ms_bliz's Full Review: Fellowes Powershred® PS-65C (Confetti-Cut) Sh...
I've been hankering for a shredder of my very own, but despite identity theft paranoia (compounded by unauthorized charges to a credit card) and a fear of paper cuts, I couldn't justify the purchase. All that changed after I went through all my papers recently. I now had a stack worthy of testing some sharp metal teeth. It was time to go shopping.
I almost ordered the entry-level Fellowes PS400C-2 confetti-cut shredder from an office supply catalog for $80 until I remembered that I was too cheap to spend $80 without going online first. Also, I didn't know anything about Fellowes shredders.
Personal shredders come in two varieties: strip-cut and cross-cut (or confetti-cut). Confetti-cut shredders are a little more expensive than strip-cut because they shred into smaller pieces, which means higher security, less bulk, and less emptying of wastebaskets. So that meant confetti-cut for me. I didn't want something cheap, and I also didn't want to spend more than $100. Crazy?
I compared some shredders at Staples.com. The Fellowes were the most expensive but were they worth it? There really weren't many places reviewing shredders. I checked Amazon.com and Epinions, and it looked like the medium-duty Fellowes PS60C-2 was the way to go. It was highly rated, it sported metal teeth (some shredders have plastic teeth) and I knew it could handle credit cards and staples. I really wanted a built-in window or a translucent bin so I could easily see when I needed to empty the basket. Even with 6.5 gallons, the basket fills pretty quickly. And I'd rather not get the bottom-of-the-line model, anyway.
Two other shredders I was interested in were the Aurora AS702MX ($60 after $10 rebate) and the Xerox 81S ($50 on sale).
The Aurora has a second opening for credit cards and a metal mesh wastebasket, both of which I thought were nice features. It also comes equipped with a safety interlock that automatically shuts off the shredder if the waste bin is removed. (The Fellowes doesn't have this safety feature, but you'd have to be some kind of stupid to remove the wastebasket while the shredder is operating.) Its bin holds 5 gallons, and the shred speed was a swift 20 ft./minute. The Aurora sure looked good on paper and the price was right, but I couldn't find a single review on it.
The Xerox had a 7 gallon bin, shreds 15 ft./minute, and can take 8 sheets per pass. Again, no reviews. I suppose I could have actually gone to a brick and mortar and checked them out for myself. Next time.
I shied away from the attractively styled Royal HT-100 ($100) because reviewers called their lesser models junk.
All of the shredders I examined have the auto start/reverse switch and all came with a 1-year limited warranty.
Fellowes tests every shredder, in fact, you'll probably have little bits of paper left in the bin when you open up the package for the first time.
In The Field
I ended up ordering the Fellowes PS60C-2 from Crux Works for $105 including a $12 shipping charge ($180 retail price. Buy.com wanted over $20 in shipping.) I used the "Compare Prices" link to Crux Works at the bottom of this page, which gave me a $6 discount or so. Thanks, Epinions!
Features of the Fellowes PS60C-2:
25-50 passes per day; up to 7 sheets per pass
shred speed: 14 ft./minute
shred size: 5/32" x 1-3/8"
stops automatically after a jam
auto start/off/reverse switch with LEDs
over 50 teeth measuring 5/32" wide
built-in window
sturdy plastic 6.5 gallon bin
Dimensions: 18"H x 14.25"W x 10"D
It's a snap to put together, simply line up the head unit with the guide marked on the bin. It's fairly heavy, thanks to those thick, sharp metal teeth. Despite that it wasn't too loud, I imagined a large man humming "MMMMMMMMMMM" next to me. Not bad at all. The shredder made short work of my papers, but when they say 7 sheets, they mean it! I jammed it with 8 sheets, (twice, since I tried the other end). No problem, just hit the reverse switch and gently pull the papers out, if necessary. It's probably one of the most dangerous pieces of equipment in your office, so please treat it with respect. I'm a little scared of mine, in fact. It reminded me of that Stephen King short story, "The Mangler," like, maybe when the Mangler was a baby.
Things you can shred:
regular paper
staples
credit cards
SMALL paper clips
Things you can't:
Everything else. This includes newsprint, large paper clips, transparencies, plastic (other than credit cards) and continuous feed paper.
You can shred for 10-12 minutes at a clip, then the machine will shut down which necessitates a 20-minute cooldown period. After that, you're good to go back to your freewheeling paper-shredding ways.
All metal-jawed shredders are going to require some kind of maintenance; this model requires oiling once per month. The good news is that you can use a vegetable-based oil like corn oil or canola oil, something I'm sure you already have in your home.
Fellowes also offers the PS60-2, which is basically the same shredder but a strip-cut model, if you want to save a few George Washingtons.
Recommended:
Yes
Purchase Price (if leased, monthly payment): 105 Machine age (Months in use): 1
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Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
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