Worth the Extra Money
Written: Oct 14 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: runs great, quiet, doesn't overheat
Cons: initial price
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| linda41971's Full Review: Oster Turbo A5 Single Speed Clipper with #10 Blade |
I have an unusual breed dog. He's a Bedlington Terrier. (There's a picture of one on my page.) Anyway, one of the great traits of these dogs is that they don't shed - at all! Of course, every positive has a negative - they need to have regular haircuts or you'd have something resembling a giant mop walking around your house. These haircuts run $30 and up, and they need to be done once a month or so. This can really add up!
I decided that I could learn to clip my dog. I was lucky enough to find a class offered by the local bedlington club on how to do the grooming. When I signed up, the woman teaching the class gave me a list of tools that I would need. First, I'd need a clipper. She highly stressed not buying a cheap clipper, but investing in a good one that would last my lifetime. She recommended an Oster A5. These come in both single and two-speed. Single speed is adequate for the grooming I do, which is just one dog. If I had multiple dogs, I probably would have spent the additional money for the two speed clipper.
I went to my local PetCo, and almost choked when I saw the cost - $139. Wow! I decided to shop around a little, and I was glad I did. I was able to purchase one from the Jeffers Company, which is a mailorder pet supply, for $100, and I got a free coffeemaker to go with it. (Why they included a coffee maker is beyond me, but its a great coffeemaker!) Now for this price, you might think it includes everything, but it only comes with one blade. The Jeffers Co. also was running a second deal when I purchased mine, and I was able to get a second blade for free. Each blade costs around $20. Make sure you know exactly which blades you need for the haircut your dog gets. You don't want to purchase the wrong blades. It would be a very costly mistake!
My clipper does a great job. It does not pull the hair, or get jammed up with hair. The motor warms up, but does not overheat. The blades do get warm after a while, so I switch to a different blade and work on a different part of the clipping. If you want, you can purchase an aerosol product, Cool Lube, which will oil and cool the blade. This clipper is much more comfortable that a cheap one. I know this because I bought a cheap clipper to cut my son's hair. One day I decided to use the dog's clipper on him, and he was so excited that his hair wasn't pulled, and it was so much quieter. The job took less than half the time it did when I used the cheap clipper.
One other product that I recommend with your clipper is a blade wash. You use it to keep the blades clean and lubricated. This will prolong the life of the blades and the time between sharpening. I have used my blades for a year, and they are still fine. I think the amount of sharpening they need depends on the texture of your dog's hair, the number of dogs you clip and how often you clip. Also, washing the dog before you clip will help keep the blades sharp.
If you have a dog that needs regular haircuts, spend the money to buy a good clipper. You will save lots of money in the long run. The Oster A5 clipper is a great clipper to own.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
linda41971
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Member: Linda
Location: IL
Reviews written: 72
Trusted by: 75 members
About Me:
I spend my time gardening, volunteering and chauffeuring my kids around.
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