I use one every so often if I'm pressed for time.

They make it easy when travelling.

I used to shave in the car as I drove to work. Saved me a bit of time in the mornings, but I also had to vacuum the seat regularly too.

Absolutely horrible for me. Terrible irritation and ingrown hairs.

I don't get a good shave from electrics, but do use one if I just want to clean up a bit of stubble instead of all-out shaving with a razor.

A few years.

I use it so rarely that spending the bucks for a newer/better one just isn't worth it to me.

I've tried a couple, both the round cutter style and the straight
neither worked as well as I'd like, would occasionally grab and pull a hair out instead of cutting it, and often left some hairs unshaved regardless of how many passes I made at different directions

That was years ago and I went back to using a gillette sensor excel, then some kind of gillette disposable that Sams club sold for a good price, then a DE razor using shaving soap and brush which is my current method

My old Norelco is on it's way out so I've been reviewing new electrics - and found the arfcom shaving forum as well.

I use an electric almost exclusively and only once in a while fire up a disposable.


Just ordered a Braun Series 5 5090cc and I think I'm going to like it based on everything I've read.

They don't last.  I had a top of the line Panasonic and the electronics took a shit after 2 years.  Chinese cleaning station shit the bed even earlier.  Go shave brush, soap, and disposable razor.

Nope. Dislike the entire involved process of shaving with a blade and soap and water and such. Some folks love cutting the lawn with scissors, I prefer a nitro fueled lawn tractor with wheelie castors and zero turn.

 

I had a Norelco and a Remington over the years...didn't like either in terms of shave quality or comfort.  They missed whiskers and yanked whiskers.

DE safety razor works well for me, and I've used it exclusively for the last 5-10 years or so.

I used an electric for a while. Norelco, I believe. It was never a really good shave, and I always had irritation.

I assumed that a more expensive razor would be better, and spent a little over $200 on a Braun. That thing was terrible.

It was my frustration with that contraption that led me to DE shaving.

It's the best shave I've found.

I take one on trips with me just to cover all contingencies.

I shave DE daily, so if I have to bust out the electric in a pinch, it always looks like hot garbage, but its nice to have the option to clean up quick.

I used Braun shavers for years, but they (at least the 700 series) have a major flaw.  You can’t get to the cutters to clean them.  Whisker chips get clogged in the cutters and the shaver gives lousy shaves from then on.  You can buy a new set of cutters, but that’s expensive and, before long, you’re back to lousy shaves.  The cleaning station is slow, noisy and close to worthless.
I used a Hydro5 for a while (slow and messy) and then bought a Panasonic ES-LA93.  It’s amazing.  Fast and gives super-close shaves.  And I can clean the damn thing.  I can use it in the shower if I want to, but wet-shaving makes it harder to clean.  The trimmer isn’t the best I’ve seen, but I can put up with that.
I highly recommend the Panasonic.

I bought a Panasonic ES8103S from amazon on April 2014 in a lighting deal for under $55 and I use it weekly on my commute to work, is it as good as a razor blade, no, but it does the job and saves me time, plus as you can see its been very reliable. I occasionally take the head apart and put it in a ultrasonic cleaner and it works great, YMMV.

I've used an electric for the past 10ish years. I've not got much facial hair being Asian and all but it's worked well. I have one of the self cleaning brauns

I haven't found one that doesn't leave me with patches of unshaven face. I'm part Italian, so that could be my problem.

got a new higihly rated Panasonic something.  Since I have a beard I just use it for my neck.  Works well

I've owned both Panasonic and Braun electrics.  They were gifts, so I didn't buy them myself.

I used them, but they never gave me a close shave.  But, I have curly, course beard hair so that may be why.

I prefer electric shavers, but have always had a hard time trimming beard/mustache properly until now. I bought a Wahl hair trimmer to do quick home hair cuts between having it done right and discovered that it is perfect for trimming facial hair to a uniform length and for making nice straight lines, etc.

I've been using a Panosonic ES8243a for a few years now to shave my head.  Very close shave and the least likely for me to cut my head.  Does a good job on my neck as well.  

Can't recommend a Panosonic enough for people who shave their heads.

I only use an electric on really cold days when I'm at work and don't have enough hot water for shaving.

I've tried a Panasonic and Braun electrics, and I could never get a close shave with them.  But I have coarse, wiry beard hair.

FWIW, my 14 year old son shaved for the first time last month.  It was a bittersweet occasion for me.  I was happy my "little boy" is growing up into a man, but sad at the same time.  Anyway, I've taught him to shave with a blade and he seems to be doing fine.  At least he hasn't cut himself yet! :-)

Yep.  I was on the DE threads for a while.  I still use my DE now and then.  Found myself back with cartridge razors for shaving my head.


I do use an electric often.  It is not expensive.  A foil type.  I have had this thing for many years.  It is like a Timex....


