A Level 3 cross cut paper shredder is considered my many experts to be the best security level for office use. Now that we have that established, which Level 3 cross cut paper shredder should you consider using in your office department? There are several models to choose from, and the Dahle 20814 paper shredder is still considered to be one of the best. This is my review.

Dahle, a brand that is highly revered for their office products, manufactures well over a dozen different models of paper shredders. This includes strip cut, cross cut and high security paper shredders. These shredders are particularly popular with the U.S. government and military.

The Dahle 20814 is the very definition of a departmental paper shredder. It is designed from the ground up to be centrally used in an office for use by multiple people. It is powerful, features a continuous duty motor for daily use and can hold up to 35 gallons of shredded paper.

As mentioned earlier, a security level 3 is considered to be the best particle size for most offices. The 20814 takes paper and shreds it into 1/8 x 1 9/16″ cross cut particles. These particles are extremely small and very difficult to re-assemble.

The continuous-duty motor used in the 20814 can be used non-stop without the need to cool down. It is rated, by Dahle, to be able to shred anywhere from 2,000 to 12,000 sheets of paper. Can your local “department store” paper shredder do that? Probably not. The Dahle 20814 means business.

Design is an important part of any piece of office equipment. The Dahl 20814 was designed to blend in with existing office equipment without drawing in too much attention.

This shredder has been ergonomically designed to be easy to use. The control panel is conveniently positioned to be easy to access. A total of just 3 buttons control every aspect of this shredder. A green button turns the shredder on and off while the other two buttons put the shredder into forward or reverse mode.

The opening on the 20814 measures in at 16″ wide, which is ideal for shredding wide computer paper, legal-size paper and letter-size paper. It can also accommodate a lot of smaller documents as well. The blades and motor can handle 16-18 sheets of paper at a time. The gears in this shredder are driven by a steel chain, which in turn provides continuous slip-free power.

In conclusion I have to say that this particular shredder is perfect for most mid to large-size businesses, departments and offices. It is tough and should easily hold up for years. The security is excellent and it should easily handle most office shredding jobs. I would personally have no problem recommending this shredder to a friend for office shredding.

You can find the Dahle 20814 paper shredder here and our entire selection of Dahle paper shredders here. If Dahle isn’t what you want, you can find our entire selection of paper shredders here.

Have you ever used a paper shredder that sounded like a lawnmower? I certainly have. Lawnmowers belong outdoors, not in the office. So how do manufacturers try and keep their paper shredders quiet? There are a few techniques used. Here are some of the most common “silencing” methods.

To begin, strip cut paper shredders tend to be quieter than cross cut shredders. This is because there is less cutting going on and fewer moving parts. The only downside is that strip cut shredders don’t provide as much security as cross cut shredders. Luckily many of our paper shredder manufacturers have made significant improvements in paper shredder noise.

Rubber Bushings – One significant improvement that many manufacturers are making is by using special rubber bushings in the design of their shredders. These bushings are placed around joins and mounting points where reverberations and vibrations are the worst. These rubber bushings act like motor mounts, dramatically cutting down on noise-making vibration.

Wooden Cabinets – You’ll often find on many of the cheaper paper shredders that a lot of plastic is used in the construction. This is because plastic is cheap to use in manufacturing. The downside is that plastic can break and crack easily and has very few noise absorption properties. Many plastic cabinets used with lower-end shredders can even amplify sound. Most modern paper shredder manufactures try to use wood with their cabinets. Wood has natural noise absorption properties.

Auto Oilers - Many office and departmental paper shredders feature auto oilers. These auto oilers help keep moving parts and shredder blades properly lubricated, cutting down on metal-on-metal noise.

Tight Construction – Tight construction, utilizing high quality bolts, screws and materials, can help cut down on sound by eliminating vibration caused by loosely fitted pieces. This feature is more difficult to tell with the naked eye and is generally a product of high-quality manufacturers.

