Home » Hair Clipper Maintenance » How to Fix Wahl Clippers Loud Noise – (Proven Methods For Noisy Clipper)

How to Fix Wahl Clippers Loud Noise – (Proven Methods For Noisy Clipper)

Patrick Boulang

January 19, 2024

Loud hair clippers are not pleasant to the ears. We shouldn’t be cringing every time we turn our clippers on.

But how do they get like that? Can they be fixed?

It can and in this article we’ll go over how to fix wahl clippers‘ loud noise. Let’s begin.

How to Fix Wahl Clippers Loud Noise

Knowing how to fix the Wahl clipper’s loud noise can be difficult.

There are multiple reasons why your hair clippers are making a loud noise. 

It can easily be fixed to make your wahl clippers quieter. Here’s the process:

Wahl Clippers Making Loud Noise

This is a universal solution and should work to get your clippers quieter.

This video shows the process visually:

Wahl Clippers Loud Buzzing

Also, make sure the guards the guards fit snugly on your clipper.

A common reaseon as to why clippers get loud is because the guards being used on their clippers aren’t correct.

Incorrect guards can lead to noise; if they’re too loose or tight, they won’t affect the cut but will create noise. Consider replacing ill-fitting guards.

Only look to use Wahl exclusive guards such as below.

And if you are using guards from another brand, make sure they are compatable.

Are your clippers still loud?

Now if your wahl clippers are still loud, the problem might be elsewhere ,but before troubleshooting your clippers, make sure you are past your warranty date. 

If you are on your warranty date, attempting to fix could void you of a free replacement/ refund or service. 

Always contact Wahl and read the specific manual of your clipper to make sure all is in order before attempting any fixes. 

Hair Clippers Loud Buzzing

If all is well, you may carry on. 

But to fix your clippers you must understand your clippers internally and how they can produce noise.

I talk about this next

Why Are My Clippers So Loud?

Loose parts inside your Wahl hair clipper are the reason why your hair clipper makes loud noises.

Sometimes this can come about from excessive use or straight from the manufacturer. 

If you have noticed your clippers slowly turn loud over a period of time then it’s most likely parts of your Wahl clippers have:

• moved around
• collected dirt
• Have worn out which causes noise. 

However, there’s no need to panic, there are solutions to fix your noisy Wahl clippers. I outline the fixes in detail later on in this article. 

But before you get into the solution, It would be best for you to know how your clipper got the being noisy internally.

Let’s delve deep into why your Wahl Clippers are so loud.

The motor is the heart of a hair clipper. The motor dictates the overall cutting performance of your hair clipper blades. It moves at a high speed to provide power for cutting.

However, not all motors are the same. 

Wahl has three different types of motors under its brand, these are. 

• Pivot motor
• Rotary motor
• Magnetic motor

Magnetic Motor 

As you can see from the video, the spring pushes against the casing to move the blade, however, this outward motion is what can cause loud hair clippers.

A magnetic motor is the fastest type of motor and tends to be found in corded hair clippers. 

It is the go-to type of motor for most barbers and can move at 120hz per second, providing the finest cutting and performance. 

A popular Wahl magnetic motor hair clipper is Wahl’s professional 5-star line. These include clippers such as the  Wahl Legends and the Wahl Seniors.

Magnetic motors have the tendency to push the blade against the arms that hold the clippers and work the blade as shown below.

Over time the constant striking can displace the arms around the motor then from here, arms will constantly hit back against the motor and that is how that annoying noise is produced. 

This process can happen quickly if you drop your clippers or move them around too quickly.

The magnetic motor is quite sturdy and tends to not take too much damage. However, the motor or the arms around it could become displaced.  

But do not worry, I have a solution for this problem later in the article.

Rotary Motors 

Rotary motors are found in the majority of cordless hair clippers as they are rechargeable. Wahl Professional – Sterling 4 – Cordless Hair Clippers and the wahl professional seniors are reliable rotary motor clippers.

As good as a rotary motor hair clipper can be, it is the type of motor that will eventually produce noise over time. 

As you see from the video, rotary motors have a thin cylinder that spins to move the blade. However, that spinning cylinder is made of plastic and it is the main reason your clippers are loud. 

The part of the rotary motor that would need to be replaced if the ‘cam follower’ in a rotary motor, is the part that is most prone to damage over time. 

But not to worry it can be solved quickly and I outline the steps later in this article. 

Pivot motor

A pivot motor is very powerful. However, this only aids to the loud noise produced by hair clippers when the motor or parts around the motor become displaced.

Pivot motors can last for years on average. The Pivot motors motor will last the longest out of the three.

Knowing how to fix Wahl clippers is valuable. While the brand is a market leader, their clippers can become noisy, often due to poor maintenance involving cleaning, oiling, and alignment.

Below I will show you a guide to making sure your Wahl clippers are as clean as they can be. If you follow the process, it will eliminate one of the possible reasons why your wahl clippers produce a loud noise.  

