Best blade to use with an Andis 2 speed clipper

[Ginny Nightingale]

I just got the Andis 2 speed (heavy duty) today and I am having some problems. My dog has a soft fleecy coat that tents to mat easily and she has been away for a week (being bred) so she is a bit tangled now.I have been brushing her and when I got out all the mats in an area, I tried the Andis with the #10 bade and a plastic comb that was supposed to result in 3/4" of hair. Her hair is about 1 1/2 " long now. I was having a lot of trouble getting it to cut the hair. The comb would go through, but the blade didn't seem to be doing anything. I looked at the Andis site and they recommended the blade #7 for a matted coat on a poodle and #10 for a closer cut. The #7 blade had longer teeth on it.  Does anyone who has the Andis use this blade? 

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

Gee Ginny, I would think either the Andis or the Oster should do the same thing. My Gracie has a wavy fleecy coat that is very soft and not really thick. I use my Oster with a #10 blade with my comb attachments and I clip her anywhere from 1" to 1/2" inch. I bathe her first so the clippers glide through nicely. I also clip the direction the hair grows. If you reverse and go against the growth it is going to cut even shorter. Keep your clippers going in the same direction unless you want a particular area shorter, i.e., under ears and neck. It is hard to get all the hairs with the first pass because they are so soft and want to lay down. I usually take the brush and brush backwards and then clip, brush backwards, clip and so on. Very time consuming but it seems to do a better job. I always have the mats out before I put a clipper to Gracie. Otherwise the clippers can take a nose dive and take a chunk of hair out and also pull and make your Doodle squeak! I have also used a #40 blade with my comb attachments. I had read somewhere in the Grooming group that the #40 does a quicker and cleaner job???? Not sure why but they say that blade glides through like cutting butter. Hope this helps. I would love to find out what you learn from the others. I am interested in the feedback about the #7 blade. I'll stay tuned!!!

[Ginny Nightingale]

Thanks for your reply! I am finding mats and that is definitely a problem--I thought I had them all out, but no! Brushing back an shaving with the growth sounds like a good idea. I was not doing that. The soft hairs are laying down, as you said, and I didn't think using the brush to get it in position. I have had someone recommend the #40 blade also and will get one of those too when I recover financially from my first purchase! You must let her dry after bathing, right? I thought I would brush her out, clip, then bathe, since she has to be very dry to be clipped--or at least, I thought she did.

[Ginny Nightingale]

Here is what Sue of "Sue and the crew" on doodlekisses told me about the #40 blade a few months ago:

"The way I understand it is that the #40 is a "surgical-type" blade. One that would be used to shave down patients before surgery - cuts to 1/100". So, you can only use it with a guard or you would have a bald doodle. The #10 without a guard would leave a 1/16" cut which is still pretty close to bald...LOL. I found it harder to clip with the #10 and asked the groomers at PetSmart. They recommended the #40 with guards. Now it seems to me that because the teeth of the #40 were much more closer together than the teeth of the #10, the #40 goes through the doodle fur much easier."

Looks like I should try a #40!

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

That might have been the article I read.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

If Sue and Crew said it... it must be true. Of all the doodles I have ever met her doodles have the most gorgeous coats I have ever touched, felt, or seen. Do I sound like I am swooning? Well I was. It was like seeing the movie stars of doodles. Even from 100 ft down my driveway, you could tell they were different, special, and PERFECT.
They are shy girls...so if I could have, I would have run my fingers through their coats all day! HAH
Okay, enough. Just saying, if Sue says she does something..... I run out to do it to my doodles too!

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

Yes, that was the same conversation I read from Sue and Crew a while back. I immediately changed to the #40 blade with my plastic comb attachment. Then today I saw the comment on the third page of this discussion from Carol Brand comment #3 about the attachments ruining her #40 blade. I have only use it once so far so I think I had better check out my blade to see if it is messed up. I did take her advice and today I ordered metal attachments. She sent me the link. I'm always up for good advice!!!

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Well as soon as I can I will get one. There is a conversation she posted last Apri/Marchl maybe... where I tell her she cost me several hundred dollars in grooming supplies because............... I met her doodles and ran out and bought the store thinking if I worked really hard I could groom Spud to perfection. HAH.
I blame it all on her.
But honestly, she works hard on those coats, knows her stuff, and those doodle girls are DIVA'S of beauty.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

one of her old grooming posts--and me yelling because I tried to groom Spud, but it did not work--or he certainly did not compare to beautiful Sammie and Georgia
http://www.doodlekisses.com/profiles/blogs/doodles-maintenance-free...

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

Yes, your Doodle MUST be dry. I usually wash Gracie one day and then clip her the next day. I wish we lived nearby and I could loan you my #40 (If it would fit the Andis)! I recently heard someone say that they give them a quick wash down after the clipping as well just to get all those tiny little hairs off. I am going to do that in the future. When we are done and I am brushing Gracie on the lawn I can see of of them in the sunlight flying through the air. That wouldn't have to be a full wash...more like a rinse off!

[Ginny Nightingale]

Sounds good--she IS very dirty after a week away at the breeder's--hopefully, she will have pups in January! So, I will bathe her tomorrow and try cutting again on Monday. Thanks again!!

[Vicky & Cassidy]

Ginny, the dog should always be clean and dry and completely brushed out before clipping. The dirt and oil on the dogs coat can dull (and possibly damage) the clippers very quickly.

[Vicky & Cassidy]

I gave up on trying to use a clipper (Andis 2-Speed) with a comb a long time ago and now just scissor cut Jammers. I would LOVE to know how others do it!