Braun 8585 Activator Self-Cleaning Shaving System
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Customer Reviews of Braun 8585 Activator Self-Cleaning Shaving System
Customer Review: Good shaver, but high pitch beep
Summary: 4 Stars
Over the past 15-20 years I've had three Braun razors. This 8585 is my most recent and highest end model. I suppose I've had it about 3 years now (1 foil/cutter change and another change due). The prior Braun's I've had were middle of the road models and both worked fairly well. In fact, I didn't think this razor worked that much better and it had the "new" foil design which was one of the reasons I purchased it. I initially used the "self-cleaning" method but after awhile it seemed like a waste so I decided to just hand clean every day (20 seconds). The self-cleaning does work very well initially, but once it fills up with hair/dirt it doesn't clean as effective. Another thing to watch out for is if you don't use the self cleaning it will just evaporate. (Kind of like ink in your printer.) So, if you think you can get 3 months out of it doing it every 3-4 days, think again. It won't last. The alcohol evaporates.
One big con is this high pitch noise the razor makes. It makes it when charging and it also makes it about every 8 minutes (beep-beep). The "every 8 minute" beep, which is probably doing a battery check, is quite annoying. Every once in awhile while in my bathroom I would hear a beep-beep. For many years I've heard this and it wasn't until recently that I discovered it is the razor. So, a big disappointment. I'm surprised it got through the Braun QA.
Anyway, it is a decent razor but if you every hear a high pitch noise--check the razor. Every 8 minutes it will make it.
Customer Review: Quality shaver!!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have extremely sensitive skin and constantly break out from shaving. The Braun 8585 Activator gives me a very close shave while not irritating my skin. It's amazing how close it actually gets. Some selling points:
- It's a heavy and well built piece of machinery that has lasted well over a year and is still trucking along (still on the same blades too).
- The cover is easily removed for fast cleaning and the head pivots or can be locked into place.
- The trimmer is a nice feature, but can be a bit difficult to see where you're trimming because it doesn't come too far off the shaver (watch those sideburns!).
- The cleaning system charges and cleans at the same time. I found that I only need to clean/charge it once a week and it holds the charge all week long. The little light on the shaver tells you when the charge is low. The cleaning cartridges are a bit pricey but last for a pretty long time and are well worth the money; I'm still trying to concoct a homemade solution to refill them myself...any suggestions?
- The cord that comes with the cleaning/charging hub disconnects and can be simply plugged into the bottom of the shaver for travel.
Tip: Remove the head and brush out the blades before plugging it in to be cleaned. It just keeps the cleaning solution cleaner for longer.
All and all, this is an EXCELLENT shaver and a great investment. Put away those lousy razors and get yourself one of these!
Customer Review: Worth the money?
Summary: 4 Stars
I've shaved with cheaper Braun electric models for years, and when my previous one died, I decided to shell out the extra money to try their nicer model. After all, I shave every day, so an extra $100 to improve that experience for the next 5 years or so should be worth it, right? My answer is, probably yes, for most of us.
There are a lot of raves in the reviews here that might lead one to believe this shaver can give you a perfect shave while doing your taxes and improving your love life. I've found it's not *quite* that good. The area in the hollow of my neck that I could never shave with the cheaper Braun electrics still can't be shaved with the expensive Braun electric; I still need to break out a blade to finish up. Nevertheless, a couple weeks' use of the 8585 razor has convinced me that the extra cost over less expensive Braun electric shavers is worth it to me. The foil irritates my skin less than my previous razors did. I seem to be able to shave in a few fewer swipes than I did before. The charging/cleaning stand removes the effort from those two little tasks, at the cost of needing cleaning fluid refills every so often. The stand also eats up a fair amount of space and an electric outlet in the bathroom. It is possible, though, to ignore the stand and use the razor just like you would use a normal model. The shaver comes with a nifty plastic travel case which I found a nice touch - it keeps my shaver from dropping whiskers all over everything in my travel bag.
Customer Review: The Norelcos are gone forever.
Summary: 5 Stars
After thirty years, and five Norelco electric razors, I decided to live on the edge and try something new. This razor gives a much better shave than I've ever had from an electric shaver. While I don't believe that any electric will come quite as close as a blade, this is the best I've ever used.
Now in regard to some of the negatives I've read in the other reviews, I have not experienced any of those problems. The razor is no louder than my last Norelco. The build quality appears very good, with exception to the plastic travel case. The auto cleaning works wonderfully. I've had the razor for ten weeks, using the auto clean every day, and the original cleaning cartridge is not empty yet. I expect I'll use three or four of the disposable cleaning cartridge per year, but for about a nickel per day a clean, sterile, and just plain good smelling razor is a bargain.
I suppose I wouldn't have any credibility here if I didn't have a couple minor negatives to report. First, the cleaning/charging base is a bit larger than I expected. Next the wall plug is big and sticks out further than I would have liked. And finally, the cleaning cycle does make a bit of noise as the razor cleans and flushes itself. These a very minor complaints.
Overall, I would not have taken the time to write this review if I hadn't been exceptionally pleased with the performance of this product. Thanks for reading!
Customer Review: On second thought -- a revised opinion
Summary: 5 Stars
Because my skin is sensitive, shaving with a blade causes a lot of irritation. So I was forced to go with an electric shaver. I had been using one of Norelco's better shavers in the 8000 series and it did an all right job. I thought that was the best that an electric razor could do at a reasonable price.
I was wrong. The Braun 8585 shaves much closer. As far as I'm concerned, as close as a blade. I am simply amazed. It doesn't charge as quickly as the Norelco and it is not as easy to clean manually as the Norelco. But with the Clean and charge unit, these issues are moot. Of course, there is the extra expense of buying replacement solution for the clean and charge unit. But this is a minor issue given how good a shave I get.
Money well spent. Does anyone want a good deal on a top of the line Norelco?
POSTSCRIPT: As I said above, I am prone to skin irritation if I shave with a blade. This electric razor does give one a shave comparable to that of a blade, but after a couple of weeks, it began to irritate my skin like a blade. I got the Norelco 8894 XL when it came out. It doesn't shave quite as close as this shaver, but my skin does much better. I just run a couple strokes of a Gilette Fusion razor to clean up a bit of stubble and I'm good to go. (See my review of the 8894 XL) I was really excited about this shaver at first, but it caused problems for my sensitive skin.