
Screws! They just seem to be plastered all over our hair clippers
But what exactly do they do?
In this article, I will answer this very question,
As well as a subtle way to increase the power output of your clippers using this screw and more.
So with that said, let’s begin.
The Screw on the Side of Clippers
Do not get the lever on your clippers and the power screw confused!
What Is the Screw on the Side of Hair Clippers
To put it simply, they provide more power.
The more power you have, the better your clippers perform.
But to get the best out of the power screw, you need to understand how it works in full.
The motor is the heart of your hair clippers. All movements, along with the output of your clippers, begin here.
For this article, we’ll focus on the magnetic hair clipper. This type of clipper gets the most out of the power screw and I’ll explain why…
As you turn your clippers on, a current is passed to the copper coil which creates an electromagnetic field.
The magnetic field causes the moving arm to vibrate.
This movement is what moves the cutting blades, and the spring inside your hair clipper cushions this whole process.
Here’s where the magic happens.

The closer the moving arms get to the core of the magnetic field, the stronger the movement, which results in a faster more powerful blade.
The power screw can unlock the full power of your clippers in just a few steps.
Wahl Clipper Adjustment Screw

However, don’t just adjust for no reason.
We’re only looking to adjust the power screw if your clippers have a low power output.
Here is how you can check this:
If it did, your hair clipper motor is weak.
If the cutting still moved as usual then the power output in your blades is fine and you have nothing to worry about.
In the case where your clippers have a low power output, we need to fix this.
Below is a simple guide on adjusting the power output of your clippers:
Adjusting Power Screw On Hair Clippers
Time needed: 3 minutes
A universal solution for loud Wahl hair clippers
- Find the main power screw
It should be a large singular screw on the side of your clippers as shown below:
- Power On
Turn on your clippers. You will need them on so you can tell when your clippers are adjusted correctly.
- Turn 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 become much quieter.
If this is not the case, then keep turning until you get your desired sound from your clippers.
Great, your clippers are now working at full power!
However, sometimes, adjusting the power screw can affect the alignment of the guard blade.
So before you start using your clippers on hair, just check to make sure your blades are correctly aligned.

While your guard blade (smaller front blade), is on your clippers and your lever is closed (blades closer together), make the cutting blade as straight as possible.
Also, be sure that the guard blade is behind the front cutting rail blade at all times.
This video outlines the process of adjusting the power:
How to Adjust Power Screw on Clippers
Conclusion
In this article, we asked, what is the screw on the side of Wahl Clippers?
To conclude, the screw is mainly used for adjusting how close the moving arm inside a hair clipper can get to the copper coil, which can then dictate how fast the cutting blade moves.
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