A Close Shave – ErgroPro by Clippers Ireland Review

I will start by explaining that my opinion can never be bought therefore this review is a genuine review of a product, I have no connection to the company. I was actually looking for a price on a set of fine clipper blades when I came across an add for a clippers at less than €140 from a company called Clippers Ireland . To me this was like finding really nice bridle for €30, you would have to find out more. Clipping machines are like crack to me for some reason but I tell myself there are far worse addictions in life. After asking several friends about Clippers Ireland it turned out no one knew much about them and everyone was a bit fascinated by the price. So I decided to visit their website (www.clippersireland.ie) and give them a call to find out more.

I always think first impressions count so when a company owner takes a call after 6pm and is happy to spend plenty of time chatting it is a good sign. I spoke to Tom about his clippers which he explained are unbranded powerful machines. It turned out they work with the Heineger / Master Clip type blades as well as the Clippers Ireland blades which meant that the standard A2 Liscop / Liveryman / Wolseley blades that I had were not compatible. On the plus side the Clippers Ireland machine comes with a set of medium and a set of fine blades supplied. Given that the Liveryman compatible fine blades are €65 a pop I figured that getting a new machine with a set of medium and set of fine blades worked out better value for me.

I paid for my machine via Paypal and I my ErgoPro horse clippers was out to me within 48 hours by courier. The machine came with the two sets of blades, oil, a blade cover for storing the machine with the blades on (love this idea) and the usual bits and bobs like brushes and instructions. It has a decent length of cable on it which is good, I hate machines with short cables. Size wise this machine was around the same size as the liveryman arena or Liscop machine that I have. Weight wise it is around the same weight as most other heavy duty machines on the market. The only machine I have used that is lighter is my Liveryman Elite which I love and is incredibly light but unfortunately while that little guy punches above its weight performance wise it is just not able for heavy coats so I tend to just use it for faces and for nervous or first time horses.

First impressions aside, it was time to try this new toy out on an animal. My guinea pig was a friends pony who has a thick fast growing coat making her an ideal candidate for using the fine (1mm) blades over the 3mm standard ones. Fitting the blades took me a little while. If you are used to Heineger or Master clip it will be dead easy for you. I could fit a set of Liveryman blades in my sleep but I need more practice with this. What I do really like about the Clippers Ireland machine is that there is no spring involved in blade fitting like there are in many other machines. (Anyone who has ever lost the blasted little spring off a clippers in a stable bed and spent an hour trying to find it will understand the significance of this! ). Once I had the blades fitted away I went. I started as I always do on the pony’s shoulder and worked my way from there. I checked the blades for heat every five minutes out of habit and it was only after twenty minutes that it dawned on me that I didn’t need to – the machine was still stone cold. It does not heat up at all. Now I have heard rumours before of machines not heating up but I dismissed them as fiction because personally every other machine I have ever used in my life heats up and necessitates changing blades every 15 – 20 minutes. I had honestly resigned myself to this just being normal as even the pricier models seem to do it. Blade changes is something I find a pain in the ass especially when clipping a sedated horse as you are already against the clock and don’t need the hassle. It was a strange feeling being able to clip the entire pony without changing a set of blades. All I had to do was check the filters once or twice to remove loose hair and apply a little oil.

Weight wise I didn’t find the machine too heavy as its about the same as machines I have used before. I am five foot two and about eight stone so if I can use it without issue I’d imagine anyone can. Noise wise this was quieter than I expected considering the power of the motor. It seems to have a heavy duty fan which keeps everything cool but doesn’t have that grinding noise some clippers have. I’d liken it to sounding more like your average household hoover than a clippers. On the first pony I didn’t use this machine for the precis leg lines and for the face because I was still getting to grips with it. I have since clipped another horse with this with the fine blades and found that I am learning as I go because I was able to clip the leg lines and face no problem and I have found that if I use a little less pressure on the machine when working on the horses body it clips easier which is great as it is less effort on my part. The finish from the fine blades is really brilliant both the horse and pony came up in a lovely shine and have a consistent close clip. I have also used the medium blades and found the finish on par with standard A2 type blades that I use on other machines.

After using this machine on a pony and two horses I would definitely recommend it as it is a powerful machine that is retailing at less than half the price of its nearest competitors on the market. It is a very welcome addition to my clippers family and will be well used. It comes with two sets of blades and replacement blades for this model work out cheaper than I have been paying for other machines. The fact that this machine does not heat up is a massive bonus and makes clipping a faster task and no time is wasted changing blades or cooling it down. Customer service is important to me and I like that the supplier and distributor of the blades can be contacted personally and seems as passionate about animal clipping as I am.

To find out more visit http://www.clippersireland.ie