Andis Clipper Blades & Guards

Not as a rule. Some detachable blades follow the same mounting standard and will physically fit both, and many third-party blades are sold as compatible with several brands - but mounting is not the same as fitting correctly. Blade drive length and hinge geometry differ, and a blade that clips on can still cut badly or run hot. Check the listing for your exact clipper model rather than assuming.

The number is the cut length the guard leaves behind, not the amount it removes. On most Andis guard sets #1 leaves about 3 mm, #2 about 6 mm, #4 about 13 mm, and so on in roughly 3 mm steps. The mapping is not identical across brands, so a #3 from another manufacturer will not always cut the same length.

A dry blade pulls hair, runs hot and gets noisier - and a few drops of blade oil fixes it within seconds. A genuinely dull blade still pulls after oiling, and typically leaves an uneven line rather than failing everywhere at once. Oil first: it is the cheapest test there is, and it resolves most cases.

Before or after every use for anything more than a quick touch-up - a few drops across the teeth with the clipper running. Blades wear far more from friction while dry than they do from cutting hair, so oiling is what actually extends blade life.

Detachable blades can be professionally resharpened, and for expensive blades that is worth doing. It is a job for a service that grinds them flat on proper equipment - hand sharpening usually ruins the cutting angle. For inexpensive blades, replacement often costs less than the sharpening service.

That is almost always blade alignment rather than a worn blade. The cutter should sit slightly back from the tips of the still blade and be even side to side. Misalignment leaves lines, catches hair on one side, and in bad cases nicks the skin - it is adjustable with the mounting screws.

There is no fixed hour count - it depends on the coat, how often you oil, and whether the blade is stored clean and dry. A blade cutting coarse or dirty coats dulls far faster than one used on clean hair. Well-maintained detachable blades can run for years and then be professionally resharpened, while cheaper snap-on blades are usually replaced rather than serviced. A blade slows down long before it fails outright: it starts pulling, running hot, and leaving lines - that is the signal to oil, realign, or replace it.

No - it depends on the blade system your clipper uses. Detachable-blade clippers take the interchangeable AG/AGC-style blades and can run a whole range of sizes. Adjustable-blade clippers have a fixed blade you move with a lever rather than swap out, and trimmers such as the T-Outliner use their own specific replacement blades. Before ordering, check which system your model uses - a detachable blade will not mount on an adjustable clipper, and vice versa.

Some are, most are not. Detachable-blade systems from both brands share a broadly similar mount, so certain Andis and Wahl detachable blades will physically clip onto each other's compatible clippers - which is why some third-party blades are sold as fitting both. Snap-on and adjustable blade systems are brand-specific and will not swap. Physical fit is not the whole story either: drive length and hinge geometry vary, so a blade that clips on can still cut poorly. Match the blade to your exact clipper model rather than to the brand name.

No. WD-40 is a water displacer and light solvent, not a lubricant built for cutting edges - it thins out quickly, can leave a sticky residue as it dries, and leaves the blade under-lubricated during the exact friction it is meant to reduce. Use a dedicated clipper blade oil for routine lubrication, and a proper blade wash or coolant spray for cleaning and cooling. To flush out debris, use a blade-cleaning solution followed by a few drops of blade oil - that does the job WD-40 cannot.