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Fellowes Powershred 73Ci Review

Good performance, but doesn't live up to its price tag
Fellowes Powershred 73Ci
Credit: Fellowes
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Price:   $200 List | $172 at Amazon
Pros:  Fast, user friendly
Cons:  Expensive
Manufacturer:   Fellowes
By Max Mutter and Steven Tata  ⋅  Jun 9, 2018
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70
OVERALL
SCORE

RANKED
#4 of 11
  • Shredding Quality - 40% 6
  • Speed - 35% 8
  • Ease of Use - 15% 8
  • Noise - 10% 6

Our Verdict

The Powershred 73Ci lives up to Fellowes' reputation of making quality paper shredders. However, the Powershred 73Ci feels a bit overpriced to us. It is substantially more expensive than most comparable models on the market. The AmazonBasics 24-Sheet is also a bit faster, and costs slightly less. Therefore we think there are better ways to spend your money than on the Powershred 73Ci.

Compare to Similar Products

(change comparison)
 
Awards  Editors' Choice Award Editors' Choice Award   
Price $200 List
$172.16 at Amazon		$318 List
$265.00 at Amazon		$186 List
$176.60 at Amazon		$240 List
$194.98 at Amazon		$200 List
Overall Score Sort Icon
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85
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Star Rating
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Pros Fast, user friendlyFast, powerful, relatively quietFast, powerful, relatively quietIncredibly fast, high capacityLarge bin, above average performance
Cons ExpensiveExpensive, largeVery largeExpensiveMore expensive than some higher performing models
Bottom Line Good all-around performer, but not worth the high priceExpensive, but well worth the time savings for those that shred a lotA good model for those that shred 100+ pages a day, but there are faster models at the same price pointIf your shredding jobs reach triple digit page numbers, this machine will make your life a lot easierShreds well but is fairly slow for a high capacity model
Rating Categories Fellowes... Fellowes... Basics 24-Sheet... Fellowes... Royal HD1400MX
Shredding Quality (40%)
6
8
8
6
7
Speed (35%)
8
10
9
9
6
Ease Of Use (15%)
8
6
6
8
7
Noise (10%)
6
9
9
7
5
Specs Fellowes... Fellowes... Basics 24-Sheet... Fellowes... Royal HD1400MX
Bin Capacity 6.1 gallons 9 gallons 7 gallons 6 gallons 6.2 gallons
Advertised Sheet Capacity 12 18 24 16 14
Measured Sheet Capacity 12 18 26 14 14
Type Cross-Cut Cross-Cut Cross-Cut Cross-Cut Cross-Cut
Dimensions 19.4" x 15.5" x 10.37 17.3 x 11.4 x 25.2 11.9" x 16.3" x 26.2" 21.3" x 15.4" x 10.4" 13.5"x 17.2" x 20.9"
Weight 19 lb 36.38 36.5 lb 28.22 25
Shred Size 5/32" x 1-1/2" 5/32" x 1-1/2" 7/32" x 1 27/32" 5/32" x 1-1/2" 5/32" x 1 1/2"
Warranty 2 Year Machine / Lifetime Cutter 2 Year Machine / Lifetime Cutter 1 Year Limited 2 Year Machine / Lifetime Cutter 1 Year
Maximum Sheets per Minute 109 185 114 140 60

Our Analysis and Test Results

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.

Credit: Jenna Ammerman

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.

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

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

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 relatively high list price represent a fairly poor value. Though it is a good shredder, you can get similar performance and often better security for the same or less from many other models.

Credit: Jenna Ammerman

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.

— Max Mutter and Steven Tata