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(More customer reviews)5 March 2011: This following review of mine is no longer valid. See my detailed posting after this. I had bought three ChroMinis and within a few months, they were unoperable. I bought a corded Andis AGC 2-speed. I don't need the 2nd speed; a 1-speed would've worked just fine for cheaper.
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I have several longhair cats, mainly Persians, including one that had tail hair so long that it trailed behind her, nearly tripping her as she walked, which meant that she was unable to play. Over two years, I bought a whole bunch of grooming tools in the hopes of keeping their coats short so that they have no soft-mats or hard-mats. Mats prevent playing, stretching and running. I hate not only hard-mats, but "soft-mats" which precede hard-mats. Soft-mats happen when fur is hard to get a comb/brush through -- they must be dealt with because they turn into hard-mats pretty fast. It does no good to comb my Persians' coats daily -- fur accumulates over weeks resulting in soft-mats. What works for one cat doesn't work for the next. Each longhair animal's coat is different, and needs select tools.
First off, I really wish Furminator would produce an XTRA-SMALL (XS) sized Furminator specially for 5-lb. cats and dogs. The Small-sized Furminator works well with cats that have some bulk/heft/mass to them (7-lbs. or more), but NOT on a petite 5-lb. Persian that is almost as light as air. I like Furminator -- but they don't make one for really small cats or dogs.
The second of my Persian cat's thick coat is a mix of wire-haired long hairs and wire-haired undercoat. It's just horrible to get through, no matter how often I "try" to comb her (which is pretty much an impossibility). I can never get her combed out, and this is after trying a number of manual tools. If I force the comb through, it hurts her and I just won't continue that. GROOMING IS MEANT TO BE PAIN-FREE!! (If grooming hurts, you're doing it wrong.) Even if I force the comb through (hurting her), nothing changes -- the fur is no easier getting the comb through the next time. Anyone with a longhair pet that has an undercoat, particularly a WIRY undercoat, understands wherefore I speak.
The above-mentioned Persians' longhair coats have not responded to manual tools. Therefore I looked for "electronic" help, aka small-animal electric clipper.
Well, rots of ruck. Clippers designed for humans are too large and way too noisy, as are most animal-clippers. The noise scares the bejeebers out of the cats, so quietness is a must. So I looked for clippers that were petite, quiet and also run a decent amount time without a recharge. I did quite a bit of research, reading descriptions of pet clippers, studied sizes and getting a sense of decibels. To my horror, most "pet" clippers or trimmers are neither small nor quiet -- why do manufacturers keep producing these and why do people keep buying them?
Maybe because they don't know which model to buy.
Well, I have a recommendation. I just bought the new Wahl cordless ChroMini and really like it, A LOT. It is small (tempted to call it "tiny") and very quiet. During the 2nd session (on the first charge, I might add), one of my Persians (high-strung) flopped down and her body language said "Okay, now that feels good -- you're getting out those knots (soft-mats) -- good riddance." Even with hard-mats (which I don't let get that bad), I am sure this model would do fine.
On wahl.com, this clipper was hard to find. On the horizontal menu, click on Animal Products > Products > Pro Pet/Veterinarian > Chro Mini 41591-04301. Why Wahl doesn't include it in their Home Pet product line is beyond me. Too expensive, maybe.
For anyone that has several longhair small cats and/or dogs where grooming is essential and you are loath to hire a professional groomer, this clipper is well worth the money. I would go broke real fast if I took my cats to a groomer. I've had this clipper a month and it's already paid for itself.
I used this clipper for a couple hours and it's still on the first charge. This feature is really nice! I contacted Wahl about what is the best way to recharge the unit, and they said to only recharge it only when it needs it, meaning don't leave the unit in the recharger indefinitely between charges -- unplug the recharger until the clipper loses power, plug in the recharger, charge the clipper, then unplug the recharger. They said that not leaving the clipper in the recharger at all times increases the lifespan of the battery.
I am really tired of "home" electric clipper's batteries that maybe run 15 minutes, then poop out. The manufacturers don't know my longhair cats -- the clipper has to last long enough to get through a session. I am delighted that this clipper has gone through two long sessions and no hint of needing a recharge.
I am very patient when grooming, which takes time, and this translates into that the clipper has to run for at least an hour each session. Always have the blade-guard on. It does take some getting used to -- I gently pull a tuft of fur up and clip that. Gently pull another tuft of fur up, clip that -- over and over. The cat's fur looks sort of patchy, but we're going for comfort here, not looks. I don't care if the cat looks scraggly as long as she's happy (can run, stretch and play).
This is the "small-animal pet clipper" for me. It really is a dream-come-true. It's been a long, hard struggle finding the right electronic tool for a multi-Persian-cat household. I recommend it for the do-it-yourselfer who grooms several longhair cats or dogs at home, particularly if you've had no luck using other tools that didn't leave a dent, so to speak. It has all the things I looked for: teeny, quiet, cordless, keeps a charge.
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5 March 2011: I no longer recommend the ChroMini.
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