Review (2/5): Amazing Trimmer... that doesn't hold the trimming level.
I was incredibly excited to get this trimmer. I previously had a Norelco Trimmer that I absolutely loved and thought worked wonderful. After a few years of use the battery didn't hold much charge and I finally lost the charger after traveling!
I looked at the trimmers available and the Philips Norelco T980 Turbo Vacuum Trimmer sounded great. I was a little worried about purchasing it however because I read some users were having problems with the trimming guard moving position. I thought I'd give it a try and if it didn't work, I'd send it back... and ultimately I was hoping the people having troubles were just incompetent.
I charged the trimmer for a day. Played around with the trimming guard by pushing on it and moving it up and down and it seemed to be extremely solid and sturdy. It seemed like it locked in position just fine.
After starting to trim on a safe level 6 (my goatie had gotten long, waiting for a new trimmer) I was having success. While gliding the trimmer up the side of my goatie, WHOOPS, it slipped to Level 4. Oh well, I said, I guess I'm going to have a level 4 goatie. Well to sum it up, about halfway into it I was surprised with a slip to level 2.
The vacuum is wonderful, it works perfectly. But honestly, do you really give a crap if you have to shave at a level 2 every stinking time? Why didn't I send it back? The package was impossible to open, I had to cut and rip it in shreds. It's hard to go without a trimmer but PLEASE read this review and know that you WILL have problems with it slipping trim guards, I guarantee it.
The design of the trim guard dial is part of the problem. I'm not going to sit here and tell Philips how to design a trimmer though, they've done it correctly in the past.
BOTTOM LINE: Great idea, new innovations work great, but as a trimmer this is a piece of junk because you can't shave at any level higher than a number 2 without risk of ending up 2 levels lower or MORE.