Philips Sonicare HX3351/02 Xtreme Battery Operated Toothbrush
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Customer Reviews of Philips Sonicare HX3351/02 Xtreme Battery Operated Toothbrush
Customer Review: Fix the leak issue, and the toothbrush is superb
Summary: 5 Stars
I've used Sonicare since before they were bought out by Philips. One thing I hated in over 15 years of owning them is the battery dying out, it lasts about 5 years, and I've gone through 3 versions already. While a new brush will hold a charge for over a week, after 3 years, it will give about 3 days sometimes not, so if you travel with the brush you'll also have to lug the charger, otherwise you'll have a useless brush with no power sometime in your trip. The brushes still use NiCD, so you get a memory effect and to revive it you have to recharge best when the brush is dead; to do so you have to endure the increasingly weak brush stroking and it dying sometime while you brush. You can't just leave it on, all Sonicare's have a 2 minute timer, Quad Pacer or not.
This AA powered Sonicare I've had for 1.5 years, and it works as good as the rechargeable versions except it doesn't have Quad Pacer, not a problem. As a brush, it has the vigor and thus, the benefits of what made Sonicare famous.
I was concerned about Amazon reviews of water leaking into the battery compartment. I've tested the brush since then, and found what the weakness is; not cleaning the battery compartment O ring seal after each battery replacement.
Like many items used for water, you should clean the battery compartment O ring and its sealing surfaces thoroughly before resealing it. The head usually has toothpaste on it that is abrasive and gritty and will break the O ring seal if not washed clean out. All a user need do is during a battery change, use an old manual toothbrush to brush clean the open end cap until its clean of all debris. Wash the O ring with soap and water. Let both air dry to avoid getting lint on the cap or ring. Use a clean finger to wipe clean the interior battery compartment to insure its clean or clear of residual toothpaste, as this is the other half of the sealing surface that contacts the O ring.
When ready to seal, take a tiny dab of vasoline or silicone O ring lubricant between your thumb and forefinger, and pass the O ring through these fingers so it has a light coat of lubricant. This prevents the o ring from twisting as you insert the cap, and breaking the seal. Place the o ring on the cap, and push on the Sonicare. That's it!
I use NiMH batteries, and a new set lasts over 2 months, brushing once a day. I can even use my old used NiMH cells on this brush, and I get about 1 month.
The O ring should last over 5 years but if you know O rings, it AS568A size is -023, change them every 2-3 years. These rings typically cost 1c each, but the problem is finding them, usually they are sold in industrial supply houses.
The toothbrush has held up, so it won't die because of leaking or bad battery. For $25, this unit is an ideal Sonicare. Now if only the brush heads were cheaper.
Customer Review: Engineered to fail
Summary: 1 Stars
This product is good while it lasts; it'll clean your teeth better than almost anything out there (unless you have tartar, then you'll need something with a bit more power) and stimulate your gums. However, having autopsied this model, I am convinced that it was engineered to fail under typical conditions after a time, perhaps to motivate the purchase of a more expensive model, which will itself become useless when the irreplaceable batteries go out.
The first one I bought lasted a year, and even that long only after I learned that you have to plug the two holes in the back of the battery compartment to prevent the corrosion from taking place. By the end, batteries were lasting one week tops, at 2x use per day. I also learned that you have to hit it against hard objects when it won't turn on and sometimes then it'll go. You also need to scrape off any rust from the battery contacts occasionally.
Knowing these quirks, I bought another one and immediately plugged up the holes in the back and put tape around the battery cap. However, it has now lasted only a month. There's no rust or corrosion to speak of, however, it just doesn't turn on anymore.
Today I autopsied the first sonicare to see why it had failed (the new one is still on warranty). In taking it apart, it's clear that most of your money goes into buying a tank-like shell around the $1 worth of electronics. This would be a good thing, if there were not two gaping holes in the battery cap that let water in anyway and the shoddy rubber seal. After taking it apart, it's clear why the corrosion so quickly leads the failure. They protect everything on the circuit-board from corrosion by putting glue over it, except the battery contacts, and the contacts and wires that lead to the solenoid coil (that makes the brush vibrate). The contacts that lead to the solenoid and the battery contacts are also strategically located next to each other on the circuit board, so they can corrode together quickly using any moisture from the adjacent battery-terminal holes, while the non-essentials like the timer are located on the other side of the board and completely sealed off from the ambient air by glue. This also explains why hitting it sometimes allows it to start; you're shaking some of the corrosion loose.
The switch is also of questionable design, being nothing more than a paper-thin piece of plastic with some kind ring on it that's slightly more conductive than the plastic.
If the replacement that I get out of the warranty fails, I think I'll try a cybersonic or an oral-b; hopefully their teams of engineers weren't paid to make something less reliable than a politician.
Why can't they make a sonic toothbrush with no batteries, that plugs into the wall, and lasts a lifetime? Or just quit making these to fail so readily?
Customer Review: High-Efficiency Oral Hygiene
Summary: 5 Stars
The vibrating is unpleasant at first, but you get used to it. And you grow to appreciate the intense feeling because you know that it is precisely that motion that makes your teeth so damn clean.
