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Wahl 9818 Stainless Steel Trimmer Review: Does this Lithium-Ion Trimmer from Wahl Live Up to the Hype?
Wahl released the Wahl 9818 trimmer in 2011 but they made several updates to the model for making it more accurate and user-friendly. The Wahl 9818 is not only a beard trimmer but also a hair trimmer, detail shaver, detail trimmer, nose & ear trimmer together. Wahl named the model Stainless Steel Lithium-Ion+ according to its built quality and power source whereas it comes with a steel frame and Li-ion battery. There are some compelling features I found that could be the main reason behind becoming too much popular. I’m sharing my detailed review in this article including pros and cons that may help you understand the Wahl 9818 very clearly.
Overview
- Wahl designed the trimmer with a stainless steel frame to make it sturdy and durable.
- The manufacturer used a powerful Lithium Ion rechargeable battery that provides 6 hours continuous runtime with a 1 hour charge.
- There is a 1 minute quick charging option for 3 minute running juice that is enough for a trim.
- It has a dual voltage system- you can use it in 110v to also 220v.
- Wahl provides 12 trimming guide combs with the trimmer package for different trimming length settings.
- The blades are long lasting and self- sharpening. Therefore you do not need to replace the blades occationally.
- There are 4 attachment heads in this package; a beard & hair trimmer T-blade head, a detail shaver head, a detail trimmer head, a nose and ear trimmer head.
What’s in the Box?
The multigroomer Wahl 9818 package is full of attachments. This is undoubtedly one of the biggest grooming product package on the market. After unboxing the Wahl 9818, I found the following items in the package.
- The WAHL 9818 stainless steel beard trimmer itself
- 4 attachment heads
- T-blade/ full size trimmer head
- Detail shaver head
- Detail trimmer head
- Ear and nose trimmer head
- A cleaning brush
- Lubricating oil
- Universal AC adapter with cord
- A travel bag
- 12 trimming guide combs
- User manual
- A beard comb
Product Analysis
Self-sharpening Blades:
Wahl engineered the 9818 stainless steel trimmer with self-sharpening blades.
The durable self-sharpening blades stay sharp until the trimmer is damaged.
Therefore you do not need to replace the blades if it doesn’t face any serious hit or accident.
If you take proper maintenance of the blades, the trimmer will provide sharp performance all the time it runs.
I found the blades are powerful enough to cut any type of hair and beard even super thick.
Power Source:
Wahl implemented their best rechargeable batteries in the Wahl 9864 and 9818 trimmers for providing long time cordless backup.
The Wahl 9818 trimmer is capable of providing 6 hours of continuous cordless performance with a full charge.
The trimmer takes only 1 hour for a full charge that I felt very impressed with.
On the other hand, there is a 1 minute quick charging option that provides a 3 minute cordless power.
Therefore you never need to think about cordless use.
Most importantly, the trimmer comes with a universal volt (100v-240v) supported adapter that you can use worldwide.
Wahl actually tried to make it travel friendly trimmer to use worldwide for personal grooming.
Washability:
The Wahl 9818 trimmer and all of its attachments are 100% washable.
Therefore, the cleaning process becomes easier and more hygienic.
You can clean it from direct running water and use little liquid soap for thorough cleaning.
You know proper cleaning and maintenance keep the blades sharper and healthier.
However, the trimmer is washable but not 100% waterproof.
That is to say, you can wash the trimmer with water but can not submerge it under water or use it under the shower.
There are very few people who want to trim beards or hairs under the shower though.
Four Heads for Different Purposes:
The Wahl 9818 is special for its multi purpose attachment heads.
The trimmer comes with 4 different heads for cutting and removing hairs from different areas of the body.
I’m describing the heads separately for better analysis.
1. The T-blade trimmer head
The T-blade trimmer head is the actual trimming head that is used to cut beard and hair. If you leave the other attachment heads, this head will keep the device working as a regular beard trimmer. Therefore, the T-blade trimmer is the most important head attachment in the package. The trimmer head provides 0.5mm stubble trimming length without any attachment.
2. The Detail Shaver
This is a useful head for close shaving the outlines of the beards or hairs. It shaves the outlines from the skin level and makes the final trimming result flawless and attractive.
3. The Detail Trimmer
The Detail trimmer is a narrow trimming head that offers precision trimming. This trimmer trims the outline hairs and leaves stubbles for the detail shaver for detail shaving. It’s a very useful trimmer head for the final touches of every trimming procedure.