How to make clippers quiet by cleaning

To start getting your clippers back on track, here’s what you’ll need.

Tools needed:

• Screwdriver

• Toothpick / Airgun

• Brush 

• Hair clipper oil 

• Water 

Cleaning Clippers

Step 1: Remove your clipper blades 

Unbolt your blades from the hair clipper using a screwdriver.  Make sure to hold down your hair clipper blade 

After this, you will see the two main blades that cut hair. This is your top cutting rail and your top cutter as shown below

Ideally, the top cutter is the blade that cuts your hair and would be the one that needs to be prioritized if you want to remove all rattling. 

Step 2: Clean the Blade

First, take the top cutting blade and brush down making sure any dirt and oil or has been removed from the blade.

Now rinse the blade with cold water for a few seconds then dry it off with a cloth. 

Do this for both blades, This should ensure your clippers no longer have any dirt or debris on them 

Step 3: Oil Clippers

Now that your blades are clean, you should look to oil them. 

Clipper blades need to be oiled to reduce the friction and heat between both blades, which at times can cause clippers to rattle. 

You can use regular hair clipper oil for this process but if you do not currently have it, you can also use baby oil or mineral oil. 

Place a drop of oil on the teeth and the sole plate of both blades (The flat side of your blades).

Step 4: Clean the Inside hair clipper

Now both blades are clean, you can look at cleaning the inside of the hair clipper.

Go deep into your hair clippers and make a real effort to rid your blades of as much hair and dirt as possible.

Wahl Clippers Vibrating but Not Cutting

This is also the very reason why your Wahl Clippers are vibrating but not cutting, it’s because there could be a lot of hair wrapped around the motor preventing it from moving correctly.

Holding your clippers, you should notice a little plastic widget that helps to vibrate the blade this is the cam follower.

If you have cordless clippers, you should see the top part of this piece as you take your blades off.

This can either become broken which can create vibration, or hair can form around it which causes noises too. We talk more about this later. 

In this case, we are looking to get rid of the hair that causes the noise. 

So using a toothpick, pick out any hair or dirt around or inside the cam follower. 

If you have an airgun, even better, just be gentle when trying to remove all the hair.

Step 5: Clean all around

For an extra deep clean, you can remove the blade adjuster. (It could help but it is not a must).

If you do notice damage to your cam follower (a crack or a split) , keep note of this, and we can come back to get it sorted out. 

Step 6: Re-resemble the hair clipper 

Now you can put the parts back together in reverse order. 

You must note when tightening the screws for each part make sure they are secure and do not move. 

As I said earlier the reason for rattling hair clippers is loose parts and clipper screws are part of that. 

Make sure your blades are also aligned correctly:

While your top cutting blade is on your clippers and your lever is closed (blades closer together), try to make it line up as shown in the image above.

Make sure the top cutting blade is straight.

You don’t want your clippers cutting hair unevenly.

Try to keep the distance between the top teeth of both the front cutting rail blade and the top cutter blade to be 0.8mm thick, the same depth as a credit card(or less if you’re looking to zero-gap your clippers)- But don’t stress too much about these exact lengths, just make sure it’s the cutting blade is close to the guard blade without going over the edge.

To achieve this, tighten the screws on the back of the blade. However leave enough wiggle room, so you can adjust the front cutting rail blade. This is the blade you should move when making adjustments for everything to line up.

When everything is in place, you can now fully tighten the screws.

While doing this also check how your clippers sound.

If you still notice rattling, the problem lies elsewhere. I will cover other possible solutions further down in this article.

Wahl clippers vibrate but not cutting

If your wahl clippers vibrate but do not cut, It most likely means your clippers are blunt. Blunt clippers are frustrating and do not offer much value. 

While sharpening your hair clippers is the usual fix to this problem, you have to make certain. Unnecessary blade sharpening can wear your blade down for no good reason. 

If your wahl clippers vibrate but do not cut, check to see if your blades pull hair too, This is the #1 sign of a dull hair clipper in need of sharpening. 

But this isn’t normally a minor reason why clippers make noise so we’ll treat this as one of the last steps at the end of this article.

The next step goes inside your clippers but to the motor.

Why does my Wahl clipper not cut?

If your wahl clippers are not cutting but vibrating, it could be due to a damaged cam follower. This tends to be the case for most cordless electric wahl clippers. 

The cam follower is mostly found in rotary wahl clippers.

The cam follower helps the pivot motor in a circular motion which moves the blade side to side as shown in the video further up this article. 

When the cam follower is damaged, this movement is interrupted. Instead of moving side to side as every life should, you will find the blade jerks up and down.

 This is not the normal movement of a hair clipper blade and because of this, it means your clipper blades do not cut well, They may not even cut at all but they certainly will pull hair. 

You should look at your cam follower if you encounter these problems. 

Unsure of how to replace a cam follower or even find its location?

