Oster Professional 76023-510 Fast Feed Clipper with Adjustable Blade Review.
"A very good set of clippers" 2008-03-01
By The Rowdy One
I don't review many product that I purchase but I have more than a passing familiarity with the regular use of electric clippers even though I'm not a professional barber. I started cutting my own hair about ten years ago when I was assigned to recruiting duty in a city where the barbers were unionized. Getting a haircut every seven days at twice the price of the barbershop on base was more that I could afford.
I started out using discount store clippers and learned quickly that most were not capable of cutting thick hair or at least not cutting it quickly. The blades for some consumer grade clippers were just terrible and made of stamped metal that warped over time and pulled hair rather than cutting it.
For the past several years I have used Wahl Powerdrive clippers which are consumer grade but significantly better than any others I had tried and lasted for several years. As the Wahl clippers began to wear out I decided to step up to something better as a replacement and decided on the Oster Fast Feed based on the other reviews at Amazon.
The Oster Fast Feed clippers are of very high quality. They are somewhat shorter than most vibrating motor clippers and easy to fit in one's hand. The variable length adjustment makes it easy to effect a taper from very close to 1/8" length without using the guide combs. I concur with the other reviewer who suggested that the slide switch could be replaced with something a little more substantial but it's not a big deal.
The 12 amp pivot motor is about 50% more power than the 8 amp motors in most consumer grade clippers. The power cord is round and heavier than the flat and thin two strand cords on consumer grade clippers.
As long as you are cutting the hair of a homo-sapien the Oster Fast Feed will have the power to cut it at a reasonable speed without pulling. If you really need something that can shear sheep or 100 recruits lined up for their first haircut at Parris Island in under ten minutes then it's probably worth investing in the Oster Classic 76.
The stock blades are very precise and sharp. Conveniently the use Philip's head screws instead of torx or hex head so that you don't need a special screwdriver to disassemble and clean the blades.
One criticism I have of the clipper it is that the blades are not truly zero-overlap closeness. I'm guessing that for most people truly skin tight trim is not a show-stopper for hair clippers and it may not be realistic to expect a set of clippers with adjustable blades to be variable from skin tight to 1/8". I may get a set of T-blade trimmers to supplement this but if I deployed I would just take this clipper by itself.
Another minor point is that it only comes with molded Styrofoam packaging and no hard case. I am using the molded plastic case from my Wahl clippers for the Fast Feed so that I can put it in a seabag or an ammo can and be ready to deploy with it. The clippers need some protection for travel.
Overall, a very good quality set of clippers that I would purchase again. I have no reason to believe that I will not be using them ten years from now.
"Great Clippers" 2007-09-06
By Felix Gregorio (Outside Columbus, OH)
After going from cheapo to cheapo for too long, finally broke down and got a good pair of clippers. Did the research, went with these fast feeds, and boy do I love 'em. Me and a buddy cut eachother's hair at school and these baby's will be paid for in about 3 or 4 cuts. They're not magnetic so you don't get hairs clinging like crazy, and they power through both of our thick heads o hair. And they just have a nice feel, a heftiness, to them when you pick them up.
The only thing I would recommend is getting a good attachment set, there is a nice one out there by Oster that has metal spring-loaded clips so they actually stay attached, comes with a bag, real nice. Just get some extra oil, a stiff brush, and maybe some disinfectant at a barber supply store (or online I suppose) and you're set.
"Great Quality" 2007-09-05
By J. Mollhoff (Durham, NC United States)
This is really a great clipper. I have used it now on my family giving a total of 6 haircuts and couldn't be happier with it. The guards it comes with are very short though, the longest one being 1/4" so its a good idea to order some longer ones along with this. The power is more than enough for our thick hair and is very very quiet. I definitely recommend!
