Customer Reviews

Braun Activator 8585 Solo Shaver, Refurbished

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Here's the deal both figuratively and literally. This is by far the best electric shaver ever made. I have been using electrics my entire life and there has never been one better. The price is high and it's worth it. It is 10 times the shaver a remington, panasonic, norelco or even previous generation braun have ever been. Read the reviews everywhere, you'll see this is the consensus. I bought this one (the solo) without the cleaning station. Without the station this is still the best shaver available. The station is available seperately on a very popular auction site for about $40, so you will have the option. You can save about $50 buying this way and still have the 2 year warranty and the station. I have had this shaver a month now and just clean it manually after every shave. It's great. If you need the best and don't want to spend a lot, this is the one.

There are two main types of shaver, foil and rotary. This is the best foil shaver. Foil shavers are often better then rotary shavers for shaving the beard and moustache area of the face, which is where almost everyone uses them and it is what they are designed for.

But if you need a shaver to shave your body, or a curved area like a head or kneecap, then rotary is much better. Foil shavers will pass right over longer softer body hairs without doing a thing to them, whereas a rotary will remove that hair. But any loose skin will need to be stretched to avoid nicks.

This foil shaver gives a beard shave as well as any shaver ever made. It is superb. You do not need the accessory stand that cleans the shaver. Just spray alcohol on the blades and foil when you want to clean them. The cleaning station is a silly gimmick. Buy it solo and factory reconditioned on Amazon to save big.

One tip, no matter what type of shaver you use, do not press it into the skin. The lightest touch will shave you better than a hard press.

Summary: This is a truly excellent shaver.

I have used Braun shavers for several years now. No other electric shavers even come close, they have no competition. It may take you awhile to learn how to shave with it, then it is a snap.

Pros and tips: Best shaver on the market, shave is close and easy on the face. I have sensitive skin and coarse hair and this thing just knocks it out. It will not pull hairs like other electric razors do. I frequently let my facial hair grow long. In this situation the pop up trimmer works great to shorten the hair before you do a close foil shave. The trimmer will not pull your hair. Some people will moan about shaving the neck area, they need to read the manual and learn how to use the shaver properly. Occasionally I use the pop up trimmer to get hairs I miss on the neck. THE DRYER YOUR FACE IS THE BETTER THE SHAVE! Do not wash your face before shaving. It also help if you use Lectric Shave. Put some in your hands and rub it on the face being sure to rub it in against the grain of your hair in order to raise the hair up (particularly on the neck). Take a hair dryer on cool setting and blow dry your face for 30 seconds or less, then shave. You will likely want to change the foil and cutter block every six months (even though they say 18). If you replace the foil and cutter after 6 months you will be very surprised at the improvement in the shave. Keep the head clean to extend cutter life. I take the foil off after every shave and tap it in the sink then lightly use the brush to clean the foil. Every now and then I will spray some alcohol on the cutter. The cutter was in excellent condition. You will want to inspect it carefully since these are reconditioned.


Cons: Not as good as I had expected when compared to the Braun 7526. It is quieter than the 7526. The 8585 may be slightly better on the neck area. The cutter is the same as the 7526, only the foil changed, everything else is identical to the 7526 except the cover. The 8000 series foil will not fit on the 7526. The razor seems bulkier than the 7526 probably because it doesn't have as good a grip (the 8585 does not have as much rubber grip on it). Also the reconditioned model I received was not in as good a condition as I had expected. It required some cleaning and the writing on the back was almost completely worn off. Of course this did not affect the shave.

Bottom line: Best electric shaver on the market but only marginally better than the much cheaper Braun 7526.

After using my Braun 8585 shaver for a month I've come to the conclusion that it doesn't seem to shave any closer than my elderly Braun 6520. BUT, it's so much quieter and smoother that I'm delighted that I've switched. I actually went back for a few days to the veteran Braun and tried again but the assault on my ears was suddenly intolerable -- it was no contest.

It feels as though you are shaving with velvet -- and that's smooooth! I guess it's a case of not just shaving - but shaving in style.

