We had a Royal shredder (you can lookup my review on that shredder here) that even thou it was still working, was just to big a pain to use. It jammed, it collected paper in the cutters and it was difficult to empty. Both my wife and I were tired of using it, so time to replace it even if it was working.
So I determined we needed something that would take 3 or 4 sheets without having a fit about it. Would take a staple without problems, didn’t jam and was easy to empty. If you have never owned a shredder, any one of these makes the shredder a pain to use, and then you don’t use it. ID theft is the reason we have one. I have also come to the belief that for a practical number of sheets shredded at one time (for cross cut as that is all I have ever owned) is the stated sheet capacity minus 20%.
That brings me to this Fellows shredder. What initially attracted me to this shredder, was the waste basket. Then the 11 sheet capacity (means about 8 in reality) plus the Multimedia shredding which is the new term for CD’s, credit cards, that kind of stuff. Staples are not an issue. But you can read all that on the box, or the details here.
So specifications, details, what does all that mean for the person looking for a shredder? As far as shredders go, this one is a breeze to own and use.
Piece of cake to empty, and that is no small matter. The see through screen basket allows you to see when the shred is closing in on the cutters, and being easy to empty, you just do it. You don’t try to fit every last shred in the basket, and allow the cutters to jam up from the bottom. You just step on the foot tab, the basket leans forward, you grab and empty. It is shaped to funnel the cuttings somewhat rather than spread them out while dumping, and it is easier to not use a bag with it. They have this one right. Just set the bottom in and push it back in, and you are ready to go. No aligning a switch in some cutout either.
Shredding is a nonevent, which is a good thing. No jamming, no clogged cutters, no bogging down with two sheets just because one is thicker than regular paper. It just does what it is suppose to do. Credit cards, no problem. CD’s, well, I have only shredded one, and pretty much just to see how it did. It did fine, kind of added this silver snow all over the paper shreds in the basket. Staples, don’t even know they are in there.
Shred size is small. Short of an action/suspense movie or government super computer, the shred is useless except for packing material, confetti or camp fire starter. You would have to be one dedicated person to go through the shred, pick out all the little pieces of credit card and then try to assemble them. Much better than I ever did with a scissors.
There is a metal (or looks like metal) surround with the feed slot in the middle. If any part of you contacts that metal while it is shredding, it stops.
This is the largest, size wise, shredder I have ever owned. But does not take any more space than our old ones, just vertical space for the larger waste basket and stand. Plus it is easier to use sitting down because you don’t have to lean over.
We have owned this for about 8 months now. My wife shreds everything with our name, address, any personal information. We have put hundreds, maybe even thousands of sheets through it, with not a single hitch. Have not had to pull paper out of the cutters, have not had to clean up little shreds from the basket removing the head assembling from it, none of the “fun” stuff I have associated with shredders in the past. So far this has been one of those “It does it’s job, and does it well” kind of machines.
UPDATE This shredder just quit working. Acts like your hand is on the safety bar, nothing. Power light comes on, switch in the slot to activate it clicks, but nothing. Not jammed, just nothing. This after 10 months. How ever Fellows had a toll free number to call inside. We called them and they asked some basic questions about the problem. Then they said they would send a totally new unit out! We received the new unit about a week after that.
Recommended:
Yes
Purchase Price (if leased, monthly payment): 99.00 Machine age (Months in use): 10
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