Review (4/5): Fine Trimmer Needs Better Packaging
A beard trimmer with a built-in vacuum to keep the trimmings from collecting all over your sink is a good thing. So when I decided it was time to replace my Wahl Vacu-Trim, which needed new blades and battery, I was sorry to see that Wahl apparently no longer makes that model. It seems that the only vacuum beard trimmers available at this writing are the two models from Philips Norelco. Seeing a good price here at amazon, I sprang for the Turbo model, which promised a little extra oomph. Well, the trimmer works very well. Better than the Wahl, I think. To my surprise, I like the look it gives me at the closest setting -- if I didn't know better, I would say it makes an old geezer like me look younger. I haven't had the problems others describe with the length comb changing settings on me. The nicad battery life is acceptable -- I get a week of trims on my full beard and moustache at the Turbo setting. When you see the red light come on after turning the unit off -- figure you have one more trim at Turbo speed. Then it's time to recharge. The unit is a little large, but not unwieldy. I will be interested to see how well the blades hold up to the "ever-sharp" claim. No lubrication needed either! I am deducting one star because of failings in the instructions and packaging. The instructions never tell you which side of the trimmer to hold against your face, and the T980 works the opposite of most other trimmers and shavers. Most others have you hold the side with the buttons and logo against your face; when you use the length comb on the T980, however,you hold it with the buttons and logo on the side facing AWAY from your face. I wonder how many of my fellow reviewers have been using this trimmer correctly, given this unconventional orientation. Nowhere in the instructions do they show a clear photo of a guy using the trimmer. There are two tiny, hard-to-follow line illustrations. Adding insult to injury, the first time I called Norelco for help, the woman rep on the phone -- adding helpfully that she had never used a beard trimmer herself -- gave me the wrong answer. Further experimentation -- and another call to a male rep -- confirmed that I was using the trimmer correctly. The other problem with the packaging is the dreadful plastic blister pack holding the trimmer and accessories inside the box. Any package requiring scissors to open needs to be redesigned with more eco- and user-friendly materials!!! At any rate, the T980 is the current state-of-the-art in vacuum beard trimmers, and I recommend it, the packaging notwithstanding.