How long can a shaver really last?

[Rmac86]

After resurrecting my old Remington titanium rotary shaver by sending it off for battery replacement I am thinking about how much life is really in these devices?

Obviously quality plays a huge role here but I see lots of what I would consider lower end (mostly older Philishaves) on eBay that are quoted as still working and still holding a charge after 20 odd years.

Granted that the heads need replacing every 1-2 years but I’m wondering how many times batteries can be replaced?

I currently have several shavers in addition to the Remington - a Norelco 2000, Philips 1000 and a philishave hq5426. Only the norelco and Remington are in regular use. The norelco’s battery should last at least another 2 years at least (purchased in 2022) so I’m not too worried about that, but the Remington I’m not too sure about.

The Philishave is a mains only device so in theory it should last forever with regular cleaning and head changes, or do these cheaper shavers have a shorter lifespan?

Any input guys?

 

[Jim Elliott]

It's interesting how older razors seem to have been built to last longer than the newer models. My Braun Series 9 Pro 9465cc, which I expected to be a high-quality investment, only lasted four months before it needed to be serviced. It's frustrating to see the difference in durability compared to older devices.

As for your Remington, it's great that you were able to extend its life with a battery replacement. I’ve noticed that with proper care, some of these older shavers, especially mains-powered ones like your Philishave, can indeed last a very long time. Regular cleaning and head changes are key to keeping them running smoothly. But as you've mentioned, quality plays a huge role—older models seem to have been built with more longevity in mind than many of today's options.

When it comes to battery replacements, they can extend the life of your device significantly, but it does depend on how often you use the shaver and how well the replacement was done. Years ago (2002), I had a Philishave HP1318 sent away for battery replacement. It was shipped back to me and clearly the person who replaced the batteries didn't do a proper job because it still didn't hold a charge. In my experience, older devices that don’t rely on batteries, or those with easily replaceable batteries, tend to have a longer lifespan. It's definitely worth keeping those well-maintained razors in rotation.

 

[Bear906]

In my experience, it's hard to know which shavers will last, but the corded shavers seem to have the edge in general longevity.

Anecdotally, I had a late 1980s Philips 650TX rechargeable and 1990s Philips 710RL corded shaver that both had their drive gears fail after about three years of use. The NiCd cells in the 650TX were failing after less than two years of use, but it could operate as a corded shaver.

I have a 1984-vintage Remington XLR-800 corded shaver that still works as-new, and also a 20-year-old Remington SF-3 rechargeable that still holds a strong charge and shaves as-new.

My Philips 6423 LC corded shaver is also about 20 years old and works great. The nearly-identical Philips 6613X rechargeable I have was shot in about four years of use.

 

[Rmac86]

It's interesting how older razors seem to have been built to last longer than the newer models. My Braun Series 9 Pro 9465cc, which I expected to be a high-quality investment, only lasted four months before it needed to be serviced. It's frustrating to see the difference in durability compared to older devices.

As for your Remington, it's great that you were able to extend its life with a battery replacement. I’ve noticed that with proper care, some of these older shavers, especially mains-powered ones like your Philishave, can indeed last a very long time. Regular cleaning and head changes are key to keeping them running smoothly. But as you've mentioned, quality plays a huge role—older models seem to have been built with more longevity in mind than many of today's options.

When it comes to battery replacements, they can extend the life of your device significantly, but it does depend on how often you use the shaver and how well the replacement was done. Years ago (2002), I had a Philishave HP1318 sent away for battery replacement. It was shipped back to me and clearly the person who replaced the batteries didn't do a proper job because it still didn't hold a charge. In my experience, older devices that don’t rely on batteries, or those with easily replaceable batteries, tend to have a longer lifespan. It's definitely worth keeping those well-maintained razors in rotation.

Thanks Jim, yes it’s good that the life of my Remington has been extended somewhat. Though I am reminded of the fact that Remington shavers are generally a bit more aggressive than Philips and Norelco models. Not a huge issue, but one I chalk up to having a double track blade system as opposed to the Philips single track.

