Customer Reviews

Oster 76076-010 Classic 76 Professional Hair Clipper

5 star:		(144)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

After several years of giving myself "buzz-cuts" I decided to go for a quality set of clippers. I had been using one of those kits which included all of the plastic guards etc. which fell in the $30 price range at Target. There is NO comparison. The Oster Classic 76 is the "Cadillac" of clippers. From the moment you turn them on, you can tell by the smoothness and power of the motor that you have stepped up to top quality clippers. They come with a [1] blade and a [000] blade. I purchased a [0000] which is great for real close shaves or fades. I'm confident these will last for years since I'm using them at home and not in a shop. I would definitely buy this brand again !

I have to start by admitting that I am a cheapskate, and I nearly always try to find the lowest-cost option when I make a purchase. In the case of hair clippers, however, there is only one option if you want the very best in quality, reliability, endurance, and over the long run, value; that option is the Oster 76 Clipper. Don't even consider wasting your money on anything else.

I grew up in the 70s and sported long shaggy hair (while I could). However, male pattern baldness began to rear its ugly head in the early 90s, and I was forced to go for shorter cuts (or else look ridiculous). My haircuts became continually shorter through the years, and evetually I settled exclusively on buzzcuts. Hence, in the mid 90s, I swore off barbers and began to cut my own hair.

Since that time, I've owned two "cheapie" Wahl clipper kits, and while these units did work, they did not deliver the quality of cut that you can only get at a barbershop or with the 76s. My haircuts now range from a 3/8" buzzcut down to occasionally shaving my head whenever I get a wild hair (excuse the pun).

As a sidebar, I've grown to love my short hairstyle because of the ease of care, tidy appearance, and the low cost involved. I also don't have to worry about making appointments and intruppting my busy schedule. Being able to cut my hair at home also saves gas, time, and money that I would otherwise have to spend at a barbershop/stylist establishment.

My hair presents two haircutting challenges: 1) The sides and back grow fairly thick, and 2) The top hair is fine and whispy and grows sparsly. My Wahl clippers would bog down when cutting the sides and back resulting in an uneven cut, and when cutting the top, they would leave several long hairs uncut even after several passes. In order to get a good-looking cut, I would have to go over, and over, and over my head, and still the cut was not perfect. I would literally spend upwards of an hour cutting my own hair.

Enter the Oster 76s! I received these clippers about 6 months ago with an 1/8" blade (being the cheapskate I am, I bought them used on Ebay for $60). Upon receiving the unit, I immediately plugged it in and put it to the test.

Folks, these clippers are awesome; I compare them to a Mack Truck. When mowing down the heavy hair on the sides and back of my head, I could not hear even a hint of the motor bogging down. Similarly to the Everready Bunny, it just kept "mowing," and "mowing," and "mowing!" This is great, I thought, but what about the hair on top of my head? My answer came in mere seconds as I completely sheared this portion of my head in one pass with only one additional pass to assure that no strays remained (actually I don't think I would have even needed the second pass). The resulting haircut was perfect with no missed spots and not one stray hair left uncut, and the entire process took maybe 10 minutes. I was amazed!

Since that time, I've purchased three more clipper blades again using Ebay (#2 which cuts 1/4", #0A which cuts 3/64", and #000 which cuts 1/50"). In the future I am going to also buy the #3 1/2 which cuts 3/8", #1 1/2 which cuts 5/32, and possibly the #00000 which cuts 1/125" (for those occasionaly headshaves). These blade sets are expensive--up to $35 each--but you can get an assortment of three or four through Ebay for around $35 or $40.

Obviously you will want to take care of the clipper unit and all your blade sets. The clippers need to be oiled once in a while, and there are places that you'll need to apply grease too (I haven't done this yet). You will also want to attend to your blades after each use. Simply use a soft brush to remove any loose hairs (be sure to clean between the top and bottom portion of the blade as this area is area sort of hard to clean). Next apply the tiniest drop of oil to each of the areas where the top and bottom portions of the blade contact each other and are subject to wear. Finally install each blade set on the clipper unit and run it for a few seconds to distribute the lubricating oil. While it might appear that this is a lot of effort, it actually only takes about a minute.

There a few other comments that I'd like to add. With continual operation (perhaps after 2 or 3 consecutive haircuts), the blade units can start to get hot (I have not encountered this problem because of the short amount of time it takes to cut my hair). You should be aware of this possiblity, though, and to remedy the problem, simply lubricate and cool the blades occasionally using Oster Kool Lube Spray (you can spray the blades while they are still attached to the clippers with the clipper motor running).

Another consideration, the Oster 76s are completely serviceable, and the owner can perform many of these tasks himself. The main power switch, power cord, clipper lever, and the two brush sets are relatively inexpensive and are fairly easy to replace.

I truely believe that this is the last set of clippers I will purchase in my life. These clippers are not "stylish" or "sleek" or "modern-looking." In fact, the 76s are the result of years of innovation beginning with the 1924 invention of the hand-operated hair clipper by the Oster Manufacturing Comany. The 76s have been around for years, and nobody has been able to improve on their time-tested history of quality, dependability, and value. You can search as far and long as you wish, but you won't find any better clippers than the Oster 76 model.

A professional grade clipper to last a lifetime.

If you're ready to step up from the cheap disposables most people try to get by with, the Classic 76 is worth considering. All of the parts are serviceable and replaceable meaning it will be around for a long time.

That said... these are huge clippers - and whether you can adjust to that or not, the size is still less than ideal. There are other models, from Oster and others, in this same price range that might be more appropriate for the average person.

As a fifteen year vet of the industry, I suppose I have the chops to weigh this pretty decent.

Pros-
Heavy- duty clipper...with proper care, this thing will outlast that car in your driveway...no kidding.
Mows through the thickest, toughest hair effortlessly.
Clipper blades are interchangeable...meaning...if you invest in the metal blades in different sizes, your cuts will be much more polished, fades look immaculate. If you can't do the metal blades, then there are plastic options. Keep in mind they won't cut nearly as clean, but nice for beginners.

Cons-
Heavy duty is great if you have the hand size and the wrist power to use it ALL DAY. I am a woman with small hands and I can't get my fingers all the way around it...thus it can be cumbersome after a while.
The noise...imagine an electric hedge trimmer....seriously. I still get remarks about it at work!
For beginning stylists...beware...it can get away from you fast. Peel and half peel are what it does best...it takes MUCH practice to fine tune your results.

Overall it is a solid piece of professional equipment. A true standard prized by barbers and stylists alike. Enjoy!

I have thick hair, and have been cutting it myself, with store-bought clippers, for years. During a recent use, my clipper choked on the thick hair, and I decided to get a professional clipper, so I bought the Oster Classic 76.

What a difference! As you might expect based on the price, the Oster is in a class above when compared to the clipper kits you buy at the local Rite-Aid or WalMart. It's a quality appliance and seems to be well worth the extra expense for regular clipper users.

So, why 4 stars instead of 5? Two reasons. One, it doesn't come with the numbered plastic combs--you have to purchase them separately. Second, it's on the heavy side and it's a bit cumbersome to use compared to the lighter, cheaper models. I suppose that's the price you pay for quality.

This clipper is everything that it promises to be and more. I have been using them now about 4 months. Normally my wife is the hair cutter. Her grip isn't as big as mine and has no problem with the weight or holding on to it. It is powerful and cuts clean. It comes with two different blades and they are really easy to interchange.

At the same time I purchase the Oster comb attachments for different styles and lengths. They work like a well matched piece of equiment and recommend those over the generic brand. They are a little more but its your hair and its worth it.

You can even cut your own hair with the tried and trued Classic 76 if no one around to cut it for you. Its really pretty easy. Just make sure you use the attachment combs. It is almost fool proof system (see next paragraph, if the shoe fits I wear it sometimes).

The one thing to watch for, as in my case, if cutting your own hair, after just finishing cutting my hair myself, my wife walks in and of course notices a mohawk line of hair right down the middle of the back of my head I missed. Thank goodness for wives!

Highly recommend. Spend the money! These clippers will last you a life time and pay you back over and over.

I got this product for my own use, so I cannot comment on how it may stand up to professional usage requirements. I needed a replacement for my old clipper which had stopped working about a year before. I had attempted to use a combination of other products to satisfy my needs without spending much cash, including using the trimmer attachment on my Norelco electric shaver as well as my Wahl 9877-500 Beard Trimmer. Both these products were being used beyond their performance specifications and they ended up being very inefficient. The Oster Classic 76, however, buzzed through everything with a minimum of effort. It performs better than any other trimmer I have used. The casing is solid and robust, although it may be heavier than you are used to. It is not exceedingly heavy, but more so than standard consumer trimmers. My old clipper had a problem with the cord being tangled and twisted (especially when other people used it who didn't care for it well), but the Oster Classic 76 does not have that problem and the cord is very sturdy. Blade removal and replacement is fast and easy, and cleaning is fairly straightforward. The two included blades (Size 000 and Size 1) cut to 0.5mm and 2.4mm, respectively. Make sure that these are the sizes you want to cut at, or you will end up ordering separate blades anyway. Overall, I consider this an excellent product and I look forward to continuing using it.

The Oster Classic 76 is the best built clippers I have seen. It is a little heavier than most because the motor is heavy-duty and won't overheat. It cuts better than others. Very good performance on fine hair. The On/Off switch is a little strange, but positioned on the back where it is less likely to be accidentally tripped. Cord length is good. Attachments can be purchased at your local beauty shop. I threw away the box and keep the clipper and parts in a zippered pouch (not included). This is a quality USA-made product (don't buy a China-made clipper!) Care instructions in several languages. This product won't disappoint. Highly recommended.

Pro barbers around the world use this clipper. This clipper should last you a lifetime, a true commercial grade clipper.

I love this hair clipper compare with other brands and models. It is powerful and the motor just keeps going and going. Only issue is this hair clipper is heavy and holding over 10 or 15 minutes your wrist will get tired.