WAHL PROFESSIONAL PEANUT CLASSIC CLIPPER TRIMMER 8685

Wahl is another brand name that made a huge success in both professional and home user market for hair grooming products. Most of the barbershops proudly use their hair clippers and beard trimmers and those devices served countless customers throughout so many years.

You don’t hear about quality issues and malfunctions with anything wearing Wahl’s name on it. So, what can their trimmer bring to the table and disrupt the competition? We were curious too and so we went and got one of their flagship models to find out.

FEATURES

The Wahl Professional Peanut clipper model no. 8685 is a top contender for the best of the best title among hair grooming products. From the moment, we took it out of the package we were surprised of its compact size and how well it sits in our hand. The finish is superb and we have to say, this is one fine looking hair trimmer. Wahl obviously paid attention to deliver in both form and function. And when it comes to function there is plenty to give credit too. Advertised as a professional grade model this trimmer is made to be a precision tool in anyone’s hands.

Comb cutting guides Included in the package come specifically in 1/8 in, ¼ in, 3/8 in and ½” sizes. Also included are blade oil, user instruction manual, cleaning brush and a stylish red blade guard. The cord is 7-foot long which provides more than enough manoeuvring freedom. Priced at around 45 US dollars it is unusual to see so few accessories included with a professionally labelled device. Nevertheless, let’s see what does a professional grade hair and beard trimmer do differently from the standard home use ones that often come with more stuff included at a lower price.

The first obvious thing is the power of the motor. It really is incredible how much performance there is on this palm-sized machine. It simply cuts through any length or thickness of the hair or beards with almost no effort at all. It simply glides across the surface of the skin. This makes it an excellent beard trimmer for sensitive skin types. Next up, manoeuvrability. Golly is this small tool comfy to use. The Peanut name is well justified as it is a pleasure to groom, style and cut in all directions with this thing. It is way too much fun as a mere tool and yet there it is.

DOWNSIDES

The small device gets quite noisy thanks to the powerful motor. We also didn’t like the cable rigidness that much as it hampers the lightness and the small size of the trimmer. The cable gets in the way of the amazing manoeuvrability more than we would like and it is somewhat limiting the great handling feel during grooming sessions.

CONCLUSION

Wahl’s Peanut Professional 8685 is the best-corded hair trimmer that we had the pleasure to use. There are some small nitpicks we found during our testing however they do not decrease the superb overall performance. We rarely see such a high-quality product which delivers excellent performance in a good-looking small package.

Thanks to its compact size, powerful motor and an amazing degree of movement it allows – it makes it a definitive product of our choice for everyone looking for the absolutely best performance hair trimmer. Highly recommended.
  • Design 97% 97%
  • Quality 99% 99%
  • Price 90% 90%

PROS

  • Palm-sized and great looking
    Really powerful motor
    Superb quality and finish
    Amazing comfort during use
    Professional grade tool
    Effortless grooming performance on all types of hair

    CONS

    • Only basic accessories included
      Loud during operation
      Cable gets in the way too often
      Limited to 120 Volt power outlets

      PROS AND CONS OF CORDED BEARD TRIMMERS

      R
      It all comes down to your habits when choosing whether you require portability of a cordless or the practicality of the corded beard trimmers. Say you need a quick trim while you’re out or perhaps you like to carry your grooming kit with you at all times when out of the house. Then the cordless beard trimmers are the best choice for you. They allow almost identical power spec as their corded counterparts and give more freedom of movement when you need precise detailing work done on your facial hair.
      R
      Most of the cordless models come with plenty of battery endurance and they will easily last you for a decent number of shaving or trimming sessions. That is if your average grooming time is somewhere around 15 minutes. Even then, they require small amounts of time to get fully recharged so it all depends on your lifestyle and you daily routine.
      Q
      The not so good side of owning a cordless beard trimmer is that you have to monitor the battery charge level if you tend not to leave it on the charging dock or cradle. It can be very frustrating to find out that the battery is empty exactly when you’re in a hurry to get a quick trim. Many models offer the possibility to be attached to the charging cord to recharge the battery and be used at the same time. Some models will not provide enough power for such use and if your cordless trimmer comes with a charging dock or a cradle then you will need to leave it there constantly after you finish using it.
      Q
      When it comes to the strength of the motors they are virtually the same spec as their corded counterparts. We feel that the increased freedom of movement and the added portability at the same price makes cordless beard trimmers an excellent choice.

      WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN CHOOSING CORDED TRIMMER

      Before deciding and buying the corded trimmer of your definitive choice there are some important things to consider first. Let’s assume that you do not need the freedom and the wider range of movement the cordless beard trimmer models can offer. You are also not bothered by the fact that you will be limited by the need to use your trimmer in a place where your power outlets are. Alright then, you’ve made a choice towards reliable performance and no battery charge level anxiety. Great. So, here is what you need to pay attention to before buying your trimmer.

      Make sure that you get the best beard trimmer kit for your money
      This means – choose the grooming kit which includes plenty of trimming and cutting accessories alongside the device. Having multiple choices of guiding combs makes your styling options wider. As for the beard trimmer, itself, it is best that your desired model includes plenty of adjustable trimming positions. Ensure that it comes from a reliable manufacturer brand which has a good reputation. There are plenty to choose from. The longer the guarantee that comes included with the product and accessories – the better.

      In the end – be sure to also read opinions from other users as they will give you a good insight into some details that you might have missed.