Philips Norelco T980 Turbo Vacuum Trimmer
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Customer Reviews of Philips Norelco T980 Turbo Vacuum Trimmer
Customer Review: It works as I expected.
Summary: 5 Stars
When my old beard trimmer conked out after a half dozen years, I wanted a nice new one. Not the clunker my wife had purchased for me six years ago that pulled hairs, kept my sink a mess, and looked cheap. So I typed in Google, "What is the best beard trimmer?" On two of three sites I checked, the Philips Norelco T980 Turbo Vacuum Trimmer was tops.
What sold me, was the video of one reviewer actually using the trimmer and explaining all of its functions and how to use it. As an aside, the Amazon reviews were helpful as well - so when I was shaving and turned the trimmer on its side, I was not surprised when hairs fell out of the vaccum trap.
That being said, the beard trimmer worked just as I had hoped. I look forward to taking time out once a week to trim my beard. The guard feels good against my skin and the hairs are all evenly cut. I haven't had a pulled hair yet. The shaper works well, giving nice clean lines. And the vaccum works great with the beard trimmer and guard - 99% of hair winds up in the vaccum chamber. The pieces are easy to clean and adjust.
Negatives and these are minor andonly have to do with the vaccum. Mind you, if there was no vaccum my sink would be filled with black hairs, so having any type of vaccum is great. The negatives are: 1. if you turn your hand too far over, the hairs will start to spill out - that's happened twice in the eight times I've used it so far. And it was only a little. 2. The vaccuum is realitively useless with the shaper as other reviewers have mentioned.
One other thing, where the beard meets my hairline just above the ear, I've found the guard obstructs the view a bit so it's hard to see where to stop. It's probably just a thing of practice and the length of my beard, but I figured I'd let everyone know where I find myself taking a little bit of time when shaving.
Definately a good buy. I look forward to beard trimming day.
Customer Review: Very nice trimmer - Get one!
Summary: 5 Stars
This beard/head trimmer works as you might hope it would. I had purchased, about 3 years ago, a version of the same trimmer and the battery eventually stopped holding a charge for very long. The old version was an AccuVac T870.
I got another trimmer to replace the old one and it did not have the "Vacuum" part and my wife was not happy about the "little hairs all over" (even after I tried to clean up) -- so I returned that one and looked for a similar one to my old one. That is when I found this one on Amazon and got it.
Great upgrade from the "older one" I had. Every feature I liked from the old one is still there but it has been improved in many ways as well.
The old one took 12 hrs. to charge and this one takes 70 min. The adjustment "clicker" (how close to trim) is firmer, so there is less chance of it moving on you while you trim (making for a shorter than expected cut at times - a risk with the older one).
What totally amazed me is after the first initial charge (following instructions) I let it drain the battery until it indicated it was time for a charge (neat new flashy light thingy does that), but it let me use the trimmer for full trim (I do my head and my beard) about 6 - 7 times before it needed to be re charged.
This one also says it can be used while plugged in. The previous version never said it could be and I used it that way at times which may have compromised the battery for the old one. Now I feel fine using it plugged or unplugged since the instructions say it's OK.
I like it, no more "little hairs all over" -- of course a few leak out here and there, but I usually do a good enough job to keep my wife happy with a little wipe down around the sink, etc. after trimming. I don't even use the "Turbo" switch but perhaps if I did there would be no hairs around at all.
Good Product, get one. I really like mine.
Customer Review: Doesn't do what I need - returned it the next day
Summary: 2 Stars
I bought this to replace a 4 year old Norelco G390 which served me reasonably well for the past 4 years till its NiCd battery died (bought at a "warehouse" store for just under $20).
There are over 600 reviews with an average of 4 stars and I thought "how can 600+ people be wrong?" so I bought it.
Dumb idea.
