New Andis Excel 5 Speed Clipper

[kim.johnson922]

Has anyone purchased or used the new andis excel 5 speed? I was thinking about getting them and wondered how they were?

[windfall4]

I'm curious to hear what the review are...I'm thinking about getting these clippers as well.

[scullysmom]

I have them, I don't love them but I think it is how I clip, not the clippers. They are really nice, quick and quiet-oh and oh so light-lighter than an arco. I have always clipped with my blades teeth tilted towards the skin. That tilting is hard to explain, but it is much like the teeth acting like a pencil. If you ask anyone I have ever worked with, I can take extra hair off of anyone's dogs because of this even if it has been backbrushed 10 times and been clippervaced. Anyhow, these clippers are designed so that we do just that and they hyper accentuate the way I clip. I really think if I used them more, I would love them, but just like my kenchii thinners, I am a bit too intimidated to use them daily (I have sincerely thought about trading both). So all and all, I would say if you do not clip like me, you will love them (if I could underline love I would). If you clip like me, they are a very expensive back up to the red old boxy Andis super 2.

[sittingpretty]

I saw these clippers at a show last fall. I liked the feel of them but I wondered if it might be hard to switch speeds...my fingers didn't seem to "feel" the difference very well. Not sure if this makes sense but the way it is designed it was hard for me to change the speed.

I must add, however, that my fingers are not as "touch sensitive" as they once were. Alot of yrs. of grooming a bit of arthritis I suppose.


sittingpretty

[northerntailssharpening]

I had one given to me about a month ago, your right, its a nice clipper for an Andis.

I think there is a message that goes along with this clipper, and that is you dont have to run the clipper fast to cut the hair. It does have 5 speeds but it also has a 5 volt DC motor as well. DC rotory motors are known for the high torque they generate at low RPMs. All Laube clippers have this same feature with their DC motors.

Its not any faster than your Andis two speed, but it does have significant speed intervals from 4500 rpms down to 1800. I ran a 8 1/2 blade across a cocker back last week at the lowest speed and figured it would bog down...but it held the speed and went right through it. Its a very light clipper as well, about the same weight as the KM-2. The clipper has a light DC motor in it and not that heavy iron 110 volt motor the 2 speeds have.

Im trying to get some spare parts for it right now like a cord, body, switch, etc the normal stuff that breaks down. The price of this clipper is $200, and Ill see in the next couple months how its going to hold up under the worst conditions. The shop takes in about 30 dogs a day and most are shaves. All the groomers want to use this clipper and I said go ahead put some age on it. Two of them are very heavy coolant users, thats a great test for any clipper. I'll use it on Saturday

I hate to say this but I think this new Andis 5 speed deserves a new video about it and possibly a write up on my blog. Ill do both in time when I slow down a little and have time. I also want to see how it hold up in the shop for a while.

-------------------------------------------
Jeff Andrews
Northern Tails Sharpening
Mobile, Alabama &
New Orleans, LA
251-232-5353

https://www.northerntails.com

[email protected]

"You Now Have A Better Choice"

Search for me or "Northern Tails Sharpening" on Facebook

[daveybar99]

Andis clippers, China!

OH NO! Not another Chinese made Clipper. If you really look at all the clippers these days its pretty obvious they come from china, they look and cut the same!! Where is the USA loyalty these days. Go American, buy a Laube!! They are made in America and support their country. They may be little bit more expensive but they give the US citizens job security. I was at a show last year and I saw Andis boxes in the back holding area, they all said "made in China" gee go figure! I refuse to buy products from China. They are taking over everything! and ruining jobs for the Americans, not to mention the horrible child labors that go on there.

Sorry had to vent. Take it for what its worth, i'm sure not all will agree of course, but I feel better giving my opinion.

Davey
your fellow groomer!

[windfall4]

OH NO! Not another Chinese made Clipper. If you really look at all the clippers these days its pretty obvious they come from china, they look and cut the same!! Where is the USA loyalty these days. Go American, buy a Laube!! They are made in America and support their country. They may be little bit more expensive but they give the US citizens job security. I was at a show last year and I saw Andis boxes in the back holding area, they all said "made in China" gee go figure! I refuse to buy products from China. They are taking over everything! and ruining jobs for the Americans, not to mention the horrible child labors that go on there.

Sorry had to vent. Take it for what its worth, i'm sure not all will agree of course, but I feel better giving my opinion.

Davey
your fellow groomer!

I had 3 pairs of Laubes and will never own another pair again. All 3 of them just crapped out after about a year. But to be honest I wasn't all that impressed with their performance.

[northerntailssharpening]

You would be surprised to know what is actually manufactured "Out of country", then assembled in the USA. What you think is an American made product may not be in essence.

Manufacturers are finding ways to acquire cheap manufacturing processes outside of the USA. They are forced to do this because of taxes, unions, raw material shortages, no working capital from lending facilities. and high wages. They do this to keep the business alive and in the black. Ive questioned several manufacturers of grooming products and they seem to dodge all my questions concerning where the individual parts are made at. They tell me their products are produced at their factory, but when I dig deeper and ask specific questions on the part origins they clam up or deny everything. I talked with technical and R&D folks NOT sales people.

When its says "MAde in USA", its a very grey area. Some get their products shipped in from abroad in pieces, then put them together to make a complete product in their plant in the USA. There is alot of politics involved so thats how they outsource manufacturing to other countries and bring products across borders unassembled at a fraction of the cost of making it here in the USA. The whole product may not be made abroad, just parts of it that cost alot to produce here.

