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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 bought this shaver to replace my recently departed Panasonic ES 8103, which served me well for over 20 years (I broke it while trying to replace the battery). The Panasonic ES-RT51-S Arc3 shaver seems to be exactly what I was looking for, an updated version of my old trusty shaver. The updates are all good. It's much quieter, they removed the useless "lock" switch, and so far it seems to be of better quality. It just feels more solid, tighter, better put together, and it takes the same (very affordable) replacement cutter/foil assembly as the old shaver. For a few dollars more than the cost of a new battery and cutter/foil assembly, I now have a brand new and quieter shaver... well done Panasonic! UPDATE: replacement foils and cutters are very difficult to find! The shaver itself still deserves a 5 star rating, but I think for most folks, finding the right foil/cutter is just too hard. So I'm lowering my overall rating to 3 stars for that reason alone.

The Panasonic ES-RT51 is so much better than the Braun 370 I’ve been using, I want to give a detailed comparison here for anyone else who’s looking for a Braun alternative. After years of believing that Braun shavers were awesome, the model 370 I got a couple of years ago was a great disappointment. This model had the wider head that all Braun shavers now have (a change that I think the company completed around 2010), and it required many many passes to shave well and often failed to get long hairs. So after a couple of years of struggling with it, I bought the Panasonic ES-RT51. This was like going back to one of the older Brauns only better. (The head of the Panasonic even looks like that of the old narrow-head Brauns.) The Panasonic needs very few passes to give an excellent shave, even on my neck, where the Braun required dozens of passes and still routinely missed individual hairs and even whole patches. The Panasonic doesn’t miss anything if you use it carefully. In the month I’ve been using it, I’ve grown careless with it because it requires so much less diligence than the Braun. Even so, it has missed long hairs on my neck only twice. How does the Panasonic work so well? It seems to run at a higher speed than the Braun, though I’m just judging by sound. I suspect that the tiny holes in the Panasonic head are slightly larger than those of the Braun head because pressing the Panasonic hard against my skin produces the slightest burning sensation. This would be fine as a tradeoff for a good shave, but pressing hard isn’t necessary to get a good shave with the Panasonic. I only mention this because it’s possible that someone with sensitive skin could find this shaver a bit irritating. If you want a shaver that glides harmlessly over sensitive skin without necessarily taking off your beard, Braun might be the shaver for you. With the Panasonic, I shave in about half the time I used to take with the Braun and get a better shave. The Panasonic is slimmer and lighter (only by 1 ounce, but it feels like more), so it’s more comfortable to hold even if you have big hands. The Panasonic also costs significantly less than the Braun I replaced. If you’ve tried a Braun travel shaver, you know that it’s possible to get a good shaver for less than $20. Those amazing little shavers aren’t well suited to everyday use (no rechargeable battery and no easy way to deal with long hairs), but they prove that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get a decent shave, even if you have a tough, fast-growing beard like mine. The Panasonic ES-RT51 offers everything I want in an everyday electric shaver. And this shaver and its charger are so light, I might just toss my old Braun travel shaver, too.

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.

It is very bad product.

I've used nothing but Panasonic shavers for the last 12 years or more.. GREAT products, nice shave, quick to charge and hold their charge at least a week (shaving daily). While I've only used this one twice, I'm very happy with the shave results and am sure the battery life and other great features will meet Panasonic's excellent standards. Shipment arrived VERY quick with no issues..

Al grano: Amazon entregó en la fecha indicada, es una buena rasuradora, a buen precio. Versión más larga: he tenido varias Philips / Norelco y Braun (modelos más caros que éste), ésta es mi segunda Panasonic, refuerza mi opinión de que es una mejor opción: Philips: rasuran bien, no hay mucho lugar para los pelitos que se cortan por lo que hay que desalojarlos seguido, a veces dos veces por rasurada; hacen menos ruido que las demás, la pila parece durar menos que con las demás marcas; negativo: hace un par de años decidieron cambiar de repuestos y de modelos, era difícil encontrar el repuesto, los que estaban disponibles eran muy caros (4x el precio normal) y todo el mundo se queja del nuevo repuesto; producto decente, caro, empresa poco confiable. Braun: tengo la serie 7 (dos peldaños arriba), rasura bien, un poco menos a ras, es la única que me ralló la cara; el siguiente repuesto se desarmó al abrir el paquete. Marca alemana (bueno, Procter and Gamble) sin calidad alemana: no, gracias. Panasonic: rasuran bien, a ras (nunca será lo mismo que una rasuradora manual, pero tampoco te van a cortar), muy confiables, repuestos a precios más razonables que la competencia; son un poco más ruidosas pero éste modelo hace menos ruido que mi otra rasuradora (ES-LT41) aunque la rasurada parece ser igual de buena. Ganadora! Los precios en la tiendas locales de la CDMX parecen andar al menos al doble de precio. Mi uso: un día sí, una día no.

Nice razor works well

Ya había tenido un modelo previo de la presente rasuradora y había quedado satisfecho, sin embargo perdí el cargador y adquirí una rasuradora Phillips con muchas funciones que este no puede desempeñar, pero a pesar de ello no me fue suficiente para lo que yo buscaba, un rasurado al ras con poca irritación, esta rasuradora cumple perfectamente dicha función.