OK, Hive - Wahl clipper not clipping

Took apart my Wahl clipper for cleaning - was functioning fine, but I know they will jam up if neglected. Nothing broken, easy, popped it back together, and now it doesn't cut. Also seems louder than before, so I suspect something's misaligned, but I can't figure out what. The whole head pops off, and the fixed blade comes off with two screws; there are no apparent adjustments for any of it. I feel like I'm missing something simple here, but there's nothing in the documentation, and information online is scanty and not very useful. Anyone know how to get this thing back to functional again? I need a haircut - starting to feel like a dirty hippie.

Is it possible that you put the head on backwards???

No idea, but I occasionally oil the blades on my corded Wahl and call it good. I've had it for nearly a dozen years, shaving my head every couple months, with extra dirty-hippy weekly-ish beard work during the pandemic. I'm probably going to jinx myself here, but it seems to be one of the few inexpensive things I totally expected to be a disposable POS that isn't. 

There should be a tang that fits in a slot on the back of the moveable blade. If it isn't it won't work.

If it's the old magnet driven clipper, there is also usually an adjustment for blade stroke. Too tight or too loose and it won't cut. It will also buzz pretty loud. 

My experience with recent ones is that the Wahls just don't hold up anymore. 

I usually had to set everything up on my thumb, then push the whole assembly into it rather than putting in one piece at a time. The spring onto the back of the head is pretty tricky to get just right. 

Oh, just followed your link. I got like 3 months out of that one. Last cordless before I went back to corded, but the corded Wahls would still only last a year or so before they started tugging instead of cutting too, even with monthly cleaning and lubricating. 

when you say "took apart" ... did you only take apart the head or did you need a screwdriver and fully disassembled? 

I replace the blades about once a year of my andis outliner.  $15  or so for new blades.   Totally worth  it 

Just came to say that at 56 I am using the same Wahl my mom cut my hair with when I was a nipper. 

Replace the blades

Toyman! said:

There should be a tang that fits in a slot on the back of the moveable blade. If it isn't it won't work.

If it's the old magnet driven clipper, there is also usually an adjustment for blade stroke. Too tight or too loose and it won't cut. It will also buzz pretty loud. 

This and align them properly.

Thanks for the suggestions. The head comes off as a single piece containing both blades and the carriage for the lower (sliding) blade. I took that off, and removed the two screws that secure the upper (fixed) blade; I did not go any further in disassembling it, since the motor is working fine. There's no way to reinstall it other than the correct way - there's a locating tab, and then you just press down into two spring clips. The shaft from the motor is guided into place by the shape of the tang; it is engaged and the lower blade is moving. I don't know that there is any way to align the blades - the upper has no adjustment, and the lower is located by a spring.

At this point I'm about to toss the stupid thing and buy a replacement.