Used to think clipper oil was just a scam until I saw a $300 pair of Osters seize up on me

I was at a shop in Cleveland last month and a guy had his clippers die mid-haircut because he never oiled them, just WD-40'd them once. The repair guy told him the bearings were shot from dry running and it would cost almost as much as new clippers to fix. Has anyone else seen a good pair of clippers get ruined from skipping the oil?

2 comments

2 Comments

parker_campbell3d agoMost Upvoted

Man I used to think the same thing honestly. I figured clipper oil was just another upsell at the beauty supply store until my own Wahl Legend started making this grinding noise after about six months of dry cutting. When I finally looked up how to fix it the inside was all caked with hair and the blade was basically welded to the clipper from friction heat. Learned my lesson real fast after that.

palmer.henry3d ago

Yeah exactly @parker_campbell, the thing nobody talks about is how dry cutting actually makes your clippers run hotter over time, and that heat messes with the blade alignment way worse than people realize. I had a cheap set that started throwing blades out of whack after a few months of skipping oil, and by the time I caught it the plastic housing was slightly warped from the heat.