Customer Reviews

Philips Norelco Qt4070 Turbo Vacuum Beard, Stubble and Moustach Trimmer Pro, Black/silver

5 star:		(111)
4 star:		(59)
3 star:		(21)
2 star:		(25)
1 star:		(47)

 

 

First off--like other critical reviewers you'll find here, I also had major problems with the comb. This review was almost a ONE-star rating, due to the sharp tines and general design of the comb. This _extremely_ poor comb design caused me to stab my lip several times and also resulted in uneven trimming.

Like other reviewers, I previously owned a Norelco T980 and needed to move "up" when it would no longer hold a charge. With the T980 no longer available, it appeared that my options were either the QT4050 or the QT4070. Overall, the QT4050 is far inferior to the QT4070 in that it lacks the travel lock, quick charge, and turbo functions. HOWEVER...the 4050 has one feature that I believe was SUPPOSED TO BE included with the 4070--the "contour following comb". If you look closely at images of the two units side-by-side, you'll see that the comb design on the 4050 is closed--no giant gap and sharp tines with which to cut/stab yourself--and it also has a flexible guide. Those who previously used the T980 will surely recognize the design!

In my frustration with the 4070's comb, I did some research. Philips Norelco CLEARLY markets the 4070 as using their "contour following comb". That's not actually true for what's "in the box", however. The comb that comes on the shaver is model number 422203617701, which is their "plastic stubble comb". As it turns out, the combs for the 4050 and the 4070 are _interchangeable_, and with a phone call to Philips, I was able to get them to provide the 4050's comb--model number 422203617711.

After you get your shaver, if you're experiencing similar issues with the comb, call Philips at 800.243.3050 and ask to speak with a supervisor--first level reps can't seem to approve parts orders. Explain the situation, tell them you want the comb for the QT4050 (P/N 422203617711), and they'll send it to you, free of charge. Within a week, you'll be able to fully enjoy what Philips should have built in the first place!

For the record--after I received my new CONTOUR FOLLOWING COMB, the QT4070 is a FIVE-star trimmer--it's exactly what I wanted. The one-star ding represents the hassle it took to get this product to be all it should be!

I have had a beard, and thus have had beard trimmers, for almost 30 years, so I have some pretty strong ideas about what a trimmer should and should not do. IT SHOULD NOT STAB YOU IN THE FACE! But that is exactly what the new QT4070/41 does.

For years I was wonderfully happy with Norelco's previous top-of-the-line model, the T980. I love the vacuum feature, the turbo setting cut my tough beard with gusto, and the length adjustment was generally adequate (though the settings were a bit wide apart, so 3 was too long and 2 was too short).

But the engineers at Norelco have taken a wonderfully designed T980 trimmer and screwed it up royally. The problem is with the guide comb. On the older T980, the guide comb completely covered the cutting head. But on the new Qt4070/41, the guide comb has tines that extend along the top and front of the cutting head, and END IN SHARP POINTS. So the cutting head sits exposed within a cavity between the ends of the two sets of pointy tines. Yeah, sure, that's what I need to drag across my face all bleery-eyed in the morning - pointed sticks! :-(

The new guide comb's design is woefully stupid for two reasons:

1) The length to which your hairs are cut will VARY depending on the angle with which you hold the trimmer against your skin. If you hold the upper face of the guide comb flat against your skin, you get a longer cut than if you allow your skin to span the gap between the two set of tines. And frankly, you KNOW you can't hold the trimmer at the same angle all over your face! BOTTOM LINE: AN UNEVEN TRIM!

2) Even if you are trying hard to keep the flat top of the guide comb flush against your face, you eventually have to turn a corner, like at your jaw line. I have used this Qt4070/41 about a dozen times now, and each time I have managed to jab myself with those stupid tines somewhere - in the jawline, in the chin, in the lip, etc. I know it's just a matter of time before I (a) break a tine, or (b) draw blood. BOTTOM LINE: A PAINFUL TRIM

My advice: QUICK! Buy a T980 before it is discontinued and all bought up! Maybe Norelco will fix the Qt4070/41 by the time you wear out your T980.

I have previously been using a Norelco T870 but the battery stopped holding a charge so I have had to buy a new trimmer. Although there were 3 reviews here that mentioned the guide being faulty I decided to try the trimmer due to the 20+ positive reviews and the lack of a decent alternative.
The trimmer arrived this evening so after charging it for an hour I tried it out.
The guide is adjustable to give a varying length of cut. The lowest setting gives a 2mm cut and the highest 18mm. Unfortunately, the guide is made using flexible prongs which bend a good 3-4mm. This means that if you use a low setting the guide prongs will bend fully to the blade. I found this out by cutting my lip twice in the first minute of use. I also quickly found that due to the flexibility of the guide using a low setting results in a really uneven cut.
I keep my beard pretty short (4-5mm) and there's no way I can use this without the blade cutting me and without making my beard look like it's been hacked at by someone with blunt kid scissors. I think it would be a good product for someone with longer beard hair but for me it is completely unusable.

This trimmer is a definite step up from my older Norelco, which essentially had only the most basic feature of a trimmer: An adjustable guide. In the interest of deciding whether it's worth it to spend the additional money, I will compare the two.

The QT4070 blade cuts very smoothly and evenly, much better than my old Norelco. The old Norelco (without vacuum) had clippings all over the sink and counter--the QT4070 vacuum captures around 97%, which leaves the sink and counter pretty clean. The QT4070 battery keeps its charge well. The QT4070 digital readout ensures I have it set to the correct length, and lets me know how much battery power remains.

