Customer Reviews

Philips Norelco 7865XL Quadra Action Rechargeable Cord/Cordless Shaving System

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

First of , this model is almost identical to the 6000 series Quadras except for a slight change in colours and trim.

It's most effective feature is the pivoting head as this allows the heads to stay in contact with the skin even when shaving the curved and uneven areas of the face. This is especially good when doing the neck area. Most electrics are notoriously bad when doing the neck compared to blades but the Quadra is about as good as an electric gets.

The unit is waterproof and for good reason as you can wash the heads under running water . This is very effective and quick cleaning compared to the traditional brush method and is a real time saver.

The shave is good but not as close as a blade. Even though it feels as close immediately after a shave , the truth is that with a blade I can shave every 2 days , whereas with this I have to shave every day. I think that electrics make your face swell slightly due to the vibrations of the shaver and this is the reason for the apparent closeness after shaving , but this swelling goes down in a few hours.

The unit is extremely quiet and vibration free for an electric ( much quieter than previous Norelcos). This surprised me at first because it doesn't sound powerful but it doesn't have any problems tackling the toughest hairs. Still , it's nice to be able to shave without waking the household. Also this is a sign of quality. Less noise and vibration means that better reliability.

Couple of minor negatives,

1. The trimmer- Unfortunately Norelco got it wrong . It's very ineffective. It is very reluctant to cut the hairs.

2. The heads - Supposedly , holes for shart hairs and slots for long hair. Personally I don't believe the holes do a darn thing. What I have noticed is that the heads are made of a material that tends to stick to your face while shaving making smooth strokes difficult. For this reason you will have to use lighter pressure. This is why it takes a little practice to use .

3. Non standard shaving cord - Also has a big transformer end. This does not make it traveller friendly. Also if you lose the cord you will have to order a new one from Norelco.

4. Shape - The shaver has no flat edges . What this means is that it will roll with the slightest disturbance when you put it down after use. One time it rolled off my dresser and landed on the floor. The slight disturbance was just simply opening a dresser draw. Luckily the shaver is solidly built and made to last. Just be careful.

I highly recommend this shaver to anyone who has had trouble with electrics in the past. Try it out..

This Norelco (actually made by Philips) one was bought to replace an older shaver (I've used Norelco, Philips and Panasonics over the years.) This one is more efficient (faster, better shave) than my older one, and an amazingly amount quieter. What do you know- this time, "new and improved" really is accurate!

What I like: the shaver fits the hand well, the pivoting blade heads fit the face and as a result shave quite well. The battery strength indicator, consisting of bright LEDs showing the percentage of charge remaining in 20% increments, is very useful, and the flip-up hinged shaver head section is easy to clean with warm water (I still have to consciously force myself to do this!) They have also "shrunk" the half-egg shaped power transformer, and you can use 100 - 220 volts to plug / charge, a good thing for someone who travels globally as I do.

What I don't like: the pop-up trimmer is only fair - it works, but it's actually not as effective as the one on my old shaver! The deep well holding the head rotors shafts is not so easy to clean with a brush, particularly with the hinged head; they are still using a non-user replaceable NiCd battery; the gimmicky cutter head plate section with holes seems merely that - gimmicky, not useful for any real shaving.

Tips: After cleaning the head / blade assemblies, allow them to dry fully and spray-lubricate with something like "Shaver Saver." When power seems low, turn the shaver on and allow to discharge fully before reccharging - these are, after all, still NiCd batteries with the "memory" effect. These tips have allowed my previous electrics' battery - and cutter head assemblies - to last a long time (I have a heavy beard - even with a blade shaver, I have to shave again in the afternoon if I have a dinner appointment.)

Recommendation: This is a very good, easy to use, quick and quiet electric shaver - the best I have ever used. It packs easily for travel, and though it is a bit finnicky to clean, I like it because it does the job I need it to do. Given the several deficits, I'd never give it four stars if not for how it handles its ultimate function - shaving my beard.

