Fellowes Powershred PS-12Cs, 12 Sheet Cross-Cut SafeSense Shredder (3271301)

I recently purchased this model; so this review addresses only first impressions, not long-term durability. This shredder is enormously better than the previous shredders I have used at home over the last ten years. Things that I particularly like about it are as follows. (a) It has a bin that pulls out. This is so much better than having to lift a heavy main unit off a lightweight bin. It avoids the problem that I encountered with my last device (a Staples product) of the risk of breaking the ridiculously-thin plastic ridge inside the bin that operates the safety shutter if the main unit is lowered into the bin a few degrees off absolutely horizontal -- something that cost me dearly in the first month I had the shredder. The vendor said that its warranty covered only the main unit, not the plastic bin, and that I had to pay $50 for a new bin -- almost two-thirds of the cost of the product that I had purchased only weeks before. This problem is avoided entirely with the Fellowes pull-out bin. In addition, you can pull out the bin with the device in place under your desk, without having to drag the whole thing out into the middle of the room. (b) The Fellowes shredder is really quiet compared with all the other devices I have owned. (c) The shredder is significantly narrower than many other products: it fits nicely under my desk behind my waste-paper basket.I'm hoping that the five-year warranty means that the folks at Fellowes are really sure that their main unit is well-made. The weak point in many models is the use of plastic gear-wheels in combination with metal ones (e.g., metal-plastic-metal-plastic-metal). The most fragile part in this situation is the plastic gear that engages with the metal gear on the motor shaft. If the shredder jams abruptly (as opposed to slowing down under load, then jamming) there is a good chance the motor will keep turning and the motor-shaft metal gear will strip the teeth from a section of the plastic gear. Then your shredder is dead. That's how my last one died, based on the post mortem I performed. (This was after the warranty had expired.) I'm hoping the Fellowes has all-metal gear-wheels; but I hope I don't have to find out. I'll let you know in five years.

This is a really impressive shredder. Very easy to use. I only received it a few hours before writing this so I've not had a lot of experience with it. So far I have shredded a few 10 page documents and it handled them with ease. I have also shredded some DVD's and bank cards, and again it was like putting a hot knife to butter it shredded with ease. As well as being very functional, it also looks pretty neat too. I like the safety feature which stops little prying fingers from entering the paper feeder, and I also like the fact that I can simply pull-out the drawer to empty the shredded paper. Gone are the day's when I have to life the heavy shredder top to take the bin away to empty. In the short time that I have had this shredder I would recommend it without hesitation.UPDATE: Just over 2 months down the line I regret that this machine failed miserably to perform. The Amazon description clearly states that this shredder can shred CD's. However the first time I tried to shred a CD, the machine literally broke.And now I cannot use it at all. More to the point is the fact that after contacting Fellows they have washed their hands off the issue. Fellows has indicated that this machine is NOT designed to shred anything but paper, and since it broke while I was shredding a CD it is NOT covered by the warranty. They kindly offered to sell me a reconditioned machine, ah bless them!Don't waste your money with this machine if you intend shredding anything more than paper. And going by Fellows Customer Care, I certainly wouldn't recommend buying a Fellows shredder at all!

This is a fantastic shredder that I bought. It's performance and function are exactly like the manufacturer had advertised. It fast and the cut was perfect the way I expected. The waste bin is so unique when I put a trash bag over and inverted the bin to empty it. No messy like the others, no lifting the heavy head to empty the waste bin. It does worth the money I paid for and I like it very much.The only thing I don't like is it makes louder noise compare to other shredders. It's just a minor complain not really a big deal to me. I'm happy with it's performance.

Purchased this in September 2011 from Amazon and it worked OK until about a year ago. It was used strictly at home and had light usage. About a year ago, I heard a banging noise when it operated but it still shredded. As I said, it had moderate to limited usage. However, a few days ago, it refused to accept any paper at all and just churned but didn't suck in anything fed to it. I cleared the cutters and made sure nothing was stuck but it still didn't shred....probably because of the same reason others mentioned, the nylon gear broke. Also, emptying it was always a challenge because when you slid out the basket, much shred fell inside resulting in a secondary cleanup effort. I never liked that but lived with it. S0 I basically got 3 1/2 years of service from it which is not terrible but considering the light usage, was not great. Also, I purchased the gear oil and used it every time I cleaned out the basket so it was well cared for.Bottom line, I just ordered an Amazon brand 12 sheet model to replace it. It is half the price and got great reviews. If it lasts 3 1/2 years I will feel I got my money's worth but I don't feel I did with the Fellowes PS-12CS. I did not replace it with another Fellowes.

Absolutely the best shredder I've ever owned. Besides the safeguards that protect 'children's little fingers', or an inquisitive pet .... it is a heavy duty home shredder that has lasted well over a year now, with very heavy use. The bin is big, and easy to remove. It is important to buy the oil that is advertised with it. Just a quick squirt up and back on the blade (just from the outside), and it's ready to 'rip' ... literally :) I'd highly recommend it to anyone who thinks "they always break". I thought so, too, but this one is tough, lasts, and is well worth the price! Love it!

Hace mucho ruido al funcionar , calidad precio malo , tiene mucho material plástico que la hace ver corriente .