Let me first clear this up so you know who you're getting an opinion from: I'm a barber. I use this product on a daily basis and have for a few years now; in fact, I own two. My livelyhood depends on this clipper. That being said, let's get down to the nitty gritty.

The Wahl Senior is the BEST adjustable clipper on the market. The only thing that comes close is the Andis Master, but that product is not listed on epinions, nor do I recommend it for home use, and so I will not discuss it.

FEATURES:
The Wahl Senior is a cool running, quiet, and adjustable clipper which will cut anything between blade lengths #000 and #1. The sliding blade adjustment is controlled by a thumb lever, as are all adjustable clippers. The clippers are extremely well balanced and are very light considering how powerful they are. Now... I know this will disappoint you all, but the pretty lettering will wear off after some use (sarcasm?? me?? never!!). Included with the clippers should be a bottle of oil, instructions, warranty info, and possibly a brush to clean them off with (although I'm not sure about the brush... it's been a while since I got a new set). You'll notice that there are no clips included. This is because this is not a home haircutting kit, it's a professional clipper, and the clips should be of little use to a true professional. For home use, you can pick up clips (or guards as they are sometimes called) to fit this clipper from almost any beauty supply store, or a beautician or barber can order them in for you through their supplier for cheap.

USE:
If you cut a considerable amount of hair at home...say, two or more family members once a month or more, then this is definitely a clipper you should invest in. And why the Wahl Senior over other clippers or even other Wahl brand clippers?? For one simple reason.... longevity. If you buy a lesser clipper, you will save between $10 and $20, but these are not likely to last you any more than 2 years and are not easily repaired. My primary (and oldest) set of Wahl Seniors has lasted me a year under HEAVY use. By heavy, I mean upwards of 20+ haircuts a day, 5 or 6 days a week. That's somewhere around 5,200 haircuts, and all I've done is change the blades once. Needless to say, for standard home use these clippers will last you forever.

MAINTENANCE:
If I may, I would like to make a few suggestions on using this *type* of clipper. The first of which is to oil them frequently. As a general rule, oil all places where the two parts of the blade come in contact with each other. They should be oiled every 3-5 haircuts depending on how much you use them per cut, and oiled any time they are being used after sitting for more than a day or two. That little bottle of oil that comes with the clippers is your best friend. Oil is what insures longevity on ANY set of clippers.

Ease of repair is also a big plus with these clippers. If you ever drop the clippers and break them, or if the blades ever need replaced, you can simply go to any barber shop and get the name of their supplier/repair person (this is usually the same person/company). In my barber shop, we send in clippers all the time for people. With a cheaper set of clippers, it is not very likely that repairs can be made and you may end up having to replace the clippers entirely.

INVESTMENT:
Investing in a set of Wahl Senior clippers may seem a bit extreme at first, but with a quality tool like this you get a few extras that make a big difference. First off, they cut better and are easier to use than any other clipper. Second, they will last you forever, and possibly even longer than you need. Third (you'll like this I think), they actually hold a resale value. I recently found out that some suppliers will buy these used and refurbish them. About 3 weeks ago I bought a refurbished set as a backup to my older primary set, and they work beautifully!

And so you say, such a wonderful clipper must cost a fortune, right? (Stop me when I start sounding like an infomercial) But no. The Wahl Senior will most likely run you about $45 from a barber supply company. Whatever you do though, do not buy them through a retail store, the markup is ridiculous. Again, go to a barber and have them order you in a set; most will sell them to you at cost.

So after all is said and done, this is the best clipper for anyone doing more than 2 or 3 cuts a month. Also check out the Wahl Supertaper, and Supertaper II for a clipper with all the great features at a slightly lower price. And happy cutting!



Recommended: Yes