Fellowes Powershred 73Ci Review

We were impressed by the Powershred 73Ci's performance in our testing, but not by its price. There are other shredders that perform just as well and cost considerably less.

Performance Comparison

The Powershred 73Ci was towards the top of the leaderboard after all of our tests, but we still expected more from it, given its price. For more details on how well it did in all of our tests, read on below.

Shredding Quality

We would call the Powershred 73Ci's shredding quality slightly above average. It handled its advertised 12-sheet capacity with aplomb, did quite well shredding thick junk mail envelopes, and didn't complain when we shred credit cards and CDs. Our only slight complaint is the fact that the Powershred 73Ci provides cross-cut level security, as opposed to micro-cut. While this shredding quality is more than adequate for most people, it is worth noting that the AmazonBasics 12-Sheet Micro-Cut offers the same capacity and power, with the increased security of micro-cut blades, at a much lower price.

The PowerShred 73Ci's cross-cut level security isn't as good as micro-cut, but is still quite effective.

Speed

The Powershred 73Ci posted a maximum speed of 109 sheets per minute in our speed testing. This is plenty of speed for most users, but isn't particularly impressive given its price. For instance, the AazonBasics 12-Sheet Micro-Cut is higher security, half the price, and nearly as fast at 72 sheets per minute. The AmazonBasics 24-Sheet also cost less and it significantly faster, clocking a speed of 114 sheets per minute in our testing. So while the Powershred 73Ci is fast, you can get faster for less.

Ease of Use

Fellowes has a knack for creating user friendly interfaces and adding in helpful features, and the Powershred 73Ci is no exception. It features touch sensitive controls, a sensor that automatically stops the blades if your fingers get too close, and intelligent jam-proof technology that automatically stops when there is a jam, reverses the paper out a bit, and then attempts to shred it again. In our experience this was able to work through some minor jams without any user input, which was kind of nice. The 6-gallon bin has a big window so you can easily tell how full it is. It also pulls out easily when it gets full. Finally, the attached wheels make it easy to move the shredder around if you need to rearrange the office, or hide it away until it is needed.

All of Fellowes' shredders have a nice, clean interface and a guard that automatically shuts off the blades if a finger touches it.

Noise

The Powershred 73Ci is fairly average in terms of audible annoyingness. You're certainly going to notice when it's running, but the sound isn't too grating. We wouldn't want to use this too often in a crowded office, but the occasional few minutes here and there shouldn't garner too much ire from your officemates.

Value

The Powershred 73Ci and its $200 list price represent a fairly poor value. Though it is a good shredder, you can get similar performance and higher security from the AmazonBasics 12-Sheet Micro-Cut, which lists for $100. The AmazonBasics 24-Sheet is also faster, and list for $165. Therefore you can get much more for your money in other models.

Conclusion

The Powershred 73Ci is a great shredder, but it comes with too high of a price tag to be a good choice for anyone.