Who Doesn't Want to Save Money?

I am a firm believer in the reduce, re-use, recycle mind-set. That's why it struck me as strange when a horse person told me they throw out their dull clipper blades and just buy new ones. The person had no idea that you can have those blades re-sharpened, which would save them a whole lot of money. The same thing is true for any tool. The cost of a re-sharpening far outweighs the cost of buying a new tool. Here's an example: buy a new A-5 type clipper blade for $23.00 or get it re-sharpened for $5.50. Buy a new chainsaw chain for $25.00 or get it sharpened for $6.50.

On the average you can re-sharpen a clipper blade about six to twelve times or a chain saw chain between fifteen to twenty times. Of course you have to take into consideration how much wear and tear there is, but you get the idea. Times are tough and saving money only makes sense. Besides, when your tools are sharpened correctly it makes your job easier and safer.

Give me a call today and I can get those blades and scissors ready for your warm weather grooming that will be here sooner than later. Even if they have been sitting around and somewhat rusted, I can usually clean them up and get them sharp.

Why Clipper Power Cords go Bad.

I have been asked by a few of my customers why the power cords go bad on their clippers and why they keep needing to replace them. A few reasons come to mind.

One of the most common problems I see in the shop is some people wrap the cord around the clipper when not in use. This puts stress on the grommets which makes them crack and split.

This cord had been wrapped around the clipper so many times that the grommet has actually snapped in half. The owners had used electrical tape to "fix" the problem.

Another reason is because the cords are made with inferior materials. A lot of manufacturers have their parts made in China where the materials aren't the best quality. Even if an item says its a US product the parts may have come from other countries but assembled in the United States.

Breakage can also be due to age because over time the materials may become brittle or dry rotted. Harsh chemicals or cleaners can weaken the the material as well.

Here is a good example of how NOT to wrap
the power cord.

This is the PROPER way to wrap a power cord when not in use.
Loop the cord and tie it across the center which is the way it
comes in the original package.

Broken Yoke Assembly on Body Clippers

Oster Clipmaster body clipper showing broken yoke assembly springs due to impacted hair and over tightening the blade tensioner.

Recently several body clippers came into my shop with broken yoke assemblies. After looking them over I found the blade tensioners were adjusted too tight and they were packed full of hair so I would like to address that problem here.

Reasons Why Yoke Assemblies Break

• Too much blade pressure from tensioner. 
• Too much hair packed in the assembly.
• No oil on moving parts.
• Improper grease/oil applications.

Too much hair in the yoke assembly along with excessive grease/oil will saturate the hair and cause it to pack in tighter around the blade and yoke assembly. This will cause the clipper to slow and the blades will not cut properly. At this point people want to tighten the blade tensioner to get the blade to cut better but this will cause more blade friction, heat and excessive pressure on the yoke assembly causing it to fail.

Periodic cleaning will prevent down time and repair, Also use oil in the oil ports, not grease.

Items that will be helpful in dislodging the clipped hair from the yoke assembly are an air compressor or a can of compressed air, shop vac, and an old narrow toothbrush. Excessive amounts of grease, oil, or WD-40 will seep into the motor and cause fouling and burn out the armature.

Always use caution when using cans of compressed air. Some may flash and ignite if the clipper is running or if sprayed near anything that can generate a spark. Make sure clipper is off and unplugged when using cans of compressed air, safety glasses are also needed when using these types of products.

If you have any questions or need a repair don't hesitate to give me a call.

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