Panasonic ARC5 Electric Razor, Wet/Dry 5-Blade ES-LV65-S

I bought my first Norelco in 1994 and loved it. Some years ago, I replaced it with a model 8240XL and also loved that one too. Both cut very well and the batteries seemed to run forever. On an impulse, I bought a model S8950 a couple of years ago, because the advertising depicted the swivel head as the greatest invention since the TV remote. This new shaver turned out to be a great disappointment. The cut was awful and after a while, the head fell apart and I had to replace it. The cut from the replacement head was so bad that I decided to buy a new head for my old 8240XL. The new head arrived and low and behold, the cut was even worse than the newer model S8950. I have now come to the conclusion that a senior bean-counter at Phillips Norelco has discovered he can save a few pennies by out-sourcing the blades to a cheap maker and the result is that the quality is now awful. So, buyers don’t be persuaded by the reputation of Norelco and older reviews. Look at the current reviews and you will see what I mean. So far as I am concerned, Norelco’s reputation is now dead.
For me, changing from Norelco was a bit like a change of religion, but I carefully researched the reviews on various brands and models and it came down to either the high-end Braun 7 Series, or the Panasonic Arc 5. In the end, I bought the Panasonic Arc 5 and I am amazed at the incredible cut this shaver gives me. It appears to be well-made and I can now get a very close shave after just a couple of minutes. Love it and my skin feels like it has had a very careful wet shave. I have only used the shaver so far in dry mode.
The latest fad is for high-end shaver manufacturers to offer cleaning stations. I bought this model without the cleaning station and I am absolutely convinced that the cleaning station would be a waste of space, money and time. Why complicate a daily chore? The instructions for the non-cleaning station version, that I bought, don’t mention the cleaning station at all. Instead, the instructions state to squirt a little liquid hand cleaner and water on the head and then to run the shaver. The result is that a little foam starts exuding from the head and after a 10 seconds or so, I remove the head (easy) and rinse it and briefly dry it. The whole cleaning episode takes maybe 60 seconds.
Maybe, after some period of time, I will have to replace the head, but no drama and not very expensive.
As a sales and marketing professional, I can tell you that every maker of long-lasting products dreams of offering a product where the purchaser has to continuously buy refills, cleaning packs etc. (Hence printers and vacuum cleaners and expensive fridge filters). If you buy this Panasonic with the cleaning station, you will need to buy packets of cleaning chemicals. If you buy the Braun, you will have to buy expensive cleaning cartridges. Don’t waste your money on those gimmicks, they may work, but in my opinion, are completely unnecessary.

UPDATE 5/15/2019
I have used this shaver for 2 months now and it is absolutely the best shaver I have owned and used in 50 years. I find the speed I shave is much faster than ever before. A few light strokes over an area and my skin is like a baby’s bottom (without the smell!). With my previous Norelcos, I used to pound away with shaving cream and the result was nothing like this Panasonic. I did not buy the cleaning station and it is absolutely unnecessary. A quick squirt with liquid hand soap and 10 seconds running cleans it 100%, followed by a quick rinse in warm water. The Norelco is a classic example of a bean-counter buying cheaper components and ruining what was the Rolls Royce of shavers and companies, like Panasonic, quickly jump in and take over the business.

UPDATE 11/25/2019
I have now used the shaver every day for the past 8 months and I can not praise it enough. In all my many years of using electric shavers, I have to say that this is absolutely the best of all of them all. Even after 8 months, it appears to be as sharp as when it was new. I did not buy the gimmicky cleaning kit and instead, put a few drops of hand washing liquid on the blades a couple of times a week and then run the shaver and the soap bubbles and removes any residues. I have tried using the shaver in the shower a few times, with shaving foam and the result is my skin feels as smooth as a baby’s bottom. However, using the shaver dry does give an almost similar shave.

UPDATE 5/14/2020
I noticed that after 15 months, the shaver still works very well, but has lost its initial amazing performance. It still gives a very good shave, but I have ordered a replacement foil/blades set, as I want it to deliver its original fantastic shave. Leaving it longer would be like running a Ferrari on regular gas when that incredible performance is only available with Super, if you see what I mean?

uso o barbeador a seco, pois acho muito mais prático.
O barbeador é tão suave, que a gente nem sente o corte dos pelos.

J’ai dû changer mon rasoir Panasonic après 15 années de loyaux services 😁

About six months ago I was gifted a Norelco 5000 series shaver. I don’t think the rotary type shavers do very well with battery operation. The cutting head blade speed seems slower than the old corded type Norelco rotary shavers. I decided to try a Panasonic linear type shaver that moves the blades way faster and requires less energy from the battery. Holy smokes! Way better shave with no pulling discomfort. The trimmer is built in. It’s easy to clean. Came with a zip up carrying pouch. Charges quickly. Really does a good job in half the time.

rien de negatif
dans l ensemble il fait super bien la job