Insulated Shredding Head – Some paper shredder manufacturers actually try and insulate the motor with noise absorption material, often called insulation. A well-insulated motor typically runs cooler and emits less noise.

What if you already own a shredder and it is loud? If you already own a shredder and are growing sick and tired of the noise, I highly recommend oiling it. You would be surprised how much noise can be reduced by eliminating friction in the shredder blades. Not only does this quiet a shredder, but it also prolongs its life.

Hopefully some of these tips help you in your quest to find a quiet shredder. Believe it or not, quiet shredders do exist, however, all shredders will make a little noise. You can find our entire selection of paper shredders here.

Feel free to call us at 1-800-655-8788 for advice and recommendations on quiet paper shredders.

When it comes to shredding paper, you may have noticed that paper shredders are often categorized by a security level. One of the most coveted shredder levels is the security level 6. So what exactly is a security level 6 shredder and why would you ever need one? I will explain that and much more in this article.

Shredder security levels are used to categorize the shred particle size of a shredder. The shredder level scale goes from 1 to 6, with level 6 being the most secure. A security level six is any shredder that cuts paper within a 1 x 4-5 mm size. This size is extremely small, some comparing it to dust.

Level 6 paper shredders are sometimes called high security paper shredders, top-secret shredders and confidential shredders. This is because level 6 shredders are used to shred the most sensitive documents, hence the reason they are so popular with the government and military. Documents cut down to a level 6 size cannot be re-assembled.

Most level 6 shredders are DOD approved and fall within NSA / CSS specifications. You can see a complete list of NSA / CSS approved paper shredders here.

Typically, as the security level increases, the sheet capacity of the shredder decreases. This is because higher security level shredders require more cuts, which in turn requires more pressure and cutting force to cut a sheet of paper.

So do you need to use a level 6 paper shredder? For most business, home and office use, the answer is no. Most businesses will be fine with a shredder security level 3 shredder, whose cutting range falls within a 1.9 mm strip cut or a 3.9 x 30-50 mm cross cut. Few non-government sponsored entities have the ability to re-assemble a level 3 cut document.

A level 3 shredder blends security, affordability and maximum sheet capacity into a well-rounded paper shredder. This type of paper shredder can safety be used to shred client and customer information, receipts, bills and other personal documentation.

You can find our entire selection of level 6 paper shredders here and our entire selection of paper shredders here.

Would you like to know more about paper shredder security levels? You can read more about them by reading our useful paper shredder guide found here.

Do you need a departmental paper shredder capable of handling some of the toughest jobs? Do you need something that is centralized that can be used by multiple people in an office environment throughout the day? If so, you probably need a shredder like the MBM Destroyit 4005 paper shredder. This is my review.

Let me provide you with a little background on Destroyit paper shredders. To begin with, Destroyit shredders aren’t typically found in your local department store. This is because Destroyit paper shredders are considered high-end pieces of machinery, opposite to the cheaper plastic shredders you’ll find in local stores. Destroyit shredders are German engineered and German made.

The Destroyit 4005 is a tough shredder, designed from the ground up for departmental use. It comes in three different versions, one strip cut and two cross cut variations. The version you use will depend on the shredding capacity your office needs and the security requirements of your business.

The strip cut version is a Level 2 shredder and the cross cut shredders are Levels 3 and 4. The higher the level, the smaller the particle cut. As the security level goes up, you are able to shred more sensitive material, but usually at a decreased capacity. You’ll notice that the Level 2 version shreds 50-52 sheets at a time and the Level 4 shreds 18-20 at a time.

All three of these shredders feature thermally protected motors that allows them to be used throughout the day without the need to cool down. All three of these shredders also feature the ability to handle paper clips, staples, CDs and DVDs. The wide 16″ opening handles most sheets of paper.

Destroyit 4005 Paper Shredder Video

Not only does the Destroyit 4005 have a high shredding capacity, but it is also very fast, taking just seconds to shred paper. As soon as you feed paper into it you are ready to feed it more. As mentioned earlier, this shredder is designed from the ground up to be a departmental workhorse.

