Fellowes Powershred 225i Strip-Cut Shredder

We bought this shredder as it is a designed to run constantly rather than overheat in a few minutes. We haven't done a huge amount of shredding yet so can't comment on that but it has handled smaller quantities easily. It is not very noisy and will certainly take 20 sheets at a time. Sometimes, with thicker wads of paper, it does a part reversal and then draws the paper through but that is not a problem and it shreds quickly. The waste bin is a good size but remember to push the waste paper down in the bin from time to time to prevent overflowing. I am very happy with the product.

B+ for performance but a bit expensive

Most people see a selection of shredders in the store and think $150 is a bit much. I am willing to pay 3-4 times an average pricepoint if it means getting a bit more longevity or other intangible quality out of a product. Paying $1500 for a shredder is paying TEN TIMES what most people think is way too expensive. So... it's a big shredder. The slot is nearly 30" from the floor. I am over 6' tall and never have to hunch down to feed it. The bin is also much larger than a usual shredder's. It comes with a small roll of liners, but can also take a 32 gallon trash bag. The motor is advertised as good for continuous duty. I spent nearly 3 hours running the thing continuously and went through two full file boxes of junk mail and it never overheated. It comes with a ... MoreMost people see a selection of shredders in the store and think $150 is a bit much. I am willing to pay 3-4 times an average pricepoint if it means getting a bit more longevity or other intangible quality out of a product. Paying $1500 for a shredder is paying TEN TIMES what most people think is way too expensive. So... it's a big shredder. The slot is nearly 30" from the floor. I am over 6' tall and never have to hunch down to feed it. The bin is also much larger than a usual shredder's. It comes with a small roll of liners, but can also take a 32 gallon trash bag. The motor is advertised as good for continuous duty. I spent nearly 3 hours running the thing continuously and went through two full file boxes of junk mail and it never overheated. It comes with a generous bottle of vegetable oil which I added about every half-file-box worth of usage. (So, no need to add oil to your shopping cart.) The mechanism is well above average and strong enough to chew through far, far more than your average shredder. It can quickly destroy entire unopened credit card offer envelopes with the fake card inside. A handy LED gauge prompts the user to the probability of overload and somehow senses this so early that the motor cuts itself off automatically before it even has the chance to jam. As for performance at maximum stress level, it does feel cheap on the higher end of that spectrum and sort of sounds like the plastic parts in the mechanism are about to bend or break. Again, it only feels cheezy like this when really pushing it. A simple stuffed envelope will go through like nothing and very quietly as well. Is it worth $1500? Not sure. The build quality is "pro-sumer" rather than true commercial grade. For me, I am just very happy to have a great shredder to keep near my mail pile and easily shred anything of nearly any common thickness and as much as necessary without worrying about overheating or dumping the bin. If it were heavy gauge steel, I might say the $1500 is worth it. With the lightweight steel construction, plastic and chrome-plated plastic on top and partially plastic cutting mechanism, I'd veer towards a "no" on the question of value. Do I WANT this bad enough to pay $1500? Soft yes.

Below average quality

We just received this new Fellowes 225Ci paper shredder and are EXTREMELY disappointed that the internal paper bin supplied as it is made of CARDBOARD rather than the expected plastic bin. We could not find replacement cardboard bins as an option on the consumables list for this product. A plastic bin is essential for the expected usage (commercial) especially given the price range. VERY VERY disappointed.

Does not feed paper straight

When adding paper to the shredder slot, the augers pull at the paper and cause the paper to not go in straight. This is generally not a problem except when you are feeding close to the maximum number of sheets and the paper turns as it is being shredded. This causes the sensor to think it has to many sheets because it starts to bunch up the paper. Run the machine in reverse and reset the paper and proceed and it will chew through the paper. This is a real hassle unless you really enjoy spending extra time at the machine trying to shred paper. This slows down the process considerably.The machine seems very well built. I really like the sensor for safety. Not likely that you would get a finger caught in the shredder anyway, but this safety feature adds a good ounce ... MoreWhen adding paper to the shredder slot, the augers pull at the paper and cause the paper to not go in straight. This is generally not a problem except when you are feeding close to the maximum number of sheets and the paper turns as it is being shredded. This causes the sensor to think it has to many sheets because it starts to bunch up the paper. Run the machine in reverse and reset the paper and proceed and it will chew through the paper. This is a real hassle unless you really enjoy spending extra time at the machine trying to shred paper. This slows down the process considerably.The machine seems very well built. I really like the sensor for safety. Not likely that you would get a finger caught in the shredder anyway, but this safety feature adds a good ounce of protection. This is a well built, nice looking machine.I wish Fellowes would advertise what size the trash bags are that go in the bin. Having the bags makes it real easy to empty the bin and start shredding again. The bags need to be bigger than the bin so that when they are full they can be tied off and set aside for recycling. Merely need the bag size.I was hoping for a strong shredder with a fair speed. The speed is my only issue and my issue only when the paper turns in the slot because it does not pull the paper through the cutters straight. For this reason, I would not recommend this to a friend.

