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| Brand: Philips Sonicare
Category: Health And Beauty
List Price: $39.99
Buy New: $22.25
You Save: $17.74 (44%)
New (8) from $22.25
Rating:  101 reviews
Sales Rank: 1075
Color: Blue
Number Of Items: 1
Batteries Included: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 1 x 1 x 10
Warranty: 1
MPN: HX3351/02
Model: HX3351
UPC: 075020803337
EAN: 0075020803337
ASIN: B000FEIOHW
Release Date: July 1, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 It is Junk April 8, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This was a waste of money. Yes it was powerful and good toothbrush for about a week. But it isn't waterproof so it stopped working. I can't believe they make toothbrushes such as this and not make them waterproof. It hasn't worked since the first week. Don't buy this item. Listen to the reviews. It will not work for longer than a month! It's junk!!
i loved it, but now it's dead March 9, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Please believe the reviews that say this thing dies pretty soon after purchase.
I bought this last August, and I absolutely loved it! I thought it worked really well, was so cute and a great bargain. Simply said, a great purchase. Now- the following March- the thing is dead. It has been working on and off for a couple of weeks now but, if I hit the side, it would start working again.
Today it finally croaked. Now I have to look for a new toothbrush.
Engineered to fail February 10, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This product is good while it lasts; it'll clean your teeth better than almost anything out there (unless you have tartar, then you'll need something with a bit more power) and stimulate your gums. However, having autopsied this model, I am convinced that it was engineered to fail under typical conditions after a time, perhaps to motivate the purchase of a more expensive model, which will itself become useless when the irreplaceable batteries go out.
The first one I bought lasted a year, and even that long only after I learned that you have to plug the two holes in the back of the battery compartment to prevent the corrosion from taking place. By the end, batteries were lasting one week tops, at 2x use per day. I also learned that you have to hit it against hard objects when it won't turn on and sometimes then it'll go. You also need to scrape off any rust from the battery contacts occasionally.
Knowing these quirks, I bought another one and immediately plugged up the holes in the back and put tape around the battery cap. However, it has now lasted only a month. There's no rust or corrosion to speak of, however, it just doesn't turn on anymore.
Today I autopsied the first sonicare to see why it had failed (the new one is still on warranty). In taking it apart, it's clear that most of your money goes into buying a tank-like shell around the $1 worth of electronics. This would be a good thing, if there were not two gaping holes in the battery cap that let water in anyway and the shoddy rubber seal. After taking it apart, it's clear why the corrosion so quickly leads the failure. They protect everything on the circuit-board from corrosion by putting glue over it, except the battery contacts, and the contacts and wires that lead to the solenoid coil (that makes the brush vibrate). The contacts that lead to the solenoid and the battery contacts are also strategically located next to each other on the circuit board, so they can corrode together quickly using any moisture from the adjacent battery-terminal holes, while the non-essentials like the timer are located on the other side of the board and completely sealed off from the ambient air by glue. This also explains why hitting it sometimes allows it to start; you're shaking some of the corrosion loose.
The switch is also of questionable design, being nothing more than a paper-thin piece of plastic with some kind ring on it that's slightly more conductive than the plastic.
If the replacement that I get out of the warranty fails, I think I'll try a cybersonic or an oral-b; hopefully their teams of engineers weren't paid to make something less reliable than a politician.
Why can't they make a sonic toothbrush with no batteries, that plugs into the wall, and lasts a lifetime? Or just quit making these to fail so readily?
 Half the cost, but more convenient than a regular Sonicare January 27, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
Pros: half the cost of a Sonicare w/charger, less bulky
Cons: None so far
First of all, I should state that I have owned this product for over a year, and I am still giving it five stars.
Here's why: I had a Sonicare Advance for about three years and it worked well during that time, but at the end of those three years I had to keep it in the charger at all times or it would die in the middle of brushing. I was sick of lugging around the bulky charger any time I traveled, so when I saw the AA-battery model at Target for $40 I scooped it up.
Now instead of having to rely on an internal battery and a charger, I just keep four rechargeable AAs that I swap out when one pair dies. This isn't something I have to do very often--a pair of AAs lasts about a month (that's with two two-minute brushings a day). I have also not had any water damage, so the brush still works as great as my old Sonicare ever did. I do try not to get water on the brush and dry the entire unit whenever I finish using it. In addition, I take it apart once every two or three months and swab the O-ring with alcohol to keep it clean. This seems to be all of the maintenance needed to keep it in top condition.
So, if you want a good Sonicare brush that takes up less space and is easier to travel with, I highly recommend this model. I recommend cleaning it once in a while and trying to keep water out of the insides. I acknowledge this might not help if you get a bad unit (as many reviewers seem to have gotten), but mine has been great and I figure it can't hurt!
UPDATE: I have now owned it for a year-and-a-half and it still goes a month on two AA rechargeables. Even though I stopped doing the maintenance described above it's still working like new.
Don't waste your money. January 27, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I received this as a gift for Christmas. It worked great for the first few weeks, and my teeth were noticeably cleaner. However, it then would start shutting off before the 2 min interval was up. The intervals got shorter and shorter. Then, after another week, it died all together. Don't waste your money on this cheap Sonicare, just buy the more expensive ones that are better made.
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