Rant: My clippers froze up mid-fade on a paying customer yesterday

I was doing a skin fade on a regular at my shop in Austin and my Andis Masters just stopped spinning halfway through the zero gap. Turned out the drive cap had cracked from heat after 4 months of heavy use, and I had to finish with my backup Wahl Seniors while the guy sat there for 15 extra minutes. Any other barbers had a tool fail at the worst possible time and how do you prep for it?

2 comments

2 Comments

veramartin3d ago

Oh man, that's brutal. I had a set of Oster 76s literally catch fire once mid-flat top, smoke pouring out and everything. Client just stared at me like I was performing some kind of dark magic. Now I keep two fully charged clippers in my drawer and swap them out halfway through every cut like I'm changing tires in a pit stop. It's overkill but beats that sinking feeling when your main tool decides to take a nap.

grayh602d ago

You said "Oster 76s" but those are actually corded clippers, not cordless ones, so they wouldn't be charging in a drawer. The 76 model is the classic metal beast that plugs straight into the wall with that thick rubber cord. Maybe you're thinking of the Oster Fast Feed or something else? I've seen those cordless ones die mid cut too, just never burst into flames like the old school 76s.