This is the 4th electric shaver that I have owned and the 2nd rotary type. I have owned the top of the line shaver from Panasonic, as well as mid-range units from Braun and Remington.
The same thing has happened every time in the past. I give it two to three months and then I am back to a disposable razor that can shave closer, with less hassle, and less irritation. The number one reason each time for going back to a disposable was how the electric shaver failed to handle my neck hair. None of them seemed to be able to the job no matter what and then the hassle on the units I had that had an expensive cleaning unit made it a pain to use.
Well I got the bug again to try an electric razor one more time and ended up purchasing this unit. And now after having it for a while I have to say that this is the best electric shaver that I have had. First and foremost it can handle my neck. It can't get it all in one pass, but the others couldn't do it no matter how many times I tried! Second, being able to just rinse the head under the sink is wonderful. No more cleaning systems that are bulky and expensive with the continual cost of the cleaning solution. Third, is that it is a surprisingly close shave. I kind of expected a 5 o'clock shadow by noon with a rotary shaver, but that isn't the case here. It is very close to a shave with a razor, NO KIDDING!
It isn't the perfect electric razor, but it is more than worth the price. There are only two things that stick out with me that could have been done better and both are related to charging. First, it takes 8 hours to charge the unit from being almost dead, with no quick charge capabilities. You can get around it by just using it plugged in when you are in the middle of the charge. Second, is that there is no battery level indicator. It would be nice to have some sort of idea of how much of a charge you have left.
In my book, these are just two minor issues that aren't that important to me, but keep me from giving it 5 stars. I have and will continue to recommend this unit to friends. Philips Norelco 7310XL Men's Shaving System
This shaver provides a fairly standard Norelco (i.e. 3 head rotary shaver) shave -- however, definitely not as fast or smooth as the more expensive norelco models. This product is really only for the norelco (rotary) shaver fan, that cant afford a more expensive model. Anyone else should look elsewhere.
As compared to, say, your typical single head Braun, to me at least, the Norelco models I have used (this is the second) seem to take a little longer to shave with, a little less powerful. I gather some like that the three heads contour to their face better or some such, but after years of experience, I still prefer the quicker shave of the traditional single head (non-rotary) shavers. I tend to think most electric shavers get you to the same closeness eventually, but some just take longer/more passes to do it, and the norelco's seem slower.
As compared to my prior 4 or 5 year old (but more expensive) Norelco, this shaver takes a little longer to get the job done, and is a bit rougher on the face, even after giving my face a few weeks to "adjust" as they say. Its not radically different then my older Norelco, but definitely somewhat slower/rougher.
The thing feels generally solid enough and comfortable in the hand. The pop up trimmer seems reasonably solid, useful for trimming longer hairs, but useless for detail work. It will trim my small sideburns, but I 100% need a straight edge to get the remaining smaller hairs off. (Trying to clean up the side burn area with the rotary heads just does not work.) The power cord is a bit odd - you really need to shove it in the slot *hard* or it doesnt stay. Once I got used to it, was ok.
The plug is also a little on the large side, which could be an issue for traveling, though not that bad really.
Potential issue: I am not sure about this model, but many norelco shavers, the battery cannot be changed easily because its welded in. At $40-50 for the razor, I suppose that is not a huge issue, but its not a plus factor either.
This razor does hold a charge for quite a while, its good for several shaves without a recharge. However, there is no charge indicator at all. There is a green light that comes on when the razer is on, and another green light when its plugged in, but nothing changes as the battery gets low that I can see. You know it needs a charge when the motor starts to slow. A 5 or 10 minute emmergency charge is fine, so its not a great problem.
Verdict: decent shaver, but no great bargain at $40-50. Spending more money or buying something different is recommended unless you love the norelco shave and this is your price range.
**Editted Verdict: Well, I just bought a much more expensive Brawn series 5 razor...after a week of use and multiple side by side tests...have to say, this cheap razor fares vastly better then I thought it would, actually beating the Brawn in some respects. For day to day shaving...it may (gasp) actually be a little better then the Series 5. Could be I was biased against it because I knew it was cheap. The price is also now more like $25-30 then the $49.99 my wife paid, so its VERY cheap.
***Editted Editted Verdict: Well, its almost 2 1/2 years later, and I still use this razor every other day or so, and the Braun the rest of the time. It still works pretty well, maybe the battery life is going down and the heads getting dull, but nothing I really notice. I still think it shaves closer than the Braun, and so, given the cheap price, I think I can give this shaver a big thumbs up.'
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