Panasonic 5-Blade Shaver ES-LV74

System Rating

Shebang for Buck

Contour hugging smoothness for a close and quick shave.

Review

I must start this review with an important disclaimer. We do not own this system and have not tested it directly. We first learned of this shaver line when a customer inquired if Shaver Shebang works with the system. At that time the system was only available in Japan. We did not know if Shaver Shebang worked, so we sent the customer samples for testing. He loved it and since then our feedback from Panasonic users has been enthusiastic. We relied on opinions from our customers, online ratings and other reviews to form our conclusions. Most of our research pertains to the ES-LV72, which was recently replaced by the ES-LV74. The models seem almost identical and use the same head.

Before we dive into the review, it is worth noting that most of the Panasonic systems on the US market use a cartridge with a powder cleaner, which are not compatible with Shaver Shebang. We didn't review any of these systems because we're selfishly more interested in increasing Shaver Shebang's potential user base, but we also do not know anyone personally who has one of these systems.

The model officially available on the US market is around $500. For that kind of money I expect the system to come with a barber. The reviews of this model are great and users swear by them. The customers that provided input couldn't praise them more highly, but most think the price is crazy. Typically, they received them as gifts.

In keeping with the other shavers selected for review, we found a more reasonably priced model that has the same basic specs and uses similar replacement parts. All we care about is the shave, not the bells and whistles. The system is available on the US market unoffially as an import by vendors on Amazon and other sites.

The bottom line is that it provides a great shave. It is close, it is smooth and it is fast. The square shape gets into corners well. The trimmer trims.

It's no surprise that it cleans well. It also does so quickly and dries very fast. While that's nice, the speed rarely has practical value. Cleanings typically start immediately after the last shave and take up to two hours. The shaver will usually not be used again for about 24 hours, so who really needs speedy cleaning?

It is an excellent shaver, but most reviewers do not feel that it is any better than comparable Braun or Panasonic models. The Yen is weak against the dollar, which probably explains the high price. We do not feel the extra cost is justified no matter the reason, which explains the low Shebang For Buck rating.

Manufacturer's Specs

Key Features of the Panasonic 5-Blade Shaver ES-LV74:

Ultra smooth 5-Blade | 14,000/min. Linear motor
Full automatic cleaning & charging
3-Level battery indicator
AC100-240V
Supplied Accessories: Pouch, cleaning solution, oil and cleaning brush
Habit Higerifuto blade
Finish blade
Multi-fit arc blade
Outer blade - Stainless steel cutlery 5 blades
Acute angle in the blade cutting edge angle - Nanoejji 30 °
Kiwazori blade
Adhesion trace head
Linear motor drive
High-speed drive - About 14,000 strokes / min
Fully automatic washing charging system
Ultrasonic cleaning mode
Body washable
Charging system - AC adapter
Cleaning charger
Charging time - About 1 hour
Charging display - 3 stage charge level indicator
Voltage - AC100-240V
Power supply - Charging and exchange equation
Power consumption - Alternating-current use at the time: about 9W
During the cleaning charger use: about 10W
Battery type - Li-ion (Li-ion) rechargeable battery
Number of days used - Once a day for about 14 days can be used in (about 3 minutes)
Body dimensions - Height 16.1 × width 7.2 × 5.2cm depth
Body mass (weight) - About 195g
Package dimension - Height 22.2 × width 18.3 × depth 10.2cm
Consumables, sold separately - Blade (inner blade ES9170 outer blade ES9171)
Set blade (inner blade + outer blade ES9030)
Country of origin - Body: Made in Japan
AC adapter and cleaning Charger: Made in China