One thing I personally like about the Destroyit 4005 is the control panel. Destroyit calls it the “Easy Switch.” It is essentially a button that uses color codes and backlit symbols to help navigate you. It also lets you know the status of the shredder at all times.

A series of load indicator lights let you know how much stress is being put on the motor at all times, which makes it easier for you to determine how much paper you can feed it without manually counting the sheets prior to shredding. In the unlikely event of a jam, this shredder will reverse out the paper and cut off the power. This prevents damage to the motor.

The Destroyit 4005 features a 40-gallon shred bin, a high-quality wooden cabinet and is extremely easy to empty. After one hour of inactivity, the 4005 goes into ESM (Energy Saving Mode), which is designed to save on electricity.

Simply put, this is a great shredder to use in an office by multiple people. The build quality is excellent, the chain driven dust-proof gear box housing is solid and this should easily keep up with just about everything you throw at it. I highly recommend this shredder.

Be aware that the Destroyit 4005 does require a dedicated 20-amp line for power.

You can find the MBM Destroyit 4005 paper shredder here and our entire line of paper shredders here.

Every so often I like to throw the spotlight on a manufacturer that has proven to be reliable and produce great office products. As an online office equipment dealer, we at ABC Office truly appreciate what it is like to work with a reliable manufacturer. This not only helps us, but also helps our customers. Today I would like to introduce you to Formax, one of our most reliable manufacturers.

Formax, a division of Bescorp Inc, is a leading manufacturer of office products. They are well known for their pressure sealers, folder inserters, paper shredders, folding machines and much more. One remarkable thing about Formax is that many of their products are manufactured in the USA. Their line of products are considered to be reliable and have a great track record with our customers.

Formax was originally founded in 1987 and has been in business for over 24 years. They originally specialized in direct sales and service of paper processing equipment around the New England Area.

Formax is currently based out of Dover, New Hampshire and have a manufacturing facility plant in Turlock, California. The actual “Formax” name was established in 1993 right around the time they began to offer industrial bursters, decollators and mergers.

In 1996, thanks to a great reputation and an established network of dealers, Formax introduced one of their most popular brands, AutoSeal. AutoSeal pressure sealers utilize Formaxes patented technology that dramatically simplified pressure-sealing operations. Models today include desktop machines all the way up to industrial pressure sealing machines.

In 2002 Formax began manufacturing high-end paper folding machines and in 2003 Formax acquired a main vendor in FTI (Formax Technologies Incorporated), formerly known as the FHE Division of Tab Products in Turlock, CA.

At ABC Office we offer a huge selection of products from Formax. These products include:

• AutoSeal Pressure Sealers
• Booklet Makers
• Bursters
• Document Signers
• Folder Inserters & Envelope Stuffing Machines
• Letter Openers
• Mail Tabbers
• Paper Folding Machines
• Paper Joggers
• Paper Shredders

We enjoy working with Formax, love selling their products and expect to have many more years of success selling Formax office machines to customers around the world. You can find our entire line of Formax products here.

Because we are an authorized Formax dealer, we are also able to provide servicing, repairs and provide parts for all Formax products. To request repairs and service on your Formax machine, you can contact our Service Department by calling 1-800-658-8788 x129 or by filling out this form.

Phenomenal advancements have been made in paper shredder safety over the past 10 years. Blades have been recessed, making them harder to reach, and other manufacturers have even implemented “touch” technology that turns shredders off when fingers are detected around the throat of the shredder. Even with all these safety features, there are still a few good tips you can follow to make shredding even safer.

To begin with, I don’t care how safe the shredder is, I recommend keeping shredders away from children and animals. Even with all the safety measures in place, paper shredders are still essentially sharp blades powered by a motor. Children, and many pets for that matter, seem to find a way to get hurt by even the safest things.

