Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

UPDATE 1/9/2017 I've had the razor for nearly 6 years now and the battery is kaput. I can get one, maybe two shaves and then it needs to be charged. It looks like replacement batteries are available for less than $20 but you'll need to be handy with a soldering iron. I'm not sure it's worth the trouble considering that it's a really noisy shaver and it makes quite a mess, dumping whiskers all over the counter and my shirt. I also don't like that it can't be used while it's plugged into the wall. ------------------------ I purchased the Panasonic ES8103S and the Norelco 1150x at the same time and this review is a comparison of these 2 shavers side-by-side. I used both shavers for 3 weeks, shaving one side of my face with the Panasonic and the other side of my face with the Norelco. I didn't switch sides during the test to allow time to adapt to each shaver. Both of these shavers rated nearly the same amongst other Amazon reviewers and were the top-2 rated shavers under $100. I evaluated both shavers on a number of criteria: -- Shaving Performance: I found that both shavers did a relatively good job overall. However, the Panasonic performed slightly better on the flat cheek areas whereas the Norelco did slightly better on the curved areas around the jaw bone and neck. I found that the shavers required different shaving techniques. The Panasonic, being a foil shaver, required an up-and-down or side-to-side motion whereas the Norelco, being a rotary shaver, required a circular motion. No matter how I shaved with the Norelco I could not get quite as close as the Panasonic. After some time I did find a technique with the Panasonic that allowed me to shave my neck and jaw bone area as close as the Norelco. I tried shaving both wet & dry and found no difference. I almost always shave dry and I found the Norelco didn't move as smoothly across the skin as the Panasonic. Overall, I give the edge to Panasonic for a better overall shave. -- Return Guarantee: The Panasonic has a 30-day return policy, the Norelco is 45 days. I actually purchased the shavers from Target and they offer a 90-day return policy. -- Warranty: The Panasonic has a 1 yr warranty, Norelco is 2 years. -- Cutter Replacement: both shavers recommend replacing the cutters at specific intervals. Panasonic recommends replacing the foil every year ($24) and the blade every 2 years ($17). Norelco has only one replaceable part which they recommend you replace every year ($39). If you look at the cost over 3 years, the Panasonic would cost $65 whereas the Norelco would cost $117 which exceeds the original cost of the shaver ($100). -- Charging: The Panasonic has an A/C adapter that can be plugged directly into the shaver and the shaver can be used with the cord attached. The Norelco can only be charged in the included charging cradle. If the battery in the Norelco goes dead you'll need to recharge it before you can use it. Also, the Panasonic has a digital LCD battery gauge whereas the Norelco simply uses LEDs. -- Cleaning: Both shavers can be rinsed under water for simple cleaning. I found the Norelco shaving head somewhat difficult to remove whereas the Panasonic foil was very easy to remove/replace. -- Price: Both shavers sell for under $100. Best price I found on the Panasonic was $80 @ Target. I saw the Norelco for $90 @ WalMart. -- Other: The Panasonic has a built-in trimmer, the Norelco requires that you remove the shaving head and pop on the trimmer head. The Panasonic includes a carrying case, the Norelco does not. In summary, the Panasonic rated higher than the Norelco in all areas with the exception of the warranty. My only real complaint with the Panasonic would be the noise. It is much louder than the Norelco but not so much so that I would return it. Based on my experience, I will be returning the Norelco and keeping the Panasonic. 2/21/13: Follow-Up ------------------ Hard to believe I've been using this shaver for over 2 years already. I've found some issues with the shaver that I wanted to append to my original review: -- The battery life indicator is difficult to see unless you're in a dark room and there is no audible alarm that indicates that the battery is getting low. The battery will go dead without warning and, since the shaver can't be used when the cord is attached, you're stuck waiting for the charge to complete until you can continue shaving. -- I commented on the noise in my original review. Maybe this is an issue with all foil shavers but I have found the Panasonic annoyingly loud. -- Again, maybe an issue with all foil shavers, but I have found that instead of catching the shaved off whiskers they are ending up all over the counter and my shirt. I don't recall this being as much of an issue when the shaver was new. I haven't yet replaced the foil or the blade so perhaps that's the problem. -- The battery seems to be losing some steam. I'm only able to get about 3 full shaves out of the unit before it needs to be recharged. 3/12/13: Follow-Up ------------------ I just replaced both the foil and the blades and it really made a difference. I'm getting a closer shave and I didn't see a bunch of shavings on my shirt when I was done.