# Oster Powermax clippers not cutting well on labradoodle



## dontribi (Mar 23, 2012)

Hello All, 

This is my first post here so please be gentle. I am not a dog groomer just an average joe with a labradoodle. We shave our dog a few times a year so I bought a set of Oster powermax clippers. It came with a #10 blade and I bought an extra one. I've only done about 5-6 cuts on the dog and the clippers perform horribly. I took the blade off and found a little plastic piece that moves the blade back and forth. It came with two replacements of those but I'm not sure when to change it. I lubed the metal bar up with oster clipper grease.

I always oil the blade when in use. Here is the issue. I take the dog outside, oil the blades and start trimming. Its been about 2 months since the last time she was trimmed. She doesn't have curly poodle type hair its more like a golden retriever type. The clippers can't go more than 1" and start leaving lines as if it can't cut through the hair. I can't do slow normal strokes cause it just doesn't make it through.

Now I know a lot of this can be caused by me but is there any suggestions to getting longer smooth strokes? or are the clippers just in need of service? I don't have any other blades than a #10 and I'm fine with the length of the dogs fur once I get through it. Normally it would take me about an hour to trim the dog. But with the way the trimmers are functioning we're up to about 2.5 which I think is way too much. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

Your blade is dull. Send it off for sharpening or buy a new one. A 10 blade is very short. Taking the coat down that short leaves the dog susceptible to,sunburn, so use caution after clipping for a few weeks. A 7F blade would be a better length, and is still very short. Only clip a freshly washed and blow dried dog to make the blades stay sharp. Even one day after bathing is dirty enough to dull blades faster. Also, when the blade gets hot, oil it and stop until its cool. Hot blades dull faster too.


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## dontribi (Mar 23, 2012)

Thanks for the info. I didn't think blades could dull after just so few cuts. I typically bathe the dog after I'm done shaving her down. I guess I'll have to change the order. I usually switch between the two blades as they heat up so its always a cold blade. One other question. That plastic thing that actually moves the blade. How often does that need to be changed? It came with 3 in the box so I'd assume that is a frequently wearable part. How can you tell its time to change?


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

dontribi said:


> Thanks for the info. I didn't think blades could dull after just so few cuts. I typically bathe the dog after I'm done shaving her down. I guess I'll have to change the order. I usually switch between the two blades as they heat up so its always a cold blade. One other question. That plastic thing that actually moves the blade. How often does that need to be changed? It came with 3 in the box so I'd assume that is a frequently wearable part. How can you tell its time to change?


Yes, blades will only last a few cuts if you are clipping dirty. The plastic lever needs to be changed when its looking worn. As a groomer, I replace mine on my Andis clippers every month, but mine are used all day every day. Yours should be fine, but you could change it and see if its cutting better. Its called a blade drive. The part that wears is the part that grabs the cutter on the blade.


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## 2sleepy (Mar 28, 2012)

I have two labradoodles and got a powermax clippers and found it to be useless. I don't know if they are defective or what, but they just don't cut worth a crap. I put the same blade on our old Oster 76 clippers and the blades work fine. I can't use any blade longer than a 3f or 4f. One of my dogs is wooly, the other thick and wavy and even with a clean completely de-matted coat longer blades just won't work. I usually use clippers on their body and then scissor their legs.


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

2sleepy said:


> I have two labradoodles and got a powermax clippers and found it to be useless. I don't know if they are defective or what, but they just don't cut worth a crap. I put the same blade on our old Oster 76 clippers and the blades work fine. I can't use any blade longer than a 3f or 4f. One of my dogs is wooly, the other thick and wavy and even with a clean completely de-matted coat longer blades just won't work. I usually use clippers on their body and then scissor their legs.


They are a decent clipper, and if maintained properly should be just fine for a doodle clipped at home. The reason you cannot get the longer attachments thru your dogs coats is because you are either using the wrong blade under the attachment, and/or not thoroughly brushing, combing and fluffing the coat. Bathing and drying poodle type coats can make or break how the clipping goes, and the finish on the coat.


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## 2sleepy (Mar 28, 2012)

It's probably inadequate drying and combing because on my wooly boy I can't get an attachment through his fur, I have to use a blade; but when he was younger I took him to groomers who complained about the same thing, they usually just scissored his coat. I use Chris Christensen ice on ice and a les pooches brush and finish with a greyhound comb to make sure there are no matts but I don't have a commercial dryer so both my dogs are usually groomed at least partly damp. But, the Oster 76 which I guess is the human equivalent of the A5 will work with a blade that is less than 1/2", the powermax just struggles with the same blade on it.


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

2sleepy said:


> It's probably inadequate drying and combing because on my wooly boy I can't get an attachment through his fur, I have to use a blade; but when he was younger I took him to groomers who complained about the same thing, they usually just scissored his coat. I use Chris Christensen ice on ice and a les pooches brush and finish with a greyhound comb to make sure there are no matts but I don't have a commercial dryer so both my dogs are usually groomed at least partly damp. But, the Oster 76 which I guess is the human equivalent of the A5 will work with a blade that is less than 1/2", the powermax just struggles with the same blade on it.


Yes, you are right. In order to get an attachment thru a thick wooly coat, you have to "fluff" dry with a heated dryer, while brushing the coat straight, in tiny sections until the entire coat and skin is bone dry. Then comb, and then an attachment will go thru. But of course if you dont prefer all that work and longer length, there is no need.


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## 2sleepy (Mar 28, 2012)

Graco22 said:


> Yes, you are right. In order to get an attachment thru a thick wooly coat, you have to "fluff" dry with a heated dryer, while brushing the coat straight, in tiny sections until the entire coat and skin is bone dry. Then comb, and then an attachment will go thru. But of course if you dont prefer all that work and longer length, there is no need.


 Would it help if I were to buy a better dryer, all I have now is an 'andis pet dryer' which is nothing more than a glorified human blow dryer and doesn't do much of anything. I have been looking at better dryers, but some people warn against getting one that is anything less than 4 hp which unfortunately is out of my price range (less than $150) The metro air force quick draw is available for under $80, but it's only 1.3 HP. Any advise would be appreciated.


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

2sleepy said:


> Would it help if I were to buy a better dryer, all I have now is an 'andis pet dryer' which is nothing more than a glorified human blow dryer and doesn't do much of anything. I have been looking at better dryers, but some people warn against getting one that is anything less than 4 hp which unfortunately is out of my price range (less than $150) The metro air force quick draw is available for under $80, but it's only 1.3 HP. Any advise would be appreciated.


From the sounds of your dogs coat, any dryer with less power than a K9II is going to be a waste of your money. My advice would to be to keep using your dryer, but after bathing, towel dry and let him air dry for about half hour. Then, using a slicker brush, and your hand held dryer, start with one small area, like a foot, and brush while drying, until the hair is straight, dry, and separated, all the way to the skin. Then work your way up the leg and all over the dogs body. This is called fluff drying, and the only way you will be able to get an attachment thru the coat with the tools you have. Lots of work, but try it once. Its takes practice to get good and fast at it tho.


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## 2sleepy (Mar 28, 2012)

Ok, thanks much for the advice =)


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