This is an Honest Johns Reviews Review on 3 brands of electric shavers:  Norelco, Remington, Braun


I am very picky about electric razors.  Why?  Well, I need to shave.  A lot. And I go to work. A lot. So, I need to shave and then go to work. A lot.




( Since Obama has not figured out how to give people who work the same amount of free stuff that he gives those who don't work (some basic math keeps getting in the way),  I am one of the poor slobs who needs to keep working to help those who like to stay home and eat Cheetos, and therefor I need to shave, every day.  See, there is a link between shaving and Cheetos)




Well, with all this shaving, and 20 years of working for a living, I ended up with a sort of shaving "system".  My system goes something like this.  Wake up in the morning, get ready for the day (but don't shave which saves me 10 minutes).  Hop in the car and shave on the way to work, usually while stuck in traffic.  Because the cordless electric shaver and my beard mix like nails on a chalk board, I can easily do this by listening, and feeling, and never take my eyes off the road.




So, over 20 years I can say I have had 2 good shavers...and 2 terrible shavers....wanna know which was which?  ...  One is very expensive and German...one is very cheep and American...all are made in China...(global economy eh). 




You may or may not have guessed it..the Braun was the worst.




1. Norelco Rotary longest lasting by a factor of 4.  Still have it, still works, still holds a charge forever!  (but, doesn't do parts of my face well enough due to the shape of my jaw).




2.  Remington F5 pivot and flex:  Best shave, indestructible, excellent battery life, $55 bucks.  Wow, my current shaver and a great buy. (and it will shave after being outside all night at -5F)




Braun 3 series and 5 series...STINK!!! Had my 3 series for 15 months, used up 3 heads, total cost $200...and it never really shaved well.  Battery finally died and I tossed it..  Thought I would upgrade to the 5 series, it was on sale at Costco one day so I spent the big $150 on sale I think it was...ohh OB1...what a farce.  While I like the cleaner gizmo, everything else was no good.  It barely shaved, the battery only lasts a few days...AND...I live near Maine...it gets cold here and if it was below 20 degrees F, the darn thing would not work at all (battery issue) in the morning when I went to my car.  So I could not shave all winter unless I stored it inside.  Brought it back, got another 3 months later...Same issues.  BRAUN STINKS...buy yourself a Norelco or Remington and save yourself lots of $ and shave in the cold.

Starting a company is hard, starting a car company is really hard: Quality problems at Tesla

Starting a company is hard, starting a car company is really hard: Quality problems at Tesla


This is a tough blog to write. As an engineer I respect and enjoy any type of manufacturing production, and simultaneously I demand quality.  What I have seen from Tesla motors is NOT quality, it represents major problems with their assembly, welding, jigging and set up.


However...starting a company is really hard. I admire and respect anyone who starts a new company, from a bakery to a pipe making factory.  Starting a truly new auto company with a fresh sheet design is a monumental task and Elon Musk has done it for real.  Real jobs too, US and Global .  Really, it is more than monumental, it is phenomenally monumental when you consider all the engineering, suppliers parts, assembly, distribution, finance, etc.  Tesla has made a beautiful truly new car that is a full size electric car with wonderful performance.


However, I have recently seen 4 different Tesla's drive by, three had major alignment issues with the passenger side rear quarter panel and trunk lid.  Unless all three of these cars had identical accidents prior to my measurements, I would guess there is an assembly issue at the factory.  Alignment issues can be indicators of welding jig problems with the frame, or can be indicators of hand assembly problems.  They are certainly problems with final inspection and quality, because they should never have gone out of the factory like that.  The alignment problems were so pronounced that I could see the uneven gaps while driving by at 60 MPH. 


The fourth car I saw was nearly new, or so it seemed.  I looked very carefully and it did NOT have the alignment / assembly problem I saw in the rear of the first three cars, but had alignment issues up front.  The hood was crooked, and low in front and high in the rear. 


Clearly there are some teething pains at Tesla.  If I were to spend that much on a car, I would demand perfection, especially now when a Chevrolet Sonic has the fit and finish of a Lexus from just a few years ago, and a new Chevrolet Malibu has fit and finish BETTER than the current Lexus.  Panel alignment on some of the new cars is nothing short of amazing, with panel gaps in the millimeters and consistency from panel to panel and from car to car at +-0.


Just some tough love thoughts from Honest John.  I hope Tesla keeps going with a spirit of continuous improvement. If they do, they will get there.