great shaver, cleaning system superfluous
This is my 4th Norelco, going back quite a few years.  My last one was not very good, although the first two were great.  The 8160 shaves very close and can handle a two day growth.  How long an electric razor stays sharp is very related to how clean it is kept, as hair in the heads will dull the blades faster.  To that end, Norelco ships this razor with a motorized stand to clean the razor heads.  Basically what it does is submerge the razor in the cleaning fluid and turn it on and off occasionally.  So you need not buy the XLCC, just buy the 8160 XL.  You can submerge the razor in fluid yourself and turn it on and off a few times to do the same thing, and not have to worry about having space to store the stand.  I'm experimenting with making my own cleaning fluid, which as far as I can tell is distilled water with a small amount of glycerine and a bit of an additive such as photo-flo which breaks the surface tension of the water so it will drain right off.<br /><br />  One huge improvement over my prior Norelcos is the ability to rinse the razor throroughly with hot water.  It does an excellent job of cleaning the razor, and then the fluid bath is only really needed to condition the heads.  You can also buy a silcone spray which lubricates the heads to have them wear better.  So save some money but make sure the razor you buy is washable and water tight.  I highly recommend the razor itself.
Rating: 4 stars