Wahl The Peanut Hair Trimmer

This item was recommended to me by a hair stylist as the trimmer the professionals favor. This means it's meant for years of use, several times a day-- so in using it once or twice a week for home use on just one person, it stands to reason that it should last indefinitely. This is important, since I've noticed from my own experience personal trimmers tend not to be too hearty as they clog with hair in places that can't be cleaned and their motor dies before long.

The Peanut comes with several guides for different trimming lengths. They snap on easily and tend to stay in place better than the adjustable guides found on trimmers meant for home use. It also comes with a small tube of clipper oil which will not last terribly long, since these blades require re-oiling almost every time you use it (you will know by the pain involved if they are not oiled properly). In addition, there is a plastic ring attached to the top of the cord that professional hairstylists seem to put their pinky finger in when they are using it, although it didn't seem to be of any help to me using it. It comes with a tiny brush for cleaning as well.

The Peanut is smaller than any other trimmer I've used in the past-- not so much the trimming head but the unit itself at barely four inches long and not terribly thick. It's not so small that it's difficult to use though and it somehow packs a powerful punch in there. In fact the motor is so powerful that you want to be very careful when trimming without the guides, because you can do some damage to yourself with cuts, scrapes, and scratches.

I use it to trim my sideburns and around my ears. It would be a good choice for trimming one's neck as well, although since my wife does that for me, she chooses to use something with a much larger clipper head that can more quickly clip the hair on my shoulders and back as well. If you are using it for the neck, it is key that the Peanut be oiled recently or it will be excruciatingly painful. In addition, I use it to clip the hair on my chest/stomach to a short stubble so I can then shave it (using the Panasonic ES8152NC, see review). It works well for this, but the powerful motor can make this dangerous, so I must use utmost caution to avoid possible scratches. Be even more careful if you want to venture to more private areas whose more delicate skin can cut easily with the Peanut. I have found that a dusting of baby powder to eliminate any moisture on my body helps allow the unit to glide when doing trimming without the guide. With the guides, the Peanut cleanly trims sideburns, beards, or body hair comfortably, quickly, and effectively.

Maintenance and cleaning consists of frequent oiling, as I mentioned. Also, you will want to pop the head back after each use and use the tiny brush to remove any hairs that have gotten behind the blades. This is nearly impossible to achieve perfection at since the oil needed for the blades inevitably causes some hair to practically bond to the unit.

Note that this is a corded trimmer and no battery operation is available. As a result, it may not travel well, but this is not an issue for me, as I prefer the strength of a corded trimmer in any case. There is also no battery to have to charge or replace. The noise on the trimmer is about average for such items- perhaps a little louder than battery powered ones, but the increase in power certainly offsets that.

In summary, this is a top quality trimmer that should last a long time with minor maintenance for home use. Beware its power, however, and keep it oiled or your skin will be sorry.