Just brought the 7865 XL Quadra Action shaver to replace my 20 year old Norelco Rotatract HP1318 that died. I was going to replace the batteries again (I replaced them once before about 10 years ago) but the price for doing that has gone up to [$$]. My wife convinced me to shell but the extra for a new one - better technology, new blades, etc. After some research, I decided to go for the 7865 XL because of the new "Quadra Action" blades that are suppose to give one a closer shave.

Well, after a few days, the fancy new 7865 is no better than my old Rotatract in closeness. In fact, the sideburn trimmer on the old Rotatract did a better job because of that shaver's better shape. The 7865 XL's sideburn trimmer sticks out about twice as far so it is harder to cut a straight trim. It sticks out so far that the shaver doesn't touch your face so you can't use your face for a pivot point - to steady the trimmer (kind of like trying to write with your hand in the air). I hope it gets easier as I get use to the shaver. Mechanically, both trimmers look similar.

The "Quadra Action" shaving head is no better than the old Rotatract heads. The new "holes" for "short hair" do nothing. Unfortunately, because they cover almost 1/2 of each circular blade, it takes longer to get the (shaving) job done. The "Reflex Action" feature also does nothing extra.

If I had the opportunity to test the shaver before buying, I would have just purchased the bottom of the line Norelco 4601X at half the price or less. The 4601X appears to have the same basic features as my old Rotatract.

I'm not knocking Norelcos, just their fancy, high end units. I've used Remingtons and other non-three circulating blade shavers and they just don't compare to the Norelco system for closeness. The Norelco reliability is unbeatable as well - 20 years of service is just amazing! I give my old Rotatract 5 stars for reliability and performance. The new 7865 XL is almost as good (and hopefully as reliable). I just hate paying extra for all the useless new features.

I bought this razor to replace an older model Norelco, which was also very good. My favorite feature is the ability to rinse it under the faucet. The razor delivers a shave that is comparable to a blade, in half the time. The pivoting heads and "Quadra Action" enable the razor to get into the tough spots, while still maintaining contact with the skin. I use the razor three times a week, and the charge lasts about 4-5 weeks, and recharges in 2 hours.

There are two things that I take issue with however. The first is that the carrying case is odd. You can carry the razor, cord, and cleaning brush easily, but I have no idea if this is the way that they are supposed to fit in. The instructions offer no clue.

The second thing is the pop-up trimmer on the back. It is absolutly useless. Maybe it works better for longer hair, but certainly not for short hair near the sideburns.

I bought this shaver to replace my Mach III blade. I have used it for over a month, past the amount of time it takes your skin and face to get used to it. Nothing will shave as close as the Mach III; the Norelco gets close to it, but does it more quickly. I have never owned an electric razor before this one, so I have nothing to compare it to. However, here is my opinion:

PROS:
*Shaves very close
*Easy to clean
*Runs for a long time between charges
*Charges quickly
*Conforms to your face well
*Useful voltage converter
*Nice carrying case
*Contrary to a previous reviewer, it does have one flat edge where it won't roll of the table

CONS:
*Trimmer doesn't trim as well as I'd like it to
*Takes a few weeks for your skin to get used to it and get a close shave

Bought this to "replace" a 35 year old corded Norelco Triple-Header that still works fine, but the blades are a bit worn out.

Bargain-shopped and finally found a new 7865XL for $40.

First impressions were: "Boy, this thing is nothing like the build quality of my 35 year old Norelco. Kinda noisy, too. And the trimmer is very cheesy. Nice and light, though."

Been using it for a few weeks now and I'm forming a positive impression. The LED that keeps track of battery charge is nice, Just plug it in for a few hours (I use a timer) when she gets down to 20%. Norelco really SHOULD enter the late 20th century and provide an auto-off safe charger, though.

It shaves well, not as good as a blade, but quite adequate and I have a tough beard. Probably not better than my old one was with fresh blades.

