Do electric shavers really need cleaning stations or is it just hype?

[Brutus]

The question then becomes, would they last long enough without the above interventions. Maybe shaver heads would cut effectively for a year without doing anything. Or two years. The lifespan of a modern electric shaver is dependent on its batteries, probably on the order of 3 or 4 years, so you might need to change the head only once in the life of the shaver anyway. Or not. All valid considerations, maybe worthy of peer-review. But rounding back, for rationale, see sentence #1.

Just for a moment; allow me to digress from the original thread.

The lifespan of a modern shaver may only partly dependent on the life of the battery, as the battery on at least some brands can be replaced.
I just had it done by the local Braun service centre on a rarely-used, 2012 Braun Series 7 and it costs the equivalent of €17/$18.
(And yes, the service centre assured me water resistance will not be affected.)

Regarding lubrication, I expect lubrication to reduce wear and tear on the Braun shaver cassette, no matter whether one uses the automatic cleaning method or you applies a drop of oil once a week, as the Braun manual suggests.



B.

 

[Flyboybob]

Just for a moment; allow me to digress from the original thread.

The lifespan of a modern shaver may only partly dependent on the life of the battery, as the battery on at least some brands can be replaced.
I just had it done by the local Braun service centre on a rarely-used, 2012 Braun Series 7 and it costs the equivalent of €17/$18.
(And yes, the service centre assured me water resistance will not be affected.)

Regarding lubrication, I expect lubrication to reduce wear and tear on the Braun shaver cassette, no matter whether one uses the automatic cleaning method or you applies a drop of oil once a week, as the Braun manual suggests.



B.

A Braun service center can replace the batteries while maintaining the waterproofing. Finding a Braun service center located nearby may be a problem and to get it replaced you may have to ship the shaver to which is a hassle. If I get five years use out of the shaver batteries it’s probably time to buy a new shaver.

BTW, quoting the Braun 7 series owner’s manual, “If you regularly clean the shaver under water, then once a week apply a drop of light machine oil (not included) on top of the Foil & Cutter cassette and the long hair trimmer.” And, “Cleaning with a brush:

• Switch off the shaver. Remove the Foil & Cutter cassette (1) and tap it out on a flat
surface. Using a brush, clean the inner area of the pivoting head. However, do not clean the foil and cutter cassette with the brush as this may damage it.”

 

[Chevyguy]

A Braun series 7 or 9 cassette might fit in the Shaversaver cap, but a small bowl would substitute. if you want cleaning station clean, then this is the economical way to go. I’m just not that concerned with my shaver being sanitized as long as the clippings are emptied.

I think your shaver would run cooler due to less friction if you cleaned it. The cartridge would definitely be cleaner. I wish that the cutters were still separate from the foils.

Clayton

Sent from my SM-A705U using Tapatalk

 

[Chevyguy]

There is am aftermarket solution called shaver shebang (not kidding) that is a lubricant and scented oil all in one and you mix with a bottle of 70% iso. You can add it to an empty rinsed out Braun cleaning cartridge or (like mentioned above) you can put it its own container and dip the shaver or soak the head. It is significantly cheaper then buying Braun cleaning cartridges and it does work somewhat as advertised but, through extensive testing and comparison, I can confidently tell you it does not work anywhere near as well as the braun formula.

When using it in a refilled cartridge you will run through it noticably quicker:
In my series 3 & 7 stations a new cartridge will last up to 5 weeks of daily use, and 3-4 weeks in my series 9 (due to the stupid fan). In the same conditions as above, a refilled cartridge with shaver shebang would last me about 3 weeks with the 3 & 7 and about 2 weeks with the 9.

I also noticed it doesn't dry nearly as well. With the Braun solution my 3 & 7 would be dry to the touch in about 3-4 hours where as the shaver shebang solution would leave the heads dripping wet after 4 hours. On my series 9 (with the fan) the head would be bone dry after the 45 min fan cycle with Braun solution and still slightly damp with shaver shebang.

The 'lubrication' in the shaver shebang is very sticky once it dries and I can definitely hear weaker motor models (like my 3) give off a slightly audible 'hesitation' when starting.

