Compact Cross Cutter Paper Shredder (Fellowes SB-89Ci)

Member Name: sweetdaisy

Product:	Fellowes SB-89Ci
Date:	01/04/08 (897 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: small, compact, cross cutter shredder

Disadvantages: not suitable for the office, can't handle lots of paper

Perhaps it is just me, but I find shredding paper incredibly satisfying! Not only is it a means of disposing confidential information but for me it feels that I am having a good Spring Clean when I shred paper. As I find it so satisfying, perhaps I have something missing in my life!

I wanted a really small compact paper shredder, something that wouldn't take up too much space so I bought the Shredmate paper shredder model from Fellowes and it cost £15.99. I know that this may seem expensive for a small home shredder compared to the Supermarkets who are now selling them for around £5, but this is a cross cutter (also knows as Diamond cutter shredder) and tend to cost more. What attracted me to this shredder is the fact that it is small and compact, not one of those huge office type shredders.

The Shredmate is a light duty cross cutter paper shredder and is perfect for home or home office use, however personally I feel it would be too small for the office. You can shred up to 4 sheets of paper at a time and for higher security the paper is cut into 3.9 x 23mm confetti to reduce bulk waste (which is great for recycling). If you happen to leave the staples in, there's no need to worry as the durable cutters shred the staples as well.

The shredder has a 4.5 litre sliver mesh wastebasket and hold 30-40 shredded papers and shreds automatically when paper is inserted. It has an 'Auto' button, 'Off' button and 'Reverse' button. I am not sure how useful the 'Reverse' button is (unless any paper gets stuck in the gears) because it shreds paper very quickly so you would have to be super quick if you find yourself shredding something by accident.

The shredder automatically shuts off when the wastebasket is full and also when the top is removed, so there is no way you can accidentally shred your fingers. Also, for those with small children, the gears are deep down in the top and the paper slot is narrow, so that little children won't be able to stick their fingers in the slot. It is also worth noting that you are not able to use this shredder to cut up credit cards, as it is not durable enough for this.

There are a few downsides, however these aren't major as the shredder only costs £15.99 and for a more durable shredder it is best to buy one for the office that can handle more paper. As I have mentioned, I like shredding but have found that the gears tend to block if you shred a few thick glossy magazine pages together, so always do these one page at a time. The 'shredmate' claims to be able to shred up to four pages, but does slow down when you shred this amount. The actual slot for shredding is small (as it is a compact shredder) so you will need to tear an A5 page in half before shredding.

This shredder comes with a 1 year full warranty and if any part is found to be defective during the warranty period the shredder will be repaired or replaced by Fellowes. Personally, having only paid £15.99 I wouldn't bother sending the shredder back, as it is cheap enough to buy another one.

Overall, I would give this paper shredder four stars. It has a few disadvantages as stated above, however for a small compact paper shredder for use in the home it is ideal as it doesn't take up much space, cross cuts paper for extra security, looks modern and I have had the shredder for almost a year now and it is still going strong. The 'Shredmate' paper shredder is highly recommended.

Further information can be found at:
Fellowes, Yorkshire Way, West Moor Park, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN3 3FP, England.
www.fellowes.com

Thanks for reading xx
© sweetdaisy 2008

Summary: a great compact paper shredder for the home