# Clippers vs. Shearers What Should I Buy?



## jode (Oct 24, 2007)

I sheared an angora goat with $20 human hair clippers and vowed to never do that again. I thought that was bad, last night, we sheared a shetland ewe with scissors. The clippers wouldn't do anything with her wool at all. The scissors took us (2 people) 3 hours. I'll never do that again either. I need power and I have settled on Premier 1, but I don't know if clippers or shearers would work better for a combination of angora goats and shetland sheep. Any thoughts from the experts?

Also, should I get med, fine, or coarse blade/combs?


For reference: www.premier1supplies.com


----------



## thatcompchick (Dec 29, 2004)

I have a Lister Star that I use for both my goats and the sheep - my neighbor uses the same for her pygoras.

I am not familiar enough with the premiers to make a judgement call - 

What *I* would recommend is don't buy something that you haven't tried or at least held first. You'd be amazed at how your hand feels after shearing with a motor driven machine.

Andrea

www.arare-breed.net


----------



## feelingsheepish (Jan 18, 2008)

I mostly use the hand shears at present. I picked up a good set of electric clippers from someone getting out of sheep, but I have a love/terror relationship with them. I'm just not confident enough. I've done 1/2 of two sheep with them, and finished the other 1/2 of each with the hand shears. I've done a total of 9 sheep with the hand shears, and didn't find it that bad - but I was doing 3/week instead of 9/day, and I'm just about to start this year's shearing, so I might be singing a different tune 13 sheep from now.

They do have to be kept sharp - by sheep #9 I could definitely feel the difference in the force to cut the wool. The $16 hand shears beat even the best pair of scissors hands down though - you really need something that you only have to squeeze to cut. Having to open the scissors again, and the angle that you'd have to hold them at strikes me as painful and awkward.


----------



## jode (Oct 24, 2007)

Funny, I was terrified of cutting the sheep with scissors, but just tear into them with clippers without worry. So far I have sheared a goat and a sheep (one with scissors and one with human clippers and I only have one small cut - that was using the scissors.) I have held the Premier 1 cutters in my hand, but don't recall if I was holding shearers or clippers - didn't know there was a difference till I went to order them


----------



## J.T.M. (Mar 2, 2008)

[QUOTE=jode;3008512 The scissors took us (2 people) 3 hours. 

HA!!It took me that long with shears.


----------



## jode (Oct 24, 2007)

Follow-up:

A friend of mine who is big into Angora goats writes this:



> You will never use the fine blade ( the vet use the fine blades for surgery type stuff).
> When you order the clipper (Premier 4000) they come with a fine blade, tell the person you are ordering from you want the medium blade ( to exchange the fine for a medium).
> 
> They have done this for many people, so do not let tell them can not. Tell them you have no use for a fine blade.
> ...


So, unless I hear anything from anyone here about how shetlands are very different, I'll be ordering the clippers.


----------



## minnikin1 (Feb 3, 2003)

http://cgi.ebay.com/300W-GTS-2005-S...VQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247

These are a great price. Has anyone ever used this brand?


----------



## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Never heard of GTS 2005......... the blade they sell look kind of narrow compared to a regular comb. More like those used on the old Sunbean 310 head. Shipping cost is outragous too so there's the second warning flag its a dodgey deal (or are we up to three?) Too weird for me and not enough off Heiniger's price with shipping to risk it.


----------



## minnikin1 (Feb 3, 2003)

Ross said:


> Never heard of GTS 2005......... the blade they sell look kind of narrow compared to a regular comb. More like those used on the old Sunbean 310 head. Shipping cost is outragous too so there's the second warning flag its a dodgey deal (or are we up to three?) Too weird for me and not enough off Heiniger's price with shipping to risk it.


I thought 417 positives and 1 negative feedback was a good ratio.
How much are they from Heiniger's? The price I saw was hundreds more. ??


----------



## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Their feedback is OK I just think an an unknown name in our part of the world is one strike, too cheap to be good is strike two, and $70 shipping to Canada sounds like a sneaky way to raise the price to around $240 ish, and you need a foreign current adaptor as it doesn't run on 120v ac. $20-$50 for a good adaptor? I guess I've just delt with enough cheap chinese tools over the last five years. Heiniger sheep shears new $350-$400. $260-$290 for ?? I think you can get an Oster shearmaster for about that. Not as powerful but rebuildable anywhere. I have a variable speed clipmaster which is great. I had a sunbeam shearmaster I don't think was much different than the Heiniger I have now for performance despite the added power the new one has. Blade sharpness and technique beat "power".


----------



## carellama (Nov 12, 2007)

I agree with ross. I have 2 pair of oster shearmaster and a sunbeam and really like them. I do not have to worry about cutting my animals or myself. I am glad to know that they work on sheep also because I shear llamas and alpacas. You can purchase them with variable speed from Jeffers livestock supply and get free shipping. Also, be sure to purchase enough replacement blades. They usually offer a buy 4 or so and get one free deal. WE own a blade sharpener and DH keep the blades sharpened. Works out pretty well.


----------



## jode (Oct 24, 2007)

Wow, just dropped pert near $500 at Premier1:

Qty Item # Description Price Ea. Total
Customization (e.g. Imprinting, Size, etc. when applicable)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 829001 Premier 4000s 13T Shearing Package... 369.00 369.00
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 850000 Spitfire Cutter 5.75 11.50
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
25 888020 Disposable Syringe, 3 ml/cc 0.18 4.50
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 888011 16g x 1" Needles, pkg. of 10 2.75 5.50
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 654300 Small Flock Drencher 12.00 12.00
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 888137 Cydectin Sheep Drench, 1000 ml 66.00 66.00
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 619820 Tattoo Outfit, 5/16" 26.00 26.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------===========
Subtotal: 494.50
Ground Delivery Approx. Shipping Charge (13.2 lbs.): 0.00
===========
Total Amount Due: $ 494.50



How does it add up so dern fast?  :bash: 


At least we are starting out with some good stuff.... :happy:


----------



## John Hill (May 12, 2002)

GTS seems to be a new entrant to this field. Chinese (of course) which might not be a bad thing, well not so bad as a few years ago.


----------



## chicamarun (Dec 26, 2006)

We have a Stablemate Wizard which came with the house (and with the llamas).... found out it is a clipper vs a shearer and can't find baldes to change it.... so we are shopping since I just picked up 13 HEAVILY wooled ewes (of course right after I paid the shearer to shear my 17 the other day)..

So shopping - I figured an Oster looks simple enough and parts are everywhere. Looking though on their website they have a 15% rebate if you buy one.... the promotion is printable off their site (osterpro.com I think it was)

So - I figure - tractor supply - $288.... minus 15% makes it a lot more reasonable.


----------



## thatcompchick (Dec 29, 2004)

Dana - Tractor supply is also running a 15% off promo on online purchases - free shipping over $75 - you may want to check to see if the osters are available online to really save ;-)


Andrea

www.arare-breed.net


----------



## SoINgirl (Aug 3, 2007)

We got the premier shears and sheared 20 something jacobs in one day (second time shearing but first with shears), they worked great. We did do one icelandic and had a heck of a time with her, but I'm sure if we had different blades it would have went better. If you call them they will help you decide if you need shears or clippers and which blades to use for your particular breed of sheep and your experience shearing/clipping, they were very helpful.


----------

