The Fellowes Powershred 79Ci is a 16-sheet cross-cut shredder built for volume. TechGearLab measured it at 140 sheets a minute, about double most shredders it tested, and ranked it first in its group for ease of use and noise; PCMag calls it a well-rounded, dependable personal office shredder. Both outlets jammed it at or above its rated capacity despite the jam-proof billing, and TechGearLab considers it expensive unless you shred in bulk.
Full review
Speed is the reason to buy it
TechGearLab clocked the Powershred 79Ci at a maximum of 140 sheets a minute, against 72 for the next fastest shredder in its test group and a group average of 68. It scored the 79Ci 8.6 out of 10 for speed, its strongest category, and concluded that the machine suits buyers with frequent, large shredding jobs.
PCMag's Tony Hoffman found it matched its rated speed of 10 feet per minute and noted Fellowes' rating of 20 minutes of shredding before a 30-minute cool-down.
Rated for 16 sheets, but both testers jammed it
Fellowes sells the 79Ci as 100 percent jam-proof with a 16-sheet capacity. TechGearLab found the real maximum was 14 sheets and docked points because a 16-sheet stack jammed, and it saw occasional jams on junk-mail envelopes with plastic inside. PCMag overrode the red warning light with 18 sheets and had to clear the resulting jam with scissors and needle-nose pliers; its advice is to heed the warning light.
This is a cross-cut machine. PCMag measured the shreds at about 0.16 by 1.3 inches, which it judged suitable for all but the most sensitive documents, and TechGearLab gave shredding quality 5.9 out of 10, partly because cross-cut is less secure than micro-cut. Both outlets report it handles credit cards and CDs.
Controls, safety sensor and noise
TechGearLab ranked the 79Ci first for ease of use in its group, citing the pull-out drawer bin, pivoting wheels, a bin-full light, and a sensor around the feed slot that stops the blades when a finger touches it. It also rated the noise the lowest-pitched and most consistent of the shredders it tested, while still calling it slightly obtrusive.
Heavy lid, fiddly casters and a high price
PCMag weighed the shredder at 33.3 pounds and found most of that is in the lid, which was not easy to remove or carry; the four casters "proved difficult to snap into place." Its bin holds 6 gallons.
TechGearLab calls the 79Ci expensive and "not a great value" for general shredding, and points buyers who need this much speed toward the Powershred 99Ci for a small percentage more.
Strengths
- +140 sheets per minute in TechGearLab's test, nearly double most models it tested
- +Ranked first for ease of use by TechGearLab: bin-full light, pull-out bin, finger-touch safety sensor
- +Lowest-pitched, most consistent noise in TechGearLab's test group
- +Shreds CDs, paper clips, staples and credit cards as well as paper, per PCMag
Watch-outs
- −Not as jam-proof as promised, per PCMag; TechGearLab found the real capacity was 14 sheets, not 16
- −Casters are hard to attach and the lid is unusually heavy, per PCMag
- −Expensive and "not a great value" for general shredding, per TechGearLab
How it compares
The 79Ci is rated for 16 sheets per pass with a 6-gallon bin, between the 12-sheet, 4-gallon Bonsaii C206-H and the 18-sheet, 9-gallon Fellowes Powershred 99Ci. It is fed by hand, unlike the 120-sheet auto-feed Aurora AU120MA, and it is cross-cut where the Aurora is micro-cut.
Rating sources
Counts as 4.09/5 in our score — this publisher's 138 scores on the site average 3.66, so its scores are adjusted up to compare fairly with other publishers.
Counts as 3.66/5 in our score — this publisher's 181 scores on the site average 4.00, so its scores are adjusted up to compare fairly with other publishers.
Our 3.9 score is the average of these published ratings, each adjusted for how strictly its publisher scores. More about methodology.
