Microshred 225Mi 100% Jam Proof Micro-Cut Shredder

The Microshred 225Mi is Fellowes' commercial micro-cut machine and the one to specify when a policy names P-5. It cuts at 5/64 by 15/32 inches — 2 by 12 mm, about 24 mm² per particle — comfortably inside the 30 mm² DIN 66399 sets for the class.

It is also a continuous-duty machine rather than a cycled one, which is unusual at this security level. Sixteen sheets a pass through a 9.5-inch throat into a 16-gallon bin, with a published daily maximum of 4,400 sheets, 200 cards and 10 CDs. That last figure is more useful than any run-time rating: it tells you what Fellowes expects the machine to absorb in a working day.

Key Features

• Genuine DIN 66399 P-5 at 5/64 x 15/32 in (2 x 12 mm, about 24 mm²) — a fifth the particle area of a P-4 cross-cut.
• Continuous duty. Fellowes publishes a maximum daily usage of 4,400 sheets, 200 cards and 10 CDs rather than an on/off cycle.
• Sixteen sheets per pass on 20 lb paper.
• 9.5-inch (240 mm) paper entry, wider than the small-office Powershred models.
• Shreds paper, plastic credit cards, CDs and DVDs, staples, small paper clips and junk mail.
• 100% Jam Proof System with SafeSense contact protection.
• SilentShred acoustic design for shared workspaces.
• 16-gallon bin, 89 lb, at 120 V, 60 Hz, 8 A.

The daily usage figure is worth reading as a specification rather than a footnote. Four thousand four hundred sheets is roughly nine reams — a serious departmental workload. Two hundred cards and ten CDs, on the other hand, are strict limits: hard media wears a micro-cut head far faster than paper, and a machine used mainly for discs will not last. If your destruction load is heavily weighted towards cards and media rather than paper, a dedicated media shredder is a better investment than pushing this one to its limits.

Specifications

Sheet ratings are Fellowes' figures for 8.5 x 11 in, 20 lb paper at rated voltage. We have not published cabinet dimensions for this model: the figures in our supplier data are demonstrably corrupted — four different Powershred commercial models were listed at 17.13, 17.14, 17.15 and 17.16 inches deep — and we could not verify a clean set against Fellowes' own documentation. Ask us and we will measure one. Fellowes publishes no decibel value for this model.

What's in the Box

Shredder with 16-gallon pull-out bin and power cord. Fellowes specifies its own non-aerosol vegetable-based shredder oil, part 35250, and asks that the machine be oiled each time the waste bin is emptied. Aerosol lubricants must not be used in any shredder. Fellowes' manual for this model asks that the oiling procedure be repeated twice, which is worth noting: a micro-cut head needs more lubricant than a cross-cut one.

Who Should Buy This — and Who Should Not

Buy the 225Mi when P-5 is a written requirement and the volume is departmental. Continuous duty, a 16-gallon bin and a 4,400-sheet daily rating make it a machine that a records team or a compliance function can rely on, and unlike many micro-cut shredders it also takes cards, discs and staples.

Do not buy it if P-4 would satisfy your policy. The Powershred 225Ci is the equivalent machine at P-4, takes 22 sheets a pass instead of 16 and costs less — micro-cut is a real security gain but it is paid for in throughput. Do not buy it for a single desk; at 89 lb and 8 A it is a commercial fixture. And if you need P-6 or P-7, the Fortishred HS-440 is the only Fellowes machine in that territory, at four sheets a pass and paper only.