I tried forgoing the cleaning station a together and simply dipping the running shaver into a plastic cup of the shaver shebang solution. This would be an affordable alternative or great if someone got a model that is wet/dry but didn't come with a cleaning station and wants to tread those waters without getting a new shaver. Unfortunately, the shaver shebang solution still had the above pitfalls.

Another thing worth noting: I've owned atleast 5 different Braun shavers made in the last decade and the only one that ever developed a crack in the plastic housing is the only one I ever exclusively cleaned with the shaver shebang solution and never the Braun solution. Not saying the aftermarket solution caused it but that is an interesting coincidence none the less

So to sum it up, if you like/want to try a process cleaning of your shaver or want to attempt to save a few bucks.. try an aftermarket solution.

For me, the Braun solution works so well, last so long, and is very affordable when buying 3 or 6pks online that it's not worth the hassle to me.

I've had good luck with the Shaver Shebang. A cartridge refill will last me a month with my Series-7, or Series-9 Shavers. Even with the Braun solution I've had a wet shaver head the next morning after doing a cleaning. I now let them air dry on the counter after I clean and charge them, no big deal. It's the alcohol that causes the finish loss, and the plastic to become brittle and break.

Clayton

Sent from my SM-A705U using Tapatalk

 

[Chevyguy]

Would be interesting to know if it makes any difference in shaving time/quality (but the user should be blinded).
And another thing: do the foils/heads last any longer w cleaner.....

I think they last longer. 3 years on a Series-7 cartridge.

Clayton

Sent from my SM-A705U using Tapatalk

 

[Chevyguy]

My dad used Norelco and maybe Sunbeam shavers all his life, in those days: corded, dry shaving and just cleaned it once a week.... I remember doing it for him. He gave me one of his and did not like it. Maybe stuff back then lasted longer....as the drying and washing machine: 20+yrs.

The older shavers were built better, and they were also repairable. Everything made today is throwaway other than recycling the batteries.

Clayton

Sent from my SM-A705U using Tapatalk

 

[Flyboybob]

I think your shaver would run cooler due to less friction if you cleaned it. The cartridge would definitely be cleaner. I wish that the cutters were still separate from the foils.

Clayton

Sent from my SM-A705U using Tapatalk

Clayton you may be right, but I don’t know how much cooler than now. The head is not even warmer after I shave then it was when I started. Because I remove the cassette every time I shave to clean out the cuttings I would have noticed a difference in temperature. While shaving I can’t tell that the screens are any warmer as I shave than when I started.

 

[slybrewguy]

Clayton you may be right, but I don’t know how much cooler than now. The head is not even warmer after I shave then it was when I started. Because I remove the cassette every time I shave to clean out the cuttings I would have noticed a difference in temperature. While shaving I can’t tell that the screens are any warmer as I shave than when I started.

In true B&B overkill nerdom fashion... We may have to get a infrared temperature gun involved here! Haha

That's also a great way to catch the eye of the BOSC blade guys lol.

 

[Toothpick]

Last time I had an electric with a self cleaning station was way back in...like...2006 maybe. IDK, it was a long time ago. But I used it all the time. I felt it was worth it. Give it a quick rinse then in to the cleaning station. It came out way cleaner than the simple rinse I gave it. One of the rotary heads broke and Best Buy didn’t have the model anymore so I got a different model which I didn’t like and stopped using the electric. Never owned once since.

 

[Scaramouche]

In true B&B overkill nerdom fashion... We may have to get a infrared temperature gun involved here! Haha

That's also a great way to catch the eye of the BOSC blade guys lol.

I have one - of, course, for an in-vivo study, you'd have to standardize the pressure applied to the foils, taking into consideration the angle of attack, the vertical, lateral and horizontal axis of the shaver, the atmospheric pressure and ambient temperature - and relative humidity - as well as depressability, elasticity and lubricity of the skin, average cross-sectional diameter and tensile strength of the individual hairs at cutting level, density of hair per measured area, multi-directional speed of the shaver stroke, difference in surface temperature and absorbed temperature of the metals, molecular composition of blades and foils (is it uniform?), actual measured speed of the reciprocating blades (is it constant?), air resistance to blade motion (at 10,000 cpm), SEM analysis of foil and blade surfaces, pre-, in cycle and post-...and so on.... Anyone working on a materials engineering PhD?