It's pleasant to use. No irritation. The water wash is great.

The storage bag is junk, but I don't use it.

The trimmer looks cheesy and flimsy, but it does work.

I don't think it will hold up 35 years like my old one, but maybe I'm wrong. (Come to think of it, I'll be dead before 35 years pass.)

Overall a good product, but I don't think it would be worth over $100. Probably a fair buy at $60 or so.

No electric razor will shave as close as a blade, but
some of us can't use a blade because of problems with
skin irritation. Electrics are also easier to use.
I've had consistently good results with Norelco razors
over the years. For me, they shave closer than foil
razors. My only complaint is that when the battery
goes (after 4 or 5 years), it has to be replaced by a
technician and the cost is high. In fact, the cost of a
new battery and new heads so high that you might just

as well buy a new razor. The best thing about this razor
is that you can clean it by holdig it under running water.
Since a clean razor shaves much better, this is a great
feature.

Warning*** Don't buy this product unless you are positive that you will be happy with it. The 60day full guarantee is a lie. Amazon gave me a very hard time returning this when my son was unhappy with the shave,and I was within the 60 days, and when they did agree, after numerous attempts through email, they deducted 20% and are only refunding me $84 out of the $109. I understand not getting back the shipping, but when they say satisfaction guaranteed, I expect the full purchase price back. This was a truly awful experience with Amazon.

I have been using Norelco rotary shavers for the last 20 years. The last model I purchased worked for 8 years before the batteries wore out. It was a economy unit, model number 815RX.

I decided to buy a more deluxe shaver this time, and bought the model 7865XL shown here. It was more expensive than the old one. I charged and used the shaver this morning and was pleasantly suprised with its performance. The heads are floating within their retaining assembly and they conform to the curves on the face nicely. The shave was excellent and my skin was left soft.

To those who don't regularly use an electric shaver - some advice. In order for it to work properly, you MUST wash and then dry your face. If I don't do this, I have found that my skin will become irritated and red. It works even better if you use soap with cream in it during the wash (acts a lubricant), but just washing with water and a wash rag works well too.

I would recommend this shaver to anyone looking for a quality unit. If you are already a Norelco rotary shaver user, then you will find this model to be a nice upgrade.

Bobzt
Engineer

The 7825XL, 7845XL, 7865XL and 7885XL models are all basically the same razor, differing only in the way they display battery/charging status (anywhere from 1 LED to a complete tiny LCD display). The shaving peformance is fine for me -- not as close as a wet shave but that's a good thing for me personally because the closeness of wet shaves makes my face break out. Every 3-7 years I buy a new Norelco and they get incrementally better each time.

I'm writing to warn about one feature. Every shaver I'd had up to this one had a physical slider switch to turn it on and off. This models has a push button. This means you can't tell BY TOUCH whether it's on or off. This is critical for me because I usually shave in the car (sitting in traffic) with the stereo blaring and I can't hear the shaver (especially since the newer models are pretty quiet). I turn it on and off a lot as traffic conditions change.

Further, when the battery is low, my previous shavers would just run slower and slower until they came to a gradual stop. This one slows slightly (imperceptably to me, really) and then just "falls off the cliff" and stops cold. So you don't get any warning really that it's about to run out -- if I knew it was running down, then I'd shave a lot faster!

And this is where the tactile power switch feedback is important: if the battery's totally drained, but I'm not done yet, I'll leave it off for a minute and then turn it on for 5-10 seconds of shaving before it dies again. With the push-button power control this is really confusing because you're never really sure what's on and off. It turns out the the power button is like a pulse that gets sent to an internal microcontroller (I'm guessing), so after it's been off for a while the power "position" doesn't matter, it's really off. You just push to reboot the thing.

So, my 7825XL was robbed out of my car last night and I'm buying another one of these, so I guess that's an endorsement. But I'm bumping up to the next higher model with better battery status indication ...