Fellowes Shredmate Paper Shredder...A Great Personal Shredder

Author's Rating:

Pros: Small
Easy to use
Wastebasket included
Powerful for home use

Cons: Some may dislike the small opening...just fold the paper.

The Bottom Line: 
The Fellowes Shredmate Paper Shredder is great for home use and those wanting to protect their identity.

Author's Review
I am always amazed when I casually mention something I want, in a conversation with one of my adult children and they remember me saying that I want this or that thing.

For my last birthday my third daughter had remembered me saying that I needed to get a shredder. I was so surprised as I opened the wrapping paper and found the Fellowes Paper Shredder inside.

All of the news programs that have talked about identity theft have made an impression on me and I’ve thought it would be better to shred and not need to than it would be to not shred and wished that I had.


The Shredder

This shredder is a nice personal size and is compact, measuring only 8 ¾” high X 7 ½” wide X 6” deep. The wastebasket is clear, so you can see the papers that have already been shredded. The top toolbar, the actual shredder itself is gray and has a black slide power switch that can be moved from the Off position to the Auto position to begin shredding. If a jam should occur, the slide switch can be moved to Reverse to help in clearing the jam.

The entry width is a small one, measuring only 4 ½” long, but simply folding a full sheet of paper makes it easy to insert. It shreds in a confetti type of shred that is only 5/32” X 7/8”. I figure with papers shredded that small, they’ll never be put together again.

It is recommended that only 10 – 20 shredding passes per use, with no more than 2 minutes on and at least 4 minutes off for a cool down. While the manual says that this shredder is okay with staples, it also warns not to try and shred paper clips or other hard materials. It also says that you should avoid plastic, adhesive labels and cardboard.


My Feelings

I received this shredder in December and was very anxious to use it. I looked around the house for something to shred and found a few Christmas card envelopes. Well in my desire to watch my new toy…errr shredder at work I began to shred away. I had already mailed cards to the people who’s envelopes I was shredding so it was all good. That was until I had one of the cards I had mailed returned to me. It seems I had the wrong address and had already shredded the correct one. Lesson learned.

I have it sitting in my kitchen near where we set the mail down when it is brought in. This is a convenient spot and since it is a small shredder, doesn’t take up very much room. I can read my mail and get rid of anything that I don’t need all in one spot.

I find it interesting that this shredder’s manual states that this shredder will only work with the included wastebasket, which has a built in safety feature that will prevent it from operating with any other basket or if not properly assembled. I guess this is a good thing…unless the basket gets cracked or broken, then it would render this shredder head non-operable.

This isn’t a professional shredder, but it is great for family use and is a quick easy set up right out of the box. I like that the Fellowes Paper Shredder is quick and quiet and very easy to use.. It meets my needs and I’ve had no paper jams yet. I do feel this is a well made and reliable shredder that I would very highly recommend to anyone looking for a way to make confetti of personal information.