CARE OF THE LAUBE SPEED FEED TRIMMER

The cordless Laube Speed Feed trimmer is a tool that has changed the work life of many professional pet groomers. It is one of the most popular tools of the decade. This is due to the size, the light weight, and the quietness of the trimmer. Also, it can do many trimming tasks beyond the scope of many other trimmers in its class.

Personally, I would not want to groom one day without a Speed Feed. I use it for whole grooms on many small dogs using the snap-on combs. The trimmer is so versatile that many groomers are using it instead of full sized clippers. The Speed Feed will do a lot of work beyond what you would expect from a trimmer, but it is important to remember that it is not a clipper, it's a trimmer with a little pin that moves the blade, not a full sized lever system.

It's also important to remember that these trimmers, like those of other manufacturers, are rather cheaply made and subject to a certain amount of manufacturing defects. Here are some tips for getting the most out of your Laube Speed Feed.

FILL OUT AND SEND IN YOUR WARRANTY CARD – The motor of your Speed Feed is under warranty for five years, but they must have your warranty card on file. Right away you should send yours in along with a copy of your sales receipt.

FULLY CHARGE THE TRIMMER BEFORE USING – Plug in the charger and allow the trimmer to fully charge on the “slow” side approximately 8 hours before using. There will be some charge in the battery, but you should resist the temptation to use it out of the box. This is going to make a huge difference to your battery life. Also slow charge your second battery before using.

CLEAN AND OIL THE BLADE AFTER EACH USE - Keeping the blade set clean and oiled not only makes a difference to the cutting edge, but also helps the motor. This is a light weight motor that we are asking to do a lot of work, so we want to keep the blade cutting with ease. As hair collects and is not removed, it creates a drag on the blade and forces the motor to work harder. This motor does not have more to give.

The blade set can easily be removed from the clipper by pushing on the edge of the blade away from the clipper. See Pict. #1 Picture #2 shows the back side of the blade set. Notice the narrow cutting edge slides back and forth along the inside of the comb or feeder blade. Use the little brush to brush hair from the blade set. You may also wish to obtain some blade dip product and run the blade in the solution. In a pinch, charcoal lighter may be used as a blade wash. To oil, place a drop at each corner of the cutting edge, or draw a thin line over the cutter. Don’t over oil and make a mess! Wipe away the excess with a soft cloth.





RUN BLADE IN BLADE WASH BEFORE FIRST USE TO REMOVE ANY COATING -
New blades are often coated lightly to prevent damage during shipping. It is always a good idea with any clipper or trimmers blades to run them in a blade wash and reoil before using. To be perfectly honest, I sometimes grab a new blade and put it to work without doing this, and rarely have a problem. Don't tell on me, okay?

FREQUENTLY REMOVE THE BLADE AND CLEAR HAIR FROM BENEATH THE CUTTING EDGE – Below the cutting edge of the blade set, there is a slightly hollow area where hair can gather out of sight. We use a plastic zip tie to push this hair out one end. See Pict. #3. This trick comes to us by way of the Blade Guyz. You can find a whole video showing this and other maintenance procedures by going to http://www.bladeguyz.com/ and scrolling the instructional videos. The Blade Guyz can also sharpen these trimmer blades.


REMOVE HAIR THAT GATHERS AROUND THE BLADE DRIVE PIN – While you have the blade off the trimmer, notice if there is hair collecting on the inside around the pin that moves the blade. I use my blow dryer on low speed to blow it out.




IMPORTANT! WHEN REPLACING BLADE, SET ON THE #9 SETTING. The blade will not snap back on unless the trimmer is on the far left, #9 setting. It does not matter where it is when you remove it.

BATTERY CARE – The Laube Speed Feed trimmer utilizes NiMH batteries that should give you hundreds of charges. There are some points to keep in mind when using these rechargeable batteries.
· The way to get the most use from your batteries is to use them and recharge them. Fully charge on the slow side of your charger before first use. Interchange and use both batteries, rather than setting one aside.
· Every month or two you should run both batteries on the trimmer until it starts to slow, and then slow charge back to full.
· Although you can leave the batteries in the charger while you use the trimmer, it is not a good idea to store the batteries in the charger when it is turned off. To do so risks discharging the batteries.
· Batteries will lose some charge when sitting around unused. Recharging will not hurt them. Use one, recharge the other. Then switch.
· You might want to put colored tape or some way to identify the two batteries, so you are more conscious of which one you are using. Again, using and recharging an NiMH battery will result in a longer life than if it sits around unused.
· Do not store batteries in proximity of metal objects. This may cause loss of battery power.

SHARPENING: Not all sharpeners can sharpen these small trimmer blades. I use Tim Love of Love's Sharpening. Click HERE to go THERE. Tim will take good care of your blades and any other sharpening needs. He will not lecture you on blade care or treat you like a dummy.

PURCHASE: To purchase a Laube Speed Feed trimmer, go to the BBird shopping cart.