How to Choose Best Dog Clippers For Your Dog Grooming
There is a lot to consider when buying a pair of dog clippers for your pet and you cannot choose a product purely on power, style or the fact that they are top rated clippers. The best approach when browsing the options is to put yourself into two different mindsets.
First, you need to think about the problem in the guise of the groomer. Second, you need to think about the problem as a concerned pet owner. Don’t forget that your dog’s experience with the clipper is just as important as yours, perhaps even more so. This dog grooming clippers buyers guide will break these mindsets down into key issues.
Things to Think About When Buying Dog Clippers as the Groomer
Power:
The most obvious consideration when looking at a pair of clippers from your own perspective is the cutting power. How powerful is the motor? What is the RPM on the blade? Does the product have varied speed settings? From there, you need to consider the pros and cons of going for a corded or a cordless option.
A cordless is sometimes seen as the preferable option on small, fidgety dogs where a cord might get in the way. The problem is that cordless also means a battery that might run out of juice mid-session.
Check the running time of the device in user reviews and consider how long you will be grooming your pet. Don’t just rely on the word of the manufacturers. Are you likely to spend a good hour carefully clipping a long, difficult coat for a show, or is this just for quick touch ups?
Handling:
The benefit of going cordless can be maneuverability, which brings up the important issue of handling. Not all pet clippers are built the same and some are more comfortable to handle for long periods of time than others. This comes down to three important aspects: the ergonomics of the shape, the balance and the weight.
Some of the powerful, heavy duty models can be a bit heavy. At the same time, make sure that a model praised for its light weight isn’t too flimsy. A strong, break-resistant casing can offer great protection around clumsy pets or against accidental drops.
The Cut:
The final thing to think about from the human side of things is perhaps the most important of all – the final results that the device can offer. A clipper can be ergonomic, fast and tough, but if it doesn’t offer a clean cut or the ability to deal with matts, it might not be good enough.
As always, check user reviews to see how other buyers got on with the device. These reports can be helpful tools, especially if the reviewer has the same breed of dog and had been able to share some photos of the finished cut.
The performance is a lot to do with the power behind the blade and the quick cutting motion, but the system also needs a good blade and other accessories. Check to see what else is included in the box.
Does the product come with one basic blade or are there a series of blades included? Are there additional combs and brushes or any blade oil? The more that is in the box, the better prepared you will be.
What about the canine mindset? What else is there to consider in order to meet the needs of your dog?
It is easy to just consider the buying process as a consumer looking for the faster, shiniest appliance for an efficient, good-looking result. The problem with this is that you may overlook the experience of your pet.
They have to sit there through the grooming process and be treated with these clippers, so they have to be pet-friendly as well as human friendly. The best dog clippers are the ones that tick three important boxes: there are quiet, gentle and cool-running.
Noise:
The problem with some of these heavy-duty, fast paced appliances is that the rotations of the blade and the powerful motor can make a lot of noise. If you get an expensive model with the best cutting action and find that your timid pooch is too scared to go near them, it is a wasted purchase.
There are many top-rated models that now state that they are “whisper-quiet”. This can be a bit of an exaggeration, so it is best to read the consumer reports to see whether the dogs agree or not.
Vibrations:
At the same time, it is worth checking the specifications and reviews to see if the designers have made any attempt to reduce the vibrations created by the motor. The gentler the device feels against the body of the dog, the less they are going to feel and there is less chance of them freaking out.
Heat:
The final consideration here is the heat generated by the blades. As the motor works hard to move the blades on the highest setting, it can generate a fair bit of heat. The concern for many owners is that this will transfer to the skin of the animal and cause distress, or even harm.
As with the other problems mentioned here, notions of what makes a device too hot are subjective and some reviewers may be overly cautious.
If, however, there are scores of buyers saying that they needed to switch the device off halfway through to let it cool down, you may have to put up with the same issue. One way of combating the heat issue is to spray the blades and some of the best models come with oils and solutions to ease the problem.
Cover as many of these point as possible when choosing your new dog clippers.
A dog clipper may seem like a simple appliance – you switch it on and let the blades get to work on the dog’s coat until you get the result you want. What this dog clippers buyers guide has hopefully shown is that there are a lot of other, smaller details to these products that can easily separate the bad products from the desirable ones.
Power is determined by the speed settings, motor strength and the presence of a cord. The quality of the cut is determined by the quality of the blades and extra accessories as much as the capability of the mechanics.
The handling is determined by the balance, shape and weight. Finally, the happiness of your pet during the process is determined by the noise, heat and vibrations produced.
The top rated dog clippers should be the ones that ticks every single one of these boxes, but be prepared to compromise to get the best deal. Consider what you want most from your clipper and work from there.