The invention discloses a swing motor and an electric clipper. The swing motor comprises a U-shaped magnet yoke, four permanent magnets and a swing arm, wherein the U-shaped magnet yoke can make the end surfaces of two stand bars generate alternating magnetic poles under a control circuit; the four permanent magnets are fixedly arranged on an inner arm through a second magnet yoke; the four permanent magnets are a first permanent magnet, a second permanent magnet, a third permanent magnet and a fourth permanent magnet respectively and are sequentially distributed on the same circumference employing the pivot as the circle center; the radial end surfaces of the first permanent magnet and the fourth permanent magnet are the same in polarity; the radial end surfaces of the second permanent magnet and the third permanent magnet are the same in polarity and are opposite to the radial end surface of the first permanent magnet in polarity; and when a coil is electrified, the four permanent magnets generate torques which are the same in rotating direction, thereby swinging in a reciprocating manner under the action of the two stand bars of the U-shaped magnet yoke. The permanent magnet redundancy design is a motor magnetic circuit design different from that in the prior art; the swing motor is larger in torque than an existing same-power motor; and the drive power is correspondingly reduced if the acting magnetic flux is high.