Perfect For Our Needs

Author's Rating:

Pros: Small, quiet, efficient, and hasn't jammed yet.

Cons: Very short power cord.

The Bottom Line: 
Buy the Fellowes P700-2 for it's ease of use and effectiveness in reducing sensitive documents to shreds.

Author's Review
In any given week, I’m certain I receive at least eight to ten pieces of mail considered “sensitive”. Credit card offers, requests for donations, auto insurance deals, and magazine renewal notices. They are all a giant pain in my rear, and despite the amount of online “processing” I do they still keep coming. Normally, I’d just throw them away, a sufficient strategy a decade or so ago. Not so anymore, since each paper “nuisance” contains my name, address, and other potentially dangerous information.

Identity Thieves are out there, and if you think you are totally immune, perhaps you should think again. Help is available however, and it’s as simple as purchasing a document shredder for your home. A couple of months ago (after a neighbor’s identity was compromised by an enterprising dumpster diver) I visited our PX and bought a Fellowes P700-2 Personal Series Paper Shredder.

Inside the Box

The Fellowes P700-2 ships in two pieces. The “shredder” itself is embedded into a hard plastic cover that rests on top of a small trash receptacle. The unit’s controls (basically a three-way switch) are situated directly above the paper slot and the power cord connects to the unit on the backside of the lid.

Everyday Work

Operating the shredder is a “no-brainer”. Moving the selector switch from the center “off” position to the left activates the unit. Although “on” the shredder doesn’t start grinding until paper is fed into it. If the paper jams, switching the control lever to the right reverses the feed so that the documents can be removed and the process resumed. Obviously, newly destroyed documents collect in the trash receptacle which can be conveniently dumped when full.

The P700-2 is classified as a “light duty” shredder. As such it’s designed to shred up to 10 sheets of paper at a time. Fellowes recommends no more than 10-20 “passes” (100-200 total sheets) be made per day. Although the P700-2 will easily handle staples, it won’t handle paper clips, “clams” or anything similar. Since we’ve never yet come close to putting 200 sheets a day through our shredder nor have we had any jams the P700-2 suits our needs.

Evaluate your own needs before deciding whether or not to buy this unit. The P700-2 is a “strip” shredder. Customers who want an extra level of security should consider a “cross cut” shredder which reduces document to confetti. Fellowes manufactures a very extensive line of shredders (both strip and cross cut) appropriate for home or office and rated light, medium, and heavy duty.

Final Thoughts

Altogether, we are happy with the Fellowes P700-2. It has a small profile, is fairly quiet, doesn’t jam, and handles our needs appropriately. Shredded documents collect in a handy plastic container that is easily dumped when full. The economical price is well worth the peace of mind.

Specifications

Sheet Capacity: 10 (8 1/2 x 11 inch sheets)
Shred Type: Strip
Shred Size: ¼ inch
Entry Width: 9 inches
Recommended use: 10-20 shredding passes per day
Maximum Running Time: 5-7 minutes on/15 minutes off