Can’t decide on picking an everyday hair clipper or a professional one?
Well if you are like me and are looking for something that doesn’t overheat & is not too loud… then you would make the perfect owner of an Oster hair clipper!
There’s an extremely high chance that your requirements will be fulfilled by an Oster hair clipper which emphasizes on providing powerful clippers without all the hassles of overheating and loud noises. Oster clippers are some of the most affordably priced hair clippers that deliver premium performance!
Keep reading for a complete review of three of the most popular clippers by Oster: the Oster Fast Feed vs Topaz vs Speed Line.
The Mission: matching you with the perfect machine for all your clipping needs!
Table of Contents
In-depth Comparison Table for Oster Clippers
| Features | Oster Fast Feed | Oster Topaz | Oster Speed Line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motor | Whisper Quiet Pivot | Whisper Quiet Pivot | Whisper Quiet Pivot |
| Blades | Stainless Steel | Cryonyx Blade | Steel Blades |
| Color | Burgundy | Black | Black |
| Weight | 1.16 lbs. | 1.18 lbs. | 1.16 lbs. |
| Length | 6 in. | 6 in. | 6 in. |
| Guide Combs | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Maintenance Kit | Included | Included | Included |
| Price | Check price | Check price | Check price |
Oster Fast Feed Review
Oster Fast Feed is one of the best lightweight clippers which is immensely popular with users. It is powered by a powerful Pivot Motor which easily outperforms most of the hair clippers available in the market.
The Whisper Quiet pivot motor used by Oster is partnered by razor sharp adjustable stainless steel, cryogenically tested blades for quick & clean cut every time. The attractive burgundy colored body gives it a sleek look which is appealing to most. The ergonomic design of the clipper is perfect for every user and the convenient placement of the adjustable blade lever is perfect.
The Fast Feed clipper is specifically designed with a quiet motor to keep the noise down while clipping without affecting the power of the motor. With its durable build, it will easily last a good few years. The Oster Fast Feed clipper comes ready in the box with all the accessories you may need such as the following:
- 3 guide combs (1/4″, 3/8″ and 1/2″)
- A blade guard
- Lubricating oil for blades
- Blade cleaning brush
The Oster Fast Feed clipper is beautifully designed to be large and comfortable weighing just over 1 pound for easy control which is enhanced with the 8 feet long cord for maximum movement. The high quality of the cord material is durable. It is also very effective for fading & blending hairstyles.
The heavy duty hair clipper runs cool & quiet which is rare for most professional quality hair clippers.
Oster Topaz Review
The Oster Topaz is a more modern day rendition for those who are not into the vintage style of the Oster Fast Feed clippers. There are very few notable upgrades from the Fast Feed in the Topaz, but the major change is as mentioned the appearance.
The Oster Topaz is powered by the same pivot motor as in all the Oster hair clippers implementing the Whisper Quiet technology. This allows all Oster hair clippers to give a smooth & silent buzz which is soothing for users compared to the traditional roars of a loud motor on other clippers. There exist a select few clippers in the market with such quiet engines.
The Topaz is a full black body hair clipper with a slim body enhanced by the black color. The stainless steel blades attractive stand out for a good looking device with great performance. The blades use the Cryonyx Blade System for sharper cuts and cooler for longer while clipping. It comes with 1 extra guide comb, so a total of 4 different sizes of guide combs. In addition to the thumb lever as it is an adjustable blade hair clipper.
Oster stresses the importance of proper maintenance for better performance of its clippers and for longer durability. The Topaz comes with a maintenance kit including the following:
- A blade guard
- A cleaning brush
- A lubricant for the clipper
While there are not many notable technical differences from the Fast Feed, the Topaz by Oster is stylistic upgrade with the promise of the same level of performance.
Oster Speed Line Review
The Oster Speed Line disappeared beneath the dominance of the Fast Feed by Oster for a very long time. But with its re-mergence into the market, it truly shows the beauty of the machine. The Speed Line is actually a more glamorous version of the Oster Topaz, with very little technical difference with even the Fast Feed. The motor on the Speed Line is the same Whisper Quiet technology implemented pivot motors as in all Oster trademark hair clippers.
