# Suggestions for the best mini ish clipper?



## EVpoodle (Sep 25, 2018)

Hi, all I was wondering what you guys recommend for clipper in the mini size?
Or, if there is a way I can do some of the trims like the swirl trim without one, with a certain type of blade?

Thank you all!


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## Mel (Apr 4, 2012)

Brava mini seems to be what many recommend. I would like to know also. I’m using my husbands beard shaver (he can’t have it back lol) until I figure out which mini clipper that does a good job on tiny feet.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

I have a minipoo. I use the arcomini for her paws and a bravura for her face and sanitary clip. Wahls arco and bravura are similar so I just looked for the best price for the full size and mini version. I find it’s so much easier doing feet with a mini.....either arcomini or bravmini. 

My dog has a very thick coat so I need heavy duty clippers but most people can clip their dogs coat with either a bravura or arco trimmer using guides to adjust hair length. 

I don’t know what a swirl clip is so I can’t help you with that.


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## EVpoodle (Sep 25, 2018)

Thank you!


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## BabetteH (May 1, 2019)

Skylar said:


> I find it’s so much easier doing feet with a mini.....either arcomini or bravmini.


I guess I have to buy a second clipper :angel:


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

BabetteH said:


> I guess I have to buy a second clipper :angel:


You don’t have to. I used to do my tpoo years ago with regular trimmers. And I did Babykin’s feet for a year with the bravura. My daughter gifted me a cheap mini clipper and when I saw how much easier a mini trimmer was for feet, I bought the ArcoMini. If you are comfortable using regular trimmers to do feet, you don’t need mini trimmers. If you are new to trimming small poodle feet would find a mini trimmer very helpful.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

I use on my toy poodles a Wahl mini arco. It comes with a #30 blade which is what I always have used for their faces, feet, sani area. And I use a Wahl Chromado, lithium battery and 5 in 1 blade for the rest of their body plus scissors. I have used the bigger Chromado on their feet sometimes but I like the little one better for those places generally. You can experiment. You might find that with your mini poo, you don't need the little mini clippers.


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## EVpoodle (Sep 25, 2018)

Thank you all.


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## Mel (Apr 4, 2012)

I decided on buying a mini Arco. It’s actually sitting in my mailbox . There seems to be a lot of negative reviews on Amazon on both mini brava and Arco so that was a hard decision. 

Here’s the fuzzy puppy that is getting tested first .


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

I use a MiniArco and I like it for Molly's tiny feet and cleaning up inbetween her eyes, and her lip folds and flews.


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## chiuy (Jul 10, 2019)

MollyMuiMa said:


> I use a MiniArco and I like it for Molly's tiny feet and cleaning up inbetween her eyes, and her lip folds and flews.


How do you find it for the rest of the body? Does the Arco hold up? Or do you use something else?

I'm getting a mini poodle so wondering if this will be enough for everything.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

chiuy said:


> How do you find it for the rest of the body? Does the Arco hold up? Or do you use something else?
> 
> I'm getting a mini poodle so wondering if this will be enough for everything.


Chiuy, I have a minipoo. I love my mini Arco for feet and sometimes I do parts of her face with it.... but I would go bonkers trying to clip the rest of her body with the mini....it’s small so is best for the feet. 

Buying clippers and trimmers for a puppy that grows to be an adult is tricky. Almost all puppies can be groomed with a wahl bravura (or Arco which is very similar) trimmer. Their hair is soft enough for a bravura. If you are skilled or patient you can do their feet too. But my adult minipoo has such a beautiful thick coat that I need heavier clippers to groom her. I use the bravura for her face and sanitary trim. I also used the bravura for feet too but treated myself to the mini Arco which I love for doing her small feet. 

I groomed our tpoo for 20 years with regular clippers, including her tiny feet. Some professional groomers do everything with regular size clippers. You don’t have to buy a mini trimmer, but you might love having one in your tool kit.


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## Mel (Apr 4, 2012)

The Arco mini is pretty small. I was surprised because it didn’t look that small in pictures. I will take a comparison photo later. For regular clipping I have a wahl chromado and it works on feet also but it’s much harder to do smaller feet without nicking and removing all hair.


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## Mel (Apr 4, 2012)

Here you go. After shaving Sandy’s feet this morning I would say no to being a body clipper. It was getting warm after the second foot. So I will do the hind after it cools off. It was a lot easier though and I do like it.


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## chiuy (Jul 10, 2019)

Mel said:


> Here you go. After shaving Sandy’s feet this morning I would say no to being a body clipper. It was getting warm after the second foot. So I will do the hind after it cools off. It was a lot easier though and I do like it.
> View attachment 451911


Thanks so much for the comparison pic - extremely helpful! 

I'm thinking an Andis AGC or Wahl Chromado for the body, and then maybe the arco for the feet. But I'm a total first-timer to grooming-at-home and poodle coats so nervous about investing so much so fast. Conversely, I could start with the smaller arco while they're a puppy. So many things to think about! 

Grateful for the PF community


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

Your choice of the Chromado and MiniArco are good (I have both..... AND now a Bravura too (I got a good price on it LOL!), because I accidently broke my Chromado) 
A really good suggestion for you would be to purchase the book 'Poodle Clipping And Grooming: The International Reference' by Shirlee Kalstone. Although it is an older book it is still regarded as the 'bible' of poodle grooming by many. It will teach you all about the care and grooming of the poodle coat!


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## BabetteH (May 1, 2019)

I just ordered a pair of Mini Arco clippers. Let's see if it makes FFT easier than with my Bravura. I'm excited to try them out.


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