Product Description

The new 180� Pivoting Head Hair Clipper from Philips Norelco simplifies the hair cutting process at home. Designed for do-it-yourself cutting, the hair clipper combs closely follow every contour of your head and turns 180� so you can reach every spot on your head, including those you can't see. A special safety lock secures 10 different length settings from two combs for maximum flexibility in style (up to 7/8 inch). Snap on the precision trimming element, and you can further detail your cut or finish up the cut on the neck and near the sideburns. Cutting your own hair has never been so easy.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1703 in Health and Beauty
• Color: Black
• Brand: Philips Norelco
• Model: QC5170
• Released on: 2009-08-01
• Dimensions: 9.44" h x 7.87" w x 3.93" l, 1.61 pounds

Features

• Cut your hair even in hard to reach areas
• 180-degree pivoting head allows an even cut all over the head, even in spots you can't see
• Special grip makes self-hair cutting easier
• Precision trimmer attachments for easy contouring, finishing and touch ups after the cut
• Easy maintenance; self sharpening blades need no oil or other care

Manufacturer Product Description
Cut your own hair. Even in hard-to-reach spots. Cutting your own hair has never been so easy. Introducing the Philips 180° Hair clipper--the first hair clipper specifically designed for do-it-yourselfers. With its unique 180-degree pivoting cutting unit and its ergonomical design, the clipper handles almost like a brush and allows you to reach all areas with ease. The hair clipper can be used both corded and cordless, and comes with a powerful battery that allows up to 4 haircuts (60 minutes running time). As with all Philips hair clippers, there aren't extra pieces to juggle: this clipper has simply two integrated guide combs that adjust to cover all hair lengths up to 7/8in. Once a length is selected, the guide comb is locked to ensure a clean and even haircut. The "do-it-yourself" hair clipper comes with a click-on precision trimmer for finishing up the neckline, sideburns and fine edges.

Technology Explained

Especially designed for self use
180° pivoting clipper head Cutting your own hair has never been easier, thanks to the 180° Pivoting Clipper Head; you can easily reach the hardest areas.		Easy grip for total control Specifically designed for self-haircutting.
Superior results
Contour-following comb The unique contour-following comb closely follows the contours of your head, giving you a smooth and even cut.		10 lock-in length settings 0-21 mm Adjustable translucent clipper combs provide 10 lockable length settings for a wide range of styles up to 21 mm in length. The safety lock secures the selected length setting.		Self-sharpening stainless steel blades Revolutionary self-sharpening stainless steel blades channel and cut hair for a precise and even trim.
Extra strong motor For superior cutting results.
Precise and even contouring
Precision trimmer With the precision trimmer, you can create any style you want.

Specifications

	Power system
	Charging time		8 hour(s)
	Operating time		60 minute(s)
	Rechargeable - Cord/Cordless		Yes
	Cordless		Operates with and without power cord

	Cutting system
	Self-sharpening stainless steel blades		Yes
	Cutter width		41 mm
	Lubrication for life		Self-sharpening blades need no oiling

	Accessories
	Cleaning brush		Yes
	Charger		Yes

	Guarantee
	2-year worldwide guarantee		Yes

Customer Reviews

Good idea, poor execution.
I've been cutting my own hair off and on for years now, so when I saw these new clippers from Philips Norelco I figured I had to give it a shot. Unfortunately, although it looks like a great idea, it just doesn't perform.

The head swivels in 90 degrees in either direction (for a full 180 degree turning base) which makes it much easier to hold and guide, especially if you're trimming your own hair. It's lightweight so fatigue from holding heavy clippers in weird positions isn't an issue. It comes with two guards, the one shown and one designed for longer cuts. It also comes with a second blade that's thinner for more precise trims. The guards are literally a snap to change and the red dot shown on the handle is used to slide it up and down for longer and shorter trims. This can be easily done while holding it with a simple slide of the thumb. It's cordless so no worries about getting all tangled while attempting to cut your hair.

So after all that, why did I give it only 2 stars?? Simple, it doesn't really cut. I would go over the same spot and all it seemed to do was comb the hair. I had to hold the hair taught to get it to cut. I tried both wet and dry, and several times it just pulled my hair. I even plugged it in hoping that direct juice would help, but to no avail. Unfortunately, I had to resort to my old Remington clippers I got at Target for twenty bucks a few years ago to finish the job. The difference was night and day.

As much as Philips Norelco did right for these clippers, they neglected the most important thing. To be effective, they must actually cut hair.

