Customer Reviews

Oster 78004-011 Powermax 2-Speed Clippers

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

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.

I have a Scottish Terrier with a very thick coat that grows rapidly and requires a heavy-duty clipper to keep him looking like a Scotty. This set works unbelievably well, is quiet and cool and gets the job done very quickly. If you mean business about doing your own grooming and want your dog to look his best all the time, this is the clipper to purchase!! This is the 3rd clipper I've bought, don't make the same mistake I did. Go ahead and buy the best first, you'll be happy and your dog will look GREAT in a fraction of the time the other clippers take. My sister-in-law is a professional dog groomer and she suggested I get these. Her Pro-Oster has lasted 30 years.

I have a lab with a thick coat and she frequently sheds. I tried several inexpensive clippers, which all have failed to do a good job. After an extensive research, I decided to bite the bullet and cough-up the money to purchase the Oster PowerMax 2-speed clipper. The results, rock! No only did this pair get the job done (20mins tops), my dog didn't mind the shave either. Operates smooth, quiet and keeps cool. Yes, sure the price is a bit pricey but it will save you the man hours and a few bucks in the long run. Amazon delivered again.

Piece of junk.

I just finished going to three different stores hoping to find one open on a Sunday evening so I could buy a new clipper and finish clipping my female cocker spaniel. Too late, the stores are closed. This Oster piece of junk died about 10 minutes into her hair cut, and it was only the third time I'd used it. Blip, and it was dead.

I had a Wahl for 5-6 years, and used it every month or so. It did an adequate job, but got quite hot and I had to keep using a screwdriver to tighten (and/or loosen) the screws holding the head on as they would get out of alignment. When the plastic parts inside crumbled in mid-trim, I thought I'd go upscale and spend over a $100 to get a better clipper. Bad decision.

I bought this Oster model, along with a bunch of plastic combs (the Wahl ones didn't fit). Now I've spent about $150.

The Oster was just barely adequate. My dog's hair would get stuck in the end teeth regularly and you would have to back out and try again. You would also have to go over the same spot 3-4-5 times as it wouldn't cut all the hair in one or two passes. It got fairly hot to hold, although not as hot as the Wahl.

The one nice thing was the combs are spring loaded so they stay on the clipper better than the Wahl. Of course, it doesn't do me any good because I'm certainly not buying another Oster clipper.

Should you buy this model? No, No, No! Oster has obvious quality issues.

Update:

I returned the dead clipper to Oster and, five to six weeks later, received a new one. In the meantime, however, I asked at the local pet groomers and they said three things:
1) You need to use a #30 or #40 clipper head (the clipper comes with a "general purpose" #10) if you are using snap-on combs. You do not want to use the #30 or #40 clipper head without the combs as they cut very, very close.
2) You should use a cleaning solution to get rid of some protective coating on new blades that restricts the cutting ability of those brand new blades.
3) The cleaning solution should be followed up by a "blade wash" solution to get rid of the oily cleaning solution. The cleaning solution (followed by the blade wash) is also used in mid-cut to get rid of the build-up of dog hair in the blade and clipper head so the end teeth of the blade don't get stuck in the dog's hair.

So I bought a #40 blade (another $22) and the cleaning solution and blade wash (another $12) and used them on my cocker spaniel. Much better! Two or three passes and her hair is cut smoothly (compared to 5-6 passes before). The head cleaning solution also helps get the hair out of the clipper head.

Why would a clipper company (both Wahl and Oster) sell a product and not tell you that the new clipper head blade has a coating on it that needs to be removed? Why would those clipper companies then sell you combs for the clipper that will result in a great deal of frustration (5-6 passes over the same spot, and then not be smooth) and not tell you up front that their product would work much better with a different clipper blade?

I upgraded my rating from the original entry, since the new blade and cleaning solutions make the trimming process much easier (and faster) than before.

It is fast and cuts clean. It leaves no streaks of uncut hair and you can shave fast. My dog has a skin problem that needs for us to completely shave her every couple of weeks to keep her hair short. This clipper did better than the ones they use at her vet! I could get through 3/4 of my 90 pound german shepherd before the clipper needed a cool down break. It has turned a thirty minute chore into something that takes only 5 minutes.
Highly recommend.

These are great clippers. I have used them one day on two dogs. They are a little heavy in the hand compared to my Oster Fast Feed clippers that I have used for 10 years. I got a new puppy that the Fast Feed will not allow a longer cut which is what I need on this dog. So I purchased the Oster Powermax 2 Speed clippers which allows for blade changes.

Now I can buy any blades I need to adjust hair length.

It is very easy to change blades. Cut very fast and did not get hot at all. Both dogs accepted this clipper as if nothing had changed. I do not think it is any louder than the Oster Fast Feed either. I do think it ran cooler over all.

I am sure I would choose these if I were purchasing clippers again. I know they are much easier to clean than the Fast Feed.

Great clippers I have a Labradoodle & these made it so easy to clip her before it took me days to get finished because of having to let clippers cool down. The turn around was great it only took 3 days to receive. A Big Thank You. Ree

2 dogs that I have need clipped regularly. It cuts like butter on their two totally different textures of coats. The only thing that irritates me is that it does not come with the attachments for the different cutting lengths, not even one. You have to purchase those in addition.

Well we're grooming our own poodle mix ourselves. She's taken a bit of time to get used to this but she's coming around!

I also bought several different blades and combs. Everything seems to work well. The clippers are fairly quiet and I've been going kind of slow to get her used to it. Her least favorite parts: probably the tail, feet and muzzle. The combs cannot be used with all blades - you need to doublecheck which ones will work - based on your breed's coat.

I also invested in a pair of curved scissors - these are great for trimming excess clumps of hair near sensitive areas such as eyes.

The first time we groomed her, she kind of looked like she just went to the doggie barber college - but we're getting better! It really helps that she's getting to enjoy the process - and isn't fighting so much! We play with her (and give her treats) during the process to make it more enjoyable - but sometimes she'll still put up a fuss.

Anyway we like these 2-speed clippers and the blades, etc. The blades cost as much as (or more than) the clippers; just goes with the territory. It's nice having the right blades for the job. The skip-tooth blades have worked very well for her coat.

Good luck, and I recommend them! Enjoy!

Having spent money on two different clippers in the past, neither of which would cut through my dog's hair, I was keeping my fingers crossed with the Oster PowerMax 2-Speed Clipper. I'm happy to say it worked like a charm. I like the comfort grip. The noise level is extremely tolerable even on the higher speed. All in all this is the best clipper I've used to date.