Finally a shredder that doesnt cut out

If you have more than 5 mins of shredding to do this is the machine for you. Its a proper continuous duty shredder. I did 12 black bin bags of shredding on one go. Took about an hour and a half. Its big though. About the size of a slimline dishwasher. If you have major amounts of shredding then this is a good workhorse unit.

Good performance

Recently purchased the 225CI for the cross-cut feature as the one previously in use was a straight cut. As recently obtained this shredder it has to date been operating well - no issues. A nice surprise, the 225Ci came with a bottle of oil as the 225i we were using did not.I am disappointed in the shred bin that was supplied with this 225Ci shredder - a heavy-thick cardboard carton for the bin. This was disappointing as the 225i we were using had a heavier corrugated type bin that is much sturdier/construction than this heavy-thick cardboard. Makes you wonder exactly how long this will last with the on-going emptied of the shred bin. How soon we will be seeking a shred bin replacement.The other disappointment, the 225i had a "separate" bin for the shredded CD's. ... MoreRecently purchased the 225CI for the cross-cut feature as the one previously in use was a straight cut. As recently obtained this shredder it has to date been operating well - no issues. A nice surprise, the 225Ci came with a bottle of oil as the 225i we were using did not.I am disappointed in the shred bin that was supplied with this 225Ci shredder - a heavy-thick cardboard carton for the bin. This was disappointing as the 225i we were using had a heavier corrugated type bin that is much sturdier/construction than this heavy-thick cardboard. Makes you wonder exactly how long this will last with the on-going emptied of the shred bin. How soon we will be seeking a shred bin replacement.The other disappointment, the 225i had a "separate" bin for the shredded CD's. The 225Ci does not. Any shredded CD's are now mixed in with the shredded paper.With the price paid, would think there would be a better constructed shred bin and would include the CD shred bin.Other than these two concerns, the shredder works as expected.Recommend? Yes, would purchase another, and would recommend to others.

Mr

Nice big paper shedder! Always wanted a bigger one then my fist one!! This is big and should last until I pass away! It’s a fellows shedder and it’s a name brand!!! That’s why I got it!!! I did not want a cheap one!!!!

Powershred 225Ci

This is our second Fellowes Powershred product for the office, the first one was a strip cut and very small. After many years of use well worth the money spent we needed to get a new one and decided to upgrade. Love the cross cut feature and the indicators of too many sheets of paper. Hopefully this will prevent jams in the future. Very compact for the work the shredder does and it is very quiet compared to the old one. Nice that it came with a few bags so we could start using it right away, as well as the oil and a good user guide. My only concern is for the cardboard box for the paper, hopefully it will last a long time or we can get a replacement should it get damaged. Looking forward to hopefully many years of usage.

Shreds well, but sensor not so good

It shreds very well for long periods of time. Unfortunately the sensor went out and it will not shred. After experimenting, I was able to manually shred using the push button and feeding in paper. Eventually it would shred continuously until it ran out of paper. It stopped again and had to start process all over. Not what I imagined ever doing, but at least I can keep it going manually because they're too expensive to replace.

Worst Purchase Ever

Purchased the Powershred 225Ci, and it has been a nightmare since two weeks from purchase date. It is a beautifully designed unit that takes less office space than the dinosaur unit it replaced. In my opinion, the dinosaur unit with no bells and whistles was a far better unit. This unit is on its 4th repair. It does jam on occasion, but that is the least of its problems. The sensory system is faulty. Instead of auto-stop when job is completed, it runs continuously until the user turns it off. It has become such a nuisance to operate because for it to work you have to press the right arrow before putting the paper in and while it is shredding. Now, with this repair, we have come to find out that there is a piece broken under its hood. I wonder how that happened. As ... MorePurchased the Powershred 225Ci, and it has been a nightmare since two weeks from purchase date. It is a beautifully designed unit that takes less office space than the dinosaur unit it replaced. In my opinion, the dinosaur unit with no bells and whistles was a far better unit. This unit is on its 4th repair. It does jam on occasion, but that is the least of its problems. The sensory system is faulty. Instead of auto-stop when job is completed, it runs continuously until the user turns it off. It has become such a nuisance to operate because for it to work you have to press the right arrow before putting the paper in and while it is shredding. Now, with this repair, we have come to find out that there is a piece broken under its hood. I wonder how that happened. As for the safety feature, of course this is great...the darn thing stops working and lights up like a Christmas tree when you insert paper. In my opinion, this is not a professional, high-capacity shredder, and like a new car...it should be bound by the "Lemon Law".