Philips Norelco QC5170 180-Degree Hair Clipper
|
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 |
|---|
Customer Reviews of Philips Norelco QC5170 180-Degree Hair Clipper
Customer Review: Looking sharp, done the quick and easy way
Summary: 4 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
For more than one reason, I haven't seen the insides of a hair-cuttery in more than a decade. Flowbee was my trusted hair-management solution for all these years until I had the opportunity to try out Norelco's 'Philips Norelco QC5170 180-Degree Hair Clipper' and Philips Norelco QC5055 Power Hair Clipper. Now, I'm sold on these two.
Focusing on the QC5170, it lets quickly and efficiently do the back of my head and the sides and, thanks to the pivoting head feature, I can do it all by myself.
Operation:
Once charged, all you need to do is attach the proper comb (see below), select the desired hair length and proceed with cutting.
Hair-cutting tends to be a borderline traumatic experience for me - I'm a long hair type person - but this was a near-painless experience. I am looking forward to more future haircuts. It goes fast, smooth and easy and, in my case - I was only doing some advanced styling on the back and the sides following an initial cut - I didn't even need to clean the comb when I was done.
This may not apply to everyone but, speaking for myself, I can use either hands to hold the clipper. Even with both hands available, self-cutting would have been an awkward and difficult operation with a traditional tool but, on the QC5170 all I need to do is pivot the comb 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise and I could reach any spot on my head easily and comfortably. As for technique, I go against the direction of hair growth first then, for a nice finish, I go in the opposite direction to even things out. In the end, I'm pretty close to what most would get from a professional hair stylist in exchange for maybe $20 or maybe more.
What you get:
- The hair clipper body hosting the rechargeable batteries.
- The clipping attachment
- Stainless steel, self-sharpening cutting blades
- Precision cutter for contouring
- Large comb - .51-.83in. (13-21mm)
- Small comb - .12-.43in. (3-11mm)
- Charger
- Cleaning brush
- English/Spanish instructions
- Registration card with $20 coupon offer
Some specs:
- Battery life is rated at up to 60 minutes.
- Charge time is 8 hours.
- Cuts hair from .12 in./3 mm to 1.61 in./41 mm.
- 10 length settings between the 2 combs (5 on each of the large and small combs)
Returns and warranties:
There's a 45-day money back guarantee promise if the customer can provide proof of purchase and ships the item, insured, to Norelco at own expense.
The 2-year warranty promises to replace defective products for as long as the customer didn't do anything 'unreasonable' and he/she paid for shipping the item to Norelco, preferably insured. Proof of purchase of course, is a must.
What I liked:
Other than the surprising ease of use and operation and the quality of the haircut, I liked the easy cleaning and maintenance and the fact that, if needed, it can operate in a 'corded' mode. The easy grip makes self-cutting easy, efficient and confident.
The brief manual is written in good English and is very good at illustrating cleaning and assembly and has very good advice on maintenance, preserving battery life and even some haircutting tips.
Issues:
My big problem and the only one so far is the lack of some case or storage box. With so many parts of which some are small and/or fragile, not providing some way to store them, protect them and keeping them organized is inexcusable.
I am also having an issue with the maximum length. .83in. is too short for me. I can use this at the longest length setting for my back and sides but, for the rest, I will be using the QC5055. I understand that most men will be happy with the maximum length on this clipper so, for most, the QC5170 is all that may be needed to achieve hair-clipping peace of mind or even happiness.
Rating:
This would have been an easy 5-star if it came with a case. Since it doesn't, it gets 4.
I still recommend the QC5170 most highly but be prepared to supply your own box or pouch - I did - or risk losing combs or the cleaning tool or maybe misplace the all essential charger.
Customer Review: A good, inexpensive clipper
Summary: 4 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I've been cutting my own hair for around 10 years now. I'm not a stylist -- I just wait until the hair and my beard get unruly and then clip everything back to almost nothing. The Philips Norelco QC5170 clipper is great for this.
The clipper I've been using is one I bought 10 years ago in a drugstore for around $20. It worked OK but it took seemingly forever to cut my hair, at least 45 minutes. This was mainly because 1) the clipper had to constantly be cleared during the cut and 2) I had to constantly go over the same hair patches to ensure everything was even. I settled for this because I figured that this was the default experience when cutting your own hair (I had no experience with other clippers to make a real comparison).
With this Philips Norelco clipper, I was done in about 15 minutes, which includes a complete dome shaving and a beard trimming. One of the best things is that I didn't end up with red, irritated skin on the back of my neck and around my throat like I used to; since you don't have to keep going over the same areas with this more powerful clipper, you don't end up with sore skin. And you don't have to deal with a cord constantly winding around your wrist, which is very convenient.
The pivoting head, which locks in at three different angles, provides the same service as the two or three angled cutting heads that came with my old clipper. I never used those much, but I do use the pivot now. This takes some getting used to, especially for someone like me who has learned self-clipping using only one angle. But use the different angles a couple of times and they'll make sense to you as they did for me.
I like how many fewer parts there are to this clipper. The two adjustable heads and the trimmer head are designed to take the place of multiple clip-on heads found with old clippers. And the clipper needs no oil, so you don't need a little tube of said stuff hanging around. As someone mentioned here, though, it would be nice to have a bag included to throw all the parts into, one relatively small that can be tossed into a bathroom drawer. Instead, all you have is the original box, which is too cumbersome to open and to store in a bathroom; I'm using a kitchen storage bag for storage to hold everything, one with a ziplock. It works out OK.