Oster Speed Line has a sleek full black body just like the Topaz. It is ergonomically designed giving the body a smooth shape which is comfortable to grip and easy to maneuver. It is far more extravagant looking compared to the other Oster clippers. This is due to its golden colored blades! The clipper features beautiful golden blades which are enhanced by the full black body.
The Speed Line also comes equipped with all the accessories in the box:
- 4 guide combs
- A blade guard
- A tube of lubricating oil
- A blade cleaning brush
The complete maintenance kit is another trademark inclusion by Oster on all their clippers to encourage good upkeep for your equipment to get longer, durable and more effective performance.
The Speed Line is a much more aesthetically pleasing pick between the three Oster clippers. The extravagant look is achieved through the shiny golden blades. As a barber, you will be able to impress clients with a glamorous looking machine. As a home user, you will love to use it and impress yourself on every use.
Get Oster Speed Line at Amazon
Similarities: Oster Fast Feed vs Topaz vs Speed Line
Oster hair clippers are great and very versatile in application. Let’s discuss all the similarities shared between the Oster Fast Feed vs Topaz vs Speed Line:
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How They Weigh Up
The Oster Fast Feed, Topaz & Speed Line have very little that sets them apart. They are within 0.01 ounces of each other in weight and are all the same length at 6 inches. The standard weight of a little over 1 pound is just right considering any professional hair clipper.
These are all professional hair clippers with a size & weight which is comfortable to hold and easily controllable for not just one, but many haircuts.
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Motor Power inside the Body
All three Oster clippers in this review are powered by a pivot motor which is very powerful, more than most other hair clippers in the market. The pivot technology enables powerful strokes for sharp cuts. The motor on the clippers also use the Whisper Quiet technology for a very noise free clipping experience.
The innovative whisper quiet technology is one of the reasons for the immense popularity of Oster clippers, especially for those with noise sensitivity issues.
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The Blades
The Oster Fast Feed, Topaz & Speed Line are all adjustable blade clippers. So they all have a comfortably placed thumb lever to adjust the blade when in use. This adjustable blade is also effective when using with guide combs as well, giving the user more control for a closer or longer cut. The length can be varied between #000 to #1, meaning from 1/50″ to 3/32″ as required by the user.
All Oster clippers use blades which are cryogenically tested to perform the best. The Fast Feed uses stainless steel, carbonized blades which are able to stay cool for longer. The Oster Topaz uses Cryonyx
Blade System which is sharp and sturdy. The Speed Line uses the same type of stainless steel blades as the Fast Feed & Topaz but, it is golden in color for a more attractive look.
The blades are good on all types of hair, thick or thin, wet or dry.
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Accessories & Maintenance
As is the trademark of Oster clippers, all three hair clippers come fully prepared with its maintenance kit. The kit includes a blade cleaning brush, a blade guard and a tube of oil for lubricating the clipper & blades. All three clippers also come with useful accessories of various sizes of guide combs. All come with 8 feet long power cord for maximum mobility while clipping hair.
However, the guide combs are built with plastic material which is not very durable compared to other premium hair clippers.
The Key Differences Among Them
The overall performance on offer by the Oster clippers is great. They are leaders taking into account the following:
- They are comfortably sized & weighted for a good grip with ergonomic shape and built with good quality material for durability
- They are capable of staying cooler for longer compared to most others
- They are very quiet in operation making a buzzing noise rather than disruptive roaring noise
Regardless the following are some of the things which really set some distinctions when comparing the Oster Fast Feed vs Topaz vs Speed Line:
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Appearance: How the Looks Stack Up
Oster Fast Feed clippers are one of the most popular Oster clippers due to its vintage look. It comes in a stylish burgundy color which complements its ergonomic shape for a classy deep colored appearance. The power cord design, placement & quality also enhance its stylish look.
The Oster Topaz is the iconic sleek & black look which gives it a classy appearance highlighted by the stainless steel blades. The Oster Speed Line is in line with the appearance of the Topaz but it distinguishes itself with golden colored blades which are exciting to see on the full black body of the hair clipper. So in terms of appearance, the Fast Feed is vintage style, the Topaz is sleek & the Speed Line adds a bit of glamor to the smooth black look.
