first Norelco ever

I have a heavy, fast-growing beard and must shave every day. Even so, I get "5 o'clock shadow" by mid-afternoon. I've never tried a rotary shaver before--they seemed bulky and those single-track cutter heads looked like they'd take forever to do the job. However, my foil shavers didn't do a good job on my neck (they'd miss the long hairs and scalp my adam's apple), and the Brauns tended to eat thru the foil over time. When my Panasonic wet/dry finally died, I started to research shavers and saw some Norelcos got good reviews. I also learned that most shavers allow a 30- or 60-day return, so I figured I had nothing to lose by trying a rotary.

The ArciTec was way too expensive, but I knew I wanted the 3-track Speed XL cutter heads; that left the 8000 series. Dillard’s website had a "3-LED Speed XL" shaver for $50 (closeout, down from $100). I assumed it would be an 8140XL, but it turned out to be an 8151XL. The 8151 has a pop-up trimmer and comes with a charging stand, a travel case, cutter guard, and a car cigarette-lighter charging cord (maybe handy for long-haul truckers, but pretty useless for me). The 8151XL, made in Holland, is being replaced by the 8251XL, which is made in China (probably out of melamine :-P ). Other than that, they seem to be the basically the same.

The cutting heads, which pivot inward but not outward, can be cleaned using the included cleaning brush, or just rinse it under the faucet. The pop-up trimmer seems flimsy but it cuts OK. The stand is just that—a stand; you can plug the cord directly into the shaver if you prefer. The 8151/8251 has three battery LED indicators: fully charged, charging, and battery low.

After three weeks (the recommended “adjustment period”), I can say that I am satisfied with this shaver overall. It’s too early to judge long-term reliability.

PROS: Compared to my foil shaver, it shaves at least as close on my cheeks, about the same on my jawline and chin, and much better on my neck. It passed my toughest test—shaving two days’ growth—with flying colors. It is also much quieter and gives me almost no razor burn or other irritation. Charging takes a little over an hour and lasts about 7-10 days, as advertised.

CONS: It is much harder to shave in tight corners (under my nose) and the bulky shape and round cutter heads prevent a nice straight edge in the sideburn/ear area. The battery low indicator gave almost no lead time before the motor started slowing down, but a 5-minute quick-charge allowed me to finish shaving with only a short break. The most annoying thing is the charging limitation—the manual says you should unplug the shaver as soon as charging is complete to prolong battery life. I’ve never had a rechargeable shaver that required that before, so I can’t just plug it in and leave for the day.