"Comparing Oster, Wahl and Andis clippers" 2008-07-06
By Chris Granbery (New England)
(June, 2008). I am completely satisfied with the Oster Fast Feed clipper. It works perfectly, has minimal vibration and noise. It has no case, but the accessory guides fit and seem well made. I was able to get mine for less than $50, shipping included.
Here are some general observations about buying clippers for reliable long life use. I needed a clipper to cut my (mens) hair fairly short. I researched the Wahl, Andis and Oster brands.
The least expensive Wahl unit that seems to be currently made (assembled?) in the US and that consistently gets good reviews is the ChromePro. Some of the HomePro units get terrible reviews. I suspect the manufacturing of this line has recently moved overseas because some of the older HomePros models were well reviewed.
The same seems to be true of Andis; some less expensive units get mixed reviews and the better-rated and more expensive units are US made.
The Oster Azteq is made in China and has some negative comment about insufficient cutter travel. The Fast Feed and Salon Pro are the least expensive Osters with good reviews and, you guessed it, made (assembled?) in the US.
I think, at this time, my recommendation regarding clippers is to seek out an American made product.
Technically Wahl has the least expensive product to meet these criteria, but I have been using Oster clippers on my horses for years. Some of these units are 30 years old and still going strong, so I decided to pay another $20 to get the Fast Feed.
You probably will need guides that restrict the length of hair that can be cut. I felt I needed at least a #4 (1/2"), #3 (3/8") #2 (1/4") and #1 (1/8" aka blend) guide. The clippers themselves have a built in guide that adjusts to provide the smaller sizes (000 to 0 or "shave" to 1/16th). If you are styling longer hair then you will need more guides. It makes sense to buy the guides at the same time as the clippers. All clippers should include oil and a cleaning brush. You will also need good scissors.
If you are unsure about home hair cutting go to Google and search videos "how to cut hair". You can add in "Men" and "Self". There are many very informative videos on the subject. Some are pretty funny, too.
Good luck and remember
"It eventually grows back."
Chris
"Perfect for Home Use" 2008-03-24
By B. Dam
Let me make it simple for you. If you need a clipper you will use every single day then go with the Oster Classic. If you're doing a few cuts a month at home then look no further than this. For the price, you can't beat it for home use.
By The Rowdy One
I don't review many product that I purchase but I have more than a passing familiarity with the regular use of electric clippers even though I'm not a professional barber. I started cutting my own hair about ten years ago when I was assigned to recruiting duty in a city where the barbers were unionized. Getting a haircut every seven days at twice the price of the barbershop on base was more that I could afford.
I started out using discount store clippers and learned quickly that most were not capable of cutting thick hair or at least not cutting it quickly. The blades for some consumer grade clippers were just terrible and made of stamped metal that warped over time and pulled hair rather than cutting it.
For the past several years I have used Wahl Powerdrive clippers which are consumer grade but significantly better than any others I had tried and lasted for several years. As the Wahl clippers began to wear out I decided to step up to something better as a replacement and decided on the Oster Fast Feed based on the other reviews at Amazon.
The Oster Fast Feed clippers are of very high quality. They are somewhat shorter than most vibrating motor clippers and easy to fit in one's hand. The variable length adjustment makes it easy to effect a taper from very close to 1/8" length without using the guide combs. I concur with the other reviewer who suggested that the slide switch could be replaced with something a little more substantial but it's not a big deal.
The 12 amp pivot motor is about 50% more power than the 8 amp motors in most consumer grade clippers. The power cord is round and heavier than the flat and thin two strand cords on consumer grade clippers.
As long as you are cutting the hair of a homo-sapien the Oster Fast Feed will have the power to cut it at a reasonable speed without pulling. If you really need something that can shear sheep or 100 recruits lined up for their first haircut at Parris Island in under ten minutes then it's probably worth investing in the Oster Classic 76.
The stock blades are very precise and sharp. Conveniently the use Philip's head screws instead of torx or hex head so that you don't need a special screwdriver to disassemble and clean the blades.
