Hey dad? Will it shred cheese?

With all the shredders out there to choose from, how can anyone know what one to buy? Although I like the durability of Fellowes shredders and have been a faithful customer of theirs for some time now, it really depends more on your needs and not the brand name.

Now, don't get me wrong! I think Fellowes makes great shredders but when I purchased my first shredder, it wasn't because of the name; although I had heard a lot of good things about the company. I purchased my first one because of my needs...and wants so I bought a cross cut shredder that would not only last but one that would take at least three sheets at once without jamming up.

Well, my old one did all that but I guess I worked it too hard because the motor died in it and I will miss having my papers cut up into tiny pieces of confetti. So, I had to get myself another shredder to replace my dear, departed friend...lol and since I had a two year product protection plan from Sears, that's where I went.

I was mildly disappointed to find that they didn't have a cross cut shredder in the store...anywhere and so I only had the choice of two different ones with both being strip cut. Well, one I already had tried...briefly... before my first purchase but brought it back the next day because it boasted that it shredded things into confetti but it didn't. It was by Fellowes but I won't hold that against them as mistakes do happen so I bought the only other shredder that they had in stock.

It's a Fellowes S70 shredder that comes with its own basket like my old one did and it even cuts from 7-9 sheets at one time and it really does what it claims to do. The button used to operate it has three positions which are off, on and reverse and is located on the top of the shredder. The reverse is a good option and is found in most shredders, allowing you to reverse the direction of the paper, should you put too much in at once and it jams.

It's a very quiet machine, much more than my first shredder but you need to be aware of the fact that this does only strip cutting so your privacy has more of a chance of being invaded than a cross cut. I will say, however, it would take some time to piece the strips back together and if someone is that desperate to view your unwanted papers, I suggest that they get a life!

The only drawback that I'm not too keen about is the fact that it doesn't have a safety on it like the other one I had. The safety feature on the other one would not allow you to operate it unless it was placed on the basket a certain way and so if a child lifted it, there was less chance of them hurting themselves or shredding stuff that you don't want shredded. It does have an off position but if you have kids, you know that it won't take long before they figure it out...and trust me...I know...lol.

There are many different shredders out there that you can buy but it's not as hard to decide as you may think. All shredders either are strip cut or cross cut with some claiming to confetti cut, which is almost identical to cross cut. Some shredders come with baskets for which you'll pay extra for and some you buy without a basket, which you can place over a trash can or box to catch the shreds.

The biggest difference for those of you that have kids is if you want one with the safety feature which allows you to leave it on the basket but as long as it isn't on the catches that go up inside, the shredder will not operate. Of course, you could always unplug it when not in use or plug it into a surge protector and flip the switch off on it.

My Opinion

Depending on your needs and the ages of your children will determine what shredder you buy and how much you pay. The least expensive is the shredder that you buy without a basket, the next highest will be a strip cut and the most expensive, in my experience, has been the cross cut shredder. The ones with the safety feature vary in price but you will end up paying a few extra bucks for one with this feature!

Although my preference would have to be a cross cut, I'll take nothing away from this strip cut as it does do what it says it'll do and the sound level is much lower than my first one. If you're looking for a decent strip cut shredder at a decent price then look no further as this one works great and, at under $30.00, it's a great deal.