Customer Reviews

Philips Norelco 9170XLCC Smart Touch XL Shaver

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

I have been a long time Norelco shaver user. When it was time to buy a new set of Series 7 Lift-and-Cut heads for my old Norelco 6885XL razor, I decided to get the new 9170XLCC razor. Big Mistake! The new 3-ring Smart Touch heads are not as good as the old reliable Lift-and-Cut heads.

Why you say? To make the head look like it has more surface area and thus should cut faster, the Norelo engineers reduced the cutting area of the fastest, outer, ring, to squeeze in the two inner, but slower surface speed, rings. In fact the outer ring cutting blades are only 1.00 mm wide as opposted the the 1.75 mm width cutter width in the series 7 Lift-and-Cut heads. The added inner rings actually cause pulling of the beard hairs if you try to shave at the same speed you did with the older models.

By the Way, the so-called cleaning system is a big bother and not worth the extra cost. You can rinse the 9170XL under the faucet just like the older XL models. In fact, you HAVE TO rinse it because of the sticky mess the cleaning system leaves in the razor after "cleaning."

The bottom line: In a failed attempt to make a quieter, faster, shaving system, Norelco actually made it WORSE than earlier lift-and-cut models. Then to top that off, changed the drive pin design so that one can NOT use the superior heads. Do not waste your hard-earned cash on this sub-par Norelco product.

I had a ten year old norelco advantage razor which is essentially the same configuration but just one cutting ring on each of the 3 heads as opposed to the three that come with this one. I got a better and more comfortable shave with my older norelco than with this one. This shaver still works well and if you're switching from something else these are the way to go but I'd buy an older, less expensive model as this one is not better than my older version. The cleaning system is a gimmicky waste as all you need to do is open the head and rinse it out for 3 seconds (unless you consider that too much work). End result, find the cheapest norelco razor you can and you'll be just as happy.

I purchased the Norelco 9170 for the following reasons:
1. Three rows of cutting blades to shave faster
2. 90 minutes of shave time per charge
3. A timer that shows how much time is actually remaining versus other models that just tell you the battery is getting low.
4. Easy to clean.
In reality, it does not shave faster than my old Norelco, nor does it shave closer than the old one. The 90 minutes of shave time? The first time I charged it up before the first use, it charged to 85 minutes. The second charge went to 80. I'm now on the third charge and it's down to 78 minutes. I also noticed that as the battery runs down under 20 minutes of shave time, 10 minutes mysteriously drop off so in reality you get less time than what the full charge shows.
It is, however, easy to clean and more quiet than my Quadra. That's the only advantage. I wish I hadn't wasted my money on this model and had purchased a less expensive model. The jet clean system just wastes space in my bathroom.
Overall, I'm rather disappointed at the product I got, especially for the price paid.

My 9170XL is only 7 months old, and it has fallen apart twice already due to a design flaw. The hinge holding together the heads to the body is made of a rapidly rusting metal that stiffens and breaks off. For such an expensive shaver, one would think the company would spring for a non-corrosive hinge.

The shaver, after two weeks (as it says in the instructions) gives me a very good shave. If only it wouldn't keep falling apart.

Pete Giambalvo (California)

If you don't own a Norelco triple-head razor, stop reading now and just buy one -- any one. Or if you own an ancient Norelco double-header, or a triple-header before the Lift'n'Cut heads, sure, get a new one. But if, like me, you have an old model, do your utmost to replace its parts and you'll be just as happy. (I replaced heads and two solder-tab NiCd's.) Here's why (echoing other reviewers' sentiments):
(i) This particular model is no faster than my old one, its "Speed XL" moniker notwithstanding. Maybe that's because of the new blade size/design, or maybe the old motor turns faster. (Seemingly, old AC and NiCd models spin faster than old NiMH models; YMMV.)
(ii) This model is no more adjustable (N/M/S) for closeness of shave than my old adjustable model (1-10). The heads do indeed rock more than the old spring suspension, but I still must stretch my skin with the other hand to get a close shave over the bumps.
(iii) The cleaning system leaves stubble-grit on the rubber bits. Also mine required repairs after 5 months, because the washer mechanism got stuck. (It has a 2-year warranty (yay!), alas they insisted on shipping the razor back, too (aargh!).) Norelco's attempt to "Gillette up a revenue stream" with consumables, i.e. cleanser fluid, is a little transparent.
(iv) The cleaning system leaves you with a damp razor, even if you shake it and let it stand for an entire day -- it's the shaving equivalent of a wet willie in the morning. Worse, the small quantity of liquid remaining is just enough to create a jumpy slide across the face -- not as even as completely dry, nor as smooth as a lubricated wet shave.