There is, however, the need to be more careful in the use of the QT4070 than my old Norelco. The QT4070 has a gap between the top guard and the side guard, which leaves the cutting surface more exposed. (I.e., you can stick your chin between the guards, and get closer to the trimmer than the guard setting would otherwise allow.) On the old Norelco it was impossible to bring the cutting surface too close since the guard covered 100% of the cutting surface. I was initially concerned, but got the hang of it by the second use.

Conclusion: The QT4070 is of course a luxury, but it does deliver for the additional price. Any trimmer will do the job. For the additional cost, the QT4070 will provide a smoother and more even cut, with a much cleaner sink and counter, keeping its charge well, and providing a clear digital readout.

I lost my Norelco T980 a couple of weeks ago and I was dismayed to discover it was out of production. I purchased the QT4070 this evening and after using it I'm absolutely dismayed at the design of the guard. The gap is wide enough that you WILL maul your upper lip when attempting to trip your mustache! Also the prongs dig into the skin when trimming from the neck toward the cheek. I have a very heavy beard so I have to pass over the same area a couple of times due to the thickness of my hair. It was an extremely unpleasant experience. I've had numerous Norelco Beard Trimmers over the years and I've always been happy with the design however the QT4070 is a production FAIL!

I almost steered clear of this product based upon some of the reviews I read below. I am glad I did not.

I purchased this beard trimmer because I have sensitive skin and live in the NE. In the winter, it gets so cold and dry here that I constantly nick myself, and electric razors cause me to have ingrown whiskers.

Frustrated, I finally decided I would opt for a beard trimmer: something that would keep my beard short enough that I might still have a goatee as opposed to a full beard; yet, something that would preclude nicks and cuts that might cause breakouts.

I have found this trimmer to be perfect for those needs. I keep it at the lowest setting and actually remove the guard so as to cut my beard as short as possible. I have sensitive skin, mind you, and not once has the trimmer nicked or cut it. Not even close. In fact, I am so confident of this Norelco that I bet I could have a Bloody Mary for breakfast before using it and still not hurt myself; I really have no idea how the gentleman who wrote the fearful review is going about using the trimmer.

When I purchased it, I was more interested in the trimming aspect; I had no interest in the vacuum feature. That said, it works really well and makes no more noise than a typical electric razor. It is easy to clean and quick to charge. I use the trimmer every morning and charge it for one hour every 7 - 10 days.

A note on length. Some say that you are left with a 5 o'clock shadow, but I have a very thick beard. At the shortest setting, I would say that my beard looks like it typically did not at 5 pm, but at 6 am the next morning. Just a tad bit longer. I suppose the effect will depend upon how thick your beard is, the color, etc. At work no one even noticed that I had gone from a razor to a trimmer, so it is surely cutting closely.

In sum: after more than a month using this trimmer every day, I have had no nicks, no breakouts, and no worries. Oddly, as one reviewer mentioned, your beard does feel different after trimming it each morning. So go on: don't fear the reaper.

Compared to any other trimmer on the market, I venture to say this is the most superior. I have owned at least 4 different types, including another Norelco. By any comparison, this product exceeds my expectations and makes other trimmers look like garbage.

The trimmer is a pleasure to hold and seems ergonomically designed. The build quality is very solid- to the point of impressive. Adjusting the trimmer is accomplished via a rubber coated adjustment wheel that is accessible on both sides of the trimmer. There are length indicators on the side vertically (a scale in inches) and the adjustment size displays on the LCD screen in millimeters. This provides a precise cut to those who require such precision (not me). The width of the blade area is more than sufficient for face and other areas (more on that later). Touted as a Vacuum trimmer, it does a pretty good job overall with some room for improvement as it may not vacuum all hair although that may depend on the length of hair being cut. Hair collects in a little compartment with a swing door. The trimmer is rechargeable (a stand is not included however- just the charger). Despite being rechargeable, the trimmer is very powerful, easily cutting through thick beard.

Some Issues

As stated before, the vacuum does a decent job, but not a great job at collecting hair. The shorter the hair, the better the job. At the very least, it seems to significantly contain the mess. Another issue is that due to the design of the blade guard, you cannot really trim right up under the nose. It gets pretty close, but not quite. Finally, neither a beard brush, travel case, or recharger stand are included. I was a little surprised in this regard.

I am unable to comment at this time on how long the battery will last. I will have to edit my review after a few months to see how the charge stands up.

Definitely be cautious when reading the negative reviews about the trim guide on this trimmer. It is different, but if you slide the guide along your face instead of trying to stuff your chin into the blade slot, you will have a much more comfortable experience.

This trimmer is a little different from the previous model(980 I think), which by the way I loved until the day it found it's way into my toilet...still ran it just was never the same! The QT4070 has a strong motor, a more durable cover for the clippings catcher, and the digital display for battery and height is awesome. Plus the lack of springs and hinges on the guide will make this trimmer survive my poor luggage packing as well! Mustn't forget the travel lock! A great addition to keep the trimmer from draining itself en route to your destination.

I have a pretty tough beard and this little guy made short work of it, neat as a pin!

All in all I think if you can adapt your trimming stroke to the new guide you will be very happy with this trimmer...oh and don't try to drown it!

The QT4070 is now shipping with both the stubble and "contour following" that the QT4050 comes with. I almost did not buy this due to some of the reviews that complained about the stubble comb, but I just happened to wade down to the newest reviews and notice people Amazon is now shipping it with both combs. I tried desperately to find the T980, but it is no longer available anywhere, even on Ebay, so don't waste your time looking for that, as other reviews suggested. With the turbo vacuum feature that actually does catch at least 90% of the clippings, I don't think any other beard trimmer out there can touch this.

bought this to replace my older turbo vacuum model....what a mistake! The space between the guard and the guide comb doesn't work for me at all...it jabs my skin and allows very very uneven cuts to happen. I tried my best to get adjusted but have just called norelco to exercise the 45 day money back offer.