Review (5/5): Great value, great for tough spots/long hairs, harder to get really close shave
I switched from the Braun electric razors (last two generations) back to a rotary electric razor with this purchase and FOR ME, I prefer these rotary razors. I say, "FOR ME" because I realize that my own experience may be different from others.
BRAUN - CLOSE SHAVE FAST
Both razors are pretty good at quickly shaving the easy spots where the hairs stick straight out (upper lip, cheeks, chin). However, in those easy spots, the Brauns give a closer shave in the first pass or two. It might take as much as twice as long using the 8140XL to get it as smooth as possible. So, the Braun wins the race for getting a very close shave as fast as possible.
ROTARY - BETTER AT DIFFICULT SPOTS WHERE HAIR LAYS FLAT
However, the rotaries get a reasonably close shave for everyday use in a pass or two AND they do much better in tough spots where the hair tend to lay flat, like my neck. With the Braun, I would always have a few hairs that would never get cut. They would get so long that I would eventually have to pull them out with tweezers. The 8140XL get's those hairs every time I shave so that they never get long enough to be pulled (or seen) individually.
8140XL - BETTER VALUE THAN LATEST BRUANS AND EVEN LATEST NORELCOS
To me, I found those neck hairs a bigger frustration so I much prefer this rotary design and I'm very glad I switched back. It's almost a secondary issue for me, but the latest Braun's (and the latest Norelco's) are much more expensive than this model. As far as I can tell, the only difference between this model and the latest Norelco's is that the latest Norelco's have a more modern looking design and they don't have floating heads. Another nice thing about this model is that the top flips open so that you can rinse it under the sink. There is no need to purchase costly cleaning solutions. All-in-all a much better value even if you had a more neutral preference for flat laying hairs/difficult spots versus quick close shave in easy spots.