Philips Norelco T980 Turbo Vacuum Trimmer Reviews

• A spectacular product my any measure!!!

  
  By A1J93EGDYK0IWA on 2007-02-03
  After a lot of comparison shopping and using various products over the last ten years, I finally decided to purchase the Norelco T980. I am delighted with my purchase and it exceeded my expectations in every way.
  
  This unit is light, easy to operate, rechargeable and has precision blades that cut evenly. The extra attachment for fine detail works well and I don't get cut using it. The vacuum attachment works well even when it's not on Turbo and I personally think it's very quiet. It's unrealistic to think a mechanical device in this price range won't make any noise at all. If that's your expectation, you might want to use scissors. However, this product gets the job done much quicker and the sound is not annoying and unlikely to wake up someone else on the normal setting.
  
  The flexible blade housing pivots smoothly and covered the contours of my face very well with an even cut at several different lengths. While it's difficult to get close to the nose because of the larger size of this unit, I don't see that as a big deal because with the smaller precision tool you can do this quite easily with a mustache comb if you are not much for completely manual operations. This little bit of extra work probably took me under 30 seconds.
  
  Overall, the design of this unit is well thought out and it is quite attractive. The holding space for clippings is pretty big and unless you have a thick beard, you probably won't have to change it until after several uses. The battery also lasts about 30 minutes on Turbo and you can use the plug-in adapter after that if it runs out.
  
  I don't see any drawbacks at all with this product. I'm completely delighted with my purchase and the value that I received for my investment.
  
  

• It sucks. And that's a good thing!

  
  By A1M9BA7J07JEA6 on 2006-12-22
  I owned another Norelco beard trimmer with a vacuum in it ... until my wife broke it by knocking it off the shelf. But now I'm glad she did. On the old one, the vacuum was fairly useless because just as much hair ended up in the sink and all over the blade as in the catcher bin. Maybe more.
  
  But the T980 Turbo (and don't all guys love stuff with "Turbo" in the description?) does the job. Yes, I know it has two settings: Turbo on and Turbo off. But I see no reason to use it with Turbo off because then it's just like the old underpowered version. But with Turbo on it collects nearly all those little hairs. (Some get away, but many fewer.)
  
  Some people say that the Turbo is too loud, which is why they offer an option I suppose, but in our house the bathroom is far enough away and well-insulated enough that no one can hear it running full blast.
  
  One caveat: It's better to trim the beard dry not wet. Remember to trim it before you get in the shower because when the hair is wet the vacuum still has trouble collecting the hairs, even on Turbo. Plus showering washes any remaining trimmings away. Yes, this may be self-evident to some of you, but I hadn't thought of it before. Keep in mind I'm doing this before morning coffee.
  
  So no more little hairs all over my daughter after daddy kisses and snuggles her. I like the T980 trimmer.
  
  

• Philips Norelco T980 Turbo Vacuum Beard and Moustache Trimmer

  
  By A1OV5Z33TMMUWH on 2007-01-25
  I wonder if all these reviews are pertaining to this particular model, some reviews dont sound like my unit. I find no real problem with mine. Nothing is perfect. It is a bit bigger than my old small Wahl, but it has more features that require that. The vacumn works great, which alone makes my purchase of it worthwhile to me; in the past the sink always had a lot of nasty looking hairs all over it. Ive never had mine switch length setting on me, as some people describe, I dont see how it could. I think the adjustable length feature is really great, it accomodates about 'any' length beard, and eliminates all the extra little clip-on guides you have to keep track of. I gave up on trying to take the top off but it doesnt matter as there really is no need. I find no problem with excess noise, or with the turbo setting. Im very happy with mine. Also, this amazon price of $39.95 is $20 less than on the Norelco website, plus you get free shipping.
  
  

• A Vacuum Trimmer that actually VACUUMS!!

  
  By AWD98R100TI8F on 2006-10-12
  I have owned two previous "accu-vac" models. The vacuum always seemed kinda useless, mostly hype.
  