This is an excellent toothbrush. It's the cheapest of the adult brushes in the sonicare line and sonicare is way better than any other electric toothbrush. And any electric toothbrush is way better than a manual toothbrush. Electric toothbrushes are not about being lazy, they're about being time-and-energy efficient when cleaning your teeth. Example: 2 minutes with a sonicare brush makes your mouth around 75% cleaner than 2 minutes with a manual brush. Maybe 25% cleaner than 2 minutes with a different electric toothbrush that isn't sonicare.
And you honestly don't need to spend $100 or $200 on one of the more expensive brushes in the Sonicare line either, since this does the same work for less money. It uses 2 AA batteries, and I use rechargeable ones, which makes it more convenient than charging the brush every night. I just swap my one pair of rechargeable AA's for my other pair when I need to, and so it is easier to travel with the brush.
The sonicare technology was recommended by my dentist, and I found it here on Amazon for cheaper than what the dentist was selling it for, with the buy-from-dentist rebate INCLUDED. You could always win an eBay auction and possibly get one for cheaper than this, but I was too impatient to wait, and most auctions I saw ended around $30 anyway.
Did I mention that I love my Sonicare Xtreme?
Allow me to make an above point clear: If you want to spend $100-$200 on a toothbrush, then just buy 3 to 6 Sonicare Xtremes, and then give them to your family and friends. The Sonicare Xtreme uses the same brush heads as ALL THE OTHER SONICARE E-SERIES BRUSHES. These brushes are the top of the line, and the Xtreme has the exact same essential functions as the rest of the Sonicare family does, except for $100-$150 less. I recommend you don't waste your money on a more expensive brush just because it is more expensive.
Do some more research and see that Sonicare brushes are the best for consumer oral hygiene. Then do more research and see that the Sonicare Xtreme has all the necessary features that the other Sonicare brushes have. Then buy it, and keep your teeth for longer. You and all the people who have to look at your teeth or smell your breath in your life will be happy you did.
Customer Review: Design flaw corrected?
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been a user of Sonicare for about 10 years--since I had a roommate who had to have gum surgery for gingivitis, and her oral surgeon recommended switching. They do a fantastic job. The price is excellent on this model, but I was concerned from previous reviews that it might not do as good a job as the regular Sonicares and that it might get destroyed from water leaking into the battery compartment.
While I was trying to decide, I used one of those disposable-type battery-operated brushes you can buy for a few bucks. My teeth felt disgusting compared to when I was using a Sonicare. Since I could tell such a huge difference, but money is really tight, I decided to get this model, and just try not to get the battery area wet, and live with the lower power, and hope that it doesn't die too early.
And I'm really glad I did, because I couldn't be happier with this brush. The design must have been updated because there are no holes near the battery housing as previous reviewers described (there are no holes anywhere). I'm pretty uncoordinated but without really trying I haven't gotten water anywhere near the battery area. I do blot the brush head dry on a towel between brushings, and that might be key since no water drips down the handle after I put it away.
It feels just as powerful to me as my previous Sonicares, and my teeth feel just as clean.
I like not having a charger taking up one of only two outlets in my bathroom and collecting dust on the counter. And I love that for travel I'll just be able to throw this in my bag without lugging a charger along. And for long travel you could just pop in two more AA batteries when needed--available almost anywhere. The batteries that came with the brush were strong, but they did die after two weeks. I would definitely recommend rechargables.
Although this brush is marketed for teens or kids, the brush head size is perfect for me; I still have my wisdom teeth and with other brushes it's been very difficult to really get to them.
For the price, even if this brush doesn't last a really long time, I think it will still be a very good deal. But if you buy it and it doesn't last, remember that there is a 2-year "limited" warranty.
Update Nov 1 2010: Still going strong on the second set of batteries. No problems whatsoever. GREAT deal.
Customer Review: The best value in the Sonicare line
Summary: 5 Stars
With Amazon now selling this directly for < $20 this is the absolute best value in the entire Sonicare line. You get the same drive, the same brush head compatibility, 2 min timer and the ability to use your own rechargeable batteries. 5 years ago I purchased a Sonicare Elite 7300; the internal NiCad battery eventually died and the unit is not designed to swap out the battery. I tried, but ended up damaging the rubber molding and had a lot of difficulty finding a comparable battery that didn't require paying a high shipping cost. I eventually purchased the E3000 on a whim at a retail store for nearly twice what it sells for on Amazon nowadays and started using the newer low self discharge NiMH batteries. I get about a month of usage before I have to charge the batteries. And when the batteries finally start losing their capacity -- they haven't yet in 2 years -- I don't have to worry about performing major surgery on my toothbrush.
I'm not sure I understand the water seepage/contacts/failure issues. I own 2 E3000s now, one for travel and one for home, and have used them both for 2+ years now. Neither have failed. I take care not to rinse the base of the unit under running water and I don't leave it sitting in a pool of water or anything. I definitely see the potential for failure as nothing but a plastic cap and a rubber gasket protect the AA batteries from potential moisture, but I think standard, common sense can prevail here. Let me stress -- I do not baby this thing. I use it daily in a bathroom that gets very humid during showers and summer weather (no exhaust fan and no central air conditioning). I clean it every usage under running water and I don't dry it off afterwards. I also have done the same types of things with 2 different E3000 units and have used them for over 2 years now and they have worked perfectly from day one.
Highly recommended. I would actually feel comfortable recommending this over a higher-end Sonicare that was discounted to be within a similar price range as this unit. Being able to use your own rechargeable batteries is simply way too powerful of a feature since that seems to be the limiting factor in keeping this brushes for the long haul.