Just the fact that you are reading this indicates that you have come to important conclusions regarding which brands of products to consider. You are not a commoner who falls for the marketing of the most established brands.
People in the know have learned to discard gigantic corporate brands and opt for specialized ones instead. If you are looking for hair clippers, this inevitably leads you to two major competitors in the hair trimmers arena – Wahl and Andis.
Both companies offer top of the line hair trimmers, by default above the generic brands. Although this is good news for everyone involved, it does become increasingly difficult to winnow down the true winner.
In this comparison review, we break down the major differences between the top contenders – the professional Wahl Detailer vs Andis GTX T-Outliner trimmer, with the notable mention of the Andis’ previous model – Andis T-Outliner.
Outlining the Features
| Wahl Detailer | Andis T Outliner | Andis GTX T-Outliner |
|---|---|---|
| Chassis: 5″ length, 6.9oz weight. Hard plastic, burgundy accent with chrome finish. Motor: Wahl rotary motor. Blades: T-Wide blade for excellent edging, outlining, and beard trims. Sufficiently sharp for close shaves but slightly abrasive for sensitive skin. Noise/Heat: Consistently cool and moderately noisy. Accessories: 3 guards (1/16″, 1/8″, 1/4″) included. | Chassis: 5.5″ length, 11.02 oz weight. Polymer in polished dark grey. Motor: Electromagnetic up to 7000 SPM. Blades: T-blade specialized for outlining and trimming of necklines. Excellent for dry shaving due to being more suitable for sensitive skin. Noise/Heat: Overheating after prolonged use. Noisier as well. Accessories: None. | Chassis: 5.5″ length, 11.02 oz weight. Polymer in polished black. Motor: Electromagnetic up to 7000 SPM. Blades: Deep tooth T-blade performs better for longer, thicker hair and detailed outlining. Engineered to be friendly to sensitive skin. Noise/Heat: Overheating after prolonged use. Noisier than Wahl. Accessories: 4 guards (1/16″, 1/8″, 1/4″, 3/8″) |
Body & Design
Andis clearly doesn’t want to veer off from their bulky & oval design philosophy, no matter how good looking and elegant their competition is. We dare say that Wahl Detailer managed to hit the bingo when it comes to the eye-capturing appeal.
At a glance, the Wahl Detailer Trimmer tells the story of a premium product, suitable for the chicest barber establishments. On the other hand, Andis is all about function over form and design detailing. Although, the GTX all-black model is indeed an improvement over the previous light grey T-Outliner. That one evokes images of a mass, army-level hair-cutting experience of newly selected recruits. The light grey Andis T-Outliner would perfectly fit in such a setting.
By rendering it all black, the Andis GTX T-Outliner trimmer escapes such imagery and joins the more universal hair-trimming scenery.
Furthermore, the polished black finish on Andis GTX adds the much needed touch of elegance, but still doesn’t come close to the attractiveness of the Wahl Detailer.
Both trimmers are composed of hard plastic (polymers), so you can expect the same level of durability. The Wahl Detailer is the lightest of the bunch, almost two times less than Andis GTX T-Outliner. Something that a professional barber should definitely consider. 11.2 oz might not seem much for an occasional user, but when you have to precisely manipulate that weight all day long, it becomes a different story.
In short, the Wahl Detailer trimmer definitely wins when it comes to design and economic packing of all the components, thus making it lightweight. However, the Andis GTX does exude power with its bulky, black body and hefty feel. Therefore, some barbers may appreciate it more.
Both hair trimmers – the 5 star Detailer and the Andis GTX T-Outliner – offer the same lengthy, robust cord at 8 feet. The only notable difference is that the Andis GTX T-Outliner has a 3-pronged plug, supplanting the usual 2 prongs.
Power and Cutting Prowess
The overall performance of any hair trimmers can be determined by two factors:
- The power of the motor.
- The shape and sharpness of the blades.
The Wahl Detailer Trimmer has an exceptionally sharp T-wide blades (#2215), made from stainless steel and perfectly suited for edging and detailed styling of beards and mustaches. So much so that you don’t even need to zero gap it in order to complete a professional looking outline. Which is a good thing considering that you wouldn’t want to constantly zero gap with the Wahl Detailer trimmer due to sheer sharpness of the blade. And if a person has sensitive skin you definitely wouldn’t want to employ the zero gap method.
That leaves Wahl Detailer in a precarious position where the efficiency of the blade brings you to the point of having to exercise more caution while wielding it. Something that is not an issue with the GTX model. It offers more comfort and leeway for sensitive skin and close shaves, just like the previous Andis T-Outliner did.
Additionally, the Andis GTX T-Outliner carbon-coated blade offers an extra measure of durability and performs better at neckline cleanups and outlines, especially for thicker and longer hair due to its thicker blade and deeper teeth. On the other hand, the GTX’s wider blades do provide an increased level of difficulty when trying to perform a zero gap for shaping beards and mustaches.
As you can see, compromises abound!
You have to think very carefully about what exactly are you looking for. With that being said, the Andis GTX T-Outliner does outperform the previous T-Outliner model in every way – both in terms of performance and design, so getting the GTX model is a no-brainer purchasing decision. But not so much when compared to the Wahl 5 star Detailers.
As for the motors, the GTX has a more powerful one than the Wahl Detailer Trimmer, running at impressive 7200SPM (strokes per minute). Unfortunately, just like with the previous model, this power makes it easily overheat, so it would be wise to use it in bursts of activity.
Naturally, such power also comes with an increased level of noise compared to the 5 star Detailer.
In short, the Wahl 5 star Detailers are definitely the winner when it comes to noise and overheating. Of course, they will eventually overheat too, but not as much as both hair trimmers from Andis.