When I think about how much I save each year cutting my own hair, the cost of this clipper becomes very reasonable. Mind, I don't get fancy cutting my hair, so if you do -- if you like a layered look, for instance -- your experience might be different from mine. But in general, I was surprised and pleased at how quickly this strong little clipper went through my messy hair.
Customer Review: Good value....
Summary: 4 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
First let me say that I generally keep my hair buzzed (until my 4 year old daughter told me to, "stop and let my head be hairy.") I used a Wahl (which is by far the best buzzer I have ever used). Getting the Norelco 180-Degree Hair Clipper is a night and day difference. Some things are better and some things are worse. I should note that the wall is NOT a hair trimmer, and you really couldn't use it to trim long hair. The Norelco is much better. However, it is less heavy duty, meaning that your hair must be washed and gel/hairspray/etc., free. The problem is that you then need to take another shower to get all the little hair clippings off of you. Also, the unit feels a little flimsy and does not make you feel that it was very well constructed. Not that I have had ANY problems with it. And, it may be that I am just used to the sold feel of my Wahl. The greatest thing about this unit is that it is wireless. No cords to get in your way or tangle you up. I have pretty fine hair and it cut very easily. (I will update it in a few months if the cutting ability changes). You do need to let it fully charge before using it. The ability to change angles seems like a great idea, but I did not find it particularly useful (again, this might be because my Wahl did not have this feature and I am just accustomed to it) and in order to change the angle you need to turn it with a ratchet type of action. I will also note, having mentioned my Wahl several times, that the Norelco is LESS than half the price. The batttery holds a charge well and the motor did not bog down cutting my hair (remember that I said my hair is pretty fine). This is not something I would use on facial hair for several reasons, including fear of dulling the blade and draining the battery faster. I still have a few concerns over the plastic construction of this unit, and I am afraid to break it. As I mentioned, this may be totally unfounded. Lastly, you do not have a lot of choices in hair length here if you wish to keep your hair relatively long (and have no idea how to cut hair). Otherwise, this is a good product. Oh, I should also mention that this is a little intimidating to young children as my 5.5 year old son refused to let me near him because it looked like it had teeth. LOL. His hair is very thick, and when I finally get him to let me cut his hair I will post an update. I think that you can buy this with confidence that you will use it and not just be a gadget that is used only once and then put away.Customer Review: Great portable clipper!
Summary: 4 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I was excited to get a preview copy of the new Norelco 180 degree hair clipper to try out. When I first took it out of the box, I was amazed at how light it was and best of all CORDLESS!
I'm a simple hair-cut guy and do #2 all the way around and a #1 on the goatee.
I gave the 180 degree clipper a whirl and it performed flawlessly right out of the box (it comes charged). I've been cutting my hair myself for the past 8 years and this is the first cordless clipper I've ever used. It was so much easier having the freedom to angle the clippers as you see fit.
I didn't utilize the 180 degree adjustment feature that much, but did find it helpful when having to do the left side of my head as I'm not that great with my left hand. Being able to adjust the clippers made it feel more natural in my left hand when doing the back of my scalp and on the sides.
The clipper also performed flawlessly on my full goatee as I simply dialed down the clipper from a #2 to a #1 with the push of a button. That's right...all the numbered guards (up to 5) are built-into the clipper. You simply adjust the dial to the number you want and you're off. No more changing guards!
Only thing was that the built-in guard guides are a little too long and it prevented me from getting up under my nose on my mustache, but other than that this product is a winner and is certainly replacing my corded clippers!
****UPDATE****
Six months later this thing is still my go to clipper for haircuts. I'm still hitting the #2 all over on a regular basis and the cordless clipper performs without a hitch. Battery life is still nice after multiple charges. This thing is a winner!
Customer Review: A Great Way To Stay Trim
Summary: 4 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
When I first unpacked the Norelco QC5170 hair clipper, I was a bit skeptical because it was lighter than what I had expected. But after using the clipper for the first time, the light weight was more of an advantage than a detriment because it seemed to give me better control of its functions.
The clipper's motor is strong and easily cut through my hair, which is fairly thick. The self-cleaning blades are also great; no more oiling! I also found the design of the clipper to be well thought out. Aside from being comfortable in my hands, the fact that it's cordless and with a pivoting head makes the clipper easy to use. In addition, the trim length is not adjusted by changing guides, but by adjusting the blade height. There is a red button that, when depressed, lets you dial the height of the blade in relation to the built-in guide, thus adjusting the length of the cut. The button also protects you from accidentally changing the blade position while you're cutting your hair. If you're used to the numbered guides that the barber shop uses to determine hair length, you will need to be aware that the clipper's numbering system is different. The number 5 setting with the shorter, built-in guide on the Norelco clipper is more like a number 2 or 3 setting on a standard barber shop cutting guide.
The clipper came pre-charged so I could use it right out of the box. And the clipper was conveniently packaged. One thing I hate are products that seem to require explosives to unpack.
If you like to trim your own hair, then I would recommend this product. This is truly a clipper designed with the DIY'er in mind.