Just about any barber, you ask will agree that Andis Master and the Wahl Senior are among the best barber clippers available on the market. Any respectable salon has either one or both of these professional hair clippers.
They are a common choice for home users as well thanks to their powerful motors, their sturdiness, and their efficiency.
So, the question is – which one is better – the Wahl Seniors or the Andis Master clippers?
Here are some brief reviews of the Andis Master clipper, the Wahl Senior professional clipper as well as the Wahl 5 star Senior clippers as well as comparisons between these impeccable powerful barber hair clippers which will help you decide which model is the best pick for you. If you want to know more check out our separate rundowns – the Andis Master review and head to head review of all Wahl Seniors.
Wahl Senior vs Andis Master – How they fare as fade clippers?
So, when it comes to the dilemma of the Andis Master vs Wahl Senior – here is how each of these high-quality barber hair clippers performs, as well as how each of them fares as a hair clipper for fades.
All of these products are professional clippers which are very powerful, sturdy and can cut through different types of hair for long.
All of them tend to heat up after prolonged use, and they are all pretty loud too. The Andis Master is a bit quieter but given its full metal body, it heats up more than the two Seniors which have housing made of metal and plastic.
When it comes to comparing Andis Master vs Wahl Senior to determine which the best hair clipper for fades is, there is no doubt that the winner is the Andis Master thanks to the handy adjustable side lever and the Andis Master blade.
Even though the 5 star Seniors have a good quality blade for fading, it will take longer than fading done with their competitor.
The standard Wahl Senior does not have a fade blade at all, so it doesn’t make it to the list of the best clippers for fades.
Here are some more detailed reviews and comparison of each.
Andis Master
The Andis Master is definitely the most elegant of all three electric barber hair clippers. It has a durable and exquisite chrome metal housing and provides ultimate comfort thanks to its ergonomic design It is 6 inches long and weighs 1.25 lbs. This is a heavy duty professional hair cutter which is virtually unbreakable.
The Andis Master have a powerful 14,000 cuts per minute electromagnetic motor, while the Wahl Senior professional clipper and the 5 star Senior clippers feature the most powerful V9000 motor offered by Wahl.
For a proper Andis Master vs Wahl Senior professional clippers comparison, you will need to know more about the differences in the blades and accessories too.
The Andis Master blade is made of carbon coated steel, which can seamlessly cut through even the toughest and thickest hair. The blade is adjustable via a handy side lever and can be adjusted from a number #0000 to 1. A zero-gap is not as easy to achieve with the Andis Master though, especially by non-professionals.
The Andis Master clipper guards need to be purchased separately unlike with the Seniors, which both come with a set of 3 different guards.
The Master clipper is perfect for one-hand use, and is suitable for all types of hair cutting tasks, including clipping, tapering, blending, freehand fading, clipping over comb, corrections or outlining.
It is the most expensive professional clipper of all three, but then again it is the most attractive one as well as being great for fading and for freehand and clipper over comb. Also, the clipper are almost impossible to break, so you will be making a long-term investment if you choose to purchase one for your shop or for home use!
Wahl Senior 8500
The Wahl Senior V9000 and the 5 star Seniors clipper are not as elegant when it comes to looks as the Andis Master, as they flaunt a more industrial design. They are half an inch longer than the Master clipper, and the Wahl Senior is bulkier at 1.3 lbs., while the premium Wahl 5 star Senior is the lightest and weighs 1.2 lbs.
The bottom parts of the Wahl Senior and the 5 star Senior clippers are made of sturdy metal – the former has a chrome and grey plastic housing, while the latter has an all-black metal and plastic durable housing. Thanks to the plastic, they do not heat up quite as much as the Andis Master which is made entirely of metal and can get quite hot during a haircutting session.
If you want the ultimate stylish looking professional quality hair clipper you can opt for the Wahl Reflections Senior model which is entirely made of chrome and has some added features as compared to the other cutters from the Senior V9000 series.
The #1005 Wahl Senior blade is excellent for all kinds of haircuts and is made of stainless steel. Zero gapping is easier with this clipper than it is with the Master clipper.
Seniors 8500 also comes with a set of three comb guides, unlike the Andis Master which doesn’t have any included in the package. Thanks to the sharp blades and the powerful cutting performance, you will be able to use this clipping tool without any painful pulling and without missing a spot.
The powerful V9000 motor and the durable Wahl Senior blade and the robust housing make the Wahl Senior one of the best options. The most attractive feature of the Wahl Senior is its affordable price as compared to the Andis Master and the 5 star Senior.
Wahl 5 star Senior
This is an upgraded model of the Wahl Senior version. It features an all-black housing made of very sturdy and strong plastic and metal. It has an adjustable taper, as well as 3 cutting guards from 1/16 to 3/16 inches, unlike the Andis Master which doesn’t have any guards included in the package.
This Wahl Senior also features the most powerful Wahl senior V9000 motor, and is specially designed for fading, tapering, clipper over comb. The blades are adjustable and have a zero gap capability, which should not be used unless you are experienced due to the risk of cutting yourself or your customer’s head.
The 5 star senior is the lightest of the three models and weighs 1.2 lbs. It is as long as the standard Senior – 6.5 inches and is quite bulky but very steady to hold and use.
These barber cutters are a tad more expensive than the standard Senior professional clipper but still much cheaper than the Andis Master. They work well with even the thickest and coarsest hair types, so you don’t have to worry about the device getting stuck, tangled or pulling on your client during use.
Given the professional make of the Wahl Senior and the 5 star Senior models, you can be certain that both can be used for hours on a daily basis without getting blunt or breaking down.
Conclusion
The choice between the Andis Master vs Wahl Senior and the 5 star Senior cutter is really not an easy one.
All of these tools are high quality, powerful and made for professional use, which means that they will cut any hair type and perform the various clipping and cutting jobs they are made for at all times.
All three are very sturdy and will withstand some serious wear and tear because they are designed and made for all-day everyday use. That being said, there are some nuances here:
- The Andis Master is the best looking one, so if you are on to a clipper which has the best looks – you should opt for the Master.
- The Seniors are not as good looking, but they are still fitted with the most powerful Wahl electromagnetic motor – the V9000, which means that they will run smoothly and can be relied on for long hours.
- If you are looking for a hair clipper specifically made for fades, then you should probably go for the 5 star Senior.
- Pricewise, the Wahl Senior models are much cheaper than the Andis Master, so if you are on a tight budget – pick one of them. Also, keep in mind that both Seniors come with 3 comb clip-on guards attachments, while the Andis Master doesn’t have any included in the price.
- As for the feel of these clippers in the hand, if you prefer a bulkier and more stable cutting tool, the Wahl Senior models are more suitable for you.
In the end, whichever of the three you pick – you simply can’t go wrong. They are all among the top professional tools on the market, so take a closer look at all their features, pros and cons, and pick the one which will serve you best!