Be careful with necklaces and jewelry. Many necklace chains are thin enough, and with a little assistance from gravity, that they can quickly slip through a paper shredder throat and get pulled into the blades. Either make sure jewelry is secured or removed.

Long hair can also be a little bit of a hazard. When feeding paper into a shredder, long hair can quickly fall forward over shoulders and become entangled in paper shredder blades. I can’t think of anything worse than getting your hair pulled into a shredder. Please be sure to keep your hair pulled back when operating a shredder.

Be careful with loose clothing and especially neckties. Clothing, even more so than jewelry and long hair, can cause bodily harm. A necktie, when lodged into a fast shredder, can quickly cause a perilous situation.

When clearing a paper jam, be careful when your hands are around the blades, especially when accessing a shredder from underneath. Always make sure that the shredder is unplugged when accessing the underside of a paper shredder head. If you aren’t sure what you’re doing, call our Service Technician at 1-800-658-8788 x129 for some advice.

Always familiarize yourself with the shredder you are using before operating it. Get to know where the controls are and how they work. First and foremost, make sure you know how to turn the shredder off.

Again, paper shredders are very safe machines. A lot of these safety tips are based on common sense.

If you are in the market for a new shredder, we offer a great selection of paper shredders here. Feel free to call us at 1-800-658-8788 with any questions. Our knowledgeable representatives can help point you towards reliable, durable and safe paper shredders.

If you’re shopping around for a paper shredder, especially for an office paper shredder, you may be wondering what you features you need. What truly makes a good paper shredder? Having used, sold and dealt with paper shredders for over 10+ years, I have some pretty good tips that should help put you on the right track.

The first thing you need to determine is why and where are you using the shredder? For obvious reasons, you probably don’t want to use an office shredder at home or vice versa. It is critical that you get a shredder that meets your needs. There is no “universal” one size fits all paper shredder.

Capacity – The shredding capacity and size of the waste container are good factors in determining how robust the shredder is. The more sheets a shredder can handle, typically, the more robust the shredder will be.

Bin Volume – Be sure that the waste bin can accommodate the amount of sheets you are shredding. A shredder that can handle 20-40 sheets at a time, yet only holds 10 gallons of paper, will result in a miserable experience as you will be continually emptying the bag.

Security Level – The security level is another critical factor when shopping for a shredder. To date, there are 6 different shredder security levels. The higher the number, the tinier the particles and more secure the shredder will be. A level 6 is great for shredding top secret documents, a Level 3 is great for most office shredding and a Level 1 is good for making hamster bedding.

Cut Style- Paper shredders come in strip cut and cross cut variations. Strip cut shredders usually max out at a security Level 2, although there are some Level 3 strip cut shredders. Cross cut shredders range from a Level 3 to a Level 6.

Cross cut shredders are sometimes called particle cut, diamond cut and confetti cut shredders. They are all one in the same. I personally recommend using a cross cut shredder over a strip cut shredder. While the sheet capacity may be smaller with a cross cut, the security benefits make up for the difference.

Gears – What are the gears in your shredder made from? Believe it or not, many shredders (names will be excluded) use nylon gears rather than metal gears. While this may be adequate for home use, I have found that nylon gears will almost always break or strip within a year or two with consistent office use.

Staples & Paper Clips – Many cheaper shredders will throw a fit when fed the occasional staple or paper clip. If you work in an office where a box of “to shred” paper may contain staples or paper clips, be sure you get a shredder that can handle it. Most, but not all, office shredders can handle staples and paper clips.

Oiling – Paper shredders need to be oiled, especially cross cut shredders. Some of the newer shredders have built-in automatic oilers. If you can afford it, this is definitely the way to go. If a shredder with an auto oiler isn’t in the budget, remember to oil the shredder with every bag change.

