Panasonic ES-RT51-S Arc3 Wet/Dry 3-Blade Pivoting Head Built-in Pop-up Trimmer Cordless Electric Razor for Smooth and Comfortable Shave Travel Pouch Included

I found that this Panasonic is quiet and powerful. It got the job done quickly and conformed to my face well. It charged within an hour and the numerical battery indicator was a nice touch. Using a shaving gell felt really good with this shaver. Contact was smooth and effortless. Best of all, I did not experience the typical razor burn that has plagued me for years. I attribute this more to the Panasonic's design and less to the wet shave. Using a razor with shaving cream has also produced razor burn, particularly under my chin. I know I am going to sound like a bit of a shill because I have only used this product recently, but I have shaved with several different brands and models of electric shavers over the years. What I have not done is used a wet electric shaver before. I think that being able to use a wet shaver compared to a dry one will produce a superior shave regardless of brand. But the Panasonic is a superior shaver compared to others in its class. Update 8/15/12: After using this shaver for a couple of weeks I feel that I have to add to my original review. The honeymoon is over and I think that I am a bit more objective. This shaver continues to forego any razor burn, even under the chin, which is a major positive. I have experienced some pretty bad shaver burns over the years using other products. On the other hand, the Panasonic's shaving acumen is about the same as the Braun while slightly less than the Norelco's regardless of whether I shave wet or dry. This unit has more difficulty catching longer hairs, even if I miss shaving for two days, than the Norelco. I still like this shaver very much. It allows me to shave with a gel and prevent razor burn which is a major plus for me. I have to shave daily in order to keep stubble length in the range that is comfortable for this unit, but I'm not sure that is such a bad thing. I have also found that the battery life is quite good and the unit is very easy to clean. For tougher beards or less frequent shavers a Norelco might suit that person better. Just my opinion, but now it's out there. An ode to the joys of male grooming.

Arrived very fast and was well packed. Replaced my Braun after I used it for 10 years. I've owned Norelco, Braun, Remington shavers over the years. All were quality except the Remington. None were cheap except the Remington. All shaved only OK. I use a blade at home and get clean shaves. When I am on the road (about a total of 4-5 weeks a year) I use an electric. I don't like to take all the paraphernalia required for the blade through airport security (one quart plastic bags, 1 oz or less etc.). I've learned to live with the sub standard shaves on the road. Now for the shaver review. Seems to be very sturdy build quality. Charged it up and it took about 30 minutes to go from 20% to 100%. That is a fast charge rate and consistent with the specs of one hour for full charge from empty. The LCD meter is easy to read in reasonable light. I shave in the shower so next morning my first shave. Wet shaving with an electric is a different experience from a blade. I learned to shave against the grain instead of across the grain of my beard. My face and chin cleaned up nicely with this new razor. Took a while to get the neck area done as the hairs don't follow a grain direction like my face does. However, after a few passes from different directions even that cleaned up nice and close. After a few shaves here is my verdict. Shaves very close and equals the blade on my face but not quite so on my neck. No razor burn. Too bulky to get into tight places like under my nose. However the trimmer does a good (if not perfect) job there and does a great job with the side burns. But this bulkiness is true with all electric razors. They just aren't compact enough to get in there. Clean up is a breeze, just hold it up under the water and every so often (once a week) take the head off, rinse it off while running under the water and rinse the foils under water as well. Takes less than a minute. This is by far the BEST ELECTRIC RAZOR I've owned. PROS: shaves well, easy to clean, great build quality trimmer actually works, seems to use about 10% of the charge per shave so about 9-10 days CONS: doesn't get into tight places well.

