Review (4/5): Great shave, light, easy clean up, slow to charge
I've used Norelco shavers for years and I like them. After about 4 years my most recent Norelco stopped holding a charge, so I picked up this one.
Pros:
* It gives a great shave! They've changed the heads a bit and added some holes. Whatever it is, my shave is about 30% smoother better than my older Norelco and with less time.
* It's quiet. I can actually have a conversation with my wife while shaving. This wasn't possible with my older shaver.
* It is significanly lighter than my older model.
* Cleanup is really easy. You just flush the head with hot water once a week. Once a month or so you're supposed to take out the shaving disks in the head and brush them clean but my guess is that once a quarter would be plenty. Since cleanup is a major hassle, this is a terrific feature.
Cons:
* It takes 8 hours to charge. Yikes! Eight hours. My old shaver never took over an hour.
* It's hard to tell how much charge you have left. My older model had a gas gauge type indicator right on the front. This one just has a green light that goes on when you turn on the razor. When it runs low on juice you'll get a flashing red light when you finish shaving. This isn't nearly as handy.
* The shape isn't as ergonomic as the other model probably because of the water rinsing feature. There are little plastic fins that stick out from the handle presumably to help you hold on when it's wet. It doesn't feel very good in your hand.
* There is no case to store it in. This is a drawback if you use it to travel.
* The head is supposed to be replaced once a year. Huh??? This is apparently the case on all new Norelco shavers. These heads aren't cheap, folks. I certainly wouldn't replace one unless I was having problems with the shaver -- and then I'd probably buy a new one.
The bottom line is that I'm very pleased with this shaver. It does the job very well and it was quite inexpensive. I would certainly recommend this model over the higher end models if price is a consideration.