Greetings, I have a question for the collective hive mind.

I have an Oster A6 'professional-grade' trimmer. It came with a #10 trimmer head. It works great, until it doesn't. In that, it will cut through my Goldendoodle's hair like a hot knife through butter. But then, it would stop cutting, and nothing I do can make it work again.

I have tried oiling the blades, but this doesn't work. I've read online how people use this trimmer/head combination to trim llamas, and my 90lb Goldendoodle is not nearly as big as a llama. I believe this to be a good quality trimmer and blade, but I can't use it because it just stops working.

Does anybody have experience with this? I'm trying to do my Goldendoodle's hair at home, since we've had some bad experiences when we dropped him off with groomers in the past. It's relatively easy when the trimmer works, but it's impossible to do when the trimmer stops working.

Thank you in advance.

Oh, and here are some gratuitous dog photos, since I don't want to talk about my pupper and not post pics of him. . .

I don’t know anything about trimmmers, but that is an ADORABLE pup!

I have good luck with the Andis #10 ceramic blade for a Shihtzu/poodle mix. I oil it before and after or it will oxidize that will render it useless after one cut. I believe those fit the Oster too. Made in USA. Adorable pooch you've got there.

Sounds like it needs the carbon brushes replaced. According to Oster, brushes last about 200 hours of use and it‘s time to change them when it begins to slow down, run rough or stops working. They’re cheap.

https://www.ereplacementparts....h-kit-p-2563138.html

Not to hijack your thread, but how easy is it to trim your beastie? I have a 65lb goldendoodle and I am getting kind of tired of paying $100 bucks plus tip getting her trimmed and washed at the dog beauty shop...

quote:

Originally posted by tgajak:
Not to hijack your thread, but how easy is it to trim your beastie? I have a 65lb goldendoodle and I am getting kind of tired of paying $100 bucks plus tip getting her trimmed and washed at the dog beauty shop...

It is really quite simple, IF the shears work. When they work, I could trim him down in about 2 hours. Of course, I don't have training and I had to take many breaks since with only one trimmer, the blades would get hot. I have heard that the pros use several sets of trimmers so they can cool the blades down without stopping.

This past Sunday, my wife and I started with just scissors, which is time consuming and (as it turns out) somewhat dangerous. I cut part of his ear, and I haven't been able to forgive myself yet for that one. So, I ran out and bought another trimmer (thinking the first set was defective). It worked great for about 30 minutes. I got about half of him done when the new trimmers (a Wahl this time) started doing the same thing the Oster did.

It can't be that my one dog's fur is special; I've read where people trim llamas and don't have these problems. I also have heard that many professionals use Oster and Wahl trimmers just fine. It has to be some kind of procedural or other trick that comes with experience.

I read the manual, and it say when it starts pulling fur instead of cutting, I should oil the blades. Well, I did that and it didn't work. I'm stumped.

So, to answer your question, IF the shears work, then I don't see any hindrance to somebody doing it themselves. I plan to do this once I can get the clippers working. Granted, the professional groomers do a better job than I do, but Malachi doesn't seem to mind a less-than-perfect haircut. I would say it's definitely worth it to do it yourself, as you will get better as time goes on (again, so long as the clippers work).

I’ll be watching this thread for for your updates. I, too, have a 95 lb doodle and we’d like to attempt trimming him up ourselves as well. Seems quite the job and probably worth the $100 to a groomer. My wife usually checks around, trying this groomer and that one (we’re usually satisfied with the results) and she averages about $80 per visit. Some charge extra for the nail trim etc.

I am guessing the trimmer is overheating enough to shut it down until it cools.

Check the brushes in clipper handle,they can fracture if clipper has been dropped.
I am still using one set of osters from the early sixties I used while in the navy.
Years back I bought another pair to make my hand be cooler.
My mix doodle looks like the first pic but has a great haircut.
You will need to use a 1.5 clipper,the # two's I use on the other poodle.
Puppy clips work well for my big dog,but it takes time and I break that up in two sessions for his health and my back and knees.
I suggest do major full body and the next time do face and head and feet.
Two sets of osters sure is comfortable to your hand .Also pet smart in my opinion sells counter fit blades that don't cut hair well and hurts your pet.
Bought some and carried that crap back and got static the next day.
That was years back and I never went to them again.
A carden brush makes clippers work more smoothly
I was the dog one day and trim the next.Wet or damp hair is rough on your pet.
Hope this helps and that is a handsome pup

45, thanks for the tips.

I don't think it's the clipper itself, as my brand-new Wahl worked just great for the first 1/2 hr and then stopped working just like the Oster. I am literally confounded by it all.



We got Malachi since we LOVE our Golden Retriever (in my avatar wearing headphones), but there is SO MUCH hair. Other than the shedding, he (the Golden) is the perfect dog for us. When we wanted a second dog to keep our Golden company, we got Mali. Mali doesn't shed, nor does he appear to have allergens, and he is the most lovable goofball I've ever met.

EVERY NIGHT, he will jump on the bed and try to take my spot (literally laying on my pillow). Every night (that I can't intercept him first), I gently move him over so I have room for me. Every time, he gives me the most affronted, offended look, and then does this rolling-the-eyes "I can't believe what I have to put up with" look. Then, he will jump off the bed, curl up on his dog bed, and give an exasperated sigh (making sure we hear him, of course).

He's awesome.

Hi Hound Dog, You say the clippers stopped working, so does that mean the motor stopped or the blades stopped their cutting motion? I have clipped horses professionally, and my own dogs, so maybe I can help. It could be your detachable blades just need to be sharpened and adjusted by someone that offers that kind of service. If they are properly adjusted they should not run hot and oil will not prevent them from running hot if they are out of adjustment.

quote:

Originally posted by clipper1:
Hi Hound Dog, You say the clippers stopped working, so does that mean the motor stopped or the blades stopped their cutting motion? I have clipped horses professionally, and my own dogs, so maybe I can help. It could be your detachable blades just need to be sharpened and adjusted by someone that offers that kind of service. If they are properly adjusted they should not run hot and oil will not prevent them from running hot if they are out of adjustment.

Thanks for the assistance.

More accurately, the clippers *stop cutting.* The motor still works, the blade moves back and forth, and everything looks/sounds normal, yet they do not cut. They will grab a small bit of hair, but I can't work them through the fur.

I took the blades apart once, screwed them back together, and tried them again. They then worked just fine for about 2 minutes maybe, when they started doing the same thing.

As far as sharpening goes, this same thing happened with the brand new Wahl clippers I got, so unless they were dull brand new out of the box, I don't think that is the problem. . .

Oster makes cooler lubricant that is called
Kool Lube works really well for oster # 10 [my old pair as well as the oster golden A 5 [my newest clipper].
I carrier several pair of blades to a supposedly rep to re sharpen oster blades .was a waste of money.
they over ground the heel of the moving blade and changed the pitch ,made it unusable.
I can't afford the machine the Barber shop had for us to sharpen our blades.
Damn thing looked like an old turn table with a diamond chip twelve inch disk..
When my blades get dull I get more life from them by filling a one piece jar lid with K-1 and running for several minutes.
K-1 is abrasive and polishes the wear surfaces.
Ha ;I had to laugh when your pup gets on the pillow,I must have his twin.

Hey Hound Dog, Send me an email and let me know how to contact you by phone, and a good time to call. I can probably help you and walk you through a few things that will get your job done.I also talk better than I type, lol.
My info is in my profile.