Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsBuy right, & buy once...
Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2012
The Andis 64850 is a great cordless clipper. I keep my hair buzzed extremely short, and I like to touch-up frequently to keep it looking 'just right'. I've had this clipper a couple weeks and have already used it for several trims... I'm extremely pleased.
From the first time you pick it up, the quality is obvious. For years I 'got by' on an inexpensive beard trimmer, using it mostly for facial hair, but later in its life, for shaving my head as well. It did the trick, but it had several drawbacks that most trimmers and clippers suffer from, especially cordless clippers... Short 'run time', slowing/degrading performance, plastic guards vs. real metal blades, hair gathering in the motor assembly, etc. Every time I looked around for nicer trimmer or top-notch clippers, they were pretty expensive, so I kept putting it off and putting it off. Finally my beard trimmer wouldn't finish a haircut anymore (even plugged-in!) and I thought back on what a piece of junk it had been as I looked around for a replacement, although it DID survive many years. It was time to buy something that would perform like pro equipment every time I reached for it for many years... I got the Andis 64850.
Always ready to go on its charging base, the Andis 64850 gives you pro results anytime you want them. No cord- no slowing down. No weak performance or 'bogging down' and grabbing a hair here and there- It just works exactly like it's supposed to. It takes very little maintenance, cuts extremely well and evenly, and is said to run a FULL HOUR on one charge. I haven't used it for that long yet, but I can tell you that this thing keeps on running like it's plugged into the wall, which was what I wanted. As to the review mentioning the battery, I DID get the supposedly newer NiMH model. The charger also detects when your clipper's battery does or does not need charge, so it will not sit there trying to charge the thing 24/7 and kill the battery. It also has a drain/refresh function for simple, fool-proof battery maintenance. All these things combined, and anyone picking one of these up should be in good shape for a LONG time.
Although I chose to go ahead and pick up some additional blades when I bought the clipper, the system does come with a large set of great quality 'guards' ranging from 1/16" to 1", so chances are you don't NEED anything that's not in the box already (other than maybe a spray cleaner if you'd like). I thought I had seen a mention of it coming with a '1' blade, but FYI, mine came with a '000'. I keep my hair so short that I went ahead and picked up a '1' blade, even though you still have pretty good flexibility with the 000 and included guards. It's really just a personal preference thing to me. I also got the 'OUTLINER' blade, which really works well for cutting down to NOTHING- So it's great for necklines and facial hair, anywhere you want very clean lines. I can do my entire neck and look like it was a pretty recent razor shave... and that's not a simple task. If you'd like to be able to simulate a razor shave, and get pretty darn close, pick up that blade, it's great too. I don't think I really need to get into how much better it is to NOT be lugging a cord around as you try to cut someone's hair, or like in my case, my own (or worse, with pet grooming). It's also pretty quiet, which is a huge plus.
After using this thing a couple times, I was not surprised at all to see talk of it being used for dog grooming. It could definitely handle the job with ease. This is an item where overkill is a GOOD thing, and you know that if I'm saying it can handle a sheepdog, it can handle you, your kids, or your customers for that matter... Let me not overlook that point: This is a professional unit, not your typical drugstore clipper/trimmer... While it may be expensive, my 3 trims in 2 weeks is at least one extra haircut than I'd normally get in that time, and they would have cost me at least $45 + tips. Let's say I just saved $30, total... It will pay itself off in NO TIME.
My ONLY complaint is that the guards can be a little on the sharp side. Not a big deal though, as they could easily be filed/sanded with just a couple passes of the right material to take the 'edge' off. Don't let that disuade you from a purchase: This is an awesome product! MOST people will be just fine with the set as it comes in the box anyway, so you might never even use a bare blade, as you have the great assortment of guards at your disposal.
Spoil yourself a little. If you don't buy it now, you're going to spend it on haircuts, or worse: A crappy clipper, that will one day break, leaving you right back where you are now, where you should've bought quality. This is simply a personal item you don't want to compromise on, or accept poor performance from. Buy the 64850, and you won't be doing either... You'll be doing quite the opposite: Buying quality that will perform, and last. It's not cheap, but you get what you pay for.
