Customer Comments:
 Great shaver, reasonably priced December 5, 2005
32 out of 33 found this comment useful.
I bought my first electric shaver about 55 years ago and my first Norelco only a few years later. Since then I've tried them all, and this is by far the best.
I joke that it is a magic shaver, because you don't hear anything and don't feel anything.
That's a slight exaggeration. You do hear a very slight hum, but it it is so quiet that I really thought something was wrong the first time I used it, but I quickly noticed that whereever it touched my face, the whiskers disappeared.
It does cause some minor skin irritation, but it is instantly cured by a few drops of after shave balm.
Very easy to clean, and a charge lasts about two weeks.
Very light, very comfortable in your hand. Can't find a single negative.
Norelco re-establishes electric superiority December 1, 2005
454 out of 487 found this comment useful.
So the 1980's gave us lift & cut. The 90's gave us Norelco's Reflex and Quadra systems. Now finally, for the first time in its 70+ years as the leading maker of rotary shavers, Norelco gives us a system that covers more area, with more speed and comfort than ever before. It doesn't just promise a faster, closer shave, it delivers.
I can't speak for all guys, but let me try to break-down the electric / blade dilemma. Blades are closer, but cause irritation. So most blade users tend to skip a day to avoid that. Furthermore, you get a closer shave with a blade if you let the stubble grow a bit, so skipping a day is a common practice. But blade shaving gives guys far more options in terms of products to choose from, both for shavers and shaving conditioners and gels. Simply put, if you want a close shave and the ability to control all aspects of shaving, and see what you're cutting, the blade is the best way to go.
Then there's electric. An idea hatched from the 1930's, and later re-marketed in the late 1950's space age / cold war era that told us that blade shaving was a thing of the past. Electric shaving promised to be as close as a blade for decades, but never delivered. But over the years it has delivered its promise of a safer, faster, and less irritating shave. For guys who don't like shaving around the sensitive lips and nose areas, electric has its advantages.
All electric shavers fail to cut the longer neck hairs effectively, including the new Norelco XL series. But the XL is still a major breakthrough. Simply put, it has switched me back to electric after 6 years of using blades. The new rotors have three rows of blades, and an innovative mix of slots and holes for stubble, making-use of dead space that was Norelco's weakness since their beginning. The XL has the inward tilt mechanism introduced with the Reflex system. And it has the late 80's lift-and-cut technology, which doesn't work exactly as advertised, but it does shave flat areas of the face as close as a blade (the cheek and upper lip areas do get the closest cut).
The XL series is easy to clean under hot water, another development from the Quadra series, which is even better and more effective here.
The XL gives me the closest electric shave I've ever had. And I can use it daily for a consistent smooth look without irritation. Add the recent development of products like Anthony for Men's alcohol-based pre-shave solution, and electric shaving suddenly has advantages worth making the switch. I liked the XL so much, I got the 9160XL for home, and the less-expensive 8140XL for my office. The 2 shavers are the same, except for the smart touch pivoting feature, which is not a big bonus in my opinion. The pivoting feature makes it possible to shave the neck and chin faster, but the results for both shavers is exactly the same, meaning that some neck hairs are going to be missed, making it necessary to use a blade to do some quick cleanup. Electric is far from perfect, but this is the closest and most comfortable electric yet. I'm sticking with it.
And since the XL is Norelco's top of the line model, it is still made in Holland. All other Norelco's are made in China. it won't be long before the XL is made in China as Norelco develops it's next breakthrough. But the XL is the big breakthrough as far as I'm concerned. I'm hooked. And I'm a total shaving geek now.
 Pretty good, but not great... November 18, 2005
206 out of 214 found this comment useful.
I researched and researched and then I researched some more and eventually selected the 8140. While I do like the unit, it does not shave as close as a blade. It is quicker then shaving with a blade, easier, there's no mess, etc. The unit is also exceptionally quiet compared to other electric razors I've used in the past. It's lighter then I would have expected. The new head design is also more advanced then Norelco's I've used in the past and it does a better job in tough spots like your chin. I have no intentions of returning the unit and I will continue to use it happily, but it does not shave as close as a blade. The good thing is that when you come home from work with that 5-o'clock shadow, you can spend less then 60 seconds running it over your face to get a quick clean up. Lastly, it's a nice looking shaver and having the ability to clean it under the tap is great. I do recommend this product.
Great shave with a light touch November 16, 2005
110 out of 112 found this comment useful.
Those new XL shaving heads make a huge difference. The additional blades they added change the whole feel of the shave for the better. The shave is a more friendly shave. The heads almost feel soft against your face as you're shaving. For years I have used Afta pre-electric shave to cut down on irritation but I find with this razor it's no longer needed. It is very quiet and I must agree with another reviewer that it sounds like it's on low power. It's not. I thought that the new heads would shorten the amount of time I needed to shave but that wasn't true. It took just as long. Go figure. I would have given this razor 5 stars except after I got it I realized that it does not have a low battery indicator. That was an unwelcome surprise. The 8150XL or 8151XL does.
ADDITIONAL REVIEW AFTER TWO MONTHS OF USE: Other razors wind down slowly when running out of juice. Not this one, it goes from full speed ahead to dead in three seconds. When it does that, turn it off and then back on. It seems to have another 30 seconds of shaving when you do that. I don't know if this was an accidental or intentional design but that little trick is not in the manual.
I'm Impressed November 14, 2005
42 out of 43 found this comment useful.
I don't leave many reviews here, but I had to write a quick "Thumbs Up" for this razor. It's the closest shave I've had with an electric razor so far. It's my first rotary. My previous razor's were Panasonic's and Braun foil razors. Two of those were more expensive than this one. I've always touched up with a twin blade razor... UNTIL NOW. Also, I shave my head. Not only is this great on my neck and beard, it even get my head including the tricky spots near the ears. Cleanup is quick and easy and I don't have to shell out $5 a bottle for some solution. I never had any razor burn and didn't need to give it a few weeks to adjust the manual suggested was common. The shave was close and comfortable from day 1. It's very quiet, which initially caused me to think it was underpowered. It's got a 60 day return policy - give it a whirl.
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