Not to worry, next, I provide all of the solutions to fix the internal problems of your noisy wahl clippers. 

How to fix Wahl cordless clipper loud noise 

Untightened screws on your blade can cause rattling. This can be both internally and externally. 

In the steps below I will show you the solutions that will stop your clippers from rattling. 

For both solutions, all you will need is a screwdriver.

With that said, let’s begin:

Step 1: Open the Hair clipper 

Don’t worry it’s not that scary, you’re just going to take the front housing off.

Unscrew the front casing on your clippers. When removing, you should be able to see the inside of your clippers 

If you have a magnetic motor hair clipper, the inside of your clippers will look like the image below:

However, your clipper can also look like this:

That is the inside of a rotary motor hair clipper.

Step 2: Push down both Casing arms

Around the motor of the clipper of your clipper, you will notice a casing around the motor as shown below:

Using your screwdriver, Push down firmly on both the stationary and moving arms. This should set the casing back into place. 

This can solve your rattling problem. To check, turn on your clipper and see if they still produce noise. 

If they still do, you can troubleshoot one step further. 

Step 3:  Tighten the screws 

Using your screwdriver, go around each screw on the arms and tighten them harder.

Turn the screws clockwise and tighten until you struggle to tighten anymore, but do not overdo it.

After you have tightened the screws, turn on your clippers and check to see if they still rattle.

Step 4: Attach the front casing

Attach the front Whole front casing back onto your hair clipper making sure all those screws are tight. 

If you still notice noise around your clippers, the problem could lie elsewhere or you have a different type of motor. 

ROTARY MOTOR

The next solution will be around the cam follower which can be problematic. This solution is performed on the Wahl 1919 clippers but it can still be applied to any other cordless rotary motor wahl hair clipper.  

With that said, let’s resolve this issue. 

How To Fix Wahl Cordless Clippers Loud Noise

This hair clipper solution is aimed at fixing rotary motor hair clippers. It involves replacing the cam follower within your blade. As I mentioned previously, this part can get damaged and produce noise.

Tools needed:

1. Screwdriver
2. Replacement Cam Follower

Step 1:

Remove the screws on the back of your clipper blades.

After you have removed the screws, Remove the guard blade and the cutting blade

Step 2:

Now you should see the Cam follower, that is the part you will be replacing

Place your finger just underneath the cam follower and it will pop right out. 

Step 3:

Get your replacement cam follower and place and slot it into the space where you took out your damaged cam follower, It should easily fit in the gap.

Step 4:

Place the cutting blade back on. Make sure this is set straight.

Then place your front cutting rail back.

Then place your screws back into their respective holes. 

Finish off by, screwing the blade back together, however, do not screw it all the way. 

Step 5:

When the blade of the blade is relatively tight and set together, turn the clippers around and make sure your blades are aligned correctly. 

As I mentioned previously:

Again make sure the cutting blade is straight as screw your blades back together.

When your blades are straight you can fully tighten them up.

Step 6:

Now test your clipper blades and check if they are still making a loud noise. 

The problem should now be resolved however if your clippers still make a loud noise then the last solution should solve the problem. 

at the very least, this solution at the very least will improve your clipper’s cutting performance. 

UNIVERSAL SOLUTION.

This solution is aimed at pivot motor hair clippers. However, this noise solution is also a universal solution for all Wahl hair clippers. 

We did this step earlier but after trying the other methods we walked through, it may have sorted out your clippers.

Try it again:

Tools needed:

Screwdriver. 

Step 1: Find the main power screw

It should be a large singular screw on the side of your clippers as shown below

Step 2: Power on

Turn on your clippers. You will need them on so you can tell when your clippers are adjusted correctly. 

Step 3: Turn on and listen

Using your screwdriver, turn the bolt clockwise until your clippers make a high screeching noise, Stop here. 

Then slowly turn the screw backward by half a turn. You should notice your hair clippers have dramatically become quieter. 

If this is not the case, then you fine-tune, until you get the desired sound you want from your clippers. 

This same method is used to (improve the power output of hair clipper blades.)

 So be sure to check that your blades are still aligned correctly. 

If you have followed my steps, your clippers should be noiseless and working at their best!

Changing clippers

If your clippers are loud and don’t cut well, you might still fix one issue. If all solutions fail and they remain ineffective, consider getting new clippers. If the noise is bearable and they cut efficiently, you can continue using them.

These are our top recommendations for clippers that won’t produce an irritating noise (as they’re brand new) and will perform well, especially for fading.

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Conclusion:

In this article, I have provided the best solutions as to why your hair clippers are so loud as well as broken down how clippers may become loud from the different types of motors:

• Magnetic
• Pivot 
• Rotary 

Hair Clippers can become loud for a multitude of reasons, however, the solutions I provide in this article will resolve your problems. 

If you have found this article helpful, please leave a comment on your experience with noisy hair clippers and Check out other articles on this topic:

• How to fix loud Andis clippers

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