I have used a DE as my primary shaver and kept a cartridge razor in a drawer for those times when in a hurry. Recently, I made the mistake of trying a fusion and, in my opinion, it's the worst razor ever made. I haven't had a great experience with cartridge razors and thought I'd just not shave when in a hurry, but I have to admit I saw the Hydro and was curious about the gel reservoir thing and though I'd try it before saying good bye to cartridges for good.
I bought the 3 blade one...
Taken for what it is, this little machine is a solid product. If you keep in mind that nothing can compare to the lather you create in a bowl with a brush and if you don't have unrealistic expectations then you won't be disappointed. I'm a real simple guy and although I like the classic shaving experience I often reach for a brushless cream or canned creams because I don't always have the time to whip up some lather from scratch.
This machine does not produce HOT lather, it's just warm...
You can spend 3 or 4 times more for shaving cream, but you won't get more quality. This stuff is great.
Price: Paid about 8 bucks for 11oz. Also, it is locally available so I don't have to pay for shipping. That's a perfect score for me. If you live in the mid west try Meijer, they won't have it next to the canned goo so make sure you look around.
Quality: See above and below. I don't want to be redundant.
Scent: Well, the vanilla wasn't my favorite but it was not bad. A bit too...
Got this as a gift. I've had a few Merkurs and I swore I'd never buy another one. They are pretty good razors but they are overpriced considering their quality which, in my opinion, is not top notch.
Price: 33 USD shipped to my door. Not bad at all considering they are of slightly better quality than Parkers. Also, not a bad price if you want to buy it on a whim since, by today standards, it's fairly unique (or at least interesting looking). It's built pretty solid so it should last...
I wanted to post some comments but noticed that the only one that was reviewed was the battery powered version. I normally use a DE but wanted something for those rare circumstances when I don't have time for a proper shave and need a fast shave (oversleep, etc). Coming from a DE background it's hard to evaluate a product like this one, so let's see.
Price: about 9.99 for the razor and 2 blades, so not bad. However, the cartridges are ridiculously expensive, probably the most expensive...
I was quite surprised at how good this stuff works and how nice it smells. In my opinion, it is quite possibly the best choice in a DS aftershave. I was afraid to try any of the Clubman aftershaves because I'm not big into scented aftershaves and I heard this stuff was strong, but WOW! As pleasant as they come.
Price: 10/10 - It varies depending on where you get it. You can find it online anywhere from 9-13 USD. I found it locally at Walgreens and paid 8 USD for a 12 Oz. bottle...
It's alright just not the greatest. I paid 6.30 euros in Spain (country of origin) which is about 9 USD. I think it's over priced, even in Spain.
This stuff performs less satisfactorily than Nive or similar DS aftershaves costing a few bucks cheaper.
I don't know about the so called mineral salts, I don't really think they do anything. They might be used in fancy spas and all you want but if they are useless in certain applications then what's the point? it would be like using red wine...