It works well.  Pretty fast and I use for my face and head.

I know a lot of guys in the military that use electrics, but I could never get into them. They give me a decently close shave (close enough not to be yelled at), but not as close as a SE/DE. Problem is, they always leave me with an extremely irritated face. I hate the feeling. I would rather take longer in the morning and have some time to myself shaving with a SE/DE for a great shave that leaves my skin feeling good than to have a 2 minute shave that is OK but leaves me feeling like shit.

I use an electric when on vacation. It's easier to pack and use on the go.

I will admit to not fully prepping and making lather properly most of the time. I just put some cream from the tube in my wet hands and rub it on my face.
It works just fine for a quick daily shave. I only break out the brush on the weekend.

They have a place in my toolbox, I've got several older versions of the Braun M90, using it for quick touchups, cleaning up sideburns, etc.: http://braun.factoryoutletstore.com/details/12039/braun-m90.html?category_id=1581&catalogitemid=13523

It runs well on AA batteries, so recharging while out in the field for extended times isn't an issue.... Which is probably why they were a popular and well-stocked item in the USMA exchange.

I recently bought a series 7 Braun, it leaves patches all over. Complete waste of time and money.

Braun series 5 works well for me - the blades clean easily under hot running water and last quite a long time.  Your mileage may vary though.

I use a cheap norelco electric once every day, it does fine for my daily life. If I'm going someplace I want to look nice though I use a non-electric to clean up properly.  I guess that's the luxury of nobody caring what I look like at work.

I just splash water on my face and shave for 30 seconds and I'm done till tomorrow.  This is my second norelco, I bought the first one ~2003, and it still works ok now, but the blades were getting dull so I bought a similar model around 2010, and that still works fine as long as I don't let several days growth pile up, then it pulls a bit.

I'm going to shave my head in a few weeks and I'm looking for an electric to maintain it every other day or so.

anyone have a Norelco 8000 series?
it has good reviews
like this:

Attached File

I’ve been using whatever state of the art was from norelco since I was a teenager.  The current 7000 series wet/dry is extremely good.  I use it in the shower with only bar soap, works great. No it’s not quite as good as a blade, and I keep shaving cream and disposables around for if I want a really close shave, but in recent years they have gotten very little use.  Electrics have gotten better over time, much better. The battery life is incredible too, I charge it about once a month and shave daily.

My rule of thumb has always been to but the cheapest and simplest version in the highest model range.  The cleaners are shit, and I’m not paying for the stupid solution either. I don’t care how fancy the display is, the only technology that matters is the actual cutting heads themselves.  They have added more rows of cutting heads now instead of one, and additional slots and holes, that’s about it.

I think along the same lines.
the best review I read recommended the 8900, unless you could get a 9000 series on special for close to the same price. The 8900 and up have the best cutting heads.

An electric razor is the only way to go. Hells to the yeah!

I have a stiff beard and plan on using a good electric every other day for head and face, then my DE on the off days to keep it fairly smooth.
I had a Braun years ago, and it was ok, but that was twenty years ago and it quit working around 2001.

I use an electric razor exclusively now.

None of the irritation I get with a standard blade.

I rarely use this product but do have it in the drawer just in case I'm having a bad day.

Remington Face Saver

It's just talc. Rub a little on before shaving. The electric razor glides over it.

I ordered the norelco 9300 with the cleaning station for about $20 more than the 8900, taking the advice of both real reviews that recommended the 9300 over the 8900 if you could get it for a comparable price.
I’m going to have my wife and daughter shave my head on Labor Day weekend. That way I can get sunscreened and have all weekend to tan my head to match.

My everyday razor is a 9000 series. It works really well. I had a new old stock 7000 (maybe 8000, can’t recall) series replacement head that I stuck on it (they fit) and it’s tearing up my face. The 9k heads really are much better.

that's what the reviews said, and why they both recommended the 9000 series if you could get one for just a little more money.

UPDATE:
I used it this morning on my face, dry. It did a pretty good job for my first time; supposedly it gets better over a few weeks.
we'll see. I need to get some Electric shave-type stuff to see if that helps; it used to make my old Braun work better.
I'll try it wet with shaving cream and a brush tomorrow for comparison's sake, then run a cleaning cycle to see how that works.

SECOND UPDATE:
I shaved my head the other day.
this is awesome.

I have a Norelco rotary shaver I bought in 2007 that is still working.  I replaced the heads a few times over the years and the battery only holds about half of what it used to (maybe 30 or so minutes total).

It's not a bad shaver, it did well enough and it was faster.  It never shaved as close as a blade, and left a little more razor burn on my neck.  But it still did ok.

I do like the process of shaving with a DE blade and a soap/brush combo much more.  I can also shave every day if needed and not get an real razor burn.