On the plus side, the battery life on this razor is excellent, and longer than old Norelcos. If you live out of a suitacase, you won't have to pack the cord. Which is good, because the charger circuit has been pulled out of the razor body and into a wall wart.

The razor rates 4 stars (not 5 because they have made better razors before, and hopefully will hence). The cleaning system gets 1 star. So don't get a CC model, but definitely do buy a Norelco razor. If you switch from blade or foil electric, please do as the manual says: give it two weeks of rotary use before judging the closeness of the shave. But especially if it's your first razor, grasshopper, you will be hooked for life!

Got this for xmas for my husband. He's not really all that happy with it. It ended up breaking 3 months after he got it..and it was out of warranty. I would not recommend.

I've recently purchased the HQ9160 model, which is almost the same as the 9170 except the 9160 does not have the jet cleaning system. And I'm very satisfied with the product. Here's why.

Before switching to an electric shaver, I used the Mach 3 razor for over 5 years. Over the years I find that my skin got more and more sensitive to manual shaving, probably because I always shave against the grain (of the hair). Also, since I have acne problems, the razor blades often caused cuts that led to minor bleeding, which sometimes resulted in scarring. After using the HQ9160 electric shaver, all of the problems involving the skin irration and the unwanted bleeding are gone. And I think the electric shaver gives as close of a shave as my Mach 3 razors, especially in the upper neck area, near the throat. Plus, with the irration problem now gone, I have the option of shaving again in the evenings before I go out.

TIPS to improve your electric shaving experience:
- Wash, clean and dry your face before shaving.
- Have the razor heads glide lightly over your skin. Don't press the heads hard against your skin - it makes the cutting worse. Instead, you should use your free hand to gently stretch the skin while you shave over the area.
- Take the heads out and use a degreasing liquid such as Philishave razor cleaner or rubbing alcohol to clean heads once a month.
- Lubricate the heads with a Philisahve shaving spray or a drop of mineral oil once a month.
- For extremely senstive skin, you may want to use a shaving powder or oil such as the Remington Face Saver Pre-Shave Powder Stick.

REASONS I chose the HQ9160 over other models and brands:
- Price. I bought it for about $100USD (incl. shipping) from a famous online auction site (part of the name rhymed with Kay).
- Battery. Its Lithium ion cell yields 90 minutes (~30 days) of shaving.
- Travel pouch.
- 3-ring head. It has 50% more shaving surface vs. 1 ring head.
- Contour head. It does a better job over bumps and corners.
- Easy cleaning. Just rinse in hot water for a few seconds.

I have been a long time Norelco shaver user. When it was time to buy a new set of Series 7 Lift-and-Cut heads for my old Norelco 6885XL razor, I decided to get the new 9170XLCC razor. Big Mistake! The new 3-ring Smart Touch heads are not as good as the old reliable Lift-and-Cut heads.

Why you say? To make the head look like it has more surface area and thus should cut faster, the Norelo engineers reduced the cutting area of the fastest, outer, ring, to squeeze in the two inner, but slower surface speed, rings. In fact the outer ring cutting blades are only 1.00 mm wide as opposted the the 1.75 mm width cutter width in the series 7 Lift-and-Cut heads. The added inner rings actually cause pulling of the beard hairs if you try to shave at the same speed you did with the older models.

By the Way, the so-called cleaning system is a big bother and not worth the extra cost. You can rinse the 9170XL under the faucet just like the older XL models. In fact, you HAVE TO rinse it because of the sticky mess the cleaning system leaves in the razor after "cleaning."

