The Wahl is my desert island vibrator. The one I would pick to be that last vibrator I ever own. I own many lovely vibrators that I enjoy greatly, but, forced to choose between them, I wouldn't hesitate to leave them all behind for my beloved Wahl.

I have noticed that people who love powerful vibrators seem to come in two camps. Those who love the Hitachi Magic Wand and those who love the Wahl. I happen to own both vibrators, and I think it's probably pretty clear which camp I fall into. While this is a review of the Wahl, I'm going to indulge in a little bit of compare and contrast with the Hitachi on the assumption that anyone considering the Wahl is probably also considering (or already owns) the Hitachi.

Both are extremely powerful vibrators, the strongest on the market (that I am aware of anyway). Both need to be plugged into an outlet to operate. Possibly a negative for those who value mobility, but a major plus for someone tired of replace batteries. Both vibrators are bulky and odd looking. Neither can be sterilized.

But, aside from raw power and ugly duckling looks, the Wahl and the Hitachi are not all that terribly alike. To me, the biggest difference is the shape of the head. The head on the Hitachi is a large, half-dome shaped affair. It can only be applied to relatively large areas.

The Wahl comes with seven heads in varying sizes and shapes, all of which are small compared to the Hitachi and most of which can be used to stimulate a small area in a very focused way. I like this feature. I really, really enjoy the focused vibrations on my clit. I do not appreciate the way the more diffused vibrations of the Hitachi vibrate my whole vulva into numbness before I can get off.

On the other hand, the pinpoint intensity of the Wahl makes it a toy I am unwilling to use with partners. Hitting the wrong spot with the Wahl is quite an unpleasant experience, a problem not posed by the broad head of the Hitachi.

The other major difference between these two iconic vibrators is a qualitative difference in the nature of the vibrations. The low setting on the Wahl is a high frequency "buzzy" vibration that feels very different from the deeper more "throbbing" vibrations of the Hitachi. The high setting on the Hitachi is an even more powerful version of the low setting vibration, while the high setting on the Wahl is both more powerful and completely different from both it's own low setting. This setting is more of an intense thrumming, pounding type of vibration. Think jackhammer here.

Unlike the Hitachi, the Wahl is also surprisingly quiet for such a powerful toy, at least while it is in use. Turned on and held in the air it sounds like an out of whack blender, but the minute you press the tip into something soft it goes remarkably quiet. I can barely even hear mine through a thick blanket.

Since the Wahl comes with seven attachments you can tweak the sensation and intensity of the vibrations quite a bit. The attachments range from fairly broad and flat to something about the size and shape of a thick finger tip, with a few interesting shapes thrown into the mix for good measure.

Everyone seems to have a different favorite attachment. I like the pinpoint stimulation from narrow rounded tip the best, but if you like your vibrations more diffuse or if you like a flat surface for applying lots of pressure, you are still sure to find an attachment that works for you.

The detachable nature of the heads makes them easy to clean. Since they are made of plastic, they can be washed with soap and water, run through the dishwasher (I've tested this), or wiped down with isopropyl alcohol. They are compatible with any type of lube you might want to use, and they can also be covered with a condom or the finger of a glove if you are concerned about sterility.

My only real complaint about my Wahl is that cleaning the body of the vibrator can be a pain. The attachments see the most use, of course, and they are easy to clean. But, the body of the vibrator gets a bit of "back splash" if you see what I mean. And, it has some hard to reach spots that need to be cleaned every so often. I usually find myself using a q-tip and isopropanol to clean out the area that surrounds the attachment point for the tips. It's a bit of an annoyance, but one I will gladly continue to put up with in exchange for reliably great orgasms.

When I first pulled my Wahl out of it's box I was more than a little scared of it. This is a really, really powerful vibrator, people, and I've never counted myself in the clit'o'steel crowd. It took a bit of cautious working up to before I actually let the Wahl near my clit. Since then I haven't looked back, and my Wahl has been going strong (and getting heavy use) for three years now. I did have a problem with the power cord getting frayed at the base of the toy, but we where able to replace the cord quite easily.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that all seven of the included attachments generally languish the back of my closet while I pretty much exclusively use a soft, bulb shaped, vinyl tip designed to fit the Wahl. I purchased it separately several years ago, and, sadly, it no longer seems to be available anywhere. But for this review I pulled out the included tips and gave them a whirl, and I am pleased to say that even without my very favorite tip the Wahl is still delightful.