PanasonicES-RT51-S Arc3 Wet/Dry 3-Blade Pivoting Head Built-in Pop-up Trimmer Cordless Electric Razor for Smooth and Comfortable Shave Travel Pouch Included

Arrived very fast and was well packed. Replaced my Braun after I used it for 10 years. I've owned Norelco, Braun, Remington shavers over the years. All were quality except the Remington. None were cheap except the Remington. All shaved only OK. I use a blade at home and get clean shaves. When I am on the road (about a total of 4-5 weeks a year) I use an electric. I don't like to take all the paraphernalia required for the blade through airport security (one quart plastic bags, 1 oz or less etc.). I've learned to live with the sub standard shaves on the road.Now for the shaver review.Seems to be very sturdy build quality. Charged it up and it took about 30 minutes to go from 20% to 100%. That is a fast charge rate and consistent with the specs of one hour for full charge from empty. The LCD meter is easy to read in reasonable light. I shave in the shower so next morning my first shave.Wet shaving with an electric is a different experience from a blade. I learned to shave against the grain instead of across the grain of my beard. My face and chin cleaned up nicely with this new razor. Took a while to get the neck area done as the hairs don't follow a grain direction like my face does. However, after a few passes from different directions even that cleaned up nice and close.After a few shaves here is my verdict. Shaves very close and equals the blade on my face but not quite so on my neck. No razor burn. Too bulky to get into tight places like under my nose. However the trimmer does a good (if not perfect) job there and does a great job with the side burns. But this bulkiness is true with all electric razors. They just aren't compact enough to get in there.Clean up is a breeze, just hold it up under the water and every so often (once a week) take the head off, rinse it off while running under the water and rinse the foils under water as well. Takes less than a minute.This is by far the BEST ELECTRIC RAZOR I've owned.PROS: shaves well, easy to clean, great build quality trimmer actually works, seems to use about 10% of the charge per shave so about 9-10 daysCONS: doesn't get into tight places well.

Nice shaver, replaced previous version, as it was turning on by itself. This one has a nice hand feel, but has no cleaning mode. It is easy to use and hold a charge well.

I've used just about every Panasonic wet/dry shaver they make. Without exception, they have all failed after approximately two years (just past the warranty period, ironically.)I recently purchased this model to replace a dead 82xx model, and found that it is equal in shave quality to the very expensive Panasonic models with all the self-cleaning jazz. In fact, I don't intend to do anything more than basic rinses any more, and occasionally clean underneath the cutters.You see, I bought the high-dollar version last time, thinking that I'd be compulsive about cleaning it, thereby causing it to last forever. I meticulously cleaned it, replaced the foil and cutter, etc., and it still died in predictable fashion after 25 months. I actually laughed when it stopped cutting in mid-shave!The failure mode on all 5 of my Panasonics (yes, 10.5 years worth!) has been the center cutting bar mechanism. The plastic piece which extends out from the head and moves the blade back and forth eventually wears out inside the head. Although it will still vibrate, it does not put enough force on the cutting bar and it will just remain motionless. Replacing the blade(s) has no effect on the longevity of this part. Adding oil to the blades doesn't seem to make it last longer either. It is quite obviously designed to fail.I tried an experiment with keeping the same blade for about a year, then comparing it with a new blade (foil, cutter, etc.) I honestly couldn't tell the difference in closeness, however, the new foil seemed to move more smoothly over my face and maybe it had an easier time when I'd let my beard grow out a few days.Fortunately, I have a backup rotary shaver that I keep charged. It cuts slower and not quite as closely, but keeps me from getting to work half-shaved when I forget to recharge.So, I will summarize thus:This shaver provides an excellent, close shave. It requires many, many passes over the same area in different directions due to its design, but it eventually does the job. If you shave every day, it works much better. I have used it with just water, no water, and with the Total Shaving solution oil drops, and by far the oil drops are the best possible choice (for me.) That's different for everyone, but if you haven't tried it, I recommend a sample.Compared to my rotary shaver, the Panasonic is slightly louder in volume. The buzzing is considerably quieter with this model than with my 82xx, and that surprised me when I first turned it on. The rotary takes fewer passes over the same area of my face, however it doesn't quite get as close as the Panasonic, so I'd rather take the extra two minutes and get a closer cut.The pop-up trimmer is handy and effective. My main complaint with it is that it is awkwardly located, making really accurate cuts somewhat difficult. If you use it often you'll get used to it. I use it for emergency sideburn trims, but I'd probably stay away from any precise mustache work at first.The other comparison is with disposable razor shaving. I rarely shave with them, but they are exceptionally close, and once the blood stops flowing, I notice the shaver cut isn't quite a match for a good old Mach 3. The Mach 3/4/5, whatever they are now, is tremendously faster, very messy, and tough for me to use in a shower with no mirror. For me, since my skin never gets used to it (tried for many years), I prefer the electric overall.So, bottom line. Get the cheap Panasonic, and if you want wet/dry then this is the one. If you just need dry, then you can go even cheaper and still get the exact same shave quality. Don't let the gimmicks fool you, it's the same plastic, same motor, same mechanism, same shave. You can make a difference by choosing some skin preparation oil and keeping the blade basically clean.