Review (2/5): Just can't do its job
I want to believe in a world in which redemption is always possible. There should be no unforgivable sins; your better qualities should always offer the hope that your failings, however profound, can be overcome.
But this shaver fails in the single unforgivable way that an electronic device can: despite lots of bells and whistles, it doesn't do the one thing you purchase it to do.
I bought this to replace an older model Norelco wet/dry shaver that finally gave up the ghost. This razor offers some additional features my old one lacked: it's much lighter, holds a charge longer, and has a silly and totally unnecessary shave-goo-dispensing system built into it. I tried to find a wet/dry Norelco shaver with no "moisturizing system," but to no avail. If you want to shave in the shower, Norelco wants to insure you keep purchasing more shave gel cartridges. After reading some reviews that suggested the shaver worked perfectly well without it squirting glop everywhere, I was satisfied this was the right purchase.
Unfortunately, the shaver is unsatisfactory in one way: it just doesn't shave very well. I've used it on my face and head, with and without moisturizer, wet and dry, and its shave is pretty lousy. My old Norelco provided a shave that was very smooth and comparable to a blade; with this model, there's noticeable beard fuzz left behind immediately after I shave, and by the end of the day, I look like I forgot to shave at all that morning. When I found myself going back over my face with a regular razor right after I used the 8040X, I knew this shaver had to go. I would like to believe that its lightweight, comfortable form and good battery life could redeem it, but sadly, its transgression is too profound. I may not be able to forgive it, but I'm pretty sure I'll forget I ever owned it before long.