In the past, I've used several brands of electric shavers: Sunbeam, Remington, Norelco, and Panasonic. I've always been disappointed by the closeness of electric shavers so I've been using a safety razor for the past 15+ years. I'm now at the age when my skin has become thinner and I've become more prone to cuts or nicks to my face with a razor. Because of this, I was forced to go back to a electric shaver. My last two electric razors were the Norelco 3605X and the Panasonic ES8068N. The Norelco was a rotary three-head which was durable, but never gave a very close shave and it was a pain to keep clean. The Panasonic ES8068N was a wet / dry shaver and it was expensive. I'm not sure why I gave up on that Panasonic. I knew I wanted a wet / dry shaver and Panasonic had the most models available and some of the best reviews. The cheapest one available with the best reviews was the Panasonic ES-RT51-s. This is what I bought and I am very pleased with it. I don't know if technology has improved electric shavers, but the Panasonic ES-RT51-s gives as close of a shave as a razor. My trouble spots are under the jaw and neck so I have to spent some extra time in those areas, but the pivoting head makes it easy. Although you can use it in the shower, I do NOT since I'm afraid that I'd drop and break it. I do use it with shave creme. My personal preference is Every Man Jack shave creme (the one that comes in a tube, not can) since it's not foamy and it does not dry out my skin. The one thing that I really like about this model is that it has a digital display to show how much charge is left in the battery. This allows me to put away the recharging cord until necessary. The display goes down in 20% increments. After two uses, it goes down by 20%. I never let the battery drain completely so I recharge it after 7-8 days. Cleaning is a breeze. After each use, I use liquid hand soap and rinse it off and air dry it. Before I use it, I spray the head with a Oster Kool Lube. This is similar to the Remington Shaver Saver, but the Oster Kool Lube is much, much cheaper. I bought the Oster Kool Lube (14 oz) at my local Sally Beauty Supply store for $10.99. I don't know if the more expensive Panasonic models are worth it since the Panasonic ES-RT51-s does everything that I would expect from an expensive one. I give this my highest recommendation! UPDATE: After two years, the razor died after water somehow entered the case and damaged the battery. I replaced it with the Panasonic ES-SL41-s and I've found it to be much better than the ES-RT51-s since it's lighter and thinner which makes it easier to handle when shaving.

I've used just about every Panasonic wet/dry shaver they make. Without exception, they have all failed after approximately two years (just past the warranty period, ironically.) I recently purchased this model to replace a dead 82xx model, and found that it is equal in shave quality to the very expensive Panasonic models with all the self-cleaning jazz. In fact, I don't intend to do anything more than basic rinses any more, and occasionally clean underneath the cutters. You see, I bought the high-dollar version last time, thinking that I'd be compulsive about cleaning it, thereby causing it to last forever. I meticulously cleaned it, replaced the foil and cutter, etc., and it still died in predictable fashion after 25 months. I actually laughed when it stopped cutting in mid-shave! The failure mode on all 5 of my Panasonics (yes, 10.5 years worth!) has been the center cutting bar mechanism. The plastic piece which extends out from the head and moves the blade back and forth eventually wears out inside the head. Although it will still vibrate, it does not put enough force on the cutting bar and it will just remain motionless. Replacing the blade(s) has no effect on the longevity of this part. Adding oil to the blades doesn't seem to make it last longer either. It is quite obviously designed to fail. I tried an experiment with keeping the same blade for about a year, then comparing it with a new blade (foil, cutter, etc.) I honestly couldn't tell the difference in closeness, however, the new foil seemed to move more smoothly over my face and maybe it had an easier time when I'd let my beard grow out a few days. Fortunately, I have a backup rotary shaver that I keep charged. It cuts slower and not quite as closely, but keeps me from getting to work half-shaved when I forget to recharge. So, I will summarize thus: This shaver provides an excellent, close shave. It requires many, many passes over the same area in different directions due to its design, but it eventually does the job. If you shave every day, it works much better. I have used it with just water, no water, and with the Total Shaving solution oil drops, and by far the oil drops are the best possible choice (for me.) That's different for everyone, but if you haven't tried it, I recommend a sample. Compared to my rotary shaver, the Panasonic is slightly louder in volume. The buzzing is considerably quieter with this model than with my 82xx, and that surprised me when I first turned it on. The rotary takes fewer passes over the same area of my face, however it doesn't quite get as close as the Panasonic, so I'd rather take the extra two minutes and get a closer cut. The pop-up trimmer is handy and effective. My main complaint with it is that it is awkwardly located, making really accurate cuts somewhat difficult. If you use it often you'll get used to it. I use it for emergency sideburn trims, but I'd probably stay away from any precise mustache work at first. The other comparison is with disposable razor shaving. I rarely shave with them, but they are exceptionally close, and once the blood stops flowing, I notice the shaver cut isn't quite a match for a good old Mach 3. The Mach 3/4/5, whatever they are now, is tremendously faster, very messy, and tough for me to use in a shower with no mirror. For me, since my skin never gets used to it (tried for many years), I prefer the electric overall. So, bottom line. Get the cheap Panasonic, and if you want wet/dry then this is the one. If you just need dry, then you can go even cheaper and still get the exact same shave quality. Don't let the gimmicks fool you, it's the same plastic, same motor, same mechanism, same shave. You can make a difference by choosing some skin preparation oil and keeping the blade basically clean.

