Product Review

Editorial note: It was actually a Remington Precision 200, model 8017. I don't know if the rest of Remington's line are as bad...

We realized finally that we HAD to buy a buzzer so that we could have haircuts with longer-than-1/2 inch-buzzer-attachments. Caleb can't sit still long enough to cut a traditional scissors cut on the top, and his hair is so straight that it doesn't look good. So we took a Christmas gift card to Wal-mart and bought the cheapest buzzer they had in stock, the Remington Pro. $12.74.

We read the instructions, went down into the bathroom, got Caleb comfortable with a promise of a "fast haircut" and turned on the buzzer. ZZZZZZZZZZZ. It worked so far. Fit on the 1" attachment. ZZZZZZZZZZzzz. Put it to Caleb's hair. ZZZZZZZZZrrrrttt.

Despite the claims on the package that it is one of the most powerful buzzers out there, it couldn't even vibrate in Caleb's hair.

So back to the instructions. It said take short, slow strokes. Okay.

Fifteen minutes later, the back was buzzed with the 3/4" attachment, and it looked like I had hacked at it with scissors, and Caleb was growing restless and extremely frustrated because the buzzer kept pulling his hair. Hard. Finally he said, "How long will this take?"

"Um," said I, realizing "short, slow strokes" would take an hour and then he would look like Anda had cut his hair with playdoh scissors.

I got out the old old standby Wahl buzzer mom gave us years ago that has cut Tim's thick hair without problems for five years.

MIRACLE! The buzzer attachments fit on the old Wahl clippers, which still work fine but were just missing the long attachments. So quick as a wink, fit the 3/4" attachment on, and then the 1/2" for the sides and back. Haircut done in 10 minutes flat. It was shorter than Caleb wanted because the Remington with the 1" attachment wouldn't cut his hair at all, but next time we'll just go straight to the Wahl and use the 1" attachment, and all will be as Caleb wants it to be.

Remington Pro 8017: Crap. Don't buy one unless you happen to have an ancient Wahl buzzer and need the set of combs for $12.74. They fit.

Mom said to always buy Dog buzzers--they have more guts and can actually cut people hair. Like the old Osters. We have one of those, too--it also doesn't have long attachments. Remington won't cut hair. It even just pulled Daniel's hair--and there's not that much to get hung up on.