20 Best Shredders For Home Use (2023 Updated)

I am searching for a replacement for this model. Purchased this 4 years ago and the first 6 months lived up to its claims. Then things started going wrong. First and most important is the machine is TOP HEAVY and will easily tip over.

The wheels are cheap and loud but not the reason the machine tips over. I used a flatbed to move it around the offices. Second, the jam feature stopped working almost as soon as the machine got broken-in.

Employees are not known for following directions so the over-stuffed paper jam was a major reason to purchase but that feature was first to go bad. Third. The machine overheated all the time. The 20 minute to 40 minute is more like 10 minutes to 90 minutes.

Finally, the machine does not stop when basket is full resulting in over fill, jams from underneath cutters, and the worst, the basket door broke away from the machine eventually after several overfilled baskets.

The motor is strong and the cutters are strong but the axles did bow due to jams. The machine is headed to the scrapyard.

I’ve used the shredder for about two weeks and shredded approximately 15 bags of material. Shredder performs admirably, overall. I did have a couple of jams which I contribute to possibly placing too much material in the shredder.

Probably suggest less than 18 pages, although it will handle this amount. The container bin is poorly made. It works but could be so much better made. Looks like the corrugated material from post office boxes, therefore the 3 stars in this area.

Shreds cd’s, small paper clips and staples as advertised. I reviewed several shredders at all price points before choosing the 99ci. I have many, many pounds of documents to dispose of going back more than 10 years.

I have full confidence that the 99ci will do what I need and more. Were it not for the quality of the bin and some shredded material falling behind the bin when shredding or trying to pack it down when full, I would have given this machine 5 stars.

Great value! I am not disappointed, and I definitely recommend it.

I’ve had several Fellowes shredders over the years but this one is just not functional. Isues are, first, it runs continuously. will not stop for any reason other than powering off, overheating or safety switch activation.

Second, will shut down after only 2 to 3 minutes of running with the overheating light illuminated and will not turn back on for at least 20 minutes. Third, the safety switch is so tight that a single sheet of paper will not feed through.

I need to use at least 5 sheets to make it stiff enough to feed in. Fourth, when I do use 5 sheets of paper the overfeed safety activates shutting the shredder off. The overfeed lights start off 1 level away from overfeed and shutdown.

Very useful! I can get more accomplished with a good pair of scissors.

I spent considerable time hunting for a suitable paper shredder and eventually landed on this one for my needs. Its more expensive than some but I think its good value for what I paid. Before buying a shredder you need to think hard about what you need it for and how often you will use it.

In my case I had a huge backlog of papers and then moderate ongoing use. Both required secure shredding i. e. smaller pieces. All shredders have a limit on how long you can perform continuous shredding before you have to let them cool down.

I realised this but was happy to shred my backlog of papers over a few days rather than use another method such as burning. I did my papers in batches, wandering off to do something else in between and coming back to it, which meant that the shredder never overheated or jammed and I didnt get bored but I never pushed it to the limit so not sure how long it will continuously shred before having to cool down.

The shredder so far has been great. Its quick enough for me and I like the indicator that tells you if you have too many or too few sheets before you feed them, so ensuring you shred the optimum number of papers to maximise shredding speed but avoid jams.

The waste tray is easy to remove and replace. Its plenty large enough for ongoing use although obviously when bulk shredding you empty it frequently. There is an indicator light to tell you it needs emptying but by crushing the paper down in the bin you can increase the amount you do before emptying.

I use shredder bags for ease in ongoing use but didnt bother when doing my bulk shredding to sped up the process. The machine feels robust but the wheels mean its easy to move it around and overall I am very pleased with it.

I have used shredder oil to keep the blades in good condition, which apparently helps avoid jams so am not sure how performance might change without it.

After buying about 4 or 5 of the cheap 2030 shredders for home use over the years, I was getting tired of all the jamming and small bin sizes you get with those devices. I finally decided to go big and get one of these for my home.

I was really worried this was a huge overkill for home use especially given the price. In my opinion shredders seem very expensive for something that just cuts up paper, but at least with this it works very well and should last a long time.

It makes light work of all the household junkmail, bills and other letters with personal information on it. Cuts up old CDs and the bin take a while to fill up without needing emptying after 5 minutes of shredding.

The touch sense to autostop the shredding if a finger goes near the slot and led display to show the load level are nicetohaves but the overall quality of the cutting and chewing through wads of paper is the real plus here.

Being on casters I can wheel it under my desk when not in use, and the paper bin is easy enough to slide out. Conveniently it is about the size of a large wastepaper basket so I can use the same bags for the bin to easily empty it.

If you are shredding old data CDs or credit cards it is useful to separate from paper shredding so you can recycle easier. For CDs the foil often separates from the CD plastic so a bag is useful otherwise it sticks to the inside of the bin.

I would recommend buying oil or some WD40 to keep the cutting motion smooth. You only need to spray it in every once in a while. Afterall it does make sense to keep such an expensive shredder well maintained.

The Fellowes 6M shredder is an awesome pick for a wide variety of shredding needs, offering reliable performance and outstanding features. It was able to shred continuously for five minutes at a time, tearing through stacks of 1 to 10 sheets without jamming.

It didn’t flinch at staples or a pile of junk mail including regular paper, stiff paper, and a mock credit card. There are other pluses: The 6M’s basket is large and takes more than 100 sheets to completely fill up.

The shreds it produced were the finest among shredders I tested, at just 9mm by 3mm, which makes it nearly impossible to reconstruct shredded documents. The bin is easy to remove, and emptying it into the trash doesn’t generate huge plumes of paper dust.

I also appreciated the fact that the 6M isn’t especially shrill or rumbly in operation. The user interface is a model of simplicity, and a safety switch makes operation even more worry-free. The shredding slot is narrow and vertical, which is also great for users with kids, but does require slightly more advanced technique—you can’t just toss your pages in.

What other reviewers thought: While there have been some reports that the Fellowes shredder has a short life span, there are many reviews that praise its quiet shredding and “confetti”-sized shreds. The bottom line: The Fellowes 6M Shredder will quickly shred documents into teeny-tiny pieces and has a lot of features that make it appealing to everyone, even those with little kids.

Great little product, fits on a desk quite compact compared to other shredders, nice and easy to setup. Switches are a bit annoying, but understandable. A Continuous button, a standby button(doesn’t run until you put papers in), an off button and a reverse button.

You’ll need to cycle through 1 and other to get from 1 button to the next as they are on a slider, seems a little cheap but for the price it’s not bad. Only issue I can say so far is I believe it says it can shred up to 4 pages at once? I’ve done 6 with no issue(tried 9 and it almost did it then jammed), the only downside to this shredder is that it likes to overheat in lets say.

30 seconds to 1 minute of use? Or more like a safety feature. You’ll not really understand this because the shredder will just stop, and you’ll think its jammed and doesn’t work but don’t fear just wait 10 minutes and try again, that’s the only issue I can say with this is the downtime.

Great for a few documents, that aren’t longer than 50 pages otherwise you’re sitting there for 30 minutes trying to shred something as the downtime being 10 minutes of inactivity can get boring. Overall, for the price Id say this is a great low-budget shredder that you occasionally use.

If you’re after something more on the daily side with more than 50 pages worth of shredding each day, then I would highly recommend staying away from this product and get something more heavy duty that wont have such a ridiculous downtime.

If you’re after something just to shred the occasional document or paper here and there throughout the day, or maybe youre ok waiting 5 hours to shred a small novel, then this is the shredder for you.

I’ve been wanting to buy a new shredder for quite a while – something that could handle chewing through the volume of paperwork we’ve accumulated over time without having the machine go up in smoke. Looked around, read the reviews, and opted for the Powershred LX22M through Amazon.

Other machines were less expensive but so far, I feel that this shredder has been well worth the difference in money. The safety and information features are great and the fact that it can handle 20 sheets of 20 lb.

stock in one pass is a real time saver. I don’t try to push that much through at a time which allows the machine to run longer without shutting off for a cool down period. And what they advertise about “jam proof” is legit.

On the few times that I’ve tried to stuff in too much in one shot, the machine will let you know and stop almost immediately. Hit and hold the reverse button for a few seconds and just lift the offending stack out.

No jam! One thing I did notice in the reviews is that some people noted was shreddings that didn’t fall into the bin. I experienced that as well but figured out it was (at least in my case) due to trying to let the bin fill up as much as possible before removing the bag.

If I get the signal that the bin is starting to reach capacity, I just shake the bin to get the shreddings to level out and then continue on for a bit. I can usually get away with that for a time or two.

But when I pull out the bin a little and figure it’s starting to get nearly full, I slide the bin out, lift the bag out, put a new bag in, and away I go! Lastly, some reviews mentioned using a 13 gallon tall kitchen bag in the bin.

We have some of those in the house but oddly, I found that dimensions vary between brands. We’ve got some that can’t get wrapped clear around the lip of the bin without ripping and yet another brand fits fine.

2 ft. x 2 ft. 2-3/8 in. is the size that works fine – your experience might vary. All in all, I’m a happy camper!!.

I received this product free in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. This review covers my impressions of the Fellowes Powershred LX180 cross-cut shredder. For context, I will be comparing some of its features to the Fellowes Powershred 73Ci that I have been using for the past 2 years.

The LX180 is rated at 16 sheets and up to 20 minutes of continuous use, while the 73Ci is rated at 12 sheets and up to 10 minutes of continuous use. Note that the despite the superior sheet-count rating, the LX180 is not rated for CDs/DVDs, while the 73Ci is (and both are rated for credit cards).

I don’t have much occasion to shred data CDs or DVDs anymore, but depending on your shredding needs, this could be a deal-breaker for you. I use these for my home and home office shredding needs, including receipts, financial documents, work documents, the occasional credit card, etc.

For the past 17 months I’ve been working from home, so my 73Ci has been seeing more shredding volume than normal. I typically save up my work documents that need to be shredded in a bin and then do all my shredding once a week.

My company is preparing to return to a hybrid work schedule soon (2 to 3 days/week in the office and the remainder at home), so I am planning on taking one of these shredders back to my office at work to replace a much older shredder I have there.

The first thing you notice about the LX180 is that the aesthetic is much different than the 73Ci. It has a more squared-off, blacked-out look compared to the rounded corners and contrasting light gray trim on the 73Ci.

In my opinion, the LX180 has a somewhat sleeker, more modern look. It reminds me a bit of high-end air cleaner; maybe that shouldn’t be a surprise since Fellowes also makes those too. While the 73Ci has a bright chrome colored SafeSense strip around the shredder opening, the LX180 SafeSense strip is a dark-gray chrome, allowing it to blend in better.

Another big difference in appearance is that the LX180 has the single, centralized multi-function LED indicator bar versus the multiple LED indicators in different locations on the 73Ci. The LX180 has no window on the front of the wastebasket to gage how full it is (like the 73Ci does); you must rely on the LED indicator, which turns yellow when it is starting to get full and then turns red when ultimately full.

Size-wise, these shredders have a very similar height, while the LX180 is both narrower in width and deeper front-to-back compared to the 73Ci. They both have the same capacity wastebasket (6 gallons).

From a functional standpoint, the LX180 has a standard IEC plug on the back and comes with a removable power cord. Like the 73Ci (with its non-removable cord) the power switch is on the back of the unit near the power cord.

One thing I dislike about the LX180 is that there is no separate auxiliary power button on the front panel of the unit, like the 73Ci has – your only options are to leave it on standby all the time (not my preference for safety reasons) or reach around to the back of the unit to shut it off.

Once you start shredding, you immediately notice that the LX180 is much quieter than the 73Ci. The 73Ci adjusts its speed based on the “load” the motor senses (i. e. , number of sheets running through the shredder), while the LX180 has a constant speed regardless of load.

The faster the 73Ci goes, the louder it gets. The LX180 has the advantage here, especially in an office work environment where you are trying to not annoy your co-workers. Both units have the SafeSense technology that stops the shredder if your fingers get too close to the shredder opening.

The LX180 stops the shredder almost instantly when SafeSense is triggered, while the 73Ci has a slight lag to it. Advantage here goes to LX180. Both shredders indicated shredder “efficiency” or “load” via their LEDs.

This gives you an idea of how hard the shredders is working when shredding multiple sheets at once. This is handy to help you gage just how many sheets you can shred at once. While shredding multiple sheets, the LX180 does shake/vibrate a little like it is working hard.

The 73Ci case and basket seem a little stiffer/sturdier, and it does not really have the same kind of vibration that the LX180 exhibits. Both shredders will stop once their baskets are full and show a full basket indicator.

The LX180 will not allow any further operation (forward or reverse) until the basket is emptied (or opened and tamped down). The 73Ci will allow you to use the “forward” button to override the shut-off to finish shredding your sheet, or to squeeze a couple of more sheets in before emptying the basket.

Advantage here goes to the 73Ci. The LX180 has a slightly smaller size of shredded pieces (shorter length and same width) versus the 73Ci. The LX180 has 2-year limited warranty and a 5-year warranty on the cutter blades (compared to 1 year and 5 years for the 73Ci).

The LX180 has a current street price of about $246, while the 73Ci currently retails for $198. Reasons you might want to consider the LX180 vs. the 73Ci: • Better looks overall, including cool LED status bar • Noticeably quieter than the 73Ci, especially when shredding multiple sheets at once • Quicker SafeSense shut-off when getting fingers near shredder slot • 16-sheet rating (although functionally similar capacity to the 12-sheet 73Ci) • 20-minute continuous shredding time (if you are doing lots of shredding on a regular basis) • Smaller shred pieces • 2-year warranty If I had to choose just one of these shredders, I would probably end up with the 73Ci for the following reasons: • Cheaper street price • Ability to shred CDs/DVDs • Ability to temporarily override full-basket shut-off • Case and wastebasket seem slightly sturdier overall.

I received this product free in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. This is our third Fellowes shredder. We’ve always been impressed by Fellowes’ attention to design and performance – and the one time our shredder failed after two years of use, they responded quickly, helping us troubleshoot the problem and ultimately replacing it.

We are sold on the Fellowes brand. This LX180 shredder replaced a 79Ci that had served us flawlessly for years. The two models are similar in all respects, being designed for heavy-duty personal use in home office settings.

Both models have sixteen-sheet capacity, provide identical crosscut shredding results and run continuously for up to twenty minutes. Although we have not yet had the opportunity to test it, the LX180 has a cool-down time of only fifteen minutes, which is half the time required for the 79Ci.

Both units are quiet, but the LX180 is if anything a bit quieter than the 79Ci. One other key difference is in the volume of the output of the two shredders. Both have six-gallon bin capacities, yet the LX180 fills the bin with about 25% more shredded sheets than the 79Ci, apparently doing a better job of compacting the output before it drops into the bin.

The form factor is more rectangular than with the 79Ci, which is a good thing, as it fits much more easily into a compact space. The bin is much easier to remove than before and there is much less of a mess than before.

Curiously, there is no window in the bin, so the only way to see how much room is left before the bin is full is to open the unit. The physical buttons on the old unit have been replaced with touch controls, which are much more easily activated by accident.

The graphic performance indicator has been replaced by a single LED light bar across the front of the unit that changes color. For those with color blindness or other visual impairments, the color change may not be as noticeable as the old graphic interface.

There is also an efficiency indicator that helps guide the user to optimize the number of sheets fed at a time. I’m not sure how useful this feature may be, unless one makes a concerted effort to use it.

Overall, this is the best shredder we’ve used to date.

I’ve used Fellowes brand shredders before at my work and currently have a Fellowes Powershred 79Ci for my home office. I obtained the LX180 for testing purposes and ran it through some vigorous shredding.

I must say it performed just as well if not slightly better than my slightly more expensive 79Ci shredder. The first thing you notice about the LX180 is it has a nice modern design look to it. Out of the box the LX180 comes with casters (already installed), a long 5-foot electric cord, and even includes the lubricating oil.

The electric cord has a right-angle connection to allow the shredder to be closer to the wall if need be. There is an LED light on the top that shows the status of the shredder. Blue means it’s ready to go.

Green means you are shredding the proper amount. Yellow means you are getting close to the maximum that it can shred and red means you have exceeded it shredding capacity. I tried several different thicknesses of items to shred and I was impressed.

I did attempt to shred something that was too thick and the light turned red and then the shredder pushed the item back out. I decided to try the item in my more expensive 79Ci and it wouldn’t even try to shred it.

I again tried the same item in the LX180 and to my surprise it shredded it! There is a couple of things I would like improved upon though. The first might be a little nit-picky but I had a hard time figuring out how to take out the paper bin.

I felt like an idiot when I found the slot on the front to grab and pull but it’s not marked and not obvious where to pull from. The second thing that was a little bothersome is the design of the paper bin.

When emptying the paper bin, I noticed I was spilling out some of the shredder paper on the floor. The reason is there is a 1-inch hole in the back of the bin that allows paper to spill out if pouring from the back.

There is also a lip around the top of the paper bin that makes it hard to get all the shredded paper out since the small confetti catches on the lip. Overall, I am very impressed with the LX180 and with the exception of not being able to shred CD/DVD’s it is just as good if not better than my more expensive 79Ci shredder.

I received this product free in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

I received this product free in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. This is really a great machine. It meets my needs in a variety of ways. As far as looks, it’s sleek, sophisticated, and I’d call it more of an office accessory, rather than a machine, in appearance.

Would fit in with any decor and not be a hideous thing to have to look at. As far as features, I really like the safety lock. It’s great for households with children and/or pets that could be injured.

I like the cross cut shredding, for extra security, and I like the big receptacle for the shreds. It holds a lot for a small machine. It has a long shredding time of 5 minutes, and has a cool down period in order to avoid overheating, which is another great safety feature.

It’s a well designed, well thought out piece of office equipment that I’ve really appreciated using, to help keep my family and identity safe from those who go through other people’s trash. If I have to have one complaint, I’d say it’s a bit more noisy than the advertised “Quiet Operation”.

It’s not quiet to me, but none of these machines can really be anywhere near silent because they need to chew up papers! It’s also great at shredding old credit cards, and the accidental paper clips and staples I forgot to remove prior to shredding.

The lift off top is easy to remove and clean. I very nighly recommend this product for home office needs.

First a disclaimer: I received this product free in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. Fellowes was nice enough to offer this free shredder even though my existing Fellowes 8C shredder was working perfectly well.

Quite frankly I like my new shredder better. It has a greater capacity, can shred 11 as opposed to 8 sheets at a time, and has a much larger viewing area to monitor when the shredder needs to be emptied.

I have been able, despite a hurricane, to test out the new shredder sufficiently to note that it has not jammed, failed to do what it was supposed to according to the brochure, and has been thus far reliable.

Will it continue to do so in the future? Time will tell. My old Fellowes has performed quite well and has been trouble free. I have applied Fellowes Performance Oil regularly and will continue to do so with the new shredder.

A well maintained machine should last and this shredder should not be an exception. I would recommend this product.

My first shredder was a Fellowes shredder that was great and lasted for years. When it broke, I was looking for a bargain and bought a Staples OmniTech shredder with a rebate that was an offer I couldn’t refuse.

Though the Staples shredder was marketed as a 14-sheet shredder, it would jam when feeding only 2 sheets through. Still it lasted for years, jamming frequently, over-heating, and under-performing. When some of the plastic pieces (separating the blades) broke, I was optimistic about replacing the Staples shredder with a Fellowes.

My Fellowes Powershred 60Cs shredder is 10 times better than the Staples OmniTech. Feeding 10 sheets is no problem. It’s a lot less noisy than the Staples, and I can see no flaws. I’ve shredded several files with brief pauses, and there’s been no sign of over-heating.

Very pleased with this addition to my home office. Give it a shot!.