The blade drive should be one of the most frequently changed parts in most clippers. They wear down faster than you might think.
Blade drives by different brands, and different models by the same brand, will wear at different rates. The amount of use your clipper gets will also greatly impact the time taken for your blade drive to wear down. Clipper manufacturers normally recommend professional groomers change their blade drive every 1-3 months, depending on use.

Common Signs

A worn blade drive causes a number of common issues, such as reduced blade performance, leaving blade lines (also known as track marks, leaves behind lines in the dogs coat), and can make your blades seem dull or blunt even when they aren't. 

These problems can be caused by other factors also, like impacted fur blocking the blade drive from making the full side-to-side motion, or a dull or under oiled blade. If you have a spare set of clippers, it can be a good idea to test the blade on another set of clippers to determine if the blade or the clipper is the issue before replacing the blade drive. Whether you can test it on another clipper or not, thoroughly clean the blade, the blade drive and blade latch, and test the blade again before replacing the blade drive.

Another way of figuring out if your blade drive requires replacing, is by looking at the part itself. On a worn blade drive/turning lever, you will notice the edges become rounded instead of square. On an Andis blade drive, you will notice excess movement when pressing the plastic sides together.

We have a couple of pictures below to show you what are you looking for.

 

How often should I replace?

 

This is quite a broad guideline as varying factors like frequency of use, coat type, coat condition, cleaning, blade and clipper maintenance, and clipper brand and model, can all impact the speed at which a blade drive will wear down.

 

Blade Drives by Brand: 

Andis

A worn out blade drive from Andis can show signs of worn edges and as well an excess movement when pressing the blade drive itself. The images below compare a new blade drive with a worn out one.

The Andis Quad Blade drive is what is shown above, and is the most commonly replaced part of an Andis clipper. 

Andis clippers also have a blade lock/latch and a blade hinge that will need to be replaced periodically. The blade hinge usually only needs to be replaced if the hinge closes often after removing a blade, if the latch is loose, or if the hinge has broken. The latch does not normally need replacing unless broken. 

For more information on how to replace your blade drive, click here.

For more information on blade hinge and latch maintenance, click here. 

Heiniger

Heiniger clippers also have 3 separate parts that can be replaced. There is the turning lever, the blade hinge, and the blade latch.

The turning lever is the part that needs to be replaced most often, and different clipper models have different turning levers. The common signs above still apply to the Heiniger turning lever, however you can also see a difference in the turning lever when it has worn down. The turning lever is the small, black plastic piece that sits near the top of your clipper, above the blade hinge. When the blade lever is new, it is a square shape. When it has worn down, the edges will become rounded. See the image below:

The Heiniger Saphir Turning Lever is what is shown above. 

(The Heiniger Opal requires a different turning lever, however will still look the same once worn.)

If you notice your Heiniger clipper has a turning lever with rounded edges, it's time to replace the turning lever.

For more information on how to replace your turning lever, click here.

The blade hinge usually only needs to be replaced if the hinge closes often after removing a blade, if the latch is loose, or if the hinge has broken. The latch does not normally need replacing unless broken. 

For more information on blade hinge and latch maintenance, click here. 

 

Wahl

Wahl clippers also have 3 separate parts that can be replaced. There is the drive lever, the blade hinge, and the blade latch.

The drive lever is the part that needs to be replaced most often. Different Wahl clipper models require different drive levers, so make sure you check the product description to ensure you are getting the right lever for your clipper. The common signs above still apply to the Wahl drive lever, however you can also see a difference in the drive lever when it has worn down. The turning lever is the small, white plastic piece that sits near the top of your clipper, above the blade hinge. When the blade lever is new, it is a square shape, like the photo below:

When it has worn down, the edges will become rounded. If you notice your Wahl clipper has a drive lever with rounded edges, it's time to replace the drive lever.

For more information on how to replace your drive lever, click here.

The blade hinge usually only needs to be replaced if the hinge closes often after removing a blade, if the latch is loose, or if the hinge has broken. The latch does not normally need replacing unless broken. 

For more information on blade hinge and latch maintenance, click here.