Standard Sheet Capacity: Large jobs will take less time when you can feed a shredder more sheets at one time. Most shredders can handle multiple sheets at once. But this number-of-sheets varies from model to model. And overall thickness matters—Sheets which are folded in half or are extra thick will cut this rating in half. This model can handle an extra generous 22 sheets.
Security (Shred Size): How finely a shredder can shred paper is a key spec. Small shreds make it impractical for someone to read or piece together your sensitive information. The manufacturer claims this model provides a P-4 security level. In our test, the shreds from this model were approximately 1.2-inch long, which earns it a mediocre security score.
Speed: For big jobs, a faster model will save you a significant amount of time. We tested its speed two ways: 10 individual pages—this model needed a total of 61 seconds; and one stack of 22 pages, stapled together—this model took 11 seconds. These moderate results award this model a mediocre speed score. And while we didn't score this, we timed its ability to shred a CD at 6 seconds.
Noise: Paper shredders are generally noisy when shredding, but some are a bit quieter. This model's measurement was about average.
Convenience Features: This model is relatively well-featured. The waste bin holds up to 7 gallons, a generous size. The manufacturer claims this model can run and shred continuously for 60 minutes until it must stop and cool down before continuing—In our "overheat time" test it ran the full 30 minutes, non-stop, as we continuously fed it 22-sheet stacks, which is excellent. It has a pull-out basket—easier to empty than the wastebasket type. The transparent window allows you to see how full the bin is. The wheels make it much easier to move this model around. Besides paper, it can also shred credit cards, optical discs like CDs and DVDs, staples, and paper clips. The warranty on this model is 12 months in general, and 30 months for the cutting blades. The manufacturer claims this model has been ETL and UL-safety tested.