  Well.....the "turbo" mode on this puppy REALLY vuccums! If you can tolerate the noise that the turbo mode produces, I would recommend using turbo mode at all times. If noise is a concern, like in early morning, the standard mode does an ok job too.
  
  The price is right on this thing, and it LOOKS sweet.
  
  95% mess free. Very Nice!
  
  

• Disappointing

  
  By A11LTANJ1RZRI1 on 2007-06-20
  I purchased this to replace a 3.5 year old Norelco T990 when its batteries died. I *loved* the T990 and would buy it again, but it's no longer available. (The current T765 is a similar design to the T990.) T980 issues: The electronic power and turbo switches are touch sensitive and too easy to press while trimming. The settings window is tiny and it's hard to read the number. The mini trimmer is an inconvenient attachment. When using the trimmer without the comb/guide, like for neck cleanup, the vacuum tube blocks your view of the cutter. These were enough to make me return the trimmer to Norelco with their 60-day return policy. There was also an issue that may be a defect in the trimmer I received. It would not hold the selected setting. While using it, it would change to a shorter setting! Yikes! I ended-up replacing the batteries in my beloved T990 for about the same price as the T765. Unless you must have the vacuum and one-hour charge time, buy the less expensive T765. Philips Norelco T765 AccuTrim Beard and Moustache Trimmer
  
  
• What a difference TURBO makes!
  By AGMUI06ZVNPWZ on 2006-10-24
  I've had a regular Norelco beard trimmer for years and when the battery would no longer hold a charge I decided to give this one a try. I didn't really follow the vacuum or turbo descriptions but bought it anyway based on price. Boy am I glad I did! The vacuum makes trimming so much less of a mess. I use it also to buzz cut my hair and there is virtually no mess now where there used to be stubbles of hair everywhere before. I do have to empty the vacuum container a few times but less mess is far better. Great product. The description really doesn't do it justice. It really works!
  
  
• Not for precision.
  By A35842Z8RUHYCQ on 2006-11-20
  How in the world does this thing get 5 stars? The adjustable trimmer doesn't 'snap' when adjusting to number 2 trim. It also silently switches from trim number 3 - 2 if you press down hard enough. Also the blade has a 'shield' that aids in sucking the cut hair down into the collection chamber. The problem is the 'shield' blocks the head of the blade. Very dangerous if your cutting a line for your moustache-- your literally cutting blind. It does come with a cheap attachment for linings, but I prefer cutting from the blade, like in the older models.
  
  Too much of my life depends on how good of a shave I give myself. This time Norelco doesn't cut it. The one star is for the vacuum.
  
  
• Very Pleased
  By A2I2BTWPEAYYBP on 2007-01-25
  
  I also wonder if some of the negative reviews are for this particular model (Philips Norelco T980 for $39.99 @ Amazon).
  
  -Does not feel cheap at all.
  
  -Settings click into place. They will change if you push it to the point where you think you would break it if you pushed any harder. I dont see why anyone would need to push it that hard. I had to test it after reading some of the reviews.
  
  -Turbo does not seem too loud at all.
  
  -Vacuum works very well.
  
  
• shifts levels
  By A9L830I5ZP1X3 on 2006-12-27
  First shave and my husband lost his short beard. It shifted levels without him knowing it and left a racing strip. Needless to say he had to shave completely. Luckily he didn't trim his mustache. The vacuum works great but that's about it.
  
  
• Seems to work pretty well
  By AIN00N8OMLMX on 2006-11-06
  At first, people think this is some kinda sex-toy from the future. It's not. It's a beard trimmer. And a pretty good one to boot. If you're like me, you use your beard trimmer when you don't have much time in the morning before you have to take off for work. If you trim with this thing quickly on the 'normal' trimming mode, it'll catch maybe 75% of your hair in the vaccuum. However, when you enter warp speed (turbo mode) this thing is insane. It's really loud and sounds like it might explode, but it works great. It catches roughly 90-95% of hair in the vacuum in turbo mode. It's quite easy to take apart to empty out the little hair-catch-all and clean trimmer attachments or swapping them out (comes with a fine-line trimmer). The height adjustment doesn't seem quite as pronounced as my older Norelco trimmer (meaning you can obviously tell when it clicks into place...this one not so much) but it works nonetheless. I'm happy with it and recommend it to all who read this. Just be sure to take a minute out of your abnormally busy day to read the instructions and precautions and maintenance tips to prolong the life of this thing. That's what they're there for, after all.
  