Wasn't sure what a factory recnditioned shaver was so I inspected it closely upon delivery. Except for a sticker (removable) that identified it as reconditioned, wouldn't have known that it wasn't a new unit. No evidence of use, no scratches, no discolorations...nothing. It shaves well (read the reviews for the "new" 8585 for more information) except for the area right under the nose. This reconditioned shaver is not offered with the cleaning system so manual cleaning will be required (my son gave me his cleaning system and I must admit I have gotten spoiled...just drop the shaver into the cleaning unit after each use, press a button and the shaver head is cleaned automatically for the next use). If I didn't have the cleaning system, here's what I would do: buy an ultrasonic cleaner ($25 on sale at Harbor Freight), fill with hot water, add a few drops of dishwasher detergent, insert the foil and cutting head (keeping them physically separated) and turn on for 3 minutes. Rinse, dry and reassemble onto the shaver body. Repeat every week or so.

This Refurbished Braun shaver was flawless on arrival. No scratches, dings or dents. Item was exactly as described and all items were included and in perfect shape. The razar performs flawlessly and that is good for a guy who hasn't shaved in 30 years and had forgotten how. I have compared prices and this is a SUPER BUY! Thanks Amazon for another great and pleasing purchase.

After six years of constant use, my Braun 6520 finally stopped working. In searching for a replacement, I came across this factory reconditioned model.

The fact that this is a refurbished model is of no consequence to me. It came in excellent working order with no scratches or defects. It also has a full two-year warranty so it might as well be brand-new.

In comparison to my older Braun 6520, this model is an upgrade. The 8585 has a good look about it, looking slightly more modern than my old 6520. The 8585's slider button is of a better designed as it is recessed, unlike my previous Braun. One nice improvement in the new Braun is that the power cord clicks into the bottom of the razor. On my old Braun, the cord was held in place by friction only and tended to slip out during corded shaving. The 8585, gratefully, does not suffer from the same problem.

Braun changed the foil release button style for the new 8585. It no longer sticks out from the body of the razor, giving it a cleaner look. On my old 6520, the foil would release directly after pushing the button. On the new Braun, one still has to tug upward on the foil to disengage it from the shave her head after pushing the button. While this would preclude someone from accidentally dropping the foil, I never had that problem so the extra step seems unnecessary but is of no real inconvenience.

The 8585 shaves a little bit better and an ever so slightly closer than my old Braun. It felt like the 8585 needed fewer strokes and caught the hair better in its new improved shaving foil. I noticed a definite improvement in the shaving of my chin area. The lower neck area however was still a slight problem. My old Braun rated an eight out of 10 whereas this one would rate a nine. There is only a slight difference between a Braun 8585 shaver and the newest blade razor (that orange one). Unless you're pushing down and pulling against the grain, there is virtually no difference. I would have been confident to go through a Marine Corps inspection having used this 8585.

The other nice improvement with this Braun is that the mustache trimmer comes straight out at a 90° angle from the trimmer body. My old Braun angled down slightly making it harder to see where you were actually trimming. Though the trimming head is slightly smaller on the 8585, I find that's actually a benefit as I feel like I have better control and can definitely see where I'm trimming much clearer than before. It's a small yet noticeable and appreciated improvement.

As stated in an earlier review, one can easily obtain the cleaning station online either from Braun or other sources. For six years all I ever did was remove the shaving foil, turn on the razor, and bang it against the sink a few times to dislodge the hairs. It might remember to pull a brush out in clean of foil every six months or so. The 8585 seems like it will clean in a similar fashion, so to me the cleaning unit is somewhat superfluous. I may end up purchasing it though after reading how it works as it seems like it would really keep the razor clean.

All in all, I'm very happy with the razor and ecstatic over the price. I can't see anyone paying retail for this. It's just too good a price for an outstanding electric shaver.

The Braun Activator 8585 Solo Shaver, factory reconditioned, is the best shaver I've ever used. Other electric shavers I've tried in the past either gave me a rash on the neck area or just didn't give me a close enough shave. I'm 100? satisfied and highly recommend this shaver.

Great product, no broblems, works great - can't beat the price. I'm not the type to buy anything that is used or "reconditioned", but I really needed a good shaver, and a brand new one was not in my budget. so I settled for this one -only to find that I was not settling at all!

The refurbished shaver was in superb condition, just like a brand-new, factory product. Hard to tell it had been ever used. I saved quite a bit of money and I am extremely satisfied with the quality of the purchase. The shaver provides a very close, smooth shave and it is quite an improvement from my old Braun.