Powershred® 99Ci 100% Jam Proof Cross-Cut Shredder
4.7
5
223
266
2nd purchase but missing holder
I liked the first I bought so much that I gave it to my mother and decided to buy another one. However, upon unpacking the second box, I notice that there was no holder and screws supplied to install on the side of the unit (with the predrilled holes) to conveniently hold the manual, lubricating oil, etc.
Has Fellowes discontinued to include this part with this shredder, or was it a mistake?
May 19, 2013
Suggested Design Change
Before purchasing my Powershred 99Ci, I read numerous reviews on various web sites. Nearly all of them gave an excellent rating, which is unusual. I have observed that the preponderance of product reviewers only post reviews because they have had a bad experience. But, based on so many positive reviews, I decided to make the purchase.
Overall, I think it was a good decision and I am mostly very pleased with the machine.
It is extraordinarily quiet. My last shredder, a Fellowes SB-15C, was so noisy that I could not use it if anyone in the house was asleep as they could hear it. But this new machine is so quiet that it cannot be heard in the next room, even with the door open!
I have been amused at the debate over whether a shredder can truly shred the maximum number of sheets as declared by the manufacturer (17 sheets for the 99Ci). Since so many papers come in different weights, I might be able to shred 25 very light weight (thin) sheets, while another person can only shred 10 sheets because their paper is much heavier (and therefore thicker). Perhaps manufacturers should declare a maximum and then specify what weight paper that maximum applies to.
I have also found that when you shred large groups of sheets one after the other, the bin will appear fuller faster because the particles clump up as they hang from the blades and do not have much chance to fall into the bin (true of all shredders, regardless of brand, in my experience). Shredding fewer sheets at a time, even if you feed them continuously, allows time for the particles to fall into the bin without clumping.
My main reason for writing this review is to suggest a couple of design changes, and hope that Fellowes sees it:
The 99Ci has a basic problem when the bin is full and the "bin full" indicator light comes on. When that happens, the natural action is to pull the bin out and push the shredded material down into the bin, and perhaps to compress it to give room for more shredding.
But, when you pull the bin out, as the rear of the bin comes forward, it dislodges whatever excess particles are clumped and hanging from the shredder blades and they fall behind the bin (see attached pictures). If you don't pull the bin out far enough, you don't see those particles, and when they build up too much, you cannot push the bin back in fully.
To get around this, I tried pulling the bin out partially and reaching in to grab the material hanging from the shredder blades and push it down into the bin. I was sort of successful, but the inside of the upper front portion of the bin has many sharp edges, and I found I have to be very careful not to rub my arm on them or I will get scratches or cuts on my arm (see picture).
My recommended design changes:
1) Make the edges of the inside of the front top of the bin rounded so you can reach in without getting scratched or cut.
2) Change the bin design so the top of the bin is substantially lower, say 6 inches lower than it is currently, and put the "bin full" detector at the top of the bin rather than on the underside of the shredding motor housing. This would result in either a smaller bin, or a taller machine to accommodate the current bin, but it might give more vertical space to give shredded particles a better chance to fall clear of the blades. "Bin full" would then indicate a truly full bin and not just that a bunch of particles are clumped and hanging from the blades, a "false indicator".
AT THE SAME TIME, OR ALTERNATIVELY, change the bin design so that when you pull it out, the back edge of the bin "scrapes" the hanging particles into the bin. This might prevent the particles from falling behind the bin.
OR, ALTERNATIVELY, change the mechanism so that when the bin is full, the machine "self-clears" the particles hanging from the blades, perhaps by running it in reverse for a few seconds. Perhaps, in this way, a "bin full" condition would only happen when the bin was truly full and not when the shredded particles have clumped and are hanging from the blades.
Despite what sounds like a great deal of negativity on my part, I still love the machine! I will only have to deal with the bin full situation being annoying when shredding large amounts of paper, such as when I do my annual file drawer clean-out. I do not foresee this problem being an annoyance for normal day to day shredding. And, as a way to alleviate this problem, I will probably also shred fewer sheets at a time.
My only other comment is it would be nice to have a more secure cut size at a lower price than is currently available.
March 27, 2013
Great Shredder
This shredder is great! It is quiet and holds a lot of shredded paper. It is so nice not to have to change out the waste basket every few shreds. I would highly recommend this product to anyone who needs to shred personal info or a small business that needs to shred for privacy purposes.
March 21, 2013