I’ve never had an oral-b battery last more than 3 years. PITA to replace the battery. I still buy them even though they are designed to fail… :(
Edit: the brushes my family of 3 have used from oral b all with the same lack of longevity are Pro1000, Pro1500, oral b kids. Have not tried the other models.
I’ve replaced 3 batteries I can remember. Lithium ion replacements that performed way better than the originals. Got them on eBay. Used a YouTube video to know how to take it apart and solder the contacts etc. I’d say it’s entry level. Not even close to the skill needed for iPhone battery replacement.
Couple take aways from my experience. Oral b could very easily make the battery simple for anyone to replace but they choose not too. Designed obsolescence.
The amount of gunk inside the case when I’ve worked on them is unacceptable. They are not sealed well in my experience and the design has not been improved at all in the last decade. The big change was ni cad to lithium.
There isn’t a better brushing action on the market that I’ve used. So I keep buying a not BIFL product. Which is a bummer. Assuming the brush is used 2x a day, everyday, for the full amount of time. That is pretty impressive. After one battery replacement I’m done. At that point the handles rubber or something else is disintegrating.
I honestly prefer the older style Oral B Pro series (700/800/1500/4000) but the newer iO series seem okay too. iO3 as a minimum, iO9 if you want to connect it to smartphone, not sure why you’d want to.
I use an Oral B Pro 700, a manual toothbrush when I’m travelling, and piksters. I have an iO4 that a rep gave me that’s waiting for the Pro series to die, although I’m not sure it ever will.
The other-side of the equation is diet of course, if you have a diet full of fibrous, low GI foods, and don’t smoke, you can afford to be a little bit slack in the hygiene department from time to time.
used to think electric toothbrushes were just a gimmick to get you to spend more money, but I’ve had a complete 180 after switching. I had terrible plaque buildup along my lower teeth no matter how hard or how often I brushed manually. I finally caved after my hygienist literally showed me a mirror and pointed out where I was missing every single time. I bought the Oral-B Pro 1500 (was on sale for like $50), and after about 6 months the difference was night and day. The oscillating round head actually gets around each tooth instead of just sweeping back and forth, and the pressure sensor saved my gums because apparently I was brushing way too aggressively. The thing that surprised me the most wasn’t even the cleaner teeth, though—it was how much easier it was. I didn’t realize how much “manual effort” went into brushing until I switched. Now I just gently guide the brush and it does all the work. Zero regrets, honestly should’ve done it sooner.
I don't recommend the brush heads with the little yellow "flossing" paddles. Beat the hell out of your gums. Whether you get the pro or the iO you'll want to use soft bristles.
I have an io myself. I like it, but it's true that mold is a concern. You have to stay on it.
So with oral B becoming more expensive. Im looking at other options. Ultrasonic isn't very good at cleaning in my opinion, im hanging onto my oral B pro but the battery only lasts a few days. Suri would be great as I could otherwise replace the battery... any reccomendations for the best of both worlds? Something with a rotating brush head and a replaceable battery?
passmore_potatoes
