I have to say, these things have the potential to be a great answer for those who want something between a zero guard and a razor shave, but my experience has been up and down with them to say the least.
They do practically shave you bald, but because they are so sharp, they very easily cause little cuts and i have to say i managed okay with this for a while, but the other day....
i shaved normally with them, and although it was a bit red afterwards and i caused a tiny cut at the top, it wasnt enough to cause concern. Then i wake up the next morning morning, and oh man, it absolutely devestated the top of my head. Cuts, red marks, it looks like a war zone up there. Now i dont know if the clipper blade is not aligned properly, but i packed them up for the last time and will never touch them again. Its probably going to be a week before it heals up properly, which is a massive inconvenience to say the least.
Perhaps having someone else use them on you might be the solution, but for someone using them individually, i would steer clear because regardless of the cut it gives the awful job it did on my head the other day completely outweighs any benefit.
Anyways, just my two cents, i wouldnt be surprised if there are plenty out there who have got on fine with them. Just be prepared for a disaster or two.
A couple of years ago, when I was first considering going SLY I thought I'd get some balding clippers, but I decided to go the route of razor shaving instead. I'm so glad I did!
Hmmmm, balding clippers may just be what I need to fade this horseshoe flat into bald perfection!
This is the second post in a week i've read about people cutting themselves with clippers. I have some wahl balding clippers and can run them over my head the normal way and turned over (like if you were going to cut a line on a sideburn) with absolutely no cuts. It does get a little red but that goes away almost immediately. There must be something misaligned on the clippers that are cutting you guys.
Wahl clippers are kinda dangerous for me, i usually get lazy and get scruffy with the beard, i just take those clippers and shave the hair off and then use my razor, but dang i always manage to freakin nick my throat and neck area...... i dunno what its about but its dangerous for me!
This is the second post in a week i've read about people cutting themselves with clippers. I have some wahl balding clippers and can run them over my head the normal way and turned over (like if you were going to cut a line on a sideburn) with absolutely no cuts. It does get a little red but that goes away almost immediately. There must be something misaligned on the clippers that are cutting you guys.
I have to agree. I have been using them off and on for a couple of years and have never had a problem.
I use Moser clippers without any plastic extension (moser owned by wahl).

They are couple of years old now and I want to replace them with Wahl Balding clippers. Should I safely assume that they will be as good if not better than my current clippers? With my current clippers I have zero scratches on my head, that will only happens if you don't align the blades properly or turn the clippers around. I never turn the clippers up side down as that is asking for trouble. What I mean is that bottom surface/plane of the clipper is always facing my head. I do cut and move the clipeprs front to back, side to side, bottom to up (neck area) but NEVER with the wahl/moser logo that you see in the image facing my head.
EDIT- My hair cutting technique is similar to this strange guy-
Well, I have been using the Wahl Balding clippers for underarms and chest area, in order to be more aerodynamic.

Anyway, this is the second time I have used them for the aforementioned areas and it has been a disaster.
My underarms and chest areas look like war-torn Bosnia and I have been to Bosnia. After my first use I though maybe the problem was not enough clipper oil, so I made sure this time it was well greased up. However, there was some nicks along the way, even though I used little pressure. But, the real problems started hours later with rashes everywhere. A delayed reaction I suppose. You would think that the blade settings were in order before purchase, but obviously not.
Anyway, this product is officially the worst thing that I have ever purchased and I am just glad I didn't shave my nads or else I would be in the eunuch category now.

Be wary of this if starting out with it. Anyone else have bad reactions or am I just unique?
If you're looking for a close cut, you might want to try something like a Norelco triple header shaver (or whatever is similar).

The idea is to be able to dry shave and not abuse your skin. My Norelco accomplishes this task. Another option for trimming chest hair where your skin is fairly taut, is to use the pop up trimmer on the Norelco. It isn't the closest thing to shaving, but if you want nubs, the trimmer can get you close.

For me, there is something about "almost" that isn't good enough.