  
• Good, not great, with a flaw
  By A3KA4I3T6WFAZ3 on 2007-07-13
  The trimmer works pretty well. It trims my beard and moustache adequately and to the length I want, but not on first pass. Most of the trimmings make it into the collection chamber, but not all of them. I would say about twenty percent of the trimmings end up in the sink not the collection chamber.
  
  This is a replacement for me for a T990 Norelco trimmer, with a dead battery. I now have to disassemble that trimmer to get at and remove the dead battery for recycling. That is a problem with this trimmer too: it has a rechargeable but not replaceable battery. When the battery no longer takes a charge, as with my old trimmer, the trimmer will not run even when the cord is plugged in. I would prefer a trimmer that is corded, with no battery, or with a replaceable rechargeable battery. What Norelco has done is created a trimmer with built in obsolescence. When the battery is dead, the trimmer is done for. And batteries are not environmentally friendly.
  
  
• Cheap Product
  By A1Z64TUD1IGC49 on 2007-04-10
  If you set it on level 5 and you push too hard, you may not have a beard. The locking system is a joke. The Norelco trimmer I bought 7 years ago has a better locking system.
  
  
• Disappointed - Poor design
  By AJ0F1H72G5JXN on 2007-07-26
  My Norelco T900 was great, but broke recently, so I went out looking for another one, only to find it was discontinued. Didn't see any Norelco trimmers comparible to my old trimmer. Bought a T980, took it home, and found out the first trim... its junk (I'm being nice with my wording). Overall, its too big to easily hold. Worst of all, the trim height setting moves when you press it against your face... so during my first trim, it ruined my goatee. Not a good trimmer, period. Too big, too much bling. I don't need a vacuum cleaner built into my trimmer.
  
  
• Shifts beard length setting without warning
  By A1D9ZOYSUP10DG on 2007-08-25
  My T980 does almost everything perfectly: it holds a charge for weeks; its vacuum reduces the number of trimmed hairs around the sink by about 70%; it feels wonderful and it works quickly.
  
  However, my T980 does NOT stay at the level I set it at. If I don't firmly grip the length setting wheel it will jump from, say, a 5 to a 3 -- as it did this morning -- embarrassing me either by giving me a patchy trim or by forcing me to shorten my beard length.
  
  This problem doesn't seem to be a result of the way I'm, say, holding the trimmer -- I used the T765 for four years without having this problem -- but rather a flaw in the trimmer itself. From these reviews, it seems like only a few of the T980s have this problem; still, you might want to try the T780, which doesn't seem to have this problem -- I wish I had.
  
  
  Update 3/12/08: Make me look like a fool once, shame on me; make me look like a fool twice, shame on you.
  
  I've used this trimmer about 12 times since writing this review, and by a combination of duct tape, a pinch grip, and a good deal of vigilance I had been able to avoid too many embarrassing shifts in beard length.
  
  ...until this morning, when it shifted silently from a 5 (Late Winter Academic Beard) to 3 (Peach Fuzz) in mid-shave. Two options: shave my entire beard to a 3, which is inappropriate for my face type, or look deranged because half of my face is at 5 and half is at 3.
  
  I threw my T980 in the garbage ten minutes ago.
  
  
• Great, except for one thing
  By A1NKE0KA0UUNEB on 2007-11-26
  The trimmer works perfectly in every sense. The only thing that kills it is the fact that they decided to include an AC adapter that only works with 120 volts. In other words, if you travel, you can't charge this trimmer in most other countries. I don't think it's that much more expensive to include an adapter that accepts 110-230 volts. My last Norelco trimmer that lasted 7 years could accept 110-230 volts and was always with me in my travels.
  
  Items such as trimmers, shavers, cell phones, laptops, etc. all should accept 110-230 volts, since they are mostly travel items.
  