 

[slybrewguy]

I have one - of, course, for an in-vivo study, you'd have to standardize the pressure applied to the foils, taking into consideration the angle of attack, the vertical, lateral and horizontal axis of the shaver, the atmospheric pressure and ambient temperature - and relative humidity - as well as depressability, elasticity and lubricity of the skin, average cross-sectional diameter and tensile strength of the individual hairs at cutting level, density of hair per measured area, multi-directional speed of the shaver stroke, difference in surface temperature and absorbed temperature of the metals, molecular composition of blades and foils (is it uniform?), actual measured speed of the reciprocating blades (is it constant?), air resistance to blade motion (at 10,000 cpm), SEM analysis of foil and blade surfaces, pre-, in cycle and post-...and so on.... Anyone working on a materials engineering PhD?

No PhD am I, BUT... I've spent the last almost ten years starting breweries which involves writing SOPs and stupidly intricate 'guerilla science' so I'm uncomfortably familiar with the type of process and constant double checks you are mentioning above.

 

[Macsta]

I have shavers with and without cleaning stations, I prefer the ones with the cleaning station, more convenient, better cleaning then by hand and for $4.16 every 4 to 6 weeks, it is worth it to me.

 

[JasonJT]

Just stumbled across this post by chance. I used to have a Braun Series 9 shaver with the cleaning station. The cleaning station had 3 cleaning modes selected automatically by the shaver: Eco, Normal and Intensive.

However no matter how lightly I shaved with it, it always seemed to select Intensive. It was rare it selected Eco Or Normal. Perhaps this is a ploy to make sure you go through the cleaning cartridges quicker?

Having said that it did a good job of cleaning the shaver, but I could have accomplished the same thing by washing the shaver head using hot soapy water and applying a thin film of ordinary hair clipper spray to the cutters and foil once dry. Another issue I didn't like with the cleaning stations is that there is no option to turn the charging off while cleaning, so I had to wait for the cleaning cycle to finish then unplug it.

Jason

 

[musicman1951]

Certainly something you could do manually. But that kind of maintenance is not really in my ballpark. Back in my electric shaver days they were only for dry shaving. The cleaning and oiling either happened in the unit (Braun in my case), manually or not at all. They are, for sure, overpriced - but you generally pay more for convenience.

With the wet shaving electrics now I probably wouldn't bother with the automatic cleaner/lube.

 

[Flyboybob]

For me it's about keeping the blades and foil lubed. The problem with hair, dead skin cells, etc, is that it potentially hinders proper lubrication. Dirt gets trapped by oil and thus increases friction. So I clean the blades and foil more to get the debris out, so I can put fresh clean oil on the metal contact surfaces.
I don't worry about germs. More about decreased performance from mucked up blades.

In the case of the Braun shavers, their instruction manual specifically states that if you don’t wet the shaver you don’t need any lubricants. Braun states that applying light machine oil to the screen after washing is required. I believe they suggest lubrication to prevent corrosion of the cutter cassette. I had a Panasonic shaver previously and its screens and cutters were made of stainless steel and didn’t require any lubrication. Also, they charge almost twice as much for their replacement screens and cutters. If it makes you happy to put some light machine oil on your shaver, then go ahead because it doesn’t really matter.

 

[Flyboybob]

Check out the Panasonic arc line. Much more bang for buck than braun, imo.

The Panasonic shavers are very good. My previous shaver was a Panasonic. However, their replacement parts for screens and cutters is twice the cost of the Braun combination cutter/Screen cassette. I never changed them and shaved for three years before the cutters got dull and started pulling on my beard. They recommend changing them annually. I’m just cheap and as long as I’m getting a close shave, I just keep using them. Instead of replacing the Panasonic cutters and screens, I bought a new Braun shaver, on sale from Costco, for twice the cost of the screens and the cutters. BTW Braun recommends changing the cutter cassette every 18 months. I changed the original one after three years of use when I thought I wasn’t getting as close a shave.