Shih Tzu hair grooming is a challenging problem for most Shih Tzu owners if you don’t want to enlist the help of a dog groomer. It has tough hair on certain parts of the body which makes cutting through them a real pain. In the worst case scenario, you can easily exert too much strength and cut the skin of the Shih Tzu. The best way to avoid this situation is to buy a high quality dog clipper with the right blade size to properly groom your pet Shih Tzu’s hair.
Oster A5 Turbo review
Oster A5 Turbo has been widely acknowledged as one of the best animal clipper for dogs. On Amazon alone, there are more than 1000 positive reviews saying how effective this product is. I believe that is a strong testimonial to the quality of this product.
The Oster A5 Turbo has everything you want in a dog clipper: it is incredibly fast, cuts through dog hair easily and is amazingly quiet. In particular to Shih Tzu, which have tough knots and matting in their coats, this can easily go through them as well. In fact, there was a particular Amazon review from a Shih Tzu owner who said that the Oster A5 Turbo was able to trim his dog hair quite easily.
There is however one drawback. It tends to overheat pretty fast. To resolve this issue, you need to get the right blades such that the total usage time is cut down and prevents the clipper from over heating.
What is the right Oster blade for Shih Tzu
If you already have an Oster A5 Turbo and it is not getting the job done for you, it is probably due to the wrong blades being used. By default, you will be issued a blade size 10 when you first purchase the Oster dog clipper. However, that is not the correct size as it cuts too close to the Shih Tzu and might result in injuries. The right size is probably 3F.
The 3F Oster blade is thicker than the default 10, thus it leaves about 0.5 inch of hair and prevents any accident cuts on your Shih Tzu’s skin. It can also be used to cut the longer hair simply by tilting it at a different angle. In this way, you will be cut both the long and short hair off a Shih Tzu’s coat.
In terms of durability, the blade is made of carbon steel and has been cryogenically treated. In layman terms, it simply means it can maintain its sharp edges longer and have a longer usage life.
Cheap dog clippers for Shih Tzu: Wahl animal clipper review
The Oster A5 Turbo with 3f blade is my ideal recommendation for a Shih Tzu if cost is not an issue. However, they are rather pricey and might impose a budget problem for some. In this case, here is a cheaper alternative you can consider.
The Wahl dog clipper cost about half the price of a Oster A5 Turbo but seems to be able cut a Shih Tzu’s hair effectively, at least according to one reviewer who is a Shih Tzu owner.
The good thing about Wahl is that it is a complete kit that comes with different blades. Unlike Oster, there is no need to purchase any additional accessories for different purposes.
In terms of effectiveness, it works pretty ok depending on which blade you choose. Since you can access to all the blades in the kit, it is a matter of testing out the different models until you find the one that works perfectly.
Noise level wise, Wahl is slightly more noisy than a Oster A5. Considering that the Oster has more power, it is surprising to learn that Wahl is the noiser machine as I expected the opposite. Nevertheless, it is still a relatively quiet trimmer when compared to those you purchase in Petco or Walmart.
In terms of weight, the Oster A5 Turbo is lighter and this means less stress on your wrist after prolonged usage. he different is about 0.3 pounds which is quite significantly if you are using the dog clippers for more than half an hour.
Oster or wahl dog clippers?
After seeing the difference, you should be know what you are buying into. Wahl is of course the cheaper option with its lower prices and a complete blade kit. However, it has less power than Oster, made more noise and is heavier on the wrist. Personally, I would recommend Oster as power is everything when it comes to getting the perfect dog hair cut. However, if you have a budget constraint, the Wahl dog clipper will do just fine.
David says
I prefer Karmin
CORIE says
What is Karmin? A different brand? Where is it manufactured? How expensive?