I have thick hair, and have been cutting it myself, with store-bought clippers, for years. During a recent use, my clipper choked on the thick hair, and I decided to get a professional clipper, so I bought the Oster Classic 76.What a difference! As you might expect based on the price, the Oster is in a class above when compared to the clipper kits you buy at the local Rite-Aid or WalMart. It's a quality appliance and seems to be well worth the extra expense for regular clipper users.So, why 4 stars instead of 5? Two reasons. One, it doesn't come with the numbered plastic combs--you have to purchase them separately. Second, it's on the heavy side and it's a bit cumbersome to use compared to the lighter, cheaper models. I suppose that's the price you pay for quality.