Are you Wasting Your Money on Sharpening?
Because Sharpening Alone Is Not Enough!

One of the easiest and least expensive ways of making sure your clippers are working well is also one of the most overlooked. It's the BLADE DRIVE or LEVER that moves the blade back and forth, and it should be replaced on a regular basis. This relates to all brands of clippers: Andis, Laube, Oster, & Wahl. Faster and more powerful clippers need the drive lever changed even more frequently. Also remember the more pets you groom, the more often the drive lever needs to be changed. Grooming an average of 24 pets a week usually requires the drive lever to be changed every
1-2 months.

It will not necessarily look worn to you, but when it's not working properly there are other signs you may notice. Your clipper, even though it is running fine, will seem to lack power. The blades will have a tendency to pull the hair, leave hair behind, stick, or leave streaks. Blades may also be noisier, and you may find that some blades work on your clipper and others do not. All these can be signs of a worn blade drive or lever. Even the sharpest blade may cut poorly, or not at all, if the drive lever
is worn.

A drive lever typically costs less than having one blade sharpened, so it's an inexpensive way to optimize your clipper performance. It's a good practice to keep an extra drive lever on hand. Repeatedly having your blades sharpened, when it is actually a worn drive lever, is costly and shortens the life of your blades.