I won't go through all the pros and not even all the cons so you'll need to read other reviews, I'll just focus on why I simply can't use it and had to return it:
1. The distance from the comb interface to the blade - the part that goes up and down and stays at the same distance from the blade - is 1/8 inch longer than on the G390. This is due to the vacuum duct. As a result I was simply not able to get all the way up my mustache to trim it - it simply hit the nose. Other angles of approach or even the lowest trim setting didn't work. I was left with a funny looking longer part of the mustache and looking like a dictator from the previous century which i will not name. I ended up taking the comb attachment off the blade and, using a real comb like hairdressers used to do, trimmer the rest of the way manually. Suffice to say I did not pay $[...] so I could do that.
I'll post the image comparing the G390 to this one on Amazon and you can see for yourself how it limit the reach of the blade.
2. The vacuum is useless. Sure, it capture a lot of the hair but enough of it drop out too. There is no way I would use it anywhere else but over a sink and even then I'll have to clean both the sink and the little transparent bin - so why pay extra.
I've returned it to Amazon the next day.
I'm going to look for the G390 or another similar model from Norelco - the G390 was about half price, didn't have vacuum or direct AC but did have multiple attachments, upright stand and lasted 4 years despite the antiquated battery technology.
Customer Review: The Best I've Owned
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been using the Philips Norelco T980 Turbo Vacuum Trimmer for a couple of months. It is the best trimmer I have used. It trims fast and evenly. There has been zero pulling or pinching. The vacuum is helpful, retaining up to 90% of the trimmed hair. It works better than I anticipated. I have not tried the Turbo mode since the regular setting works perfectly so far.
I have not experienced any issues with the beard length setting changing while in use that others have remarked on. Time will tell if parts fatigue plus pressing hard against the face will cause this in the coming months.
I do agree with others about the initial awkwardness of trimming with the comb-like top guide part off. There is a retractable shield in front of the blade that is designed to facillitate trimmed hair going down into the curved waste basket of the vacuum instead of falling in the sink. It would be nice if you could manually lock this shield down when doing fine edge trim. You will get used to it quickly, but the design makes fine trimming more of a blind operation, i.e. you do it by feel more than sight since the shield blocks my view. I use a little more care when fine trimming than with my older model, but the extra seconds aren't too much hassle and the results are fantastic.
The trimmer is of good size but handles easily and with better precision than I initially thought. I'm still on my first charge with about 10 trims and still running strong - no recharge indicator light yet. There is a little brush for cleaning the trimmer that works OK. Philips Norelco recommends cleaning after every trim. Cleaning is a drag but should keep the unit working better longer.
Only thing missing is a recharger/storage stand. You get a travel bag instead.
Bottom line, excellent trimmer. Would recommend to all.
Customer Review: Not impressed
Summary: 2 Stars
I must say that I disagree with most reviewers on this product. I have several problems with the design which I would like to share.
First, a disclaimer. The product title says that it is a hair "trimmer" and not a "clipper". Perhaps I did not see the distinction at first, but I see that others purchase this unit as a clipper as well. So, as a trimmer (used very frequently and with very short hair trimmings) this unit may work for you. But even as a trimmer, if the hair is cut at any length (and there are 9 settings to the guide), this thing is useless.
First, the "on" and "turbo" buttons are too easy to push while handling, and I'm constantly startling myself with the turbo setting (it is a little loud). Also, I find that the guide/vacuum design is poor. This may work OK if you are trimming short guide settings, but if you get a clump of hair in the guide, which happens constantly with me, it will block the tiny opening for the hair cup. The vacuum is not strong enough to pull the hair in, and it clogs the whole works. If you do not notice this, the blockage will prevent the trimmer from trimming, and you may think that a lower guide setting is needed. You can see how this sets you up for a scalp job when the low guide setting is finally low enough to make a cut. I just find the whole set up "gimmicky" and I will take the old standard guides and no vacuum any day.
It does have a strong battery and if you are just lightly trimming a mustache or a beard, it may be the right choice for you. I think people like me would not be disappointed (and would not have purchased the product) if it had been called the Philips Norelco T980 Turbo Beard and Mustache Vacuum Trimmer. Long title, but descriptive enough to avoid purchasing the wrong product.