I bought a Braun Silk-epil Epilator years ago, and it's still going strong. It does a great job of removing leg hair, and keeping it away for 4-6 weeks. Initially it is painful, but skin and nerve endings soon adapt.
The interchangeable shaving head is ok, but takes some practice. I've never really got the hang of it, and recently asked the man about the house for advice on foil shavers! Suffice to say he couldn't understand the question. Google to the rescue!
Until recently, I used exclusively shugaring. However, I decided to switch to epilators. Now about the epilator - The skin is really smooth. - it does not hurt (although you can after any slouching any epilator will be harmless, but?) - keep to the middle (I again compare with shugaring, but I do not have the experience of epilators, so the legs and the bikini zone were smooth only a week and a half.)