Looking sharp, done the quick and easy way
For more than one reason, I haven't seen the insides of a hair-cuttery in more than a decade. Flowbee was my trusted hair-management solution for all these years until I had the opportunity to try out Norelco's 'Philips Norelco QC5170 180-Degree Hair Clipper' and Philips Norelco QC5055 Power Hair Clipper. Now, I'm sold on these two.

Focusing on the QC5170, it lets quickly and efficiently do the back of my head and the sides and, thanks to the pivoting head feature, I can do it all by myself.


Operation:

Once charged, all you need to do is attach the proper comb (see below), select the desired hair length and proceed with cutting.

Hair-cutting tends to be a borderline traumatic experience for me - I'm a long hair type person - but this was a near-painless experience. I am looking forward to more future haircuts. It goes fast, smooth and easy and, in my case - I was only doing some advanced styling on the back and the sides following an initial cut - I didn't even need to clean the comb when I was done.

This may not apply to everyone but, speaking for myself, I can use either hands to hold the clipper. Even with both hands available, self-cutting would have been an awkward and difficult operation with a traditional tool but, on the QC5170 all I need to do is pivot the comb 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise and I could reach any spot on my head easily and comfortably. As for technique, I go against the direction of hair growth first then, for a nice finish, I go in the opposite direction to even things out. In the end, I'm pretty close to what most would get from a professional hair stylist in exchange for maybe $20 or maybe more.


What you get:

- The hair clipper body hosting the rechargeable batteries.
- The clipping attachment
- Stainless steel, self-sharpening cutting blades
- Precision cutter for contouring
- Large comb - .51-.83in. (13-21mm)
- Small comb - .12-.43in. (3-11mm)
- Charger
- Cleaning brush
- English/Spanish instructions
- Registration card with $20 coupon offer


Some specs:

- Battery life is rated at up to 60 minutes.
- Charge time is 8 hours.
- Cuts hair from .12 in./3 mm to 1.61 in./41 mm.
- 10 length settings between the 2 combs (5 on each of the large and small combs)


Returns and warranties:

There's a 45-day money back guarantee promise if the customer can provide proof of purchase and ships the item, insured, to Norelco at own expense.

The 2-year warranty promises to replace defective products for as long as the customer didn't do anything 'unreasonable' and he/she paid for shipping the item to Norelco, preferably insured. Proof of purchase of course, is a must.


What I liked:

Other than the surprising ease of use and operation and the quality of the haircut, I liked the easy cleaning and maintenance and the fact that, if needed, it can operate in a 'corded' mode. The easy grip makes self-cutting easy, efficient and confident.

The brief manual is written in good English and is very good at illustrating cleaning and assembly and has very good advice on maintenance, preserving battery life and even some haircutting tips.


Issues:

My big problem and the only one so far is the lack of some case or storage box. With so many parts of which some are small and/or fragile, not providing some way to store them, protect them and keeping them organized is inexcusable.

I am also having an issue with the maximum length. .83in. is too short for me. I can use this at the longest length setting for my back and sides but, for the rest, I will be using the QC5055. I understand that most men will be happy with the maximum length on this clipper so, for most, the QC5170 is all that may be needed to achieve hair-clipping peace of mind or even happiness.


Rating:

This would have been an easy 5-star if it came with a case. Since it doesn't, it gets 4.

I still recommend the QC5170 most highly but be prepared to supply your own box or pouch - I did - or risk losing combs or the cleaning tool or maybe misplace the all essential charger.

Great portable clipper!
I was excited to get a preview copy of the new Norelco 180 degree hair clipper to try out. When I first took it out of the box, I was amazed at how light it was and best of all CORDLESS!

I'm a simple hair-cut guy and do #2 all the way around and a #1 on the goatee.

I gave the 180 degree clipper a whirl and it performed flawlessly right out of the box (it comes charged). I've been cutting my hair myself for the past 8 years and this is the first cordless clipper I've ever used. It was so much easier having the freedom to angle the clippers as you see fit.

I didn't utilize the 180 degree adjustment feature that much, but did find it helpful when having to do the left side of my head as I'm not that great with my left hand. Being able to adjust the clippers made it feel more natural in my left hand when doing the back of my scalp and on the sides.

The clipper also performed flawlessly on my full goatee as I simply dialed down the clipper from a #2 to a #1 with the push of a button. That's right...all the numbered guards (up to 5) are built-into the clipper. You simply adjust the dial to the number you want and you're off. No more changing guards!

Only thing was that the built-in guard guides are a little too long and it prevented me from getting up under my nose on my mustache, but other than that this product is a winner and is certainly replacing my corded clippers!