Candidate for the best electric shaver ever: the Remington Microscreen XLR series? (color, legs)
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I would just like to make my own personal view that, in MHO, my own personal candidate for the best electric shaver ever would be the Remington Microscreen XLR series of shavers (the XLR-800 through XLR-3000 models, specifically) -- and also to inquire if anyone knows if there are any modern shavers today, that are as good as the XLR series was, before Remington very sadly stopped selling it, around 1996 or thereabouts?
My own background story: I have personally been using some variation of the Remington Microscreen XLR electric shaver since I first started shaving, in the very early-90's. To the best of my knowledge and as far as I am aware, Remington had been selling this particular best-selling series of shavers since the 1970's, and the existing product was so good that remained pretty much the same and relatively unaltered until the late 1990's, when at that time, Remington stopped selling it, in favor of newer models. Around the mid-90's, I tried other, newer electric shavers, from the same manufacturer as well as others, but none of them came even remotely close to the quality of manufacturing and shaving experience, as the Microscreen XLR. As a result of poor experiences with the newer shaver models, I easily went back to my faithful, tried-and-true Microscreen XLR-1010. To this day, my very first Microscreen XLR shaver, purchased in the early 90's, still runs beautifully and wonderfully, which tells you something about the excellent product quality and durability, of the parts
Although Remington sadly finally discontinued manufacturing this electric shaver brand around 1996 (to the best of my knowledge anyway), the good news is, occasionally, old-new-stock, never-used and unopened, brand-new / never-sold and extra-inventory Microscreen XLR shaver models will still occasionally pop up on e-bay, every so often. Also, you can still buy brand-new, never-used parts for the XLR shaver on e-bay, too (Remington stopped selling these around 2010-2011 or so, but you can still buy overstock, new ones online). I have used these to develop a collection of sorts and back-up copies of these much-loved and appreciated electric shavers, and I definitely plan to use this shaver for as long as I can still get replacement parts for it, since again IME, not even modern shavers can match it's quality great shave!
Has anyone else had any good experiences, with this series of Remington shavers? And again, j/c what if any modern shavers can give a shave just as good and clean, as the classic Microscreen XLR shaver?
The electric shaver for men that is the best of all-time, according to my husband and me (for legs and underarms for me) was the PANASONIC ES-SA40 (and earlier nearly identical ES3041).
It also was discontinued in about late 2011.
From at least the early 1980's, my husband did use a REMINGTON MICROSCREEN Rechargeable, the one Victor Kiam, Remington Inc's then owner/majority stockholder/ceo and then New England Patriots football team owner.
If you're old enough, you'll recall the TV commercials beginning in the late seventies where Victor Kiam would appear with the Microscreen and would say that I liked it so much that I bought the company and then would say in every ad that I'll guarantee that it shaves as close as a blade or your money back.
The MICROSCREEN was mostly unchanged from that time and until it disappeared in the mid nineties.
They did have a great version with rubber grippy dots on the black housing, that was the best MICROSCREEN because of the better grip but essentially it was exactly the same as earlier and later all plastic versions. They changed the color from all black to black/silver at one point too.
The rechargeable internal seemed to live about the same life in all versions from late seventies to the end. It was a double screen shaver, and excellent, though both my husband and I from a totally different user's point of view thought that the old RONSON Shaver design of a one head screen is simply the best. (PANASONIC mentioned above is of that design)
MICROSCREEN had rechargeable battery life that was better than anything else of the early 1980's era.
(Those of you too young to recall, RONSON shavers were the leaders in the fifties and sixties in the best FOIL shavers............. the REMINGTON MICROSCREEN/BRAUNS/PANASONICS essentially copied the exact design and improved the battery/charge life.
Go google RONSON SHAVER ADs and see youtube and you'll see shavers from 1955 and all through the mid sixties that look exactly like modern REMINGTON MICROSCREEN/BRAUNS/PANASONICS.
Ronson shavers weren't inexpensive back then. I guess they lost market share due to cost and marketing as NOELCO had Santa tv commercials every two minutes during NOV & DEC beginning in about 1966 until the nineties where the color tv ads had catchy, cool vibe with Santa riding a Norelco razor and sleigh bells jingling. Rotary type like the Norelco's didn't seem to work nearly as well for my husband though they did work fine on my legs. Rotarys are not fun to use on armpits as they like to pull the very short stubble left after using the pop-up trimmer part. They pulling/yanking isn't fun.
The size and shape of the head wasn't great for a lady using her husband's designed for men shaver.
The SINGLE head FOIL e.g. many fifties/sixties RONSONs/that PANASONIC above/some BRAUNS like series one, etc is much more manuverable.
The SINGLE head FOIL also has a thinner profile which better allows it to precisely trim around my husband's mustache and according to him gets his underchin/neck stubble as close as with a blade.
The single head FOIL type also is easiest to shave/trim around the perimeter of the hairline in back when I give my husband a haircut. You simply can manuever better with it and get into places a bulkier, two or three head cannot get into. That is why the single head foil designed for men works so well on ladies parts like underarms. My guess is it would work better for men who shave their heads cue ball bald too. It would allow the head to reach areas nearest and behind ears. The only thing is that the single head design requires more strokes due to its smaller footprint, but beyond the probably additional 33 seconds of needed use, the single head foil type works best in my opinion for being able to reach tight places easily and shave extremely close.