  
• Piece of Crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  By AS53NXUE582VD on 2006-12-30
  If you are considering getting this trimmer, all you need to know is this: The 9 lockable length settings don't actually lock!! I tried putting it on length "3", but when I started to trim, it went down to length "2". Then I started on length 2 and it went down to length 1. Besides this, the cutting block is too far away from the thing that touches your face (not sure what it's called), so it's very hard to cut any hair at all unless you choose the length setting 3 or lower. I know all this may come as a surprise to those of you who have had success with previous Norelco trimmers, but the fact is that this thing is a serious piece of Sh_t. In my estimation, their aspirations to achieve the fancy "vacuum effect" has clouded what should be their primary goal with this device: to trim facial hair EVENLY and EFFECTIVELY! I would have given this 0 stars if it would have been an option.
  
  
• does not cut it
  By A3TK62AWDBULER on 2007-01-23
  Unfortunately, Norelco really messed up what they had right to begin with. The length adjustment does not snap into place like my old Norelco trimmer and will shift while you are shaving. If you want to get a clean shave, go ahead and purchase this product, because that is exactly what you will have to do after using it. Disappointing build quality!
  
  
• Stay away from this trimmer
  By AEBVEJBY90A8M on 2007-03-04
  I agree...with the negative reviews. I really like the guide on Norelco trimmers but that is about it for this latest model. I threw it away 2 days after I received it. I practically shaved off my goatee after it switched from the 3 to the 1 setting by itself. The vacuum doesn't work all that well and if you travel, it is so easy to accidentaly turn this on as it just takes the slightest pressure on the switch to start it up. Bad news all around.
  
  
• I like the T980
  By A1Y6RGLV53JZGT on 2007-08-06
  I like this trimmer. The turbo vacuum catches most of the hair, though not all, especially when switching from the accessory heads. I can now trim my beard at the sink with a fraction of the cleanup that was required with my old trimmer that didn't have a vacuum. I really like the "specialty Mini-Beard trimmer attachment" which allows me to easily shape my beard and moustache while still using the vacuum. That was one of my hesitations before purchasing the trimmer, but it has exceeded my expectations. Overall, I'm pleased with my purchase and the value I've recieved for the money spent.
  
  
• BLADES OF FURY
  By A2OL8F0B15RBLJ on 2007-09-19
  This trimmer is sharper than the devil himself. My cat, Loid, was once 10lbs of fur and bones. Now, he's just bones. A lot of people say that the blade level switches on them during use. So let me get this straight. Our boys are in Iraq fighting for the George Bush war machine and these guys talk about the level's switching on their trimmer? I wish that was my biggest problem of the day. I have never had that problem with the trimmer. Most of the hairs are captured in the hair cage. Let me tell ya, after I butter myself up for a nice shave, I let the Norelco do the work, and the result makes my face make a baby's butt feel like sandpaper.
  
  
• I hate shaving. I LOVE THIS TRIMMER.
  By A1QTU8RLIPUWQ9 on 2008-03-25
  THIS THING IS AWESOME. I AM NEVER SHAVING AGAIN. I just used it for the first time and have decided that I will never use a razor again. I am a guy who never likes to shave, I maintain the "few days of stubble" look throughout the week, and dread the day when I have to go through the hassle of lathering up & shaving. But this thing is so easy to use and it just cuts you down to whatever stubble-level you want in like 2 minutes!!!! PLUS it's got this vacuum-device on it that sucks up the stray hairs into a special chamber, which you then pull out and empty when you're done trimming. so to quote Wayne's World..."It SUCKS as it CUTS!" I LOVE IT!! I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS TRIMMER! I have never written a review for Amazon before and I've been shopping here for years! That's how fired up I am about my new purchase!!!!
  
  
• Awesome Trimmer
  By A3CE7MJLS6MFOE on 2008-11-16
  I was a little concerned after reading a few of the negative reviews. Nonetheless, I decided to go with this trimmer, it had a lot more positive reviews than negative and it was the most expensive trimmer on amazon at the time and I was looking for a high quality trimmer.
  
