26-05-2018  (446 ) Categoria: Articles

Replacing the foils and cutters of an electric shaver

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I REPLACE THE FOILS AND CUTTERS OF AN ELECTRIC RAZOR?

change blades and blades of electric razors

Chances are you remember your first time with a particular electric razor: the smoothness, comfort and softnes provided by the new&sharp cutters were great

But everything is downhill from here, since the foils and cutters will begin to wear out and eventually will have to be replaced by new ones.

The good news are that this is a very gradual process and there are also some things that can be done to extend the life of the cutting block.

There is a lot of confusion and misinformation about this topic, so in this article we will cover everything related to the change of foils and cutters, when you should do it and how to get the most out of your cutters.

Why do you need to replace your blades and blades

A sharp edge that constantly executes a cutting operation becomes sharpless. Unlike a chef's knife, the blades of an electric razor can not be sharpened due to physical limitations and the precision required for the operation. As a result, your only option is to replace the blades with new ones.

Apart from the fact that the blades become sharpless, there is another specific aspect of electric razors: the wear and stress that metals suffer.

The shaving head of an electric shaver consists of machined parts with high precision and small tolerances. This is necessary to provide a very close shave .

blade vs rotary

The oscillating inner blades of a metal blade shaver touch the blades, especially when pressed against the skin. The same goes for rotary razor cutters that rotate inside the metal shell, a comb/guard combination.

The friction will generate heat and induce stresses in the metal, causing deformations and deformations. I have seen blades that have eaten the leaves. You can imagine how dangerous this is and how you can easily cause serious injuries.

When the the blades begin to wear out and become sharpless, the performance of the machine suffers.

When to replace the foils and cutters of an electric shaver

The manufacturer's recommendation should only serve as a general guide,  you have to do it whenever it is necessary to change them,  since in real life this depends on several factors:

  • How thick and dense is your facial hair
  • How often do you shave it
  • The quality of the foils and cutters
  • How much care you take of your shaver

As a result, you may need to replace foils and cutters after a few months or after a couple of years.

For example, Braun recommends changing the shaving head (or cassette in the later models), which contains both the foil and cutter, every 18 months.

Braun 3080s disassembled

Depending on the factors described above, you may need to buy a new cassette ( foil and cutter) after a year or even earlier. Or you can even use it for 18 months if you're lucky.

How do you know when it's time to buy new parts?

Well, there are some signs that usually indicate it:

  1. Increased repeatability of passes. If you find yourself constantly going through the same area repeatedly and pressing harder to shave properly, it probably has something to do with the cutting blades loosing its sharpness.
  2. Start experiencing some jerks and pulls. If the shaver starts pulling your hair, this is usually due to wear of the cutting block.
  3. Shaving head becomes excessively hot. This is a sign of advanced wear of the foils, caused by increased friction between the deformed parts.
  4. The comfort of shaving suffers. This is a direct consequence of the additional steps 2 & 3, jerks and excessive heat. A complete shaving will also take more time and will make the shaving head even hotter.

If you notice at least one of the signs above and your shaving routine has changed, it is probably time to buy new parts for your razor.

Although some manufacturers like Panasonic offer the possibility to buy only the foils, is strongly recommended changing both  (foils and cutters) at the same time.

If for example, in a visual inspection the foils  seems to be in good shape, and you only change the internal cutters, most likely, foils have suffered from wear and may be deformed, although it's not so obvious. As a result, the new cutters will not adjust perfectly with the old foils, the shaver will not perform to the maximum when you start using it, and they will wear out much faster

Only in case of an accident, for example when foils become damaged  with visible holes, when only one of thefoils and cutters was damaged being practically new, you could buy only the the broken foils.

How to take care of your blades and extend their life

Is assumed that you are not willing to spend money on new spare parts very often. Buying new parts is not fun, but regularly changing the foils and cutters of your electric razor is a must.

Fortunately, there are some easy steps to implement that will help you save money and also improve the quality of your shaving. understanding of the importance of this operation, when to do it and how to keep the foils and cutters in perfect condition for longer period of time

1. Clean your shaver thoroughly

Haircuts, dead skin, accumulations of dirt and other unpleasant things will have a negative impact on the performance of your shaver.

It is strongly recommended to clean the shaver after each use according to the manufacturer's instructions. Most current razors can be easily cleaned with liquid soap and hot water.

If yours also includes a cleaning station that is even better, since it will take care of the lubrication as well.

 

2. Lubricate your shaver

This is by far the most important and often overlooked operation that can be done to extend the life of cutters and foils.

Regardless of whether you are using a spray or a light oil, the lubrication will minimize friction between the moving metal parts. This reduces wear and generates less heat.

A properly lubricated shaver will work better and the foils and cutters will last longer before they have to be replaced. Here is a detailed guide on how to do it.

3. Use your shaver carefully

The cutting parts, especially the foils, can easily be damaged by mechanical shocks. Avoid anything that can damage them, such as hitting them too hard on the countertop or using rough objects to clean them.

For example, you shouldn't use the included cleaning brush  directly on the foils, for they are very sensitive. In addition, always use the protective hard cover when traveling.

 




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