PANASONIC stupidly discontinued the Rechargeable model named above.
My guess is that it (as an approx $35-$40) being a excellent performing low cost product, cannibalized/stole sales from their fancier over $100 multiple headed models.
It looks as if the model may be still marketed in some other countries but appears discontinued in North America in 2011.
Panasonic only offers a BATTERY OPERATED travel shaver that can be found for under $20 , that is the only single head type that one can get in NORTH AMERICA.
Both , the old MICROSCREEN circa Victor Kiam and that mentioned PANASONIC model were fantastic close shavers. The PANASONIC had better battery life and superior pop up trimmer and better slimmer one head design and handle/case design that were better from an ergomomic standpoint.
The screen holes were also better designed on the PANASONIC.
The Remington MICROSCREEN had among the longest lasting screen.
Both were outstanding.
I would just like to make my own personal view that, in MHO, my own personal candidate for the best electric shaver ever would be the Remington Microscreen XLR series of shavers (the XLR-800 through XLR-3000 models, specifically) -- and also to inquire if anyone knows if there are any modern shavers today, that are as good as the XLR series was, before Remington very sadly stopped selling it, around 1996 or thereabouts?
My own background story: I have personally been using some variation of the Remington Microscreen XLR electric shaver since I first started shaving, in the very early-90's. To the best of my knowledge and as far as I am aware, Remington had been selling this particular best-selling series of shavers since the 1970's, and the existing product was so good that remained pretty much the same and relatively unaltered until the late 1990's, when at that time, Remington stopped selling it, in favor of newer models. Around the mid-90's, I tried other, newer electric shavers, from the same manufacturer as well as others, but none of them came even remotely close to the quality of manufacturing and shaving experience, as the Microscreen XLR. As a result of poor experiences with the newer shaver models, I easily went back to my faithful, tried-and-true Microscreen XLR-1010. To this day, my very first Microscreen XLR shaver, purchased in the early 90's, still runs beautifully and wonderfully, which tells you something about the excellent product quality and durability, of the parts
Although Remington sadly finally discontinued manufacturing this electric shaver brand around 1996 (to the best of my knowledge anyway), the good news is, occasionally, old-new-stock, never-used and unopened, brand-new / never-sold and extra-inventory Microscreen XLR shaver models will still occasionally pop up on e-bay, every so often. Also, you can still buy brand-new, never-used parts for the XLR shaver on e-bay, too (Remington stopped selling these around 2010-2011 or so, but you can still buy overstock, new ones online). I have used these to develop a collection of sorts and back-up copies of these much-loved and appreciated electric shavers, and I definitely plan to use this shaver for as long as I can still get replacement parts for it, since again IME, not even modern shavers can match it's quality great shave!
Has anyone else had any good experiences, with this series of Remington shavers? And again, j/c what if any modern shavers can give a shave just as good and clean, as the classic Microscreen XLR shaver?
I am still using the XLR 810 corded shaver. There is a store near me that sells the foil and cutters for it. I have used Norelecos and two of the latest Remingtons. And went back to the XLR 810 it is absolutely the best. It gives me smooth. close shave. I wrote Remington to resurrect this shaver.
I am still using the XLR 810 corded shaver. There is a store near me that sells the foil and cutters for it. I have used Norelecos and two of the latest Remingtons. And went back to the XLR 810 it is absolutely the best. It gives me smooth. close shave. I wrote Remington to resurrect this shaver.
Yes I agree that the XLR 810 is a wonderful shaver, and also love the XLR 810 -- the 810 model was the second Remington shaver that I bought, around 1996-1997 and to replace my XLR-1010, since at the time I wasn't aware that the internal blade and foil parts could be replaced with new ones I also remember having to look really hard and in a ton of different stores to find it (since they were getting very hard to find as that was around the same approximate time that Remington had started to discontinue selling new XLR's)
I am still using it because none of the recent Remington or Norlecos come close to this shavers convort, closeness of shave.
I am fortunate there is a store in my area that carries the blades and screens and they put them in for me.
I wrote to Remington to resurrect this razor and replacement screens and cutters.
Titus,
I have 2 xlr-810, and 1 xlr-3000, that still work.
I was wondering if this store you go to still has the orignal cutter and screens in stock? Would they sell mail order?
I have ordered online aftermarket parts that work, but not as good as the oem parts!
Thanks
Remington XLR3000 running from 1974+-2yrs. Yes, cleaned, rebuilt once, 1 set of new batteries, 2 new cutters and screens and it still charges well and for a cordless razor I think that is amazing. Nuf Said!
I agree that the Remington microscreen XLR cordless rechargeable razors were the best. I am seeking to find one of the cordless models with an upright recharging stand---so compact and convenient! I asked the company to resurrect this model, but they said no. Does anyone have one to sell? 818-399-9542
Remington and its new company are the losers because the XLR series especially the 1000-3000 series were the absolute best shavers. Nothing else comes close to quality/selling price plus useful life and ease of repair/replacement. I have been using this series since the late 1970's to now (7/2014). I currently am still using the XLR3000. What a great shaver as long as you also use the foil with the black plastic trim as it holds the foil in place for a much closer shave.
If this shaver were to come back into production, I would buy 3 of them immediately.
Again, bring it back and make some money.
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Remington XLR 810 the best Shaver ever made