I ran the Norelco AA for a long time especially field use until it was stolen from my car. 1980's era.

Still run a Norelco but the heads only last a year and every Fathers day I hint at needing some new ones. The latest is shower proof and even requires cleaning under hot running water which keeps it running pretty good.

Of late the heads are getting worn so I've been using disposables and anything less than three blades is rough. Since I plan to leave the electric home while on vacation to cut the load lout I was looking at 5 strip heads and found Harry's for less than Gillette. Came with two heads and a travel cover, so I snapped it up. Really slick feel - better and faster than a three strip cheapy.

It's good to try other stuff.

I used to be a big electric razor user. I used to have a Panasonic cordless that I used to use in the shower. I liked it for the convenience but I began to get a lot of ingrown hairs. When using it out of the shower I had to use that shave powder or else I would get razor burn on my neck. I shrugged it off to dull shave head which I replaced but it continued to give me razor burn. In the humid summer the head would not glide over my face without using the powder. Since the main reason to use the electric was to bypass the application of shave creme I went back to disposables and finally to vintage double edge razor.

I really like the double edge shaver. So much so I bought my son a 1956 Gillette Super Speed for him. The SS is the least aggressive shaver that they made and it really glides over the face so easily. It took my son (17) only a few shaves to get the angle down and now he loves it. He is using Feather blades too which are sharp as heck too.

I've run the gambit of wet shaving, etc. and yes electric shavers have come a long way, in fact, the only electrics I have experience are the Panasonics, minimum 13,000 RPMs.  Many years ago, I was on shift work and had vampire eyes.  I used to shave with a Gillette razor, in the shower, with no light.  Never once did I cut my self.   Muscle memory, just like in shooting, archery, etc.   Anyway, success with a shaver will always depend on your type of beard, etc. so here's my story.

If I don't shave for a day or so, my hairs is rough enough that it will start to tear up shirt collars, so it's pretty coarse hair.  I wear a goatee and don't fret much if I make a mistake, because I grow a new one in about a week!  So in an office setting, I'm a daily shaver.  Also, I have dry and easily irritated skin, especially in the winter.

Here's my routine:

-  after a shower, I do a quick rinse with warm water to soften the hair.  I use a VERY light coat of LAB Series shaving cream.  VERY light, so you can't see it.  Just enough to assist the shaver to glide.  I might try shaving oil, because the LAB does leave a minor residue on the shaver and has to be cleaned off.  I've been using it for years without issue, but I just purchased a new shaver and am trying to keep it clean.

- I use the shaver, rinsing frequently with cold water as I go.  Keeps the shaver clean and the blades cool.

- Sometimes I end shaving at this point because it does a really good job.  However, most times I then rinse my face with neutral temp water just once, then break out the Gillette Trak II.  Now, sometimes I add a bit of barbasol to my face, other times not, and it really hasn't made much difference either way.  I proceed clean up my shave with the Gillette.  The blades are very expensive, but I bought a life time supply of blades at a steep discount.  However, just like Phil Dunphy, my "lifetime" supply of blades is running out - I'm trying not to read too much into that...

- once I'm done with the Gillette, I take a straight edge to clean up my goatee.  I used to use an actual straight edge, but now I use a handle that accepts half of a safety razor blade.  Works fine and I won't have to maintain any razor.  Two or three uses per half of blade.  The blades are easy to snap in half and I haven't cut myself once doing it - jinx properly in place now...

- Now this is critical. My final rinse is with COLD water.  It's the most critical part.  It closes the pores and feels better than you think.

- then I dab off excess water with a face towel, but don't dry the skin completely, and apply any one of the following.  The first four are aftershaves, the last three are aftershave balms (mostly for winter).

- Clubman
- Floid
- Musgo Real
- ADIDAS Dynamic Pulse - inexpensive, a bit stronger aroma, so Saturday night special!
- Crabtree & Elevyn Sienna - this is a nice balm for the winter and Sienna has a nice aroma
- Nivea Balm for men, there are two types, once that is for allergic skin and I use that if my face hurts.  It also doesn't smell as strong as the regular.
- Weleda - this is for when your face really hurts.  So, you pressed to hard with a shaver and have burn, etc.  It has a medicinal aroma, but you're the one that caused the problem!

BTW, if you travel frequently, the Nivea can be poured into a smaller bottle and you don't have to worry about liquid spilling in your luggage - been carrying it for years.  Also, to avoid spilling cologne, you can use Duke Cannon solid cologne.   I like the Redwood.  You can order it cheaper online, but you can test it at Duluth Trading.

Happy Shaving!

good for travel, I don't really see a time savings though. Quick razor shave doesn't take much time at all.

I had a rather nice Braun electric years ago, but it never gave me as good of a shave as I got with a blade.  It also made my ingrown hair problem even worse.