Philips Norelco T980 Turbo Vacuum Trimmer
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Customer Reviews of Philips Norelco T980 Turbo Vacuum Trimmer
Customer Review: ALMOST perfect, but not very close trim...
Summary: 3 Stars
I went to this after using a Braun Cruzer which had a trimmer attachment which was MUCH closer, but unfortunately broke after I stupidly put it in my checked luggage during a transatlantic flight.
So I decided to get this Norelco for its vac feature because with the Braun, it was kind of a pain to clean up all the little hairs on the sink after each use. The vac feature works well, gets about 95% of the whiskers.
The main drawback with the Norelco however is that with the adjustable guard off, it doesn't provide nearly as close a trim as the Braun. I confirmed this by looking closely at both products' trimmer blades. The distance between the stationary and the moving blade on the Braun was maybe 1mm; on this Norelco T980, it was more like 3mm. So if you're buying this trimmer in order to cultivate a stubble look, be aware that with the T980 you'll have to use it more often.
The vacuum intake vent makes it a bit harder to maneuver the trimmer as well.
Another annoyance is that it doesn't get the occasional whisker that lies almost flat to the skin without repeated passes. This is probably the result of the aforementioned greater distance between the edge of the stationary and moving blades.
So, this has been my main disappointment with this product. To get a closer shave, I had to use the smaller mini-trimmer attachment which unfortunately doesn't work as well with the vacuum, so a lot more hairs were all over my sink. Plus was a bit uncomfortable in that sometimes it would catch on my skin more than the normal sized trimmer attachment.
The Norelco is also bulkier and less ergonomic than the Braun, but I guess that's the price of having the vac feature.
Sigh, if only Braun would make the same trimmer with a vacuum function! I'd snap that baby up in a heartbeat.
Or maybe the truth is that *I* am paying a high price for my laziness regarding cleaning up post-shave whiskers off the sink myself, vs. having a lower-quality trimmer with a vac function. LOL
3 and 1/2 stars.
Customer Review: Now I'm too sexy
Summary: 4 Stars
Now that I bought and used the T980, my cool slacker goatee is attracting too many women. I'm not getting any rest.
Naturally, a product that causes grief should be down-rated, but I won't here because this shaver is just doing its job.
And, we all like things with "turbo" in the description, however loosely that term is applied. It makes it go faster with a cool noise, so even in a shaver that is attractive to many.
Electric shavers for beards sure beat the heck out of scissors! The Norelco has a wide range of cutting depths and my beard comes out a uniform length. I did not feel any pulling or other discomfort. The charge seems to last for days and the charger itself, like the shaver, is a decent and modern design.
The little detail cutter is easy to attach and does a great job of defining the beard area and also clipping any stray hairs under the nose where the big cutter head cannot reach.
Some people think the closest cutting position is still not close enough for that short-stubble look and that does seem to be the case. I don't want mine that close, but I understand those who do and I take off a star for brotherly solidarity. Actually, I'm sure that if it was to cut more closely, that would take it into the realm of regular shavers, an expensive world of high-tech blades and lubricants. Actually, if you press down a little, you can get closer.
The turbo thing works well. It vacuums almost every hair into the storage chamber. I didn't expect the vacuum action to work so well. I think the turbo button should be the only button, but there it is. The non-turbo setting is less noisy...
The parts detach easily and the little supplied brush works well to clean it out. The little travel pouch is nice.
The T980 works just as it should, for me, and the price is reasonable. I think it will last a long time and I am glad I bought it.
As for the women, I did exaggerate. One did make a favorable comment which is one more than before. That is an improvement, eh?
Customer Review: Amazing Trimmer... that doesn't hold the trimming level.
Summary: 2 Stars
I was incredibly excited to get this trimmer. I previously had a Norelco Trimmer that I absolutely loved and thought worked wonderful. After a few years of use the battery didn't hold much charge and I finally lost the charger after traveling!
I looked at the trimmers available and the Philips Norelco T980 Turbo Vacuum Trimmer sounded great. I was a little worried about purchasing it however because I read some users were having problems with the trimming guard moving position. I thought I'd give it a try and if it didn't work, I'd send it back... and ultimately I was hoping the people having troubles were just incompetent.
I charged the trimmer for a day. Played around with the trimming guard by pushing on it and moving it up and down and it seemed to be extremely solid and sturdy. It seemed like it locked in position just fine.
