Panasonic ER389K Rechargeable Beard and Mustache Trimmer,men

I first bought this trimmer 25 years ago. After about 10 years, I had to replace it and I did so with the same model. However, I lost this replacement after a couple of years and found to my disappointment that Panasonic had stopped production of this model. Over the ensuing 5 years, I tried 5 or 6 different brands of trimmer -none of them came close to the ER389K and I continued to miss having this available. I finally found one for sale from a website in Singapore which lasted probably another decade without even a change of cutting blade. The battery began not to hold its charge for very long so, on a whim, I looked on Amazon and was amazed to find it available. I'm not sure if this is old stock or if Panasonic has resumed production (I'm hoping the latter!) but I'm now the proud user again of this great device. It's good for a not-too-close shave as well as a beard trimmer. The thing I like most about this besides the very high quality and long-lasting cutting blade is the lack of clutter - no charging cords & no attachments to lose. The one shortcoming is that that it charges only from 120v outlets. This can create a problem when traveling overseas. Some countries have 120v/240v shaving outlets in bathrooms and these will work well to charge this trimmer. Don't try to charge it from a 240v outlet! I generally relied upon the different-sized (& incompatible) outlets overseas to warn me to use a voltage converter but in Thailand (and perhaps elsewhere) US flat 2-pronged outlets are common but they use 240v not 120v. I was fooled by the compatibility of the outlet and quickly fried my trimmer when I plugged it into a Thai outlet. But having to carry a voltage converter when traveling overseas is a small inconvenience compared with its many benefits. This is hands down the best beard trimmer on the market and its the only one you'll ever need. Why there have been no attempts to imitate its design is amazing to me. The only way it could ever be improved is by making its charger accept universal voltage input.

My old trimmer crapped out after about five years of declining performance. So, I checked out the reviews like you are doing right now… I want a trimmer that will trim and trim well. My last one had a bunch of attachments that were not exactly on target 🎯. The adjustable guide would let straight hair through ok, but wavy/curly whiskers would not go through the narrow gaps in the wrap-around adjustable comb evenly. I had to make five or more passes to get most of the whiskers trimmed and still had an uneven trim. The barber would whip out a #4 guide and voila- perfect length! Old trimmer- not so much. I finally compromised with a wrap-around mustache guard that would work more or less if I held it out carefully… mehSo, I ordered the Panasonic trimmer. Looks blocky, plugs straight into the wall, and was about 38 and change… while it sat in the cart as I added some other items- the price kept dropping!😁 When I finished shopping, it was $34 and change. YMMV. (That’s about two trims at the barbershop 💈.)I opened the box, trimmer, adjustable guard, oil, & brush were all there- retractable plug fit the socket and worked. Later, I put the guard on the trimmer set it on #4, and went to work on the bad Santa beard. A few minutes later, the beard was back under control with a length of 3/8-1/2” (10-13mm) for those across the pond. Popped off the guard to line up the ‘stache, and was happy to get no blade bites! Tightened up around the throat, and done! Deceptively simple. And the angle of the guard and tooth spacing kept the wavy whiskers from piling up and missing the blades - so fewer passes for an even trim. Very satisfied.Like the VW bug- old design honed to perfection. Hope it lasts like other reviewers reported 😀.

I have been amazed that the original one still worked - was just telling my wife that 2 days before it quit. I knew it was going to quit for years - never in stock - ANYWHERE! Amazon has always had a listing. I even found a Portuguese YouTube video on how to replace the battery that i have saved. So when it quit I ordered a new rechargeable battery. After I ordered I thought I'd look one more time for it. Amazon had it. I have tried over the years to find something else just in case. Even bought the battery powered smaller version Panasonic ER240B. Nothing works as well or is as portable. The fact that it does not use a charging base, charging cable, etc is amazing. Simply slide out the 2 prong plug from base of shaver and plug it into the wall. No heads to change if you want to cut your beard a little longer, just slide the guide up or down. Nothing to loose (except the oil bottle). I had to charge the old one the day before I intended to use it which ain't bad for a 15 year old battery. I kept shaver oiled and clean. The new one is exactly the same as old one externally. I'm sure the old one had a NiCad battery. Nothing on the box says what this new one's battery is. It cuts clean with a wide cuttng surface. This thing is small - about the size of a candy bar - so easy to take with you for trips. Mostly plastic but feels solid in your hand. Fits inside your dopp kit with no issue. If you trim your own beard between haircuts, BUY THIS BEFORE IT DISAPPEARS again! You won't be sorry!P.S. I kept the battery so that's my next project to get old one back up and runningP.S.S. Just noticed it went up eleven bucks to fifty bucks since last weekP.P.P.S. Instructions say the proper way to dispose of NiCad Battery so its a NiCad

I have had a number of these trimmers over the years. They have a great blade that trims hair very closely and cleanly. However, the battery life is the one bad thing about this item. And when the battery goes, the trimmer is no good because the battery is not replaceable. Was excited to see this trimmer on the market again, but have to wonder if someone just found some old stock to sell. I charged trimmer according to the directions- it trimmed for about 15 minutes before losing a charge. Recharged it and it acts like it has lost its charge already- after one use