Bag Changes - Shredders are available in a variety of designs that are supposed to make bag changing “easier.” I have personally found that shredders that have a built-in cabinet are the best to use in the office. Simply open the cabinet, slide out the bin or bag and empty it. This is far more preferable to the shredders that require you to remove the shredder head to empty the bin.

These are probably the most common features you should be aware of prior to making a purchase. At ABC Office we have years of dealing with shredders. I’m not afraid to admit that we probably have some of the most educated shredder specialists online.

You should take advantage of this knowledge and give us a call at 1-800-658-8788 with any questions. We aren’t pressuring, we won’t try to sell you something you don’t need and we are always more than happy to help.

You can find our entire wide selection of paper shredders here. They are broken into different categories based on where they will be used.

Does your business, organization or facility need a high-volume paper shredder that can be reliably used throughout the day? With many machines out there, you may be having trouble settling on any one make or model. One paper shredder you may want to take a look at is the MBM Destroyit 3103 paper shredder. This is my review.

MBM Destroyit (by IDEAL) makes some of the worlds most popular shredders. Destroyit shredders are commonly found in government offices and military bases around the worlds. These German engineered and German built shredders have developed a great reputation for being some of the hardiest shredders around.

The Destroyit 3103 paper shredder currently comes in two different formats, strip cut and cross cut. Other than the cutting blade used, everything else on these two variations are practically identical. They both feature large 37 gallon shred bins and continuous duty motors.

The biggest difference between the cross cut and the strip cut versions of the 3103 is the cutting capacity and the security level. The strip cut version of this shredder is a Level 2 and the cross cut version is a Level 3. The higher the security level, the tinier the particle size and the more secure the cut is.

The Level 2 (strip cut) version of this shredder can cut up to 22 sheets of paper at a time and the Level 3 (cross cut) version can cut up to 15 sheets of paper at a time. Both of these cutting capacities are impressive considering the size of the shredder.

The Destroyit 3103 has a large 12″ wide feed opening that is capable of handling letter-size paper, envelopes, computer forms and more. It ca also handle several smaller items been fed through at once. The hardened steel cutting shafts not only shred paper, but they can also handle staples, paper clips, credit cards and CDs.

The “Easy Switch” design of the 3103 makes operating this shredder extremely easy. Simply rock the large round button forward to turn the shredder on. Press it again to turn the shredder off. Rock the switch back and the motor is thrown into reverse.

Several sensors let you know when the bag is full and when the door is open. After an hour of inactivity, the 3103 will go into energy saving model, which dramatically cuts down on electricity use.

If you aren’t already impressed by the build quality of the 3103, you will probably be impressed by the warranty. The 3103 carries a lifetime warranty on the cutting blades and a one-year warranty on everything else.

Simply put, this shredder is reliable, extremely easy to use and looks great. Placed on casters, this shredder is easy to move around and is ideal for use in a centralized office location. I would personally recommend this shredder for just about any office.

You can find the MBM Destroyit 3103 paper shredder here and our entire line of Destroyit paper shredders here. You can find our huge selection of paper shredders here.

The concept of a paper shredder is pretty simple. You put paper in and it comes out the other side cut into little pieces. Sounds easy enough, right? While shredders are easy machines to use, modern-day paper shredders are packed full of sensors, indicators and alarms. These are mostly for safety and convenience purposes. Here are just a few of the more common sensors you are bound to find.

