My Philips 6423 LC shaver has a set of well-maintained, Philips HQ55+ heads that have seen about four years of use. I'm diligent about doing a five-minute self-sharpening cycle after their weekly cleaning and lubrication routine, and they still provide me with outstanding shaves.
Genuine Philips HQ55+ replacement heads/cutters are hard to find these days and tend to cost more than a new shaver would. Amazon offers many options for aftermarket replacements. But...are they any good? I ordered a set to find out.
It looks like there's at least three different generic replacement models on offer at Amazon for the HQ55+, all sold under various brand names by multiple sellers. I went with the Bechy model, which has a violet-coloured drive cam receiver on the cutters. A six-pack of these cost me US$17.99.
I have a dead Philips 6613X shaver that uses the same head assembly as that used with the 6423 LC, so I loaded it with the Bechy heads. Then, I simply swapped head assemblies between the two to compare the two sets of heads.
After installing the Bechy heads and lubricating them with Wahl Total Care spray, I snapped the head assembly onto my 6423 LC and turned it on. The razor ran slowly at first and I heard grinding and squeaking sounds from the heads, but these smoothed out and the shaver was back to full speed and smooth operation within 90 seconds.
Then, I gave myself a test shave, using the Philips heads on one half of my face, and the Bechy heads on the other. Here's how they performed:
CLOSENESS: Both were excellent, virtually the same.
EFFICIENCY: The Bechy heads were a bit more efficient than my Philips heads, taking fewer passes to mow down a given area of stubble.
COMFORT: Both were excellent, virtually the same.
IRRITATION: Once again, both were excellent; no irritation to be found.
Only time will tell if the Bechy heads will perform well over the long haul.
MY VERDICT: RECOMMENDED. If you own a compatible Philips shaver, I think they're worth a try. You'll be able to change your heads on schedule at a no-worries price.
Bechy heads are in the razor at left, Philips HQ55+ are in the razor at right:
Genuine Philips HQ55+ replacement heads/cutters are hard to find these days and tend to cost more than a new shaver would. Amazon offers many options for aftermarket replacements. But...are they any good? I ordered a set to find out.
It looks like there's at least three different generic replacement models on offer at Amazon for the HQ55+, all sold under various brand names by multiple sellers. I went with the Bechy model, which has a violet-coloured drive cam receiver on the cutters. A six-pack of these cost me US$17.99.
I have a dead Philips 6613X shaver that uses the same head assembly as that used with the 6423 LC, so I loaded it with the Bechy heads. Then, I simply swapped head assemblies between the two to compare the two sets of heads.
After installing the Bechy heads and lubricating them with Wahl Total Care spray, I snapped the head assembly onto my 6423 LC and turned it on. The razor ran slowly at first and I heard grinding and squeaking sounds from the heads, but these smoothed out and the shaver was back to full speed and smooth operation within 90 seconds.
Then, I gave myself a test shave, using the Philips heads on one half of my face, and the Bechy heads on the other. Here's how they performed:
CLOSENESS: Both were excellent, virtually the same.
EFFICIENCY: The Bechy heads were a bit more efficient than my Philips heads, taking fewer passes to mow down a given area of stubble.
COMFORT: Both were excellent, virtually the same.
IRRITATION: Once again, both were excellent; no irritation to be found.
Only time will tell if the Bechy heads will perform well over the long haul.
MY VERDICT: RECOMMENDED. If you own a compatible Philips shaver, I think they're worth a try. You'll be able to change your heads on schedule at a no-worries price.
Bechy heads are in the razor at left, Philips HQ55+ are in the razor at right:
