The best sheep shears and clippers are designed to ensure that a sheep is shorn gentler, safely, efficiently and with care and respect.
Whether you shear your sheep once a year or more frequently, here are our 4 top picks that you can rely on to get the job done.
4 Best Sheep Shears & Clippers
Best Corded: Pet & Livestock HQ 380W Electric Clippers
Just the right combination of effectiveness, efficiency, comfort, and price make the Pet & Livestock HQ Electric Clippers our top pick.New: $129.99
The Pet & Livestock HQ Electric Clippers are the best sheep shears due to their effectiveness, efficiency, comfort, and price.
With their 2,500 cutting strokes per minute, 380W, high power and high-speed motor, the clippers will make short work of cutting through even the thickest of wool smoothly and quickly.
Airflow vents mean that the head blades won’t overheat, and the clipper’s low vibration and pressure body design make sure that they are comfortable to use for extended periods of time.
Best Cordless/Best for Beginners: GDJOB Cordless Shears
At 2,500 cutting strokes per minute, the DJOB Cordless Shears are very powerful for a cordless model.New: $189.99 ($189.99 / Count)
The GDJOB Cordless Sheep Shears are the best cordless sheep shears and are also recommended if you are a beginner when it comes to sheep shearing too.
This is because of their easy and comfortable to use design, which down to their lightweight, grippy feel. The inclusion of a bilateral air filter also ensures that the shears will remain cool, as will your hands.
The carbon steel blades can easily and precisely be adjusted through the adjustment knobs too, which is another reason why the GDJOB Cordless Sheep Shears are so great for beginners.
While cordless sheep shears can sometimes struggle with generating enough power, the clipper’s 2,500 cutting strokes per minute is comparable to corded models and is more than up to the task of getting the job done.
Budget Pick: Dragro Clippers
The only thing that lets the Dragro Clippers down is that they get a bit warm. They are excellent in every other way.New: $74.99
You will be hard-pressed to do better than the Dragro Clippers if you are on a tight budget. They feature a powerful motor that operates at 2,400 cutting strokes per minute and allow you to choose from 6 different speed settings.
The clipper’s biggest weakness is that they can warm up quite quickly, which doesn’t make them very well-suited to extended use.
Best Hand Shears: Jakoti Hand Shears
If you would prefer to use hand shears, the Jakoti Hand Shears are the best you can buy.New: $89.99
Shearing sheep by hand can take some getting used to, but if you are up to the challenge, then the Jakoti Hand Shears are highly recommended.
They are designed to be as comfortable and easy to use as possible. Their spring-loaded design means that less effort is required for trimming, and long, extra-sharp blades means that they will get the job done more quickly than other hand shears.
What to Consider When Buying Sheep Shears & Clippers
- Corded vs. Cordless Vs. Hand Shears
The first thing to consider when buying a pair of sheep shears or clippers is whether you should buy a corded, cordless or hand/manual model.
Corded sheep shears are the most popular, but inevitably require a nearby outlet to work.
Cordless sheep shears are unmatched in their convenience and flexibility, but are usually more expensive. Many also aren’t comparable to corded models when in comes to their power, though there are exceptions.
Hand shears are the most inexpensive, but they will take you longer to shear a sheep compared to electric models. If you don’t have much experience using them, it can also lead to jagged cuts and an unclean appearance.
- Power
While shearing sheep doesn’t require a hugely powerful motor like what you might need when buying cattle clippers, if you want to shear as quickly as possible, the more powerful the motor the better.
To determine power, look at the cutting speed per minute. You can’t go wrong with a pair that has 2,500 cutting strokes per minute.
- Comfort
Being able to use shears comfortably is of course important, but it becomes even more important if you plan to shear many sheep at once.
Consider not only the size and weight of the shear, but also whether it comes with any airflow or other heat dissipation features. The best sheep shears and clippers will include these features.