Review (5/5): The best value in the Sonicare line
With Amazon now selling this directly for < $20 this is the absolute best value in the entire Sonicare line. You get the same drive, the same brush head compatibility, 2 min timer and the ability to use your own rechargeable batteries. 5 years ago I purchased a Sonicare Elite 7300; the internal NiCad battery eventually died and the unit is not designed to swap out the battery. I tried, but ended up damaging the rubber molding and had a lot of difficulty finding a comparable battery that didn't require paying a high shipping cost. I eventually purchased the E3000 on a whim at a retail store for nearly twice what it sells for on Amazon nowadays and started using the newer low self discharge NiMH batteries. I get about a month of usage before I have to charge the batteries. And when the batteries finally start losing their capacity -- they haven't yet in 2 years -- I don't have to worry about performing major surgery on my toothbrush.
I'm not sure I understand the water seepage/contacts/failure issues. I own 2 E3000s now, one for travel and one for home, and have used them both for 2+ years now. Neither have failed. I take care not to rinse the base of the unit under running water and I don't leave it sitting in a pool of water or anything. I definitely see the potential for failure as nothing but a plastic cap and a rubber gasket protect the AA batteries from potential moisture, but I think standard, common sense can prevail here. Let me stress -- I do not baby this thing. I use it daily in a bathroom that gets very humid during showers and summer weather (no exhaust fan and no central air conditioning). I clean it every usage under running water and I don't dry it off afterwards. I also have done the same types of things with 2 different E3000 units and have used them for over 2 years now and they have worked perfectly from day one.
Highly recommended. I would actually feel comfortable recommending this over a higher-end Sonicare that was discounted to be within a similar price range as this unit. Being able to use your own rechargeable batteries is simply way too powerful of a feature since that seems to be the limiting factor in keeping this brushes for the long haul.