Remington PG6171 The Crafter: Beard Boss Style and Detail Kit, Male Trimming, Grooming (11 Pieces) Wahl Lithium Ion All In One Grooming Kit #9854-600 I had an opportunity to literally compare side-by-side this Remington The Crafter and the Wahl Lithium Ion All In One Grooming Kit #9854-600. They were exactly the same price so I figured I should give it a thorough comparison. Intially, I was so pleased with an older version of essentially the same Wahl model that I went out and purchased a second one. As soon as I turned it on for the first time I noticed that the on/off switch wobbled and felt very plastic. And when I plugged in the cord to charge the battery, I was reminded of the reason I needed the older model replaced: the little plug was extremely tight and I felt like I was going to break it, especially when I had to pull fairly hard to unplug it. In the older model, I was very disappointed that the internals of the PLUG literally broke inside, leaving me no ability to charge my Wahl groomer. Everything still worked perfectly! That’s the rub. After 4-5 years of daily use, it was still working as good as new. I hated throwing it away just because of the power connector internals. Not being satisfied with how “plastic fantastic” this was, I purchased a different brand that cost the same: a Remington “The Crafter” Style and Detail Kit. After using both, I chose the Remington, but the Wahl did offer a few advantages. Both have Lithium batteries. Both come with a little case and multiple beard guides and fixed length combs. The Wahl (W) featured a few things that most do not have, including the Remington (R): - A wider T-blade, which I think would make cutting hair easier (which is something I wouldn’t use it for) - It boasted 1-minute charging. It also allowed you to use it when plugged in and charging – the R does not. This feature was very necessary with my older Wahl since the battery discharged much quicker after many years and wouldn’t hold a charge very well if not plugged in. I just kept it plugged in for the most part. (Remember, this is after 4-5 years of use.) As far as functionality, I couldn’t tell a difference between the beard detail trimmer. The included attachment guides, although slightly different, all function similarly, with the R offering an attachment that can be adjusted in smaller increments. The R offers two motor speeds (the W, only one – but I always use the faster “turbo” speed on the R, which is essentially the same as the W, so that didn’t really matter to me). The biggest advantage the Wahl had was the foil ultra-close shaver. Wahl had a double head and was much wider. It was noticeably faster and more thorough when shaving my neck and face areas. This, alone, was ALMOST enough for me to keep the Wahl. This advantage, however, introduced a big weakness, especially when compared to the Remington: Switching out the different heads (trimmer, foil shaver, nose trimmer) on the W always made me feel like I was going to break it because it seemed so cheaply made. The pieces did not snap in easily. I found myself trying to avoid switching to the other head simply out of fear of breaking it. The R, on the other hand, requires a simple twist of the head both off and on (versus prying it off and fitting/snapping it back in after a bit of a struggle). The R feels solid and I now never fear that switching out to my nose trimmer, for example, will break my trimmer. The whole Remington Crafter feels much more solidly made. The on/off button is a push button behind waterproof rubber. The R is waterproof, by the way, while the W is not. I think not being waterproof is what led to my older Wahl breaking at the power connection as there was a tiny hint of rust build-up. The Remington uses a larger, rubber connector that doesn’t seem like it could break inside. As I mentioned, the Wahl on/off switch literally jiggled around. This did not affect its ability to switch it on and off, but the “plastic-ness” and the not solid feel really turned me off to this product as I give it just 6 months to a year before it breaks somehow. Another difference was the nose trimmer. Wahl’s was a roughly quarter-inch version of the trimmer. It did its job reaching into my nose. But the Remington has a very different, more functional design that reaches further in and around the nose. If you have a big or long honker, you’ll want the Remington. Mostly insignificant: the little attachments bag for the W was much better than the R. They’re both functional so that did not play into my decision. Bottom line: The Remington is built much more solidly. Despite my long history with a Wahl, I just couldn’t get past its plastic-fantastic cheaply-made feel, ESPECIALLY when compared to the Remington. The one caveat is if you use the ultra-close foil shaver quite a bit for a large area of your neck and face: the Wahl’s version is much better. (I just hope the little plastic pieces inside the heads don’t break when you switch between the trimmer and the ultra-close.)