4. The Nose and Ear Trimmer
The rotary nose trimmer is very useful for removing unwanted hairs from the nose and ear. It also removes the brow hairs for making the face smoother.
Attachment Combs:
The Wahl 9818 multigroom package comes with 12 trimmer guide combs for providing different trimming lengths.
All the trimming combs are also known as T-blade combs for cutting hair and beard.
There are 4 stubble combs that provide 4 different stubble looks from shortest to longest stubble.
The other 8 trimming combs provide 3mm, 6mm, 10mm, 13mm, 16mm, 19mm, 22mm, and 25mm trimming length for shorter to longer hair and beard trims.
I found the attachment combs are sturdy and very easy to set on the trimmer for a trim.
The Portability of This Trimmer
The size of this clipper makes it advantageous to transit with the assistant pouch that comes with it.
The battery lasts for a long time so I don’t need to take the charger cable with me.
Smart LED:
Wahl used a smart LED system in the power button of the trimmer.
The LED blinks while operating and charging.
It also blinks red while the battery goes under 15 minutes of power and you need to recharge it.
An indicator is always useful for cordless devices for precautions.
User Reviews and Ratings About Wahl 9818
Many consumers say that the Wahl 9818 all-in-one grooming kit is a high-quality product and it can meet their expectations.
Most of the users give positive reviews about this product and it is able to cut all types of hairs that meant this grooming tool is not bad.
But there are some users who are not satisfied and they said that this product could not fulfill their expectations or what they wanted from the groomer.
Now, the Wahl 9818 gets an overall rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars on various online pages. It provides a clear indication as to the number of satisfied users.
So, let’s know what consumers liked and what didn’t like about this groomer.
I prefer to hear the bad news first, so let’s talk about what the consumers did not like about this.
Pros
- Robust built quality.
- Plenty of attachments.
- The attachmets are very easy to attach and detach.
- Ultra powerful battery (6 hour runtime).
- 1 minute quick charge.
- All in one grooming solution.
- Feel comfortable on grasp and fits perfectly.
- 5 Year warranty.
Cons
- Some of the users complained that the guides are not well and explained that after buying the guides broke softly. If anyone of these users contacted with Wahl for this issue, got a guide replaced free of charge.
- Some consumers had a rigidity getting the trimmer to turn on and off while others experienced issues just with inclosing of the trimmer.
- The trimmer is not for wet use. You can use water to clean the device but you cannot use it under the shower for wet grooming.
Verdict
The Wahl 9818 has been manufactured only for personal grooming. I found it has enough features and a sturdy build appearance that is enough for long-lasting personal grooming. At the first release of the trimmer, there were some complaints from the customers, but Wahl handled the complaints and updated the product several times solving the issues. In the new release, I only found the issue is with the on/off switch that feels a little inconvenient while operating the first time. But I think it would not be a consistent issue for the expert or used to users. If you want to have a machine that will take care of your beard and hair trimming together along with nose and ear trimming and detailing, the Wahl 9818 is a good choice.
Related Questions
What is the minimum and maximum trimming length?
The minimum trimming length is 0.5mm and the maximum length is 25mm.
Can I use it cordless/corded?
No, It’s only for using cordless.
Can I use it under the shower?
No, it’s not 100% waterproof. Therefore you can not submerge it and use it under the shower. But it’s washable that allows cleaning with tap water.
Can I cut long hair with the trimmer?
Yes.
Can I cut head hairs?
Yes, it’s for both beard and head hairs.
What’s the warranty period and is there any money back guarantee?
The warranty period is years and there is a 60 days money back guarantee.
Does it make noise?
No, it’s pretty quiet.
I love my Wahl. But this is the second time that the main stainless trimmer had broken the plastic little piece that holds it in place broken. This is my second one. Can you help
There are widely reported problems of the 9818L switch not turning on and off and the charging port not taking a charge. My unit worked under a light load for about 18 months before the switch problem started and then the charging issue started soon after. I do not recommend this product!
Hi Leon,
Thanks for sharing your experience. Sad to know about your bad experience with the power switch and charging. However, the Wahl Lithium-ion trimmer comes with a long period of warranty. If your purchase covers the warranty period, my recommendation is to contact the seller to repair or replace the trimmer.
The rechargeable products should be used regularly and in case the product stays off for a long time, such problems occur. Please be sure if the problem is occurring after keeping it off for a long time since you are a light user. Moreover, always be careful about injecting water into the power switch and the charging port.