After starting to trim on a safe level 6 (my goatie had gotten long, waiting for a new trimmer) I was having success. While gliding the trimmer up the side of my goatie, WHOOPS, it slipped to Level 4. Oh well, I said, I guess I'm going to have a level 4 goatie. Well to sum it up, about halfway into it I was surprised with a slip to level 2.
The vacuum is wonderful, it works perfectly. But honestly, do you really give a crap if you have to shave at a level 2 every stinking time? Why didn't I send it back? The package was impossible to open, I had to cut and rip it in shreds. It's hard to go without a trimmer but PLEASE read this review and know that you WILL have problems with it slipping trim guards, I guarantee it.
The design of the trim guard dial is part of the problem. I'm not going to sit here and tell Philips how to design a trimmer though, they've done it correctly in the past.
BOTTOM LINE: Great idea, new innovations work great, but as a trimmer this is a piece of junk because you can't shave at any level higher than a number 2 without risk of ending up 2 levels lower or MORE.
Customer Review: Works as advertised and better
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been using a Norelco T370 trimmer for several months. I bought it for the mini-shaver initially, decided to grow a beard, then trimmed the beard with the beard trimmer attachment. It did a great job of shaping and trimming, but left a mess of clippings in the sink. After reading a million reviews, I decided to try the T980 for it's vacuum feature.
The T980 is great! It does a perfect job of trimming my beard evenly (setting at 7, ultimate beard length to be a 9). The best part is that about 90% of the clippings go into the vacuum receptical with only about 10% being lost. I have not come across any of the negatives (adjustment slips, tugs hairs and on and on) mentioned in other reviews. Unlike my T370, this trimmer lets you know when it's fully charged or about to go dead, and even if it does die in the middle of a session from a dead battery, plugging it in finishes the job. Most other trimmers only work when charged, not on house current.
I can't think of anything this trimmer could do better. In my estimation it's looks, design and operation are flawless. The clipper works well on my beard's 'neckline' and the mini-trimmer keeps the bottom of my mustache trimmed perfectly. I really think the T370 does as good a job trimming as this one does, but will not run with a dead battery when plugged in, and does make a mess with beard clippings all over the place. For those two reasons alone, this trimmer is a BEST BUY!
I am not putting the T370's abilities down in any way. For the price it can't be beat. It trims well and the mini-shaver is still the best way to shave the short hairs on my cheeks above my beard on a daily basis. I use it daily along with the T980 and will continue to. They both have their place. If you don't mind the beard trimmings everywhere, you will be happy with the T370, however if you are serious about perfect beard grooming (and I DO mean PERFECT), with none of the mess, both tools are a must.
Customer Review: Great, but use before showering
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this trimmer after my old Norelco stopped charging. For the record, I maintain a full beard with this. Overall, I am satisfied with the product, but there are some caveats.
Vacuum: Like me, you may be interested in the included vacuum, rather than getting hair all over the place. It works pretty well for this! I'd say about 90% of the hair is trapped in the canister, about 3% on the sink, and about 7% left in my beard. For this reason, I recommend using the trimmer before you shower. Otherwise, you will get little hairs all over your shirt during the day. If you only have a goatee or similar, it may not be quite as bad. It's not much hair, but the little vacuum can't solve everything.
Noise: The noise level is loud, but not really any noisier than an electric toothbrush. To me, it's really no big deal. With the bathroom door closed, you can only hear it when close to the door anyway. I even run it in turbo mode most of the time, and still don't have an issue with this. Of course it would be great if it were completely silent, but really it's not that bad.
Trimming: Like all Norelcos, it does a great job trimming. The included adapter(s) handle just about everything I could imagine needing. I am a hairy guy, and have not felt any pulling or ripping of the hairs, just a clean trim.
Power: I typically get several weeks worth of trimming (every 2-3 days) on a single charge. To maintain the battery, always ensure you fully drain it before recharging. Using turbo mode drains it slightly more quickly. I can go a whole vacation without needing to recharge, which is nice, but the included travel bag is handy just in case.
So, overall I'd give it 4.5 stars, only because of the leftover hairs. It would be nice to have a slightly more powerful vacuum, but I realize it's difficult to get the hairs that are trapped in a beard. I love the trimmer, and have not seen anything else out there that would beat it.