Looking to replace my old faithful body Sunbeam 2/speed clippers. I clip approx 5 horses x 2/3 yearly. Would like recommendations. I was going to purchase the Lister Stars, with a additional medium or 10 blade however, I am not sure that is the best choice as many pro clippers are not fans for doing a even clip and getting too hot. I like the larger blade coverage to the smaller andis choices. Any suggestions would be great.
We have a couple different sets.
We have the Andis 2 speed clippers (the burgundy ones.) They’re great if you’re clipping horses who don’t have super thick coats. The blades are easy to change, so when they get hot you just snap another set of blades on while the hot blades cool off. We’ve had ours for years, and they’re in great shape. We use them the most out of all our clippers (but mostly for bridlepaths, etc.) I can bodyclip my OTTB with them with no issue.
We also have the Andis XPerience clippers. They’re MUCH heavier duty than the Andis 2 speed. I bought them because my retired QH is borderline Cushings, so his coat is crazy yak-thick and doesn’t shed well, so we have to body clip him a few times per year. The burgundy 2 speed clippers cannot handle a coat like this. The Xperience clippers, however, fly through his hair like butter. They aren’t too heavy, they’re quiet, and they’re comfortable to hold and move around.
We also have Oster Clipmasters. I 100% do not recommend these. They’re noisy and heavy. They do clip well…until they stop working. The motor burned out in less than 10 clips with them, and the customer service was horrendous. These clippers were meticulously cared for. Always super oiled, always given breaks so they didn’t get too hot, heavily cleaned after each use, stored in my climate controlled house. Horses were always clean and dry for clipping.
The blades for the Clipmasters and the Xperience are the same. They’re big. We actually just did a full clip for the QH today, and it took about an hour, including taking a break from clipping to shorten his mane.
Honestly I’d just go with an Andis model. We have some other smaller Andis clippers (for ears, etc.) that are 20+ years old and still going strong.
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I do about 20 clips a year and I have the Andis 2 Speed (the burgundy ones mentioned above). I have had them 5+ years and did more horses in earlier years. They have held up well, although I do replace the drive blade assembly every year. It is a $10 part, so well worth the “maintenance”. I love them because they are quiet and I can do a full horse with them. I have never had an issue with heavier coats unless they are really dirty (not bathed well).
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You will have to bury me with my Double K/Groomer’s Edge belt mount clippers. I used one unit for about 10 years and decided to branch out and try other things when they started dying (turned out all I had to do was replace the easy parts and now they work great again, btw).
I bought Lister Stars which I couldn’t hate more…they’re loud and get ridiculously hot ridiculously fast. Then used a friend’s Oster Clipmasters. Also hated.
So I bit the bullet and bought a second pair of the Double K clippers and was back to happy again. Then, as mentioned, I bought the replacement easy-to-replace parts and wound up with 2 pairs of the Double Ks. I also have several pairs of the Andis AGR+ clippers, which I also love. But they’re not strong enough to clip multiple horses a year and I seem to be the battery killer of all battery killers. I bought the adapter to allow them to work off of a cord, but for some reason it makes them weaker than with the battery. I’m sure I’m the weak link there, but ultimately they’re only effective to finish off legs and heads.
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I clip cows and horses with these. They are absolutely The Best Ever. Mine are quite a few years old now and I still have no need to replace the batteries. They have given me zero trouble. Bonus, they are reasonably quiet (quieter than Clipmasters) and since they are battery, you do not get clipped hair blowing at you at all.
https://www.ukalcanada.com/en/heiniger/heiniger-xplorer-rechargeable-2-batteries-clipper-100292
If possible, see if you can try someone else’s clippers before you buy. You don’t need to borrow them (I don’t like to lend out my clippers). You can tell a lot from taking a few swipes on a horse they’re already clipping. I tried the Double K clippers that way and found I absolutely hated them. You might love them. It’s a lot of money to find out you don’t like them after you’ve already purchased.
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I really like my Andis Progress.
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I have the Lister Stars. Yes, they do warm up quickly but I think I’ve figured that out. I keep two blades on hand (Premier1’s medium blades, not the Lister ones) and oil and Kool Lube every 5-10 minutes. The other thing is that the filter tends to get clogged easily. If I’m not mindful about brushing that out the machine heats up. I usually do one side and start the face, finish the face and ears with my small clippers, and finish the body. I like that they’re reasonably lightweight for a machine with that cutting power and have lower vibration than ex. Clipmasters. This means I can use them for the large planes of the face and for most of the legs without upsetting sensitive horses.
My horse is an overgrown Shetland and I body clip about 10 times a year. They cut like butter. I would buy another pair.
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I am looking at these clippers but am not familiar with the blades they use. I can see that they are not the A5 snap ons. The one they come with are 31-23s. Can you please tell me how they compare in cut with the “10s”?
Apparently an unpopular opinion here but I really like my Lister Stars. I body clipped my WB gelding for the first time this year with my Andis AGC 2 speeds and a T84 blade. It took hours, and the hair grew back way too quickly - had to clip again 4 weeks later. I borrowed a friend’s Lister Stars then with a fine blade.
Full clip for a 16.3h horse took me about an hour and a half. Clipped so easily, although I did have to break out my little Andis clippers for some of the tight spaces - behind the front legs and under the jaw. That clip was done right after Thanksgiving and is still going strong. Might need to clip again in February or March but i’m fine with that.
I ended up buying my own set of Lister Stars after that and have clipped a few other horses. No complaints, quick and easy.
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Which type Listers did you decide upon? Was the cut with the fine blades similar to one a 10 blade gives or closer? I have to clip one of my horses 3 time in the winter season and the second and third cut tends to not go as close. Not sure if that is because the hair is lighter then and it doesn’t grab it as much.
I got the Lister Stars from SmartPak. I used the fine blade that they came with and I would say the cut was comparable to a 10 blade. I used a 10 on my smaller Andis clippers to clean up any lines afterward and it blended everything right in. I saw a lot of reviews that said that the fine blades cut too close, but it worked fine for my guy. I allowed two weeks leeway before our first show after the clip and I was happy with it.
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Similar. Maybe a tiny bit longer. When I do the body with these and the head with a 10, it blends fine. They use the same blades as the Oster Clipmaster.
Have loved my Andis Pulse ZR 1 cordless clippers. extremely quiet, 5 speeds, and if you keep a few blades can clip for up to 2 hours on a single charge. Did a wooly 12hh pony as my first clip in about 2 hours with breaks for both the pony and I stretching it to about 3 hours. Later did bridle paths, and legs on all but 3 super clipper shy horses out of a herd of 28 in prep for summer, without washing legs at all just curry/brush due to time constraints.
I’m having a horrible time with Oster customer service after my brand new clipmasters died part way through the first (easy) clip so I’d recommend anything but Osters…
