Acceptable, but not great

Author's Rating:

Pros: cheap, works while plugged in

Cons: takes a while to get a good shave

The Bottom Line: 
Personally, I wish I had spent more and bought a better razor

Author's Review
For the most part I use and electric shaver.  The past few I have owned have worked very well as first, and then performance has quickly diminished to marginal.  Looking into the cost of replacement blades, I have simply decided to make due with the marginal performance and eventually buy a new one.  They are prohibitive expensive, like when on your way to the cost of a nice new shaver.  A few months ago, I bought a replacement.  This time I opted for a slightly cheaper option thinking that the technology may have made the cheaper ones as good as my old one.  I was wrong.  I bought the Norelco 7310.  It isn't a total dud, but it isn't all that great either.

Highlighted Features
With one exception that didn't work out so well, I have been buying Norelco electric razors since college.  I find that they provide a good shave, and hurt my face the least.  The Norelco 7310 has a similar feature list to the Norelco shavers I have bought in the past.  For one, it offers the "lift and cut system".  This is supposed to help you get a closer shave by sort of pulling the hair right before it cuts it.  The shaver also offers reflex action, allowing the heads to move to the contour of your face and comfort shaving heads, which are of course supposed to make the shave more comfortable.  The final feature I would like to discuss is new to me.  The Norelco 7310 is fully washable.  I have only ever washed my shaver by emptying the hair out and sort of brushing it out.  I haven't used this feature.  There is also a pop-up trimmer, standard on most electric shavers.

My Experience
I am still a fan of Norelco shavers, but this one has not lived up to my expectations.  Lift and Cut is a system I am a fan of.  It does cause a problem if I don't shave every day.  The shaver really feels like it is pulling my hair before it cuts.  It is rather painful.  If I have gone several days without shaving, I use a disposable razor and shaving cream, much faster than trying to use the trimmer on my whole face trying to get the hairs short enough not to hurt when I use the proper razor.  When shaving every day, I think it offers a closer shave.  When comparing the Norelco 7310 to my most recent shaver, it just isn't as good.  I can get about as close of a shave, but I have to work at it much harder, especially on my neck.  As luck would have it, my neck is the most sensitive area I shave and apt to razor burn.  The Norelco 7310 works, but I intend to pay more next time and at least get back to what I was used to.

The battery life is reasonable.  I think I get about two weeks out of a charge, but I get long enough that I can't tell exactly how long I am going between charges.  It has a very nice feature which is that will work plugged in.  If you run out of charge you can plug it in and use it.  My old shaver required a half hour plugged in before you could use it.  Very inconvenient if you ran out of charge and are trying to leave for work.  I have had a weird problem.  When I plug it into the bathroom outlet, it doesn't always work or charge.  I have tried switching outlets and plugging it in differently etc.  Doesn't help.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't and I have to plug it in elsewhere.

Value
The Norelco 7310 is a reasonably good value.  I think I paid about $40 for it, which is half as much as I paid for its predecessor, which is less than I paid for the one before that.  It does a reasonably good job for the money.

Conclusion
I have been struggling with whether to give the Norelco 7310 two stars or three.  Before I started writing I was set on rating it two stars, but as I wrote I think I changed my mind.  At $40 the Norelco 7310 is a value play and you get what you pay for.  Personally I wish I had spent more and gotten a better razor, but I have learned a lesson.  I think the Norelco 7310 does just about a $40 job of shaving my face and so I will give it three stars and look forward to the time it develops a defect so I can upgrade.  Recommended as a budget solution, but not an entirely effective one.