Review (3/5): Meh, I'm torn on this one. I really want to like it... (UPDATED)
Let me start out by saying I'm really starting to love Philips Norelco products. I was always a Braun guy but I'm starting to convert, based on amazon reviews and my own recent purchases. As an example, I'm a recent owner and very happy owner of the [[ASIN:B0037HP9OA Philips Norelco BG2040/34 Philips Norelco Bodygroom Pro Grooming System, Black / Silver]].
What I like:
With that said, I want to love this product, I really do. It's (for the most part) high quality, its rechargeable, you can clean it under tap water (a must for me), its light-weight, it's a brand I trust. I love that there are no blades to replace (self sharpening), I love that the clipper attachments are built-in/adjustable (no swapping required for me) and I love that it comes apart easily.
My first haircut - too short!
You could call this my fault, or you could call it bad design. Or both. I'm a guy that pretty much shaves his whole head; to keep it simple, and to last longer. I do it myself, because I can and because my wife has better things to do. But I don't like it too short. Which is why I tried to start long and work my way down until I got a feel for these clippers. I started at level 3, grabbed the clippers in the most comfortable position I could manage, and started my haircut. I noticed immediately you can't go too fast with these. They don't have the power of my cheap plug-in clippers, but cost almost twice the price. Which means I had to go a lot slower with these. Perhaps that's just a drawback of cordless? Anyways, my hair was already short, and I was only taking off a little hair; but these things start jamming and pulling my hair as if I was taking kindergarten scissors to a tree branch. So I backed off and took it a lot slower and didn't snag my hair any more. First strike. And then it happened. I felt my head and realized my hair was a lot shorter then normal. And it was. The clippers somehow slipped from position #3 to #1 while I was cutting. And here's why. To adjust the clippers, you push on a small tab on the back and slide the attachment up and down. Its very easy to do. This tab, however, sits exactly where I grip the clippers when I cut my hair. And that's how it happened; I grabbed the clippers, mistakenly pushed the tab, and slid the attachment while cutting my hair. My vote, poor design. The attachments should lock in place and require a twist or something more difficult.
My second haircut - bald spot down the side of my head!
You could also call this my fault, or you could call it bad design. Or both. So I cut my hair a second time today - this time making sure I took it slow enough as to not bog the clippers and snap my hair. And I was careful not adjust the attachment position mid-haircut. But upon approval of my wife of my second haircut, and her laughter, I realized I screwed up. Yep, looked in the mirror, and I have a huge bald spot in the side of my head. BALD. So what happened this time? When I cleaned the attachments after the first haircut, and put them back on the clippers, one side of the attachment didn't fully seat in its guide rail. The attachment was cock-eyed on the clippers, and the flimsiness of the attachments allowed the clipped blades just enough clearance to shave my head clean. Lesson learned - make sure your attachments are seated perfectly on both sides before cutting hair.
What I don't like:
-Not enough power if you like a fast haircut - a little too weak for my taste, much weaker then my cheap plug-in clippers (take it very slow and it works)
-Flimsy attachments (seriously Philips, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, YOU'RE BETTER THEN THIS) - but so far they haven't broke
-Attachments can mistakenly be seated improperly on clippers (I have a new bald spot to prove it)
-Attachments adjust too easily (which means you'll go too short if not careful)
After writing this review, I think I've convinced myself to return these and obtain something better. I hope Amazon will take them back, or I'm stuck with these poor performers. Philips Norelco IS better then this. I imagine these were on the way to a great design but shoved into production prematurely. They really need to go back to the drawing board and perfect the design - they are SO CLOSE! But not close enough for this Amazon shopper.
Take my advice on this one, and look past this product. I'll definitely try another product on Amazon, and I wouldn't hesitate to try another Philips Norelco product.
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UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 2012
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I wrote my original review on this product in August 2011. I've now owned this product for a total of 1 year, 8 months.
Another Amazon shopper asked me for an alternative cordless hair clipper that I could recommend to them.
Based on my experience with this product, I replied with the following:
"I don't think I will be purchasing another cordless hair clipper. The batteries don't last long enough, and they just don't have the quality/power of the plug-in variety. Maybe in the future they will be better when lithium batteries become more common and cheaper. For now I'm going to save up for a professional Oster plug-in clipper (probably the OSTER Classic 76) as I'm tired of using cheap clippers, and I've saved so much money by cutting my own hair. Buying a higher end clipper will probably be the last time I have to buy clippers! Thanks for reading and replying to my review! "
Out of respect to Philips Norelco, I do have to admit that (almost 2 years later) I STILL use these clippers (albiet plugged in constantly); and they are still running and cutting my hair. So they haven't failed yet, and they are still saving me money.
With that said, I could definately be MORE satisfied with this product; but overall I'm still using them and have saved more money then these cost me in the first place. So thank you for that Philips Norelco.
I cannot, however, recommend this product to my fellow consumer. It's not even worth having this model on the market. Others will likely be disappointed in this product, and this could ruin Philips reputation.
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