I'm close to pulling the trigger on a Panasonic Arc 5, would be used to shave my head (currently using a disposable blade).... have spent several hours online researching the Arc 5 vs Braun vs etc.... so, my question is, i think during my research i saw it mentioned somewhere that the older generation Arc5 (the ES LV 65S and 95S) had a "sensor" which, if manually activated, would cycle the power up/down depending on how it senses your hair thickness/density etc....meaning it would raise power a bit when you're going over your thicker hairs. Then i think i read that the newer generation (ES LV 9N and 6N) have the same "sensor" feature but it's not user-adjustable, meaning (i think ?) that it's permanently "on" .... can anyone clarify this for me ? Personally, i want control over this function at all times. TIA for any feedback on this !!
Question for Panasonic Arc 5 users . . . . . .
- Thread starter Peter Steele
- Start date
On the new models automatic and non-adjustable. On my 9N I can't really tell a significant difference, in sound or function, but it does provide the closest shave of any electric I've used. Whether attributable to the automatic feature is debatable, and not quite as comfortable a shave as with the Braun Series 9, for me, but one of the top foil shavers today. The new Brauns are automatic as well, BTW, the manual adjustment being only available on the venerable Series 7 and presumably disappearing with the soon to be redesigned 7 model, so if that's an absolute, might want to pick one up - not a bad shaver itself.
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I have a Braun series 7 shaver that has the manually adjustable power adjustment to three different settings. I tried all three and couldn’t tell any difference in the performance nor speed. My impression is that this feature is basically a gimmick. If it was automatic and made the same adjustments it wouldn’t matter. My suggestion is to buy the shaver and try it out. Every manufacturer has at least a 30 day return policy. If you buy it from Amazon, they will allow you to return the shaver within 30 days no questions asked.
My Braun 7893s is adjustable to three settings. However, I just leave it on the highest, Green, setting because I can’t tell any difference between the three settings. The shaver doesn’t sound any different, doesn’t feel any different on my face nor does it shave any differently regardless of which of the three settings I have used. It must have been a simple matter making this feature automatic because I can’t tell any difference.
I use a OneBlade Genesis and I also have a Arc5 ES-LV97-k after having norelcos and a braun, mainly for the cleaning station but I eventually found the LV97-K w/ a cleaning station. The shaver works well but I have an issue with the cleaning station and I do not understand why it smells like mildew (shaver and the station as well) given the station clean and dries. The bathroom reeks during the process as well. Maybe the dryer is not fully drying out the shaver head? I have changed out the cleaning solution to get rid of the mildew smell but I do not think this should happen. My braun w/ a cleaning station did not smell bad once.
Does anyone else have this mildew smell issue with the panasonic arc5 w/ cleaning station?
Does anyone else have this mildew smell issue with the panasonic arc5 w/ cleaning station?
Panasonic basically uses a water-based surfactant/detergent in their cleaning stations, with some fragrance additives. It essentially just cleans - no disinfecting, no sanitizing. As the solution gets contaminated (depending on what's left on the shaver head when it's inserted), it provides a medium for growth for any organisms on the head - warm, wet and dark: ideal conditions for growth. Braun uses an alcohol solution, which effectively sanitizes the head, as well as preventing an overgrowth in the solution. Same for Philips Norelco, whose solution is a quaternary mixture not quite as effective as alcohol, but still effective at killing many organisms. The good news is that the Panasonic head probably benefits the least from automatic cleaning, having foils and cutters separate, and also being very easy to clean manually with a brush. If you do use the Panasonic station, best to rinse the shaver head very thoroughly after shaving, and change out the solution at least monthly with a thorough cleaning of the holding tank.
^ Thank you for your response!
The holding tank smells like normal mild citrus and it does not smell bad whereas the station and shaver smell bad. Perhaps the moisture in the shaver and station are not being properly dried. I believe my cleaning station's dryer / fan may be broken or defective after ~6 months. I have not used the shaver more than a few times.
What are you thinking about adding some 70% iso alcohol (50% iso / 50% distilled water) with Panasonic's lamdash detergent to make panasonic's cleaning station to properly sanitize the shaver? It may rid of the rancid smell as well.
The holding tank smells like normal mild citrus and it does not smell bad whereas the station and shaver smell bad. Perhaps the moisture in the shaver and station are not being properly dried. I believe my cleaning station's dryer / fan may be broken or defective after ~6 months. I have not used the shaver more than a few times.
What are you thinking about adding some 70% iso alcohol (50% iso / 50% distilled water) with Panasonic's lamdash detergent to make panasonic's cleaning station to properly sanitize the shaver? It may rid of the rancid smell as well.
Probably not a good idea to use alcohol in the Panny cleaning station (other than wiping it out) - it was designed for their specific cleaner and water. It would likely affect the pump and seals eventually, causing them to fail. That said, I haven't tried it, and the lifespan of the station is probably on the order of 3 or 4 years anyway (used daily) , so it might not fail due to an incompatible solution before something else breaks.
You have a good point, I will start regularly clean up the station and the shaver, not only using the auto cleaning. I was too used to Braun's cleaning station without having to do more than press the button.
Panasonic's detergent is fairly inexpensive (on Amazon) and it works well besides the issue I am encountering with the auto clean/dry.
Thanks
Panasonic's detergent is fairly inexpensive (on Amazon) and it works well besides the issue I am encountering with the auto clean/dry.
Thanks
My thoughts are to simply forget the cleaning station and just rinse the shaver under running water after you shave and allow the head and cutters dry open on your sink counter. If the odor persists, then the problem is not the cleaning station.
CzechCzar
Use the Fat, Luke!
Thank you for the very useful analysis. I did not know this.
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