Fellowes Powershred 73Ci Review
Pros: Fast, user friendly
Cons: Expensive
Manufacturer: Fellowes
Our Verdict
Compare to Similar Products
![]() This Product
Fellowes Powershred 73Ci | |||||
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Awards | ![]() | ![]() | |||
Price | $200 List $172.16 at Amazon | $318 List $259.99 at Amazon | $186 List $176.60 at Amazon | $240 List $194.98 at Amazon | $200 List |
Overall Score ![]() |
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Star Rating | |||||
Pros | Fast, user friendly | Fast, powerful, relatively quiet | Fast, powerful, relatively quiet | Incredibly fast, high capacity | Large bin, above average performance |
Cons | Expensive | Expensive, large | Very large | Expensive | More expensive than some higher performing models |
Bottom Line | Good all-around performer, but not worth the high price | A fantastic option for those that shred hundreds of pages per day | A great and fast model, but if you're looking for speed there are better options in the same price range | If your shredding jobs reach triple digit page numbers, this machine will make your life a lot easier | Shreds well but is fairly slow for a high capacity model |
Rating Categories | Fellowes... | Fellowes... | Basics 24-Sheet... | Fellowes... | Royal HD1400MX |
Shredding Quality (40%) | |||||
Speed (35%) | |||||
Ease Of Use (15%) | |||||
Noise (10%) | |||||
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.
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.
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.
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.
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