The bottom line: In a failed attempt to make a quieter, faster, shaving system, Norelco actually made it WORSE than earlier lift-and-cut models. Then to top that off, changed the drive pin design so that one can NOT use the superior heads. Do not waste your hard-earned cash on this sub-par Norelco product.

The Good

9170XLCC gives an excellent shave in about 5 minutes. It'll take about 2 weeks of daily use for your beard to adjust to the razor heads, but after that it's as close and clean as any blade shave.

The Bad:

1. It's cheaply made. Norelco has outsourced manufacturing & it shows. The frame holding the razor heads is plastic; every other Norelco I've owned (over 30 years) has been metal. The frame is supported by these weird plastic-bubble "shock absorbers" that will probably go in a year or two. The shaver has a junky, cheap feel to it. I have always gotten 5-6 years of use out of my past Norelcos; this one feels like it'll last about two years.

2. Cleaning tank is a marketing gimmick to sell $[...]/bottle cleaning solution. Way overkill. It does work OK, but the shaver gets just as clean if you rinse it under hot tap water (which you will have to do anyway because the cleaning solution leaves the razor heads coated with a slimy residue). You can pretty much throw it out after the free bottle of solution is used up.

3. I'm already on my second unit. The chip that controls the battery level indicator, recharging, etc. is flakey. The first one I had never could accurately display battery level even after 3 complete charge-discharge-recharge cycles. It'd show 15-20 minutes remaining, then just die in the middle of the shave; battery tapped out. Also, it would sometimes illuminate for no reason at all; had to turn on-off to clear it. If it happened during the night, the battery would be fully discharged by morning. So I returned it to Amazon.com (thx Amazon for great customer service!!!).

The second one that they sent to me recharges continuously when you use it with the cleaning tank -- it's not supposed to charge during the 55-minute cleaning cycle, but mine does. That means that you have to catch it about 5 minutes into the cycle, after it's done it's dunking in the tank, or it'll recharge completely after every shave (which the instructions tell you not to do because it shortens battery life). More reason to toss the cleaning unit. Ridiculous on a shaver this expensive that they'd ship junk to their customers before fixing these problems.

4. The travel case is worthless for protecting the shaver on the road. It's nothing but a zippered nylon sack. You'll have to put the shaver into something else if you pack it in checked luggage or it'll be a pile of parts when you unpack.

5. They don't include a stand so when you're done shaving you lay it on the bathroom countertop. I'm using the one from my old Norelco, but if you don't have one, storage between shaves is just setting it down somewhere.

Sad to see a fine old company like Norelco cheapening it's flagship product like this. I've been a customer for 30+ years, but next time I'm in the market for a shaver I will definitely comparison-shop the competition.

Two stars because it does give a good shave; the rest is a mess.

I've used Norelco razors for over 30 years and after trying the 9170 XLCC for a month, I can say it's the best razor I've owned. The shave is no quicker than my previous model 6886 XL but the closeness and consistency of the shave is noticeably better. It is a very comfortable razor to use. I like the illuminated LCD panel and the non slip material on the hand grip works very well, even with wet hands. When you go on trips (without the Jet Clean system) just rinse the razor under the tap every few days and you're good to go. I give the 9170 razor itself 4.5 stars.

The Jet Clean system has worked well for me but admittedly it is not the elegant cleaning system that Braun offers. Norelco needs to learn from Braun's razor cleaning system and produce a Jet Clean mark II than contains the fluids in a cartridge and sterilizes the heads. The other posts complaining about wet or sticky shaves are a result of those people not following the directions. After the two minute jet cleaning cycle is done, pop open the head and simply give the razor a light rinse under the tap to flush off the residual cleaning fluid. Leave the razor open to air dry and the next time you shave the razor is clean, dry and has a nice light hygienic smell. I think the razor shaves a bit smoother and closer with a daily jet clean and I enjoy that little luxury. I give the Jet Clean system 3.5 stars.

All in all I give a solid four star rating to the 9170 XLCC system and I recommend you buy it.