Common Paper Shredder Sensors, Alarms & Indicator Lights

• Bag Full Sensor - This helpful sensor, usually represented by a light, lets you know when the shred bag is full and needs to be changed.
• Door Ajar Sensor – This sensor lets you know when the cabinet door is open. For safety purposes, it needs to be closed. You don’t want the shredder running with the door open as the bottom portion of the shredder head has the blades fully exposed.
• Jam Light - Some shredders will either make an audible alert or a light will come on when a jam occurs. At this point you will probably have to switch the motor into reverse and re-adjust the quantity of paper you are shredding.
• Load Indicator – Many modern-day office shredders have a load indicator light or bar that will let you know how much stress the shredder motor is under. This allows the user to know if they are putting too many or too few sheets of paper through the shredder.
• Oil Reminder – Some paper shredders have an oil change reminder light. This feature isn’t very common, although many modern shredders now have automatic oilers. Just remember that it is a good idea to oil your shredder with every bag change.
• Power Mode - This light simply lets you know if the shredder is on.
• Shredding Head Sensor - Many smaller deskside shredders have a switch located under the shredder head that will prevent the shredder from working until it has been fully seated on the frame of the shredder. This is for safety reasons.
• Standby Mode – Many shredders will go into standby mode if left unused for a certain period of time. Most shredders use a green light (or other color) to show that it is in standby mode.
• Touch Sensor – Some shredders, especially modern-day Fellowes shredders, have a touch sensor around the mouth of the shredder. This is designed to prevent bodily injury. When a finger is detected around the shredder mouth, the shredder will not run.

These are all of the most common sensors, indicator lights and alarms you will find on a shredder. Many, as you have read, are for convenience, but many are also for your own personal safety. If any of these features look appealing to you, be sure the shredder you buy includes them.

You can find our entire selection of paper shredders here. If you are having trouble finding a shredder with the features you need, feel free to call one of our specialists at 1-800-658-8788. They should be able to help you isolate some great options.

All businesses have the need of a paper shredder. Not only is shredding discarded documents a good idea; it’s the law if it involves customer or client information. Business offices have specific needs when it comes to paper shredders. Office shredders are used more often and are put through more use than home paper shredders.

As previously mentioned, office paper shredders get a lot of use. They are typically used by multiple people and often by entire departments. Not just any shredder can be used in an office. I have heard stories from many customers about how their department store paper shredder burned out, can’t shred more than a couple sheets of paper or sounds like a lawn mower.

Here are a few tips that will help you pick the perfect office shredder.

• Continuous Duty Motor – A continuous duty motor is one of the most critical features to have in an office shredder. Continuous-duty shredders have thermally protected motors that allow them to run all day without overheating.
• Staple / Paper Clip Protection – Unlike home documents, office documents often include staples and paper clips. Having to fish out staples and paper clips is unrealistic, however, many cheap shredders can become irreversibly damaged if a paper clip chips the shredder blade. Most modern-day office shredders can handle staples and paper clips without any issues.
• Noise Reduction – Nobody likes a noisy piece of office equipment. This includes copy machines, printers and even paper shredders. I recommend, for office use, getting a shredder that is at least 60 decibels or quieter.
• Speed – Nobody wants to sit around feeding stack after stack of paper into a shredder. While sheet capacity is important, speed is even more important. Shredders are speed rated by feet per second. Most shredders will specify how many feed per second they can shred.
• Security Level - The shredder security level you use, especially for office use, should be at least a Level 3 or better. The higher the security level, the tinier the shred particles will be. A Level 3 shredder is more than adequate for most offices.
• Large Bin – Emptying a paper shredder is almost like playing a game of hot potato. Nobody wants to be the person who has to empty the shredder. I recommend getting a shredder with at least a 20 gallon shred bin or bigger. This will result in fewer bag changes and will improve productivity.
• Casters – Casters are a must-have feature for an office. Offices frequently move around furniture and casters make moving a shredder extremely easy.
• Auto Oiler – This is more of a convenience than a necessity, but I recommend having an auto oiler for a shredder. Auto-oilers simply remove a maintenance step, ensuring the likelihood that a shredder will be properly oiled. As with any piece of machinery, shredders need to be oiled to prevent premature wear. I recommend oiling a shredder with every bag change (if you don’t have an auto oiler).

These tips are solid and will help you find a great paper shredder. Brands I personally recommend for office use include Dahle, Destroyit, Intimus, Formax and HSM. You can find our entire selection of office paper shredders here. Good luck and happy shopping!

Feel free to ask our paper shredder specialists questions by calling 1-800-658-8788.