Pros
- •Works quickly to sharpen both regular and colored pencils, even 'design pencils' that manual sharpeners struggle with.
- •Small footprint makes it easy to fit in any workspace without taking up too much room.
- •Suitable for use by young children, with a mechanical stop to prevent oversharpening.
- •The sharpener has a quiet operation compared to others in the same price range.
- •Comes with a generous ear warranty, offering peace of mind regarding reliability.
- •Provides a smooth, fine point on pencils efficiently.
- •It is sturdy and does not slide around during use.
- •Successfully sharpened around 60 colored pencils without breaking the lead.
- •Has a stop function to prevent oveharpening.
- •Effectively meets light to moderate home learning needs.
Cons
- •Can be loud, making it less ideal for quiet environments.
- •May leave pencil shavings outside the receptacle, requiring extra cleaning.
- •Occasionally, the motor may stop mise to prevent overheating.
- •Construction plastic is thinner than older models, affecting overall feel.
- •Shavings catcher design is messy, adding to maintenance effort.
- •Some users experienced the sharpener not performing effectively, breaking pencil wood instead.
- •Requires deep pencil insertion, impractical for shorter pencils.
- •Reports of units stopping after limited use, raising reliability concerns.
- •The dependent switch mechanism can fail, sometimes needing modification.
- •Quality control issues noted, potentially leading to performance inconsistencies.
Bottom Line
The X-ACTO XLR Electric Pencil Sharpener - 1818 offers reliable and efficient performance for regular and colored pencils, with features like a stop mechanism and compact design making it suitable for home and light office use. However, potential concerns about noise, shavings management, and mechanical reliability might be deal-breakers for some users. If durability and quiet operation are key, ensure your purchase includes a warranty, and perhaps consider investing in a higher-tier model if these drawbacks could be significant for your setting.
How we researched this
About this review: We pulled together findings from professional reviews and hundreds of user reviews, and cross-referenced them with ShopSavvy's pricing data from 26 retailers to give you the short version.
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