  After a few uses I quickly realized why some of the negative reviews said the trimmer didn't trim. I recall one guy saying he was pressing super hard but it didn't trim any hair. So here's the scoop, the plastic guard/head if improperly seated on the top of the trimmer stands 1/2 - 1 inch higher than it should. Thus on virtually any setting, the trimmer part isn't touching your face. This is not a big deal, properly seating the guard on the device is pretty simple.
  
  For me the battery on the trimmer has lasted about 25-35 trims of the my full beard. I don't use the turbo vacuum feature as I heard that it runs the batteries out quicker and it doesn't seem like it's needed anyway. I keep my beard pretty short and the vacuum under normal power does the job.
  
  The device has 10 length settings and an extra trimming pieces to do clean-up type work. It doesn't make that much noise (when the turbo button is not on) and it is a very light device. I think the overall size of the device is "just right". It's feels comfortable using it and it's not overly large which would make for awkward use.
  
  The only suggestion I'd have for Norelco is to beef up the friction on the length adjuster. While using the device a few times the length setting moved to a lower setting unintentionally.
  
  All in all I am extremely satisfied with this trimmer. For not a lot of $ I feel like I bought the best trimmer that was available on the market.
  
  
• The trimmer that looks like a light sabre
  By A2CDMX49G757H3 on 2007-02-01
  I'd been wanting a trimmer with a vacuum option on it, so when I was buying some other new trimmers and shavers, I decided to get this one too. I have to say in some ways I don't like it as much as the plain Norelco trimmer it replaced, but I'll give it 4 stars because the main reason I bought this, for the vacuum, works very well. Didn't even use the turbo option, the counter-top looks a lot cleaner after a shave now. The back of the trimmer guide looks odd, but it works fine. My biggest knock is when you take the guide off. There's a sliding plastic panel that I guess is there to help direct hair into the vacuum, but it makes trimming without the guide a bit of a pain. I used to use my old trimmer to trim my mustache, but I'll probably use the trimmer on my shaver for that now, it's less work even though I have to reach for a second gadget. Using the trimmer without the guide though to try to shape the sides of my beard was a little bit of a hassle, though I've only used the trimmer once, so maybe with some experimentation it will get easier. Anyway, the vacuum part of it certainly works well.
  
  
• Registration and Customer Service already a problem!
  By A25X80YXVN5RP3 on 2007-02-01
  I am so mad about trying to register for this trimmer for warranty service on the Phillips Norelco web page that I can't actually say whether or not the trimmer is any good. I went on the web page for registration and they require you to answer a full privacy invasive survey to register the product. When I refused to do the survey to register and complained through the webmaster contact I then get an answer back from Phillips wanting me to waste my time calling an 800 number for Norelco - we all know how those calls go!! At least with the 60 day money back guarantee maybe I can calm down and decide if I like the unit - sure don't like the service so far!!!
  
  
• This thing sucks and I love it.
  By A3DM2IQ2O3BH1J on 2007-04-13
  I was skeptical about the vacuum capabilities when I first read about it, but after trying it I must admit that I'm very impressed. It literally catches about 90% of the hair, so there's way less to clean up after. I'm a hairy beast so I usually use it a few times a week and so far it's been great. If I was attracted to beard trimmers I would date this one because it's sexy looking and cleans up after me. Great price for a great trimmer.
  
  
• Does not work Overseas
  By A2K2OTQPPA5IO9 on 2007-05-14
  If you plan to travel outside the USA make sure you have a full charge and do not run out of juice while away. It is strange this day and age that products come with 110-120v transformers one vs. 110-240v; esp. personal care items like shavers and trimmers. If you run out of power when in Europe (say) plan to have to take a AC adapter or buy a new adapter while overseas. You get a reasonable use time before re-charging, but ever now and again you will have a situation where your trimmer or shaver gets turned on while packed tight in your luggage - then you will be out of luck.
  