Excellent shaver This one is to replace my 18 year old Panasonic shaver. This one seems to be as well made as my old one.

Shaves ok, but the battery is good only for 3 shaves, and the battery charge indicator is kind of useless. It goes from 100% to 80% (shave #1) to 60 (shave #2) and then it turns off in the middle of the 3rd shave.

I was the proud owner of a made in Japan ultrasonic wet/dry shaver that lasted pretty close to 15 years! The only thing that took it down was that the battery finally failed! So, it was time to get a new Panasonic. Times have changed. Panasonic offers so many razors, one cannot even get their head around all of the differences. The price ranges are so dramatic. So, after reading extensively, reviews and information here in Amazon and the Panasonic website, I finally settled on this one. Why? 1. The ultrasonic movement that I appreciated in my original razor is "standard" now, and here it is for a fraction of what I paid for mine. 2. The shaving head is flat, and contains a simple blade replacement, rather than one of the more expensive ones. 3. I don't buy into the cleaning container with tablets idea. I took the advice of someone here and simply use softsoap after each use in the shower, then rinse it out. 4. It's a great razor for a great price. What don't I like about it? Look, this whole, "the head moves/pivots" thing is a bunch of nonsense to me! Seriously, I already have a multi-angle pivot for my razor, it's called my "wrist". So, the only thing I don't really care for is that fact that it "pivots". I wish it were simply pivotless. That being said, it's really no big deal, it is still firm, with what I would call a little "flex". I would just prefer it without that. The hair clipper on back works fine, and actually can be used for nose hairs, and performs better in that area that most dedicated ones! Finally, how do I use this razor? I shave in the shower with shaving cream with a tri-blade standard razor first, then I follow with this. I do this because my hair is dense, yet, it grows in four directions, so I cannot simply shave down in one stroke, unless I'd like to get razor burn. So, with the face shaved mostly clean, I go along the center of my adams apple, the edge of my chin left and right, and around my mouth. This makes it nice and smooth for whomever may be feeling it, aside from me! So, there you go. I don't know why I would want anything more.

UPDATE: I've now had this shaver for 5 months. The cutters are so dull that it takes me twice as long to shave as it did when new and then I still have to use a razor to get a good shave. Amazon isn't selling the cutters as of this date, and when I find them online, I'd have to pay over $40 for them including shipping!!! This is absurd! I am now switching to a Norelco shaver. The replacement cutter heads are less than $25 a set on Amazon so we'll see how things go. DO NOT BUY PANASONIC! Their shavers are great but they are WAAYY to expensive to maintain!!! If I could give zero stars, I would! Original Review: I really like all of Panasonics wet/dry shavers. They work great in the shower and give a very close shave. The last one I had lasted for about 3 years and then the drive mechanism started coming apart, but it still worked. It was one of their shavers that advertises 13,000 vibrations per minute, and I believe it. Only problem is, at that speed it wears out cutters and foils very rapidly. They advertise that they should last at least 12-18 months, but that's a total joke. Two to three months is the max I've ever gotten. And if the cutters are made in China, one to two months is the best you'll get. Regardless of what you may see in the news, China makes terrible steel products. This ES-RT51 shaver seems to run at about 10,000 vibrations per minute. Battery life is great and I can get almost two weeks of shaves out of it. The cutters are lasting well as is the foil. I've had this for about 3 months now and it's still giving me a good shave, but I can tell it's going to need cutters soon. Only problem is, if you buy both the cutters and the foil at the same time, you might just as well buy the whole shaver all over again! Yes, those two pieces are THAT expensive!! And it doesn't matter what website you go to, either. For just $10 more on Amazon, you can get the entire shaver! That's absurd! So, obviously, Panasonic is up to their old tricks again. They used to do this same thing back in the 90's and early 2000's. They sold the shaver rather inexpensively, but then took you to the cleaners for new cutters!! Honestly, this practice is really bad business, from a company that makes great products. I doubt I'll buy another Panasonic. With replacement parts this expensive, it's not worth it. NO, I would not recommend this product to anyone! ☹️