Treat yourself to a new shave, 4 Oct. 2004

I had forgotten how close the 8000 shaved till I replaced the foil and cutter. Mine had done about 300 shaves since I bought the original shaver and I have noticed a marked improvement in the quality of the shave after replacing the cutter and foil.

Verified Purchase

Very good but very expensive, 20 Dec. 2007

The foil and cutter block in my Braun 8985 lasted just under 17 months (around 400 shaves) before the warning light on the shaver came on, telling me that I needed to change them. I didn't feel at the time that the quality of the shave was that much worse than when the shaver was new so I left it another few weeks before replacing both the foil and cutter. The difference when I did, however, was enormous. The shave was getting slightly worse every time the shaver was used although by such small amounts that it was unnoticeable, and renewing the cutting head improved the quality no end.My advice would be to listen to your shaver and do as it says when it tells you that it wants a new foil and cutter - this is the perfect way to repay its untiring and uncomplaining service. Like most replacement parts for Braun products, it's a bit on the expensive side (hence the 4 stars), but there's no denying that it does its job very well.

Not As Good As The Original Foil, 14 Feb. 2013

I've got the Braun Activator 8585 razor which has the strange looking foil (as currently shown on the Amazon web page at the time of writing although this is not actually the same design as the current foil being sold by Braun) that cuts in all directions and was the best electric razor I've ever used. I have a heavy beard growth with very thick/tough individual hairs that most razors struggle to cut but the combination of foil/cutters and powerful motor meant that this was best razor I've found for a dry shave. Unfortunately Braun took it on themsleves to change the replacement foil/cutter pack (51S) supposedly to a newer/"better" design but I can tell you now that it is a massive step backwards if you have a tough beard. It now drags and pulls at my beard and is nowhere near as good as the old design. I'm really annoyed with Braun making this change to the foil/cutter specification after customers have bought the razor, no doubt to cut costs. I won't be buying a Braun razor again...

This review is from: Braun 51S Replacement Foil and Cutter Cassette Multi Silver BLS Combi Pack (Personal Care)