The little shredder that could...then couldn't....then DIED (Update 7/24/03)
Written: Jun 10 '03 (Updated Jul 24 '03)
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Pros: Inexpensive, cross-cut, self-contained unit. Keeps confetti under control.
Cons: Loud, cannot handle 5 pages, jamming issues, smelled hot, and it died.
The Bottom Line: Not for medium to heavy shredding or business use. Best for occasional home use: monthly bill paying/ad shredding. I would suggest looking elsewhere for your shredding needs.
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| crypticmerle's Full Review: Fellowes P400C-2 Shredder |
The Old Shredder Broke
My old shredder broke, probably from overuse in the home office. It was five years old, so it made more sense to buy a new one than to get the old one fixed. I preferred cross-cut or confetti shredding to strip because I believe it offers higher security which is important in my business. I looked over all of the options at www.officedepot.com and www.staples.com, before deciding on the Fellowes P400C-2. I chose this model over the other because:
» Cross-cut
» Larger waste basket area than previous shredder
» Auto-shred setting
» Five pages could be shredded at the same time
» Price (plus online coupon)
» Free shipping
It Arrives
It arrived the next day, and I quickly put it to use. There was no assembly, only plug it in and go. It had one switch that can be set to forward, reverse or auto-shred. Auto-shred means that it will shred automatically when a page is inserted into the slot. It could handle one page, even two. When I tried to shred more than three, it would grind very slowly and sometimes stop. Annoying? Yes. But, I decided I could tolerate it. Because the waste basket is opaque, you can't see when it is getting full. So you should check it and empty it frequently.
Three Months Later
I continued to shred in batches of 1 - 3 pages. Still annoying, especially since three pieces of thin paper (think credit card receipts) can slow it down. Then one day, it stopped altogether. Usually I could eliminate a jam by using the reverse setting and backing out the document. This time, nothing worked. Disgusted, I left on a business trip and didn't touch it for three weeks. Last week, I unplugged the unit and used tweezers to pull out all of the paper in the shredding mechanism. My spouse was appalled because the knives in the mechanism are very sharp and I did cut myself. [I do not recommend anyone trying to fix a shredder themselves. If you do, you assume the risk. At least remember to unplug it.] It took over an hour, but when I plugged it in again it worked.
Would I Do It Again?
I think I would chose another brand if I had it to do again. I still have frequent jams of three pages, but I can't justify buying a new one after only four months.
And Then It Died
In July 2003, just five months after purchase, the Fellowes shredder died. It won't feed pages, let alone shred them. This has been a very disappointing product. Although inexpensive, it didn't live up to its requirements and it is too late to return to the store for a replacement or refund. I replaced it this week with an Aurora AS501MX 5-sheet crosscut shredder I bought from Bed, Bath & Beyond. Unlike the Fellowes, it will shred five sheets without a hiccup, no jams, no weird "hot" smell.
Would I Do It Again? - Part II
No. Although my experience is limited to just this one Fellowes model, I will avoid Fellowes products in the future. Although cheaper than most models, it wasn't worth $12.00 a month ($60.00 divided by 5 months) only to have the garbage service haul it away.
Recommended:
No
Purchase Price (if leased, monthly payment): 60.00
Machine age (Months in use): Five
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Epinions.com ID:
crypticmerle
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Reviews written: 20
Trusted by: 0 members
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