Have you ever noticed that purchase decisions for the smaller, less expensive products are often the most difficult? I have had less trouble selecting products like a TV or car than selecting an item like a beard trimmer. Even though they may be financially small, they can be a big quality of life purchase if you use that product often … so you want to get it right. There appears to be nearly an infinite number of beard trimmers and hair clippers. Sorting through the options is difficult. So many Amazon reviews appear tainted and difficult to validate with third party tools. Looking at websites claiming to provide a “best of” list is equally challenging. In the case of beard trimmers a quick survey of third party “best of” lists show little consistency. Few trimmers consistently rise to the top. Most “best of” lists appear to be nothing more than lists developed to get one to click the Amazon link so they can get paid. Others (like big name magazine websites) appear to spread the wealth by selecting a trimmer from each of the big brands and positioning it under a made-up category of “best for blah blah blah.” Ultimately finding a great trimmer that meets one’s personal needs is unnecessarily difficult and more often than not a labor of purchasing and evaluating oneself. One thing is for sure, the trimmer options are NOT on equal footing, and in my experience can provide drastically different results, both from a functional and reliability perspective. … Which brings me to the subject of this review, the BRAUN BEARD TRIMMER BT7240. PRO’S: It is a nice looking design and generally comfortable to hold. The accessories cover a wide range of needs. It charges fast and in my short experience with it held the charge for a reasonable period of time. CON’S: - LENGTH ADJUSTMENT DIAL EASILY MOVES WHILE IN USE. No matter how I held it, I found my self unexpectedly moving the dial to a shorter length … even when I was trying to be mindful to avoid the dial. THIS IS HONESTLY RIDICULOUS NO MATTER HOW YOU LOOK AT IT! One of the primary functions of the trimmer is to clip at a consistent length. The industrial designer(s) for Braun consciously chose to place the dial where the hand is positioned. Moreover the strength of the dial’s position detents are not strong enough. If you are going to put the dial there, then moving the dial must require intentional force by the user. FOR THIS ISSUE ALONE I WOULD AVOID BUYING THIS TRIMMER. OTHER CON’S: - Cutting Head is dull. Excessive number of passes were required to cut beard/hair. - Clipper Guide is uncomfortable to use. It was sharp and tended to dig into my face & head. The handle needed to be held at an odd angle to get best performance; this is the kind of thing that is hard to discern from pictures and reviews. - Cutting Blade vibrated against the Clipper Guide. Now this may not sound like a big deal, but when you are using the trimmer this buzzing gets old real fast. The issue appears to be caused by a tolerancing issue. The Guide rests in a groover on either side of the handle. This groove is slightly oversized which allows the Guide move ever so slightly fore / aft. As a result the Guide will more often than not position itself so that it lays on the cutting head, just ever so slightly. When it does, one not only gets the buzzing of the trimmer’s motor, but also the Guide and Cutting Blade vibrating against one another. Super annoying. Clearly the designer did not sweat the details and/or cost cutting is to blame. Think of it as a buzz in your car that shouldn’t be there that grates on your nerves over time. - Machine Oil is NOT included with the trimmer. Really? The manual clearly states that it is needed and it tells you where to apply it, yet one must buy oneself? Come on! As an aside, there is a different lubricant on the shaft that drives the cutting head. The manual indicates that these surfaces can be run under water occasionally to clean. Fine. But when one rinses the cutting head, the lubricant is washed off. The manual never states what type of lubricant is used and none is included. It’s definitely not machine oil. - Handle feels cheap. While the trimmer looks good and solid, it just feels cheap. I don’t expect too much for the price point, but it should be better than it is. - Designed In Germany (but Made In China, if that matters to you) FINAL RATING: - 3 out of 5 Stars - This is probably generous but my rationale is that your experience and expectations may differ from mine. Perhaps you will hold the trimmer differently from me and be a bit more gentle such that the adjustment dial does not move. If that is the case, then this trimmer is about average in my experience. I really, really wanted to like this trimmer. My experience with Braun has been generally positive, but this trimmer just doesn’t make the cut. A FEW OTHER THOUGHTS: I have tried multiple Philips Norelco products. Many people rate them positively. In my experience their products are uniformly unreliable. Every product that I have had in the last decade has failed in a very short period of time. Their industrial design and conceptual approach is often great, but they just break. I have had this trouble with both their beard trimmers as well as their Sonicare toothbrushes to name just a few. I just avoid anything that they make at this point. My last razor was a Panasonic ER-GB80-S. It lasted a remarkable 4 1/2 years. It was solid if a bit uninspired. I was tempted to buy another since it is still available. After replacing the cutting blade ($20+) the plastic Guide broke. I tried to repair it with super glue but it would not hold. A Guide is about $15 (highway robbery). It also uses a Ni-MH battery, so I figured new Li-Ion powered trimmer might offer some additional performance advantages. Finally I opted for a Panasonic ER-SB40-K. Since this review is for the Braun, I’ll only say that so far the Panasonic is spectacular. It’s a premium product and totally delivers. I’m honestly surprised how much better the experience is. It cuts dramatically better than any trimmer I’ve used before and it’s simply a pleasure to use, making the whole grooming process less of a chore. The only caveat is that there is just one Guide and it is adjustable to only 10 mm in length. For me this is advantage; I do not need anything beyond 10 mm … plus I need less clutter not more. It does one thing and does it well. I hope my experience will help you make a more informed product choice, spending your hard earned dollars wisely.