I had an argument in 2008 with a big company about their plant up north and what they actually "produce" there at the plant. They assured me their products are completely manufactured in the US at their plant. Then I asked if they had a foundry onsite, they said no. I then asked where do the cast iron motor components come from if there isnt a foundry onsite....they wouldnt tell me. Then I finally asked where all the other parts used in manufacturing their products come from and they stop talking to me altogether. Is this a conspiracy or just good business? "You do what to got to do" doesnt sound to bad when it comes to securing jobs here in the US for the American workers of some companies, and producing products we all need. This happens in alot of manufacturing circles, not just grooming products

I wouldnt get too angry when you see "Made in China" on the box because they are actually telling you the whole truth on that one. I just got concerned a while back because product quality took a dip as we all know, so I called a few companies and asked questions. Thats when I found out they already knew who I was, scary.

-------------------------------------------
Jeff Andrews
Northern Tails Sharpening
Mobile, Alabama &
New Orleans, Louisiana
251-232-5353

https://www.northerntails.com

[email protected]
"You Now Have A Better Choice"

Search for me or “Northern Tails Sharpening” on Facebook

[sunnyscissors]

Cant shop at walmart if you dont want to buy things made in china. My husband and I went through walmart the other day and went down every shelf checking one productafter another all made in china. Even the known american companies like GE are made in china. It stasrted when we were looking at dog toys trying to find one american made not one was made anywhere but china.We started looking at everything, I only found a windsuit made in Bangledish, everything else in china. Lowes too. All americans need to rally against this. I use andis and laubes but never thought about checking to see where they were made. Thanks!

[JThreeSharpening]

It does have 5 speeds but it also has a 5 volt DC motor as well. DC rotory motors are known for the high torque they generate at low RPMs. All Laube clippers have this same feature with their DC motors.

The Andis two speed clippers use a DC motor as well. The circuitry converts AC to DC via 4 diodes on the AG clipper, and a bridge rectifier on the AGC model. They do run at high voltage but they ARE a DC rotary motor.

[northerntailssharpening]

Voltage wasnt the main focus of my post. Low voltage, high torque DC motors that were very light was the focus. I dont think it was an issue to most groomers because they are really looking for a lighter clipper, with improved capacity, and a motor that doesnt slow down in tough coat or with a comb on the blade. I compared the overall performance to the LAube motor which has similar characteristics. Getting too technical on this isnt going to be good. Good catch though.
-------------------------------------------
Jeff Andrews
Northern Tails Sharpening
Mobile, Alabama &
New Orleans, LA
251-232-5353

https://www.northerntails.com

[email protected]

"You Now Have A Better Choice"

Search for me or "Northern Tails Sharpening" on Facebook

[Jane512]

I have to tell you I am not very impressed

These clippers get hot SO fast, and I have to wonder what kind of stress my blades are taking in the process. I am spending 3 times the amount of money keeping my blades cool with coolant than I EVER did with my older clippers. The blade lock release, which I never needed before and have to wonder why they even added it, is becoming nuisance because the coolant is causing a buildup of hair below it. And last but not least the on button and high/low control is inconveniently placed, making turning them on and off, almost a two hand ordeal. And as we all know, extra hands are a hot commodity in the middle of a groom. I let a less experience groomer use these clippers and she burnt a twitchy poodle with a 10 blade working on a clean face. It calls into question whether or not we even need 4800spm ability, honestly. The only good observations I have from my experience with them is, I do more dogs than I ever felt able to, and my carpal tunnel is acting up less than it ever has. And I agree that they cut just as well at the lower spm as the high.

[northerntailssharpening]

I believe the problems your having with that clipper is the coolant your using. If the only thing your putting on the blades is coolant, and your spraying it on while its running, the blades may be full of buildup (red stuff). When this stuff is on the blades the cutter doesnt move back and forth like its suppose to and this will cause the clipper to get hot trying to move it. Coolant will also dissolve pet dander and cause it to turn to concrete like texture all in your hinge and latch just like your describing. Breathing it in all day long isnt good for you either. You may need to go back to "old school" blade care for a while and see if that isnt the problem. Oil before every groom, and not use the coolant. It says that right in your Andis clipper instructions to do that. Switch blades out during the groom and set the warm one on a piece of ceramic tile, it will cool in 60 seconds. Dont keep the same blade on the clipper during these grooms and spray coolant when its hot, thats not old school.

We have had this clipper in the shop for almost 3 months since Andis gave it to me. All but one groomer uses oil and cleans the hair out of the drive and hinge between dogs. I shave down dogs before the bath with this clipper and have no problems with heat or going through coat. The groomer that never oils and believes coolant is tha answer to all blade and clipper problems is experiencing the same problems you are with it...and her other clippers as well.

I have video's on my website that will show you how to care for your equipment the old school way, and also how to oil a blade before the groom without getting any on the coat. Oil is the key before every groom on the blade your going to use, thats why they give you a free bottle of it in that box your clipper came in.

Hope this helps your problem somewhat, just try it and see if it makes a difference.

-------------------------------------------
Jeff Andrews
Northern Tails Sharpening
Mobile, Alabama &
New Orleans, LA
251-232-5353

https://www.northerntails.com

[email protected]

"You Now Have A Better Choice"

Search for me or "Northern Tails Sharpening" on Facebook

[bubblesaway]

I have to say I love these Clippers and fine the blades don't get hot. There light weight and with all my arm problems my arm feels better at the end of the day.. 5 stars from me!

[Moonpiepoodlz]

I have to say I love these Clippers and fine the blades don't get hot. There light weight and with all my arm problems my arm feels better at the end of the day.. 5 stars from me!

Exact same response from me.
I just got mine last week and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them! Lightweight, no more accidently turning them off, and while there are 5 speeds, I haven't gone past 2nd speed. No need to go higher. They're on the spendy side but were worth the money to me.