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Number of Accessories Included
Although the Speed Line is predecessor to both the ancestor Fast Feed and the preceding Topaz, the quality of the guide combs has not improved with the latest version. They build quality of the guide combs are not durable. However, the difference lies in the numbers included with each hair clipper. The Oster Fast Feed comes with three combs (1/4″, 3/8″ and 1/2″) and both the Topaz & Speed Line come with four guide combs.
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Recommended Customizations
There are a few tweaks, updates or customizations that may be done to improve upon the performance of these hair clippers. For the Fast Feed clipper, you may consider upgrading to compatible guards such as the Andis double magnetic guards. For the Oster Topaz, in addition to compatible guards you will enjoy zero gapping from compatible zero gapping tools such as Andis coarse ceramic cutter. And for the Oster Speed Line, the golden blades can be further enhanced with magnetic guards amongst other compatible accessories.
Oster Fast Feed vs Topaz
The Oster Fast Feed hair clippers are the original vintage clipper by Oster. It continues to impress with the quality and features it offers to users. Being lighter in weight than the average heavy duty hair clippers, it is comfortable and easy to control. Oster launched the Fast Feed clippers keeping in mind both its professional users and the casual users.
The Oster Topaz was introduced as an alternative choice to the vintage style of the Fast Feed. Operating on the same basic build and technical specifications, the Topaz was more of a design change than anything else. It packs the same power as the Fast Feed with similar quality blades and unfortunately the same brittle accessories.
We have already discussed the power of the pivot motor used by Oster and these two models have the same with the whisper quiet technology. Both are extremely smooth and quiet in performance. The full black body of the Topaz is a stark contrast to the colorful burgundy body of the Fast Feed. The all black design is appealing enhanced by the stainless steel blades.
Topaz vs Speed Line
The Oster Topaz and the Oster Speed Line are as similar as twins!
The only difference between these two hair clippers by Oster is the color of their blades and nothing else. Both are sleek, all black body, ergonomic design, compact & lightweight. While the Topaz features classy stainless steel blades, the Speed Line features the more glamorous golden colored blades.
Both hair clippers maintain the Oster quality standards for being cool in operation without any heating issues, even after long term use. While the Topaz does offer good cuts, it is a machine which is ideal for light cutting and professional stylists will prefer to have a more heavy duty hair clipper handy. Without any technical clipping skills, it is still a great professional quality hair clipper.
Other than the shiny golden blades, nothing else could tell these two apart. They both come with same number of accessories and the 8 feet long cord for easy movement. They are good quality clippers which are built for comfort and durability.
In comparison of the Oster Topaz vs Oster Speed Line, they are the same exact core features with the same performance but with different colored blades whichever is your personal choice – gold or steel.
Oster Fast Feed vs Speed Line
As mentioned earlier, there is not much to compare between these clippers by Oster. The Oster Fast Feed vs Speed Line comparison brings out disappointing results as the biggest weakness that exist in the Fast Feed or the Topaz have not been improved upon – the poor quality guide combs.
Apart from that, there is nothing that really separated the two high performance hair clippers by Oster other than the design improvements and stylistic changes. The Fast Feed is targeted at users who enjoy a vintage look on their machines with the deep toned classy burgundy colored body. The Speed Line, on the other hand, would appeal to those who prefer a bling appeal in their hands. The full black body with the shining golden blades gives it a look, users would love to flaunt.
Like mentioned regarding the Fast Feed & the Topaz, a few customizations especially for the plastic combs & blending guard holds true for the Speed Line as well. As for the motor power, quietness, blade sharpness, cut quality and overall performance, both the Fast Feed & the Speed Line are powerful machines that get you the results you desire.
Conclusion and Recommendation
For upcoming barbers, stylists or those who are looking to start their pro careers, Oster offers some of the best tools for beginners. If you’re a casual everyday user then even you can step into the semi-pro zone with a good quality Oster hair clipper.
Oster Fast Feed is the most suitable choice considering its price, ease of use & maintenance. The ergonomic design with the quiet yet powerful motor is able to give you all the hairstyles you want without any heating issues. You will get a good performance guaranteed!
Whichever model of the Oster hair clippers you choose, you’ll be taking a good decision as they are some of the best in the market.
In this review of the best of Oster hair clippers, I recommend the Oster Fast Feed as the most budget friendly performers. Pick one up to test your clipping skills!
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