Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Pros: fast, much cooler than A5, quiet. Cons: none so far. I've had an Oster A5 since the early 1990s. At the time, I had only limited need for a clipper as my dogs were not the sort that needed regular clipping. I now own two very large Standard Poodles and found clipping them an enormous chore with the A5. The clipper would get hot, which understandably upset the dogs, and the noise bothered my female around her ears (almost nothing bothers my male, but even he didn't like the heat). As other problems got worse, I knew I needed a replacement. I looked at lots of other clippers from Oster and Andis. I settled on this one based on reviews, but was still unsure--until I used it. The closest comparison would be if you had been fastening screws using a dime for years and suddenly someone handed you a screwdriver, maybe even a power screwdriver. My response was "Oh, that's how this is supposed to work." I can do their faces on the low speed, which doesn't bother them. In fact, I rarely need the high speed, except on their legs. The machine stays much cooler, is much quieter, and works much faster than my previous model. A couple of quick notes on blades: The number 10 that comes with it is NOT for full body. It clips the hair far too short. I use a #5. Also, the comb-style attachments you can buy do not work all that effectively on the course hair of a dog. You need to by the actual blade that is made to cut at that length. Finally, the cutter portion of the blades can be interchanged. You can buy ceramic cutters for far less money than the cost of a new blade and they work fantastically.