Contents
First impression:
The Fellowes Powershred M-7C Shredder comes in a well-padded package of two components (5 kg). The assembly is accordingly very simple by placing the cutting head unit on the collection bin – done – a total of then (net) 3.5 kg. The collection bin is made of smooth plastic and is unfortunately not leak-proof, which means, that paper dust can easily get out. During the test, however, not much paper dust was noticeable. TIP: a bin liner prevents dust from escaping and does not bother any further. Admittedly, the neat design – enhances any office. It is visually very appealing and due to a viewing window, you can always see the fill level of the 14 liter or 100 sheet snippets. The bin holds just enough for two (official) days of production of 50 sheets each.
There are three operating modes – Off – Start=(I)=Automatic (standby until you want to load paper) and manual Reverse in case of a paper jam. Unfortunately, the plastic switch on our test Fellowes was a little wobbly. The cutting head unit can only be placed in a fixed position, which then operates a contact that enables start-up. If you lift the unit or if it is not inserted correctly, you cannot start the Fellowes Powershred M-7C, which is a good safety feature, which became now standard for all other document shredders.
Some online platforms report the M-7C as security level P-3 some as P-4. The Fellowes produces shreds in the size 4 x 35 mm – equivalent to 140 square millimeters. However, the standard for P-4 is a maximum of 160 sq mm. Therefore, security level P-4 is correct here.
In the multilingual, illustrated instruction manual, two pages are reserved for each language. Somewhat irritatingly, there is a statement that staples can be shredded and further down in the operating instructions, under the point: “It does not work”, it again says staples. If you then look at the English part of the operating instructions, you realize that staples are meant on the one hand and paper clips on the other. Call at Fellowes support brought the solution: paper clips should not be used in the Fellowes Powershred M-7C – but staples would be OK according to the operating instructions.
Cutting performance:
Fellowes Powershred M-7C Shredder Review
The Powershred M-7C manages one or two sheets of paper at maximum speed (approx. 3.5 seconds) on a sustained basis, at four sheets you can hear it making a slight effort, but from six sheets at a time, at the latest, the Fellowes has to “fight” a bit.
We took the “endurance test” a little further: even with 8 normal sheets, the Fellowes Powershred M-7C performs reliably, albeit slowly and “haltingly”. The processing time increases then to 5.5 seconds. Whereas the eighth sheet is not regularly recognized as too much and the M-7C cuts the stack anyway. At 8 sheets, the M-7C has also reached its absolute technical limit – you can hear this clearly in the motor noise.
According to the official instructions, it is not supposed to shred CDs/DVDs, but in the test CDs and DVDs were no problem either. In addition, paper clips are not supposed to be filled in at all – you could tell in the test, that this is not necessarily healthy for the Fellowes M-7C, but that was no obstacle either. Damage to the blade could not be found, neither after DVD nor after paper clip passage – nevertheless, we believe you should do without it. The same applies to adhesive labels, X-rays, laminated material, paper clips, cardboard, transparencies, etc.
The Fellowes Powershred M-7C is only designed for private households in terms of its performance, but you can shred enough paper in the stated maximum operating time of 5 minutes, assuming that you can always shred a pack of 7 pages (70 gsm quality) in one pass.
The shreds produced are 4 x 46 mm, so they offer good security against documents being read or numbers can be deciphered. To ensure long-lasting good performance, you should always oil the cutting blades after emptying the collection bin.
The manual also contains a small section on maintenance, as oiling is a must for every shredder.
is a must for any shredder if you are interested in reliable performance. The easiest way to do this is, of course, to use the lubricant sheets from AmazonBasics.
You can also improvise the oiling by taking an A4 sheet and then dribbling the oil once a double W onto it. The sheet is then shredded – then switch on the reverse gear. Then add the second side of the dry paper to absorb any excess oil, and you’re done. We also recommend collecting oil paper separately and disposing of it in the residual waste. By the way, you can clearly hear when another drop of oil is needed. After oiling, the cutting unit runs quieter and lighter again.
What we liked:
(+) a large collection bin for at least 100 sheets of shredded paper
(+) Shreds paper, staples, and credit cards.
(+) Works fast – processing 1 sheet in 3.5 seconds or maximum 7 sheets in 5.5 seconds.
(+) Filling level always visible (even with bin liner bag inserted, no paper dust can escape)
(+) Safety switch available to lock the Fellowes Powershred M-7C (child lock)
What we didn’t like:
(-) Credit cards can be shredded, but there is no separate collection basket.
(-) only 5:12 minutes continuous operation, then 30 minutes break (measured 28 minutes) – sufficient for private, occasional use – not suitable for shredding whole paper folders
(-) loud processing noise of (short-term) 70 dB (idling immediately before paper processing) – standard in this price range.
(-) no handles to lift the cutting head
Neutral
(0) Compact design
(0) The Fellowes M-7C runs for a short time to clean up shreds from the cutting head.
Conclusion:
Visually appealing, the compact Fellowes Powershred M-7C does its job, even if it is a bit loud (70 dB), but pretty fast. It’s perfectly adequate for private households, i.e. for people who don’t just want to throw away their business letters or bank statements but value a higher level of security. The device has the right size (approx. 19 x 32 x 39 cm) and a sufficient collection capacity for private use (14 liters = snippets of about 100 sheets). The only downer for us is that it is not approved for DVDs/CDs, even though it was able to prove this in the test. The manufacturer completely rejects the cutting of CDs/DVDs.
From the point of view of efficiency (power and speed), aesthetics, and functionality, the Fellowes M-7C is definitely a good product, but it also has one important flaw, namely the noise, which is quite pronounced. The price is fair in terms of quality and compared to other similar models with the same performance.
Fellowes Powershred M-7C Personal 7 Shredder
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