Review (5/5): A Gadget With Five Star Potential..Now Rates Five Stars
Here's the deal: My husband has the driest, flakiest feet ever! Honestly, It's so bad that I have to vacuum in front of his chair nearly every day because he sits watching TV and picking pieces of dried skin off his feet. Gross, isn't it? ANYWAY...Nearly every night I rub his feet with Cerave Moisture Cream (probably the best moisturizer ever created without the high price that goes hand in hand with advertising hype)....As I was saying, I rub his feet and they are still dry, rough flaky and horrible. I bought this thing after seeing an advertisement on TV for another brand that is much more expensive than this one is. This one had a pretty good "star" rating, so I gave it shot.
When our newest toy got here, we were anxious to try it, so I opened the box and read the directions, which basically do not tell you a darned thing about how to use it. The simple act of installing batteries took both of us to accomplish. The "instructions" show a diagram of a product that is not what you are holding in your hand. It is similar, but looking at the drawing, and then looking at what is in your hand confused my brain.
When I finally figured out how to open the battery compartment, and stuck the first battery in, I realized that I had stuck it in up side down. Normally this isn't a big deal, you just turn the thing over, remove the battery and proceed...Not with this thing. It took hold of the battery and it did not want to give it back. I finally handed it to my husband and asked him if he had the finger strength required to remove the battery. Fortunately he did. I corrected the battery situation, installed two batteries and put the cover back on to the bottom of the gizmo handle, flipped the switch and.....Nothing. I Pulled the bottom from the handle and exposed the batteries once more. This time I gave them a rather forceful push into the battery compartment, and replaced the cover...IT WORKED!
I only ran the thing lightly on my one foot for a few minutes to see how it feels. It tickles. and it burns a bit too. My heel feels a bit warm, even now, but it is most definitely smoother than it was before I figured out how to work the thing.
So far, I think we may like it. I know it will do more for my feet than for Mr. Scaleyfoot, but that is to be expected. Its a little gadget and his feet are a big task. I am not expecting miracles, just hopefully fewer scales left on the floor.
SO why only three stars, you may ask...Well...the Smoothest Feet Electronic Callus Remover would be worthy of more stars if they actually made replacement heads for their product. They don't. I wrote to the company and asked. What I was told is that there are no replacement rollers for this product, but they are "working on it". What this means is, that once the original buffer wheel is worn clean, and you have done the same with the single spare that comes packaged with your device, well, you are out of luck.
Bottom line is, it doesn't matter how well a product works fresh from the box. What matters is how much use you will be ale t get from it...and in the case of this Smoothest Feet Electronic Callus Remover, the answer is "not nearly as long as you would expect...This gadget has five star potential, with one star projected serviceability....and that is sad.
4/28/2014 UPDATE
I just got an e-mail from the company that makes/sells this gadget, and I have updated my rating to FIVE STARS, because refills are now available at http://www.amazon.com/UTILYZE-Rollers-Electronic-CR-500B-Pedicure/dp/B00QMV6MCG/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1430095701&sr=8-7&keywords=callus+remover+replacement+rollers
and, by all appearances, the replacement rollers for http://www.amazon.com/CallusShaver-Replacement-Roller-Heads-3/dp/B00NOI5QTK/ref=pd_sim_hpc_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=16CBK77W1XSG4PK6AGVT# may also fit this unit.