I've had two die on me in the last 6 months, when I have always put at least two sheets less than the maximum number of sheets in. I didn't get a refund on the first one, because I stupidly tried to fix it myself and then got it in a state where it had obviously been tampered with. The second one, however, shall be going back to Amzaon.
Today I had to buy a new one, worked fine for 10 minutes and then jammed when I put a credit card through it (the box proudly proclaims that it shreds credit cards).
I finally managed to fish it out with a knife and it is up and running again, but I am left feeling that a lot of the "home office" shredders out there now are just not fit for purpose.
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My Tesco Value ones have a thermal cut out it seems - it cuts out after a lengthy session and normally starts working again after few minutes. I have shredded credit cards and SIM cards with it as well - sometimes it seems to lock out and then work after a little rest..
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If the motor starts struggling you are probably asking too much of it, we've had the same cross cutter for about 5 years, it's compact and wasn't cheap...rated at 3 sheets maximum so we only ask it to do 2.
Maybe like washing machines with a couple of notable exceptions the quality and life expectancy has nose dived over the past 15 years.
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We've had a Fellows from Staples for so long it must be a straight-cut, cross cut wasn't an option on domestic shredders when we bought it, and anything that comes through the post that has name/address on, if it doesn't get filed goes in the shredder - it's got to be a good five or six years old, if not more and it gets used every week.
Possibly the only example of me being an 'early adopter' of technology, but its output does bulk up the compost bin ;-)
Last edited by: borasport on Sun 2 Jan 11 at 18:00
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Ours came from Staples and it must be close on 15 years old and still works faultlessly (cue kiss of death).
Ours cuts out when it gets hot too and needs a few minutes rest before it will go again. I have always thought it's because the paper dust might ignite with the heat, maybe that's the reason?
Last edited by: Robin Regal on Sun 2 Jan 11 at 18:20
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You tend to get what you pay for, A few sheets of A4, or something you can throw a telephone directory into. I have the former at home but have used the latter. A bit like garden chippers, 13AMP plug or diesel engine on the end of it. :-)
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>> anything that comes through the post that has name/address on, if it doesn't get filed goes in the shredder ... but its output does bulk up the compost bin ;-)
>>
Of course always tearing out the plastic windows from envelopes.
The shreading is mixed with grass clippings to prevent the slimy mess of old.
I have no idea what all those fancy inks do to plants or the lawn.
I have a cheap cross cut shreader but only feed it one sheet at a time. An oil change helps it! I have never considered feeding it any plastic as I do not like the slow grind on some thicker paper it sometimes gets fed.
My first one lasted about five years before it jammed and its cheap replacement will hopefully last another five years.
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Shredding credit and SIM cards?
Good grief - have none of you any scissors?
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Steady on, that would require effort. :-)
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Mine (and the two before it!) has a thermal cutout. These are not designed for constant use. So leave it a while and it works again.
But the last one started sounding really bad after doing loads of shredding and it did finally die. These need lubrication to keep them going or else they start seizing up. I did try keeping it lubricated and you can buy special oil or lubrication paper. The main problem with this one was the shredded paper would wrap around the shredding mechanism and block it. The replacement cross-shredder seems a little better and not getting stuck.
I assume the more you pay the better they cope with shredding a lot of paper.
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...Steady on, that would require effort. :-)...
I'm quite impressed at the trouble many of you take over document disposal, I know it makes sense, but I can't really be bothered with shredding.
I do rip credit card and bank statements into a few pieces, although there's fewer of those to get rid of as I slowly, but surely, move things online.
I also make sure the rubbish is only put out within an hour or two of being collected.
There's been instances of i/d thieves rooