Four generations of the Fellowes family preserved and respected the principles laid down by the first company president: superior product quality, passion for innovations, and continuous improvement. Those principles and entrepreneurial leadership allowed the company to prosper and survive even at the times of the world economic collapses. In 2017, the corporation celebrated its 100th anniversary.
Fellowes has begun producing paper shredders since 1990 and has become one of the most famous manufacturers. It introduces the world quality and durable products for personal and industrial use. The Fellowes Powershred 79Ci review describes a stunning model designed for home and small offices.
Features of Powershred 79Ci Shredder by Fellowes
This revolutionary shredder features exclusive functions that make the machine both safe and efficient. The model cannot be called quite cheap, but due to its outstanding technical characteristics, the device is worth the investment.
Product Specification | Details |
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Dimensions and Weight | 21.3″ H x 15.4″ W x 10.4″ D, 33.7 lbs |
Color | Black/Dark silver |
Anti-Jam Technology | 100% Jam Proof Medium |
Auto Start/Stop | Yes (electronic) |
Cut Size and Type | Cross-cut (5.32″ x 1.5″ particles), P4 security level |
Run Time (minutes) | 20 |
Product Includes |
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Best for… |
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Price | Check Price on Amazon |
Elements of Design
The 79Ci is a crosscut shredder with a P4 security level. The machine comes with an elegant design in black and silver. It is rather compact and doesn’t look bulky. Its weight is 33.7 lbs, where the lid is the heaviest part.
The shredder includes 4 pivoting casters that make it easy to move the device around the room.
On the top panel, it features a feeding slot, which is 9 inches wide and able to process 16 paper sheets at a time. The capacity is large enough to use this machine in small offices and at home.
Its interface is pretty simple. The start/stop button is located on the right side of the top panel. The central button is flanked by forward and reverse buttons represented by the respective arrow icons. The users can run the blades in reverse in case of paper jams.
Close to the “ON” button, there is a helpful indicator bar, which shows how hard the appliance is working and whether a user is feeding too many pages through the slot. Trying to chew more pages than possible, the light indicator turns from green to yellow or red warning light.
There is a handle on the front panel to open a drawer-style waste bin. The canister can hold 6 gallons of shredded waste. Pull the handle when the box requires emptying. The transparent bin window allows users to check the waste volume.
There are a number of light indicators on the top of the device that alert when the waste box is not in place, the device is overheated, the bin has to be emptied, and when the blades are on.
The shredder has a special plastic guard that folds over the feeding slot to protect users from the pieces of shredded CDs flying out of the machine.
Quality of Working
The machine is heavy-duty and equipped with a number of functions that make the device comfortable and safe to use.
Thanks to the SafeSense technology, the sensor disables the shredder when it detects human hands or animal paws near the opening.
The shredding period is rather long. The continuous running time of the machine is 20 minutes, but then it requires a 30-minute break.
The 79Ci features the patented Jam Proof system that eliminates paper jams and can cope with the creased documents.
The appliance comes with the installed SilentShred technology. The level of noise it produces is only 54 dB. This means that its operation is ultra-quiet.
Thanks to special features, the device saves energy when it is both in use and not in use. The sleep mode powers the shredder down after 2 minutes of inactivity.
The 79Ci works with a rather high speed: 10 ft per one minute.
Supported with a 2-year warranty, the shredder has a 5-year guarantee for the cutters.
Troubleshooting Tips
On the top panel, there are 5 indicators that illuminate in case of a particular problem. The instruction manual explains the meaning of these icons so you instantly know how to mend it.
Illuminated icon | Meaning |
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Overheat indicator | The icon lights up when the machine requires time to cool down. It will remain illuminated until the recovery time is over. |
Bin full | The waste reservoir requires emptying. |
Bin open | The waste bin is open. Close it to resume shredding. |
Remove paper | The paper quantity for shredding has been exceeded. Press the reverse button to remove the paper. Try again by feeding the reduced paper quantity. |
SafeSense® Indicator | The icon lights up, and the machine stops shredding when user’s hands are too close to the feeding slot. If the function stays active for 3 seconds, the device turns off automatically. |
If you have other problems during the machine maintenance, contact the customer support center.
Pros and Cons
The 79Ci is a powerful shredder with a number of advantages that make its usage simple and intuitive. Trying to make its image realistic and objective, WoWPencils has analyzed all weak points of the machine as well.
- Wheels for mobility
- Very quiet operation
- Comes with a handle and a viewing window
- Auto reverse and forward functions
- Pet- and child-safe
- Excludes paper jams
- Energy-saving functions
- Shreds disks, plastic cards, clipped and stapled documents
- Perfect for household needs
- Easy to operate
- The bin window is narrow
- Requires much time for cooling
- Suitable for moderate use
- The lid is heavy
- The waste bag size could be larger
Shredders Comparison: Fellowes 79Ci vs 99Ci
Let’s compare 2 Fellowes shredders. Both machines have a lot of similar characteristics and functions. This comparison chart shows the differences between the models.
Characteristics | Fellowes 79Ci | Fellowes 99Ci |
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Bin capacity | 6 gallons | 9 gallons |
Sheet capacity | 16 sheets | 18 sheets |
Maximum run time | 20 minutes | 30 minutes |
Weight | 33.7 lbs | 48.5 lbs |
Shredding speed | 4.3 mpm | 3.6 mpm |
It should be mentioned that in combat 79Ci vs 99Ci, the 99Ci comes with a slimmer design and a higher price tag than the 79Ci.
Where Can I Buy Fellowes Powershred 79Ci?
The official Fellowes website has all shredder models for sale and offers the best price for these devices. These appliances are also available from other online retailers like Costco and Walmart. Find new and used devices at popular online trade platforms like eBay and Amazon.
Conclusions
The Fellowes Powershred 79Ci is a good device to buy for home-office use. It is simple to operate and requires no special knowledge to start working. It comes with a 16-sheet feeding entrance and features decent technical parameters quite enough for shredding needs of 1-3 users. Thanks to its safety features, it can be used in the families that have kids or pets. The device is reasonably priced. With a high level of security, it easily cuts various materials and destroys sensitive documents completely with no chance to restore the information. Its minor downsides are not real deal-breakers.
References
- Powershred® 79Ci Cross-Cut Shredder Official Website – https://www.fellowes.com/
- Powershred® 79Ci the World’s Toughest Shredders® Manual – https://assets.fellowes.com/