One criticism I have of the clipper it is that the blades are not truly zero-overlap closeness. I'm guessing that for most people truly skin tight trim is not a show-stopper for hair clippers and it may not be realistic to expect a set of clippers with adjustable blades to be variable from skin tight to 1/8". I may get a set of T-blade trimmers to supplement this but if I deployed I would just take this clipper by itself.
Another minor point is that it only comes with molded Styrofoam packaging and no hard case. I am using the molded plastic case from my Wahl clippers for the Fast Feed so that I can put it in a seabag or an ammo can and be ready to deploy with it. The clippers need some protection for travel.
Overall, a very good quality set of clippers that I would purchase again. I have no reason to believe that I will not be using them ten years from now.
By Felix Gregorio (Outside Columbus, OH)
After going from cheapo to cheapo for too long, finally broke down and got a good pair of clippers. Did the research, went with these fast feeds, and boy do I love 'em. Me and a buddy cut eachother's hair at school and these baby's will be paid for in about 3 or 4 cuts. They're not magnetic so you don't get hairs clinging like crazy, and they power through both of our thick heads o hair. And they just have a nice feel, a heftiness, to them when you pick them up.
The only thing I would recommend is getting a good attachment set, there is a nice one out there by Oster that has metal spring-loaded clips so they actually stay attached, comes with a bag, real nice. Just get some extra oil, a stiff brush, and maybe some disinfectant at a barber supply store (or online I suppose) and you're set.
By J. Mollhoff (Durham, NC United States)
This is really a great clipper. I have used it now on my family giving a total of 6 haircuts and couldn't be happier with it. The guards it comes with are very short though, the longest one being 1/4" so its a good idea to order some longer ones along with this. The power is more than enough for our thick hair and is very very quiet. I definitely recommend!
By Chris Granbery (New England)
(June, 2008). I am completely satisfied with the Oster Fast Feed clipper. It works perfectly, has minimal vibration and noise. It has no case, but the accessory guides fit and seem well made. I was able to get mine for less than $50, shipping included.
Here are some general observations about buying clippers for reliable long life use. I needed a clipper to cut my (mens) hair fairly short. I researched the Wahl, Andis and Oster brands.
The least expensive Wahl unit that seems to be currently made (assembled?) in the US and that consistently gets good reviews is the ChromePro. Some of the HomePro units get terrible reviews. I suspect the manufacturing of this line has recently moved overseas because some of the older HomePros models were well reviewed.
The same seems to be true of Andis; some less expensive units get mixed reviews and the better-rated and more expensive units are US made.
The Oster Azteq is made in China and has some negative comment about insufficient cutter travel. The Fast Feed and Salon Pro are the least expensive Osters with good reviews and, you guessed it, made (assembled?) in the US.
I think, at this time, my recommendation regarding clippers is to seek out an American made product.
Technically Wahl has the least expensive product to meet these criteria, but I have been using Oster clippers on my horses for years. Some of these units are 30 years old and still going strong, so I decided to pay another $20 to get the Fast Feed.
You probably will need guides that restrict the length of hair that can be cut. I felt I needed at least a #4 (1/2"), #3 (3/8") #2 (1/4") and #1 (1/8" aka blend) guide. The clippers themselves have a built in guide that adjusts to provide the smaller sizes (000 to 0 or "shave" to 1/16th). If you are styling longer hair then you will need more guides. It makes sense to buy the guides at the same time as the clippers. All clippers should include oil and a cleaning brush. You will also need good scissors.
If you are unsure about home hair cutting go to Google and search videos "how to cut hair". You can add in "Men" and "Self". There are many very informative videos on the subject. Some are pretty funny, too.
Good luck and remember
"It eventually grows back."
Chris
By B. Dam
Let me make it simple for you. If you need a clipper you will use every single day then go with the Oster Classic. If you're doing a few cuts a month at home then look no further than this. For the price, you can't beat it for home use.
