I guess the Flowbee was a quite practical device, and saved you the time and money that would otherwise be spent going to a barber or salon, but it had two fatal flaws:
1. The device only really allowed you to achieve one style: exact same length, all around.
2. The Flowbee tended to jam. This could sometimes lead to the third problem ---
3. The Flowbee tended to catch fire. I am not making this up. If the cutter inside jammed, or it was left running too long with the vacuum cleaner off, the motor, which ate an amazing amount of current, would catch fire, and so would any hair accumulated (or STUCK) in the Flowbee's nozzle.
This is yet another horrible invention of the 80s we could really have done without, just like M.C. Hammer and parachute pants. I think they were all recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (regrettably, only the Flowbees!)
Update: A quick Google search shows that these are still on sale. I suppose they corrected the design flaw. I'm now a little more terrified knowing that they still exist (and, apparently, that people would buy them...).
Additional update: No, M.C. Hammer is not on sale. The other two things are, though.
Now, if someone would go back in time and get me a Hypercolor t-shirt, I would be amazingly grateful... | 