  
• I like it
  By A296KQJ7TMNWQ8 on 2007-08-08
  Bought this to replace an older model Norelco trimmer without a vacuum function. Cuts well, I notice no problem with the height adjustment not staying locked in selected setting as others have mentioned. Vacuum function definately works well. I find it a little bit noisy in turbo mode. My only complaint, and it's not really a complaint, is I did like the simplicity of my older model in just removing the hair comb to use the trimmer head for the detail work. Because of the vacuum attachment you can't do that with this trimmer, you need to remove the comb, and then replace the trimmer head with a smaller trimmer attachment that sticks up past the vaccuum catch. This attachement works well, but it is a little on the small side and I'm still getting used to it. It works fine, but I wish you didn't need to go that extra step of switching out the trimmer blades. If you don't really care about the vacuum function you might want to keep in mind that trade off. Overall, I am very pleased with the purchase, and you can't beat it for under $30 shipped.
  
  
• Not Too Shabby
  By A3TZGBNE7KXNTF on 2007-08-09
  There have been a lot of complaints about the vacuum option of this trimmer. Let's be realistic....its not a Hoover, it's a trimmer. It catches MOST of the hairs, which is a lot better than NONE of the hairs. I've used it a few times so far and haven't had the problem others complained about where the setting is changed mid-trim. Just hold the thing below the dial, and not right on the dial. It gave a nice even trim all around. I've had it for a couple of months, used it 3-4 times, and still haven't had to recharge it.
  
  Suggested improvement - A stand would have been great so I could put it in my medicine cabinet and not have it roll around my counter.
  
  Tips for using - I found you're better off with dry hair. When the hair's wet, it's harder for the vacuum to pull it in. I also found that the vacuum works much better on longer hair then on shorter hair. Maybe the shorter hairs are too light and get blown around? Last but not least, watch out for the settings. The dial goes 1-9 so I started with 4, which was way too short. I could have grown that beard from scratch in a couple of weeks. 5 also proved a little short for me. Be sure to start a lot higher than you think you need, and work your way down if needed.
  
  
• Can't hold it's setting
  By A3D4GR6RUMIT0P on 2007-10-06
  I got mine around three weeks ago. The good news is that it cuts my beard well, and the vacuum is not noisy. The bad news is 1) the controls are positioned such that I find myself accidently hitting the on/off switch as I am shaving, no huge deal but annoying, 2) the vacuum action catches 95% of the hairs but 95% means you still have to clean up afterwards so it is of dubious value, and most importantly 3) it does not hold its distance setting. I find that, as I shave, the shave length setting can very easily be pushed down so that I end up with a much shorter beard than I intended. I can't imagine why after all these years Norelco has not come up with a better system for locking down the shave length so that it does not get changed by the mere act of shaving. In my opinion this last issue makes it a dud product that fails at its intended function, and I would recommend against buying it.
  
  
• Overall a great trimmer with 1 exception
  By APSLMPJPINBOH on 2007-12-08
  I've been using a Norelco beard trimmer for years. I bought the first T100 which used 2 AA batteries. I've seen the improvements over the years and they have definitely added to how well the products functioned. Right off the bat I'll tell you my exception. This beard trimmer was made in China. That might not matter at all to some and you are entitled to your opinion. But it matters to me and I was slightly disappointed to see that they are not being made in Austria anymore.
  
  Other than that, I am impressed with this trimmer. The turbo vacuum system works great. I have not had to clean my bathroom sink even once. The self-sharpening blades no longer need to be lubricated with oil. Ever though this unit is slightly bigger than my last one (T990)it is not more awkward in my hands. Even the Accu Control System's flexing guide comb is easier to clean than the last one.
  
  I do have to recharge the battery after 2 or 3 uses but it does have a quick charge feature that takes about 1 hour. So I can't really complain about that.
  
  I have not noticed any problems with actually trimming my beard. The 9 lockable length settings have not slipped for me as others have reported (I am currently using a number 4). I have not had any problems with trimming under my nose but I have been used to using a Norelco.
  
  Some trimmers are still made in the USA like Wahl but some of the features in this Norelco I have not found in other trimmers like the vacuum trimmer feature. If this Norelco was still made in Austria I would have given it a 5 star rating. But other than that it is a good beard trimmer and I am enjoying using it.
  
  

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