Glad I got it!

Background / Buying Process

I've been shaving for about 20 years now, starting with my dad's old Norelco, an old Remington, another Norelco, disposable razors, old-school safety razors and now I've come full circle.

I've grown to prefer safety razors for their convenience, heavier weight, close shaves and universal blades. Unfortunately, you can't carry these onto airplanes, and I prefer to travel lightly, and I hate disposables, so I looked for a shaver as an alternative, as well as for something good that I could use to shave quickly. I had read good reviews about this model and found a reconditioned one for the right price.


Design / Function over Form?

The shaver is light (much lighter than my late 1980's model and infinitely lighter than the early '70's one). Its handle curves nicely to my hand. The cord fits firmly into the base of the shaver (a design flaw on my previous models). The rotary heads pivot to a surprising degree and the spring tension has been refined to a precise level of comfort. The razor will fit to any part of your face.

I'm not impressed by its fake metallic finish (but it's not bad either), but mechanically as well as on a human design level, it is engineered very well.


Charrrrrge!!

The shaver does charge fully in an hour, as advertised. The LCD minute readout is an excellent feature (worth the price) and it is accurate. However, my shaver only holds 35 minutes on a full charge, not 45 as listed, possibly because mine was a factory-reconditioned model. Well, 35 minutes is long enough, especially given that it only takes an hour to recharge. I find the 6-minute "quick charge" feature useless, and I don't trust it, given that it would likely shorten the lifespan of the irreplaceable Ni-Cad batteries. (Ni-Cads should only be recharged after being nearly fully drained.)


Shaving, or Sanding Your Face Dry ;-)

I find that I can get a good shave in about 3 minutes, making it a convenient choice on weekday mornings. It will take your face about 1-3 weeks to get used to the sting of the lift-and-cut rotary heads. Beyond the break-in period, you might still experience redness and irritation on sensitive areas, such as your neck. (For example, I still get red streaks around my Adam's apple that may or may not fade as the day goes on.) You can experiment with different shaving motions (large or small circular motions, clockwise or counter-clockwise) to get the right balance of closeness and comfort for your face. Like a razor, it's more comfortable and effective if you use a light, but firm touch on a dry face.

Overall, I find it easier than shaving with a blade, and just about as close, or at least more consistent and intuitive. Seeing your shaving results in real-time, instead of after wiping your face dry, makes it easier to not miss any areas on your face. It's very easy to shave under your nose and your chin with this model. I'm not going to give up my blades, but I'm using the Norelco more often than originally planned. It's the most comfortable shaver that I've ever used.


Cleaning / Cleanliness

This model is very easy to clean. And unlike my previous Norelco, I find that the Quadra keeps the shavings inside the razor head, making it truly portable and an excellent choice for 1950's congenial and hygienic people. ;-)


Conclusion

I'm happy that I opted for a Quadra with more features over the basic models. It has everything that I need and it gets the job done very quickly and relatively painlessly. I recommend it.