Only issue is that I’m having trouble finding replacement parts for the Remington outside the USA. Specifically I’m looking for a set of SP-21 blades and a new head frame/hair pocket. I found one US website that ships internationally but the shipping costs are huge, like it would cost me over £100 for a couple sets of blades and the hair pocket. Are there any recommendations in terms of replacement parts that won’t break the bank?

I’ve tried Remington Europe but the parts in question have been long since discontinued.


Thanks,

R

 

[Rmac86]

In my experience, it's hard to know which shavers will last, but the corded shavers seem to have the edge in general longevity.

Anecdotally, I had a late 1980s Philips 650TX rechargeable and 1990s Philips 710RL corded shaver that both had their drive gears fail after about three years of use. The NiCd cells in the 650TX were failing after less than two years of use, but it could operate as a corded shaver.

I have a 1984-vintage Remington XLR-800 corded shaver that still works as-new, and also a 20-year-old Remington SF-3 rechargeable that still holds a strong charge and shaves as-new.

My Philips 6423 LC corded shaver is also about 20 years old and works great. The nearly-identical Philips 6613X rechargeable I have was shot in about four years of use.

Interesting, with the shavers you mentioned how many times have you replaced the batteries?

I’d imagine there’s only a handful of times that batteries can be replaced before the circuit board gets fried from soldering?

Also are any of those shavers “washable”? If so, did opening them up in any way compromise the water resistance? I’ve been told by the guy that serviced the Remington that normally this doesn’t effect anything but occasionally sealing can wear out due the age?

 

[Jim Elliott]

Thanks Jim, yes it’s good that the life of my Remington has been extended somewhat. Though I am reminded of the fact that Remington shavers are generally a bit more aggressive than Philips and Norelco models. Not a huge issue, but one I chalk up to having a double track blade system as opposed to the Philips single track.

Only issue is that I’m having trouble finding replacement parts for the Remington outside the USA. Specifically I’m looking for a set of SP-21 blades and a new head frame/hair pocket. I found one US website that ships internationally but the shipping costs are huge, like it would cost me over £100 for a couple sets of blades and the hair pocket. Are there any recommendations in terms of replacement parts that won’t break the bank?

I’ve tried Remington Europe but the parts in question have been long since discontinued.


Thanks,

R

What's the US website you mentioned that ships internationally and has the SP-21 blades the head frame/hair pocket? Can you post a direct link to these parts? I'll see what I can find.

 

[Rmac86]

What's the US website you mentioned that ships internationally and has the SP-21 blades the head frame/hair pocket? Can you post a direct link to these parts? I'll see what I can find.

Link below for the blades:

Sp-21: Titanium Rotary Heads & SP-21 - OEM Remington - eReplacementParts.com

Buy the official Remington Sp-21: Titanium Rotary Heads & SP-21 replacement - Use our model diagrams, repair help, and video tutorials to help get the job done.

www.ereplacementparts.com

And for the hair pocket:

Hairpocket RP00086 - OEM Remington - eReplacementParts.com

Buy the official Remington Hairpocket RP00086 replacement - Use our model diagrams, repair help, and video tutorials to help get the job done.

www.ereplacementparts.com

Any help/advice would be much appreciated!

I may even settle for non-OEM parts if there’s a significant cost saving.

 

[Jim Elliott]

Wow. Shipping costs are definitely a killer. I actually used that site years ago to buy a replacement hair chamber for my beard trimmer. I am checking on something regarding these parts and I'll update you shortly.

 

[Bear906]

Interesting, with the shavers you mentioned how many times have you replaced the batteries?

I’d imagine there’s only a handful of times that batteries can be replaced before the circuit board gets fried from soldering?

Also are any of those shavers “washable”? If so, did opening them up in any way compromise the water resistance? I’ve been told by the guy that serviced the Remington that normally this doesn’t effect anything but occasionally sealing can wear out due the age?

I haven't replaced the cells in any of my shavers. In the case of the 650TX, the shaver was getting shabby-looking by the time the cells failed, and I expected to need a new shaver soon--which turned out to be true. With the 6613X, I found the overall performance of the 6423 LC to be superior and elected to retire it.

These were all dry shavers; none were intended to be water resistant.