Do Gillette Mach 3 and Gillette Fusion razors take different blades? Or can you use them interchangeably? Thanks.
They take different blades. Otherwise Gilette would miss a golden opportunity to rip us consumers off.
Supplementary question though: do Fusion Power razors take regular Fusion blades? I’m guessing not, for the same reasons.
Actually, Fusion heads are interchangeable between Power and Not. I don’t know the exact difference between them, but it’s not in the attachment mechanism.
Ditto Mach 3…M3, M3 Turbo, M3 Power Nitro, whatever else they have all use mechanically interchangeable heads. The blades are supposedly different, the “Turbo” blades have a divverent moisturizer strip and an alleged “anti-friction” coating. But you can mix and match within a product family.
Yes, you can use regular Fusion blades in the Fusion Power razor. I do this and it doesn’t seem to affect the vibrating feature of the powered razor.
And “divverent” may be my favorite typo of the week.
This may be outside the realm of a general question, but which blades are the best? Boyfriend has both the Fusion and the Mach 3 (overlapping gifts from prior years), so which blades are the ones to get? They cost a shitload and I want to get the right ones.
That’s the same as “different” but with a vibrating mechanism.
Oh definitely get Fusion. Fusion’s new and shiny, and being a guy, he’ll want FIVE manly blades, not the milquetoast three offered by the older marque.
Also, which razor itself is best?
I hate to admit this, as I know I look like a victim of marketing here, but the Fusion Power is genuinely the best razor I’ve ever used.
So… how much is the contract with Gillette worth, then? 
I’ve used the regular Mach 3 for a couple of years now and have no complaints whatsoever. The blades are somewhat cheaper than the Turbo, so I’m sticking with 3, thank you very much.
Heh, I use the Mach 3, but it has been said that with my facial hair, I could just make use of a kitten and some milk.
As far as I have been able to determine, the refill attachments are compatible with all of the razors that share a series name. Thus Atra with Atra Plus ; Sensor with Sensor Excel; Mach 3 with Mach 3 Turbo with Mach 3 Nitro; etc. The idea is that existing users upgrade their refills.
As to M3 v. Fusion, it’s something I had been wondering about. To this day I’m still using Atra Plus twin cartridges, but it’s starting to look doomed, as merchants stop carrying them, and the quality of generic drugstore refills becomes just horrible.
(Yeah, it’s IMHO, but we’re already here.) I have both a Mach 3 and a Fusion Power. I much prefer the Mach 3. I know I’m in the minority on that one, though. The Fusion casues more post-shaving irritation, and makes my face break out. It also doens’t handle thick stubble nearly as well, as it feels like the cartridge clogs up more. I get a much smoother chave iwth less irritation using my M3. And as they say, YMMV.
Check the previous threads about this for more info. The Fusion is the best razor produced, bar none. The cartridge can’t clog, the design is excellent, and a cartridge lasts me 2.5 weeks or so, and I shave my whole head.
Hmmmm, have to chip in here.
Forgot my razor an a recent business trip, figured i would treat myself to the new fusion power.
What a bloody waste of money. I swear i can’t get as close a shave as i did with my Mach 3. And with more than a day or two’s growth i’m sure it’s much more painfully ‘tuggy’ than the old 3 blade. And what is with the power thingy exactly? I tried it twice and have never switched it on again since.
Having spent so much cash i’m going to finish off this pack of refills but thereafter i’m going back to my Mach 3.
Yeah i know this is GQ but you asked.
Ahh, yes…“tuggy” is a great way of describing it. Not nearly as close as the Mach 3, either. My experience mimics rocksolid’s to the letter. Not to mention the fact that the cartridge lasts for far fewer shaves than the Mach 3 style.
Okay, that’s my last word about it in this GQ topic. I won’t be a part of this hijack any longer. =)
Not sure if it’s one of Cecil’s columns or elsewhere, but I was reading about how with razors, the multi-bladed ones tend to wear out a lot faster than the ones with only one or two blades. Seems that single-blade razors never get hair and gunk stuck in them, and get tossed out less often. I still can’t figure out how, if hte first blade fails to remove a piece of hair, why the next 4 blades traveling directly in it’s path are gonna have much more luck. That said, I use a Mach 3.
I’d have to agree. I figured the whole battery-powered-vibration thing was a big marketing gimick, but it sure makes a huge difference to me. I find it’s the best shaving tool I’ve ever used.
I find that when the rechargeable batteries actually rotate the three banks of lots-and-lots of blades, I get a remarkably good shave. Still, when I let the stubble grow for a week, I go back to the unpowered, shaving-cream-using version.
The difference between the power and non-power refills? The power ones come with a new battery.