News about the Nebraska Blades Clipper Sharpening Machine

Why Update? For over 16 years the CS-101-2000 Clipper Blade Sharpening Machine had arguably been one of the best on the market but a lot can change within an industry in that amount of time. When Jason, owner of The Edge Pro, acquired the Nebraska Blades company in February of 2016 he knew it was time to make some needed modifications and upgrades to the Classic CS-101-2000 Machine. Jason, having been a distributor for Nebraska Blades for many years prior to becoming the new owner was completely aware of the CS-101-2000’s success and shortcomings. Jason had spoken with many customers over the years about how the machine was not ideal for mobile units but it could work with a little effort. Back in 2014 Jason had also acquired Huff’s Wholesale and the rights to the Extreme Kut Clipper Blade Sharpening Machine. While that machine never saw the market again due to complications with the manufacturing process, Jason knew that it had some valuable design features he wanted to combine with the CS-101. Immediately following the acquisition of Nebraska Blades Jason started drawing up plans for a new and improved clipper blade sharpening machine that would enable customers to thrive in their shops and in their mobile units. What’s New? The first and most imposing step was to eliminate that pesky 34 AMP draw on startup! After quite a bit of research Jason discovered he could do away with the current motor and replace it with a more powerful three phase motor and a WEG VFD controller. Switching motors and adding a VFD gave the machine some handy new features, one of them being a motor brake to replace the old hand brake. Secondly, the new machine has a variable speed control knob allowing you to sharpen from a max of 1750 RPMs down to 50% speed (around 875 RPMs but not exactly). Thirdly, upon request, the new machine can be reversed optimizing the machine for those sharpeners who are left handed. Fourth, but not least, the initial startup AMP draw of 34 has be dropped to somewhere between 3 to 6 AMPs! Upon much contemplation, the decision was made to modify the housing cabinet of the machine. The first modification to note was to bring the outside edge of the cabinet up a little bit higher to cut down on the amount of grit the wheel throws at the sharpener. This keeps everyone and the sharpening space a little cleaner. Next, Jason evaluated that sometimes-annoying toggle switch that sticks out and decided to make all the switches and knobs recessed into the side of the machine. What About My Old Machine? Jason knew when the machine was released we would have customers who will want to upgrade their Classic CS-101-2000 Clipper Blade Sharpening Machines to include the technology and features of the New CS-201-2017 machine. We have made a conversion kit available as an affordable alternative to buying a whole new machine. For only $1300 the kit includes the new motor, the VFD power inverter, the recessed switch housing and switches, mounting brackets, layout templates and instructions. While all of this may sound complicated, we have worked very hard to make this a simple conversion for our customers and as painless as possible. While we tried to keep the process simple, there is some effort and assembly required but we will be your resource through the process. What’s The Damage? The upgrades from the CS-101-2000 to the new CS-210-2017 are extremely valuable to any sharpener. Unfortunately, the added hardware to the machine pushed the price up slightly. Having said that it is worth noting that the price on the Classic CS-101-2000, prior to 2017, had stayed the same since 2000 (if you are curious what that should cost with 17 years of inflation it would be around $2200). Jason wanted to keep the CS-201-2017 Low AMP machine as affordable as possible but the price could not stay the same. The new CS-201 Low AMP Clipper Blade Sharpening Machine will start at $1995 with a 14” diameter rolled aluminum plate and $2195 with a 16” diameter cast aluminum plate. What If I’m Happy With The Old One? The plan is to continue selling the Classic CS-101-2000 as the perfect beginner machine. It is called a “101” because it is an entry level machine and is bare bones and user friendly. The new Low AMP machine is called a “201” because there is a little more to it than the classic machine. The CS-101-2000 will be available online and in our catalogs for those customers who are content with it and in fact, the updated cabinet features will even start showing up on it as well. It is important to note that in 17 years the world has changed and inflation has caused even fast food restaurants to remove beloved dollar menus. We still want the CS-101-2000 to be affordable for those starting out in the industry or simply looking to have a backup but there was no getting around the fact that pricing needed to be adjusted. The Classic CS-101-2000 Clipper Blade Sharpening Machine will start at $1695 with a 14” diameter rolled aluminum plate and $1895 with a 16” diameter cast aluminum plate. This new pricing will go in to effect as of April 1, 2017. What Now? The New CS-201 Low AMP Machine became available as of March 1, and we are happy to answer any questions you may have. New Nebraska Blades catalogs are also now available via email upon request or snail mail for a small postage fee. Keep us in mind. We want to continue to be a resource for your company and to see it continue to grow and be successful in the industry. Nebraska Blades The Edge Pro 1163 SW Ordnance RD Ankeny, IA 50023 Phone: 866-963-1990 Fax: 515-964-0616 NebraskaBlades.com TheEdgePro.com