The Panasonic ER206 trimmer has a rechargeable battery
in it. If the life of the battery reduces, you'd want to replace it, but
on calling up the service center, I was shocked to hear that it'd cost
me around Rs.1000 or more (I don't remember the exact amount mentioned,
but it was just a few hundred rupees lesser than the cost of the
trimmer).
This, this and this
video however, showed me that replacing the battery was actually quite
simple. The comments in the video mention the specifications of what
battery could be purchased (don't ask me. I don't know). I didn't have to replace mine. One battery
should cost only around Rs.150 or less, so the service center's charges
were truly blown out of proportion. I don't know if this was their way
of making us just buy a new trimmer or if they were charging us for not
having a star screwdriver.
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Gap along which it can be opened after removing the screws
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So you'll find two screws that you can open on the main body. Then, after removing the blade portion of the trimmer, you'll find two more screws. Once you remove those, you can insert something like a debit card in the gap shown with the red arrow in the above picture. Move it along the green arrow's direction all along the body of the trimmer carefully on both sides, and you'll be able to open it.
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What it looks like on opening it up
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| The positive terminal has a white gasket |
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The plastic that holds the battery
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The battery is lodged a bit tightly in the plastic, but it isn't too hard to pull it upward to get it out.
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Negative contact point after removing battery
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Negative terminal
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Positive terminal
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Side view
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If you ever wondered whether hair gets inside, yes it does. Didn't cause any problems though
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Does it work without the battery?
Yes it does. Even if you remove the battery and connect the trimmer to the power adapter and plug it into the AC power socket, the trimmer will work. However, if there are voltage fluctuations, it could damage the motor. So if there's that danger, you can use it with a voltage stabilizer.
So you see, it's that simple to open it up and replace the battery (or use it even without replacing the battery). Saves money and saves the time and cost of going to the service center. Overall, this trimmer is quite good in quality and long lasting. They also provide a brush and oil to lubricate the blade. That's an important part of maintaining the trimmer and extending the life of the blade. After using it, don't forget to charge the battery immediately. If I remember right, an 8 or 16 hour charging is required.
