Philips Norelco QC5170 180-Degree Hair Clipper
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List Price: Our Price: $23.94 You Save: $26.05 (52%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Health Care See more product details |
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Customer Reviews of Philips Norelco QC5170 180-Degree Hair Clipper
Customer Review: Fantastic Hair Clipper
Summary: 5 Stars
I have bought scores of products from Amazon in the past but have written only a few reviews. But this product is so good I have to write a review about this one. In a nutshell, this hair clipper excels in three categories: quality, performance, and value.
QUALITY
Just looking and holding this hair clipper told me instantly that this was a quality product. I turned the ring that controls the length of hair to any of five positions and it's a solid feel. I lift out the comb from the head and put it back in and I can tell nothing is going to snap off or break. I pull out the cutters to clean them and put them back in and I can tell that nothing is going to break. Very very solid.
PERFORMANCE
The clippers are just about as ergonimically perfect as they can be. Conforms to my hand perfectly. The clippers come with two interchangeable combs, and each can be set to five lengths. The first comb can be set from 1/8" to about 1/2", and the second comb from 1/2" to about 7/8". Remove the comb and you can cut right to the skin. I put it through my hair and it clipped like a pro-model. I couldn't tell these clippers were cordless. To do the back of my head, I easily rotated the head 90 degrees, and I very easily and effectively cut my hair in back. When I was done, there was only one difference between me doing this myself and paying someone to do it: I couldn't shave the hair at the base of my neck, and so I asked my son to do it for me.
VALUE
These clippers will pay for themselves in less than two visits to the barber. It took me just a few minutes, and the results are professional. Amazon also had, as usual, the best price, free shipping, and delivery within four days.
FINAL VERDICT
This product is manufactured of the highest quality and it does a professional job without any skill. The removable parts remove easily and with no likelihood of ever breaking. It is extremely ergonomic. It's fun to use. Plus the price is great and warranty long. My ONLY complaint is that it doesn't come with a case, and so I bought one at Walmart for $5.00. This is truly a superior product.
Customer Review: Exceeded my expectations.
Summary: 5 Stars
I hate haircuts. I used to procrastinate until it became an emergency, even though I have very little hair left and just ordered the male pattern baldness version of the crew cut. A couple of years ago I was so nettled when I saw the waiting line at the barber shop that I went straight home and cut it all off. Bald. Problem solved.
But my wife never really liked it and I have to say I didn't either. So I decided to let it grow a little and try the do-it-yourself approach, returning to a short, uniform length hair style. After reading reviews and thinking about how I use the razor to shave my head, I chose the Norelco rechargeable clippers. The rotating head made a lot of sense to me, and elimination of the power cord seemed to eliminate a real potential for annoyance. I think I made the right decision and am delighted.
I thought the procedure would be for me to take a basic hack at it and then let my wife even it out. However after my first effort, my wife went over a few spots and told me there really wasn't anything to do. Ten minutes and done--well, maybe a little longer the first time. As a result of shaving my head, I am used to the grain of my hair and how to gauge the cut by feeling the scalp. So maybe my learning curve wasn't as steep as it might be for someone who has never tried cutting his own hair. However, this is not rocket science and the guide combs make it pretty hard to goof up.
This is a nice gadget and I like gadgets. The clippers are very comfortable in my hand and the build quality is excellent. Charge is probably sufficient for several haircuts (i.e., for my hair), and the clipper blades themselves seem quite efficient. In other words, they seem to cut cleanly and evenly and don't "chew" on the hairs. From the instructions, I am pretty sure the batteries are NiCad, so don't overcharge them. Now, rather than having a nice haircut that will deteriorate into a mess every few weeks, I can stay on top of the situation. Highly recommended.
Customer Review: Cleared out my hair as if it wasn't there!
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I had to admit when I first held this little cordless Norelco in my hand I had to laugh a little bit. Surely there's no way it could smoothly plow through my thick hair! To my surprise, however, it ripped right through without a single cough or fit. I was also surprised to discover I could cut my own hair pretty well with it! I've been paying Pro Cuts $15 a month for years just for them to give my hair a buzz, and now I don't think I'll need them ever again!
The 180-degree turning feature is a nice addition to the product, though I found I did most of my clipping at the standard upright position, there were a few times where I needed to go in from the side. The attachments work well, except for the Precision Trimmer which I found wasn't able to trim away the annoying hairs that grow down my neck at all. I had to use my other shaver for that. It did work nicely for that delicate hair line above the ears, though.
I do admit, that as a first time self hair cutter I had my friend look at it too to make sure I didn't miss a few spots - which, of course, I did - but again surprisingly few. With a couple more trims I'll no doubt become a pro with it.
So.. let's do the math. $15 hair cuts once a month (sometimes more) and this costs $40... hmm, sounds like it'll pay for itself in no time! Now I admit I've just started using it so I can't comment on the life span, but with the self-sharpening blades it seems like it should last a long time and provide many great cuts before pooping out. Definitely worth trying!
Customer Review: Mystery solved: Press it firmly against your head
Summary: 5 Stars
MYSTERY SOLVED: To get this clipper to cut hair short, you must hold the unit flat against your head and press it firmly against your scalp, and then slowly and repeatedly slide it across your scalp. Otherwise, it just slides over your head without cutting. At first, I thought something was wrong with the unit. But after a little experimenting, I found that I could hear it cutting hair, and as I continued, I discovered the unit is an ergonomic masterpiece. It's easy to hold, and the rotating cutting head makes it easy to properly position for cutting hair on different parts of your own head.
At first I was surprised by the way my hair looked when I was finished. I thought I had been getting an even haircut before, but this was visibly more even, even at a very short length. I am now enthusiastic about the results I get.
I use an Andis trimmer to trim the hair off the back of my neck because I already had it, and it works well. Maybe the Norelco unit's other trimming head which snaps into place would work alright there; I just haven't needed to try it. But I'm giving this unit a five-star review based upon the phenomenally even cut I get and the ease of use. Another plus is that the blades on this trimmer require no lubrication.
I'm not sure why this unit provides such an unusually even cut. Maybe the blades are incredibly sharp. But you must hold the unit flat against your head and press it firmly against your scalp to get it to cut short hair.
Customer Review: Wish I had bought this sooner.
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been shelling out $20 a month for many years to get my hair cut at the barber shop. I decided to try this item on a whim, and reasoned that it cost less than two haircuts, so even if it didn't do a great job, it wouldn't be much of a loss. I am happy to report that this item is perfect for doing what it was designed to do - giving yourself a buzz cut. The way the head rotates makes it easy to hold with either hand, regardless of what part of the head you are trimming. This is really as good an ergonomic design as is possible. It never feels awkward. You DO need to press it firmly against your head, and go over the same area more than once from different directions, but the finished haircut is more neat and even than the barber has ever given me (probably because he usually has a line of people waiting and isn't super-picky about the quality of the haircut.)
The guides are easy to snap on and take off, and adjusting the length of the cut is a breeze, but you can't accidentally change it while cutting. I purchased a small leather case to store this in, since it does not come with one and has a few loose pieces that you won't want cluttering up your bathroom counter. Both the quality/sturdiness of this item and the power of its motor feel good. As long as this product stands the test of time, it's very deserving of 5 stars. Now I will have an extra $20 a month in my pocket, and don't have to worry about when I can get to the barber schedule-wise.