Is the difference between the Norelco 2D and 3D shavers really $100?
2081430
Yes it is. The 3D has three heads that 'float' separately. The 2D has three heads but they are locked in place relative to each other. That is a big difference.
2081431
I can only tell you thyat I paid $200- for the one I bought and the shave it gives me is very poor. I constantly look like I last shaved 24 hours ago. They said it takes about 4 weeks to get used to the shaver but I've been using it over 2 months.
2081432
Although I have not used a 2D for some years, my new 3D really does a truly great job - best shaver I've ever used by far and also the quietest. The ability of the 3D to follow the contours of the face and neck might need to be experienced to be really understood. The overall head not only pivots but each of the three shaving heads can shift angles in and out - so the whole shaving platform can flex between concave and convex.
1929026
The extra $30 for the 380 (according to the instructions - I have the 340 but the instructions booklet is used for both) gets you a hard case, a charging stand so you don't have to go through the huge trouble of plugging the charging cord directly into the shaver (sarcasm intended), a "precision setting switch" which lowers one of the foils to make it easier to shave under your nose (not a bad idea), and a set of lights that apparently gradually tell you when the shaver battery charge is running down. The 340 has one charge light that starts blinking when its charge is low. Note that the instructions say to run the shaver battery all the way down the first few times and every 6 months thereafter. Note also that the instructions state that a 5 minute charge is enough to get you one shave.
366972
Hi, I am also trying to research Panasonic shavers as an Xmas gift for my husband. I haven't researched the 8109 but I did research the 8243. You probably already know this but there's 8243A & 8243K. A=black model K=blue & silver model You can't replace the batteries in the 8243 unit because it's built in (I had read someone's feed back on it so I called Panasonic to verify). To change the battery, you have to send it to their one and only certified technicians at Appliance Sales & Service in San Francisco. (415-362-7195). I called and it's approx. $50 for the battery & labor according to the person I talked to. I'm assuming that it doesn't include shipping costs. The batteries are also built in on the 8249, LA63S & LA93K and would have to be sent to San Francisco too, according to the panasonic person. According to the Panasonic person, 8243, 8249, LA63S & LA93K are all made in Japan. I couldn't pin her down if any of them were made in China. As far as she could tell they're made in Japan. She referenced the year 2008 and couldn't tell me anything about 2009. (I had thought that someone had said something about having one made in China but I'm researched out at this point so it could have been for another brand of shaver). The only difference I could find between 8243 and 8249 was that the 8249 has the vortex hydra clean system. I still haven't figured out yet whether the hydra system is a good thing or not. 8249S = silver 8249K = black This is unrelated but I thought I'd mention that the expensive ESLA63S & ESLA93K don't have a quick 5 minute charge. There must be something I'm missing because what happens if it dies during a shave. It doesn't make sense to me that something that expensive would have less features than the 8243 & 8249 models The ESLA63S & ESLA93K have 2 motors which does make it louder according to the panasonic person but is suppose to give a better and quicker shave.
1712004
From my research, it appears that the new product that Norelco has started selling, and that everyone hates, is made of plastic rather than metal and results in a much less smooth shave. I haven't purchased my replacement head yet as I'm still trying to decide what to buy but am leaning towards the more expensive, older version just based on everyone's comments. You should be able to find the expensive, older model for probably ½ this price, even on Amazon.
349075
Just saw this post - and I was wondering the same thing! My SO uses Gillette Fusion/ProGlide and they are $30 for pkg of 8. Ugh! They shave very well, but *really* do they have to cost that much? Plus, he's a twice-a-day shaver, so he goes through a lot of blades.
1086739
I don't know, but consider this: I've been using Norelco shavers for the past 40 years or more, and have never needed warranty service. When the heads wear out I buy a new shaver, because the price of the heads alone is usually more than half the price of the new shaver, so buying a new shaver is a better value.
1566908
i don't know , but this is the best shaver on the market . my guess is the newer is even better if that is possible
2006007
In my opinion, no... while it works well, I can't justify spending as much as I did on the whole system with the jetclean base just for the head. The head was $50.00 last year, so it has almost tripled in price. I will just shop for a different razor, different brand.
2170144
The last Norelco that I had was purchased about 9 years ago and the battery was still ok. I bought a new Norelco because the blades were too dull ( not getting a close enough shave) and the cost of new blades was more than buying the new razor. I never had to consider a battery change.
2183471
Wow, the price has doubled on those for some reason in the past 5 months. I paid $48 in Feb 2014. I did notice that the price of these replacements seems to be a little volatile and goes up and down, though I have never noticed it varying this much. Basically these will wear out and their cutting performance will degrade. I shave both my face and head with this unit and I find that replacing the head every 6 months is a good idea. I just purchased the 1290 a couple months ago after having the 1280 for about 3 years. I signed up for Amazon to send me a new head every 6 months and they said the price would be the same, at least that was the impression I got. I hope it isn't $98. It looks like Walmart online might have the best deal right now, but even the Norelco and Philips websites are not showing the RQ12 as an option.
1901824
The Norelco doesn't need razor parts. My last Norelco lasted for 7 plus years and it still gives me a shave.Nevertheless, it is not a sharp as it used to be. I gave it to my wife and bought this new one. Norelco suggests that you order new heads every year for a sharp cut. Cost for new head is $20.
836707
I am interested in knowing this answer as well. $100 difference in price but I don't see very little difference in features.
148861
Wow...tough question. i am scott, account in my wife's name. was able to get this at a great price as the three d versions are everywhere and i wanted the cleaning base.go to the Phillips site and you can view all the models. Costco has a great price on a 3d model with no cleaner also. My face is more round than angular and i also read the 2d is better for my kind of face. Plus i can always replace the razor head with a 3d after a year.I was a wet shaver and used an old school saftey razor. That said, i couldnt be happier.sorry for the delayed response.scott Wow...tough question. i am scott, account in my wife's name. was able to get this at a great price as the three d versions are everywhere and i wanted the cleaning base.go to the Phillips site and you can view all the models. Costco has a great price on a 3d model with no cleaner also. My face is more round than angular and i also read the 2d is better for my kind of face. Plus i can always replace the razor head with a 3d after a year.I was a wet shaver and used an old school saftey razor. That said, i couldnt be happier.sorry for the delayed... » Read More Wow...tough question. i am scott, account in my wife's name. was able to get this at a great price as the three d versions are everywhere and i wanted the cleaning base.go to the Phillips site and you can view all the models. Costco has a great price on a 3d model with no cleaner also. My face is more round than angular and i also read the 2d is better for my kind of face. Plus i can always replace the razor head with a 3d after a year.I was a wet shaver and used an old school saftey razor. That said, i couldnt be happier.sorry for the delayed response.scott « Show Less
827751
There are real - and potentially important - differences between the 2D and 3D models. As the name suggests, it comes down to the range of motions possible to the heads - and therefore how closely the shaver can track the contours of your particular face, jaw line, and neck. The 2D head can flex in two ways, the 3D in three ways.Another major difference lies in the design of the rotary blade system coverings. All SensoTouch shavers use the Super Lift & Cut design. The rotary blades and covering lift the hair and whack it off as close to the skin as an electric can get. But the 3D design incorporates something the company calls UltraTrack. It's designed to get more types of hair. With the UltraTrack, the covering includes three specialized shaving tracks: channels - longer, wider openings - designed to cut longish beard hair, say the sort you might get after not shaving for a week. The cover also houses slots to make short work of normal hairs. Finally, holes work on the shortest ones.
1492712
I have the Braun 360 and I am satisfied with it; it shaves close enough and is not too aggressive on the skin. (My Remington MS2-390 shaves closer in fewer passes, but one needs some soothing after-shave gel afterwards.) I do not think the Braun Pulsonic is worth the extra cost. I believe the vibrating head of the Pulsonic is mostly a marketing gimmick. Apparently Norelco (owned by Philips, Netherlands) thinks so too, because in December 2007 they initiated a lawsuit against Braun (owned by Procter and Gamble) in Federal Court (Southern District of NY) claiming false and misleading advertising in Braun's Pulsonic advertisements. See http://www.reuters.com/article/consumerproducts-SP/idUSN1744077120071218 and http://cpglitigation.blogspot.com/2007/12/philips-alleges-false-advertising-of.html It is interesting to note that Braun's immediate parent Gillette (Gillette in turn is owned by P&G), was successfully sued a few years ago by Schick in Connecticut for false and misleading advertising of its battery-powered hand razor. Caveat emptor!
342123
The shaver works either way, but plugged in it seems to have a little more power. I switched to Braun after being a norelco rotary user for years but it was not cutting my neck hairs and the cutter heads were too expensive. You get a carrying case, little cleaning brush, a little bottle of oil, the cord, and the operating instructions. A very good razor for the money!!
696842
The Braun 7 Series shavers are the ones that come with a large base that contains a cleaning cartridge and an automatic recharging system. That shaver system costs some $200 and the cartridges are $5 each in packs of 4. The cartridge cannot be refilled even though the cleaning fluid in the cartridge is probably isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol which is very inexpensive by the bottle in any supermarket or pharmacy. Hopefully you're figuring out where I'm going with this. 3-Series shavers are the ones you buy when you don't want to become an indentured servant to Braun. You clean these by holding them under running water or you can dip and run the shaver in a small container of isopropyl alcohol, then let it dry. The 340 is $60, a third of the cost of the 7 Series. The 380 is $90, in which the extra $30 gets you a hard case, a charging stand so you don't have to go through the huge trouble of plugging the charging cord directly into the shaver (sarcasm intended), a "precision setting switch" which lowers one of the foils to make it easier to shave under your nose (not a bad idea), and a light system that apparently tells you when the shaver battery charge is running low. The 340 has one charge light that starts blinking when its charge is running low. Note that the instructions say to run the shaver battery all the way down the first few times and every 6 months thereafter. All that said, when my father was going downhill with Alzhiemers and my mother was taking care of him, we got the 7 Series for her to use on him so she didn't have to think about cleaning and charging the shaver - she already had too much on her mind.