Philips Norleco 8140XL Electric Shaver

Pros: no irritation, close shave, quiet, rinses under water, light, fast charging, battery life
Cons: initial cost, hard to open box

Shaving is a very personal thing, and it is so different from one person to another that it would be hard to make a decision solely on reviews by other people – ultimately nothing could compare to a hands-on test. But since the choices are so many, it ...

Pros: Very quiet operation and a convenient flip down head that cleans under your faucet.
Cons: Doesn't cut as well as my old shaver and no low battery indicator.

Purchased this shaver to replace my rather old Norelco 5841XL which I bought several years ago. It has been a faithful companion but since I love personal gadgets I figure that its time had come and I get to treat myself to a new toy. Description: ...

Pros: Good price, good features, great design, easy to use and clean.
Cons: Not the closest shave.

I got the Phillips Norelco 8140XL for Christmas last year for my husband. He was tired of buying replacement blades for his Mach 3, and even though he'd never had a blade-close shave from an electric razor, he was happy to not have to buy blades all the ...

Pros: Quick charging, easy to clean, good instructions, great on the upper lip and chin
Cons: not precise under sideburns, leaves stray hairs on neck

This past year (2007), I asked my wife for an electric shaver for Christmas . I thought it would help us save water and money. Using blades means I'm constantly rinsing them with hot water between every few strokes, buying new blades every few months, ...

Pros: Can be cleaned by washing. Very quiet when in operation.
Cons: Pinched and 'Chewed Up' my neck; failed to shave neck hairs; flimsy design.

A couple of years ago, I gave up wet shaving and embarked upon a process that was at first research, then became an odyssey, and ended up as a quest, for an appropriate electric shaver. First, I bought the Braun Interface Excel 3612, a well ...

Pros: Good ergonomics, good batteries, good assortment of included accessories, new blade system works well
Cons: Face-following system not as effective in this model as more expensive units, but only barely

I purchased this shaver at WalMart for $85 as a replacement for my Norelco 8883XL, which I've enjoyed for four or five years. I've come to enjoy the features of my old shaver, such as a skin sensitivity dial and the LED's that tell me whether I should ...

Pros: cuts hairs on the neck line, very friendly to the face, very quiet, very fast
Cons: trimmer is useless (literaly), not a close shave, too expensive

Well, personally i don't think this shaver is worth the money. It is important to note that it does take 3 weeks for the shaver to work properly. Yet, even then, the shaver does not cut close (fails in the main function of a shaver). It is however very, ...

Pros: Quiet, nice flip head and the reflex system forms reasonably well to the chin
Cons: The holes and slots are too small for thick hair, leaves ingrown hairs.

Well...after being constantly bombarded by pop ups for this shaver on MSNBC I decided to give it a try. I mean, how can you go wrong with a shaver that boasts "50% more shaving surface"? While it is obvious to the naked eye that there is more shaving ...

Pros: Shaves even the shortest hair
Cons: Might have to go over the spot more than once

As my title stated, it is decent but not as great as I expected. This is my first electric shaver. I bought the Philips Norelco 8140 xl at Wal-Mart for $75.00. The features: 1.) quick and easy rinse clean. 2.) Led Display-battery full and ...

Pros: Standing charger
Cons: Must move razor slowly, poor quality shave. An older broken Norelco does a better job.

I purchased this item for my husband as a gift. He loved his previous Norelco razor, but he dropped it and the heads inside became misaligned. Not knowing any better I purchased this item for $80. I noticed it is a Norelco Phillips product, not just ...

Pros: Appearance
Cons: Does not shave close, misses hairs, basically doesn't work

This shaver is terrible. I wanted to get this to replace and older Norelco lotion razor. I figured I had liked my previous Norelco so I decided to stay with them. This was a huge mistake. The shave is not close at all. Several times I had just ...

Pros: Light, charger is small, has side-burn trimmer.
Cons: Top pieces fall apart during shaving. Crevices retain water then shaver smells bad

The top three pieces that interlock together pop out and come apart. All the cutting blades then fall out while the motor is still running. Visualise that disaster! It happened to me.

Pros: looks and feels nice. quite.
Cons: Doesn't work, totally missed hair, slow.

I am totally bummed by the performance of this razor. I purchased it and tried it for the recommended 21 days to insure my face to adapt to it.

It never worked well, especially missing hair on my neck and jaw line. I returned it for a Braun 4775, which shaved better the first time at half the cost. It would take me 10 minutes with the 8140 and it still missed hairs. I am done in less than 3 minutes with the Braun.

Pros: ergonomics, quiet, easy to clean
Cons: Painfully pulls at whiskers, irritates the skin, does not shave close.

I purchased and have used the 8140XL for the past thirty days and will be returning the shaver at the first of the week. In short my previous shaver was a Norelco 6885XL, after 2 years this shaver started to become a real headache and soon died. Pleased with the performance of my previous shaver, I purchased a uppermiddle tier Norelco expecting a similar if not improved shave and much quicker. In short my old shaver professed the "lift and cut system" which it seemed to do. In contrast, I think "yank and chop" is more appropriate for the 8140XL. While the shaver does have good ergonomics, it is a painful shave, that has caused massive irritation like I have never experienced before. Furthermore, I have to stretch my face to make it as taunt as possible and shave the same parts four or five times to get all the whiskers, taking at least 5 minutes.

I think in general Norelco (Phillips) has made some of the best shavers, and many of their products are well reviewed; this shaver however, is very disappointing.

Pros: So far provides a comfortable, close shave
Cons: not as advertised on packaging or web sites

I purchased the shaver partly because the packaging states "Long-Life Lithium Battery" which cause no problems with constant charging. After research and contacting Philips/Norelco I've confirmed that this is not the case and the shaver has Ni-Cad batteries that require different charging.

I'll probably keep the shaver though because if I'm too lazy to unplug the shaver after a charge I'm also too lazy to return the thing!!!