warmblood coats are easier on the blades than a thick native coat.
Make sure to have more than one set of blades - it’s always good to have a spare.
And make sure to buy good quality blades - cheap blades are made from low quality metal, so will go blunt very quickly and will sharpen poorly (if at all).
Cleaning your clippers and blades after use, and storage
Remove your blades fully from the clippers, and clean them.
Use a brush to remove excess hair, a towel to give them a quick wipe, then a spray of blade wash to clean them.
Barbercide is recommended for professionals who clip multiple horses at multiple yard. This disinfects the blades.
Make sure your blades are totally clean and dry (to prevent rust). Put a small amount of oil along the teeth, and pop them into a clean plastic wallet, or you can wrap them in baking paper.
Ideally you should store your blades in a box - keep them their pairs (cutter and comb). If you don’t have a blade box for them, a plastic takeaway container works great as well.
Brush down your clippers, and make sure to remove as much of the trapped fur as possible from the head of the clipper.
Compressed air is very good for this!
Check if your machine has a filter - most do. The instructions will tell you how to remove it and clean it out.
Wipe down the body of the clipper, and the wire with antiseptic wipes. This will remove any dirt.
Store your clippers and tension set in their box. Be careful not to bend the cable where it connects to the clipper, and this can cause the connection to come loose over time, and your clippers will not switch on.
It’s extremely important to keep all of your clippers, blades, batteries etc in a dry environment.
Do not store your equipment in a tack room or car - your house is best.
Damp, cold conditions will cause rusting, and will damage your motor, electrics and mechanisms.
Cold conditions will wear out your battery - much like a car. The battery life will be drained, and the cells damaged.
Damaged blades
Do not use damaged blades.
Blades are extremely sharp, and if they are missing any teeth it is highly like you will cut your horse. They should be binned.
I have seen damaged clipper blades come up for sale on eBay countless times - again, they are only suitable for the bin.
How often should they be serviced?
Servicing clippers is super important - parts that wear out will be replaced, electrics and cable connections checked or replaced.
For most owners, they should have their clippers serviced once per year - normally at the end of clipping season.
For those clipping a few horses regularly throughout the year, then you may need to have them serviced twice.
For professionals, it’s more often!
I have multiple sets of clippers, which tend to get serviced a minimum of 2x per year each.
Cheap Blades
Cheap blades tend to be made of poor quality metal. The metal is softer - so it won’t keep its sharp edge (blunts quickly), and often do not sharpen well at all.
It is better to pay more to get good quality blades (it will save you money in the long term).
If you see brand new A2 style blades for between £10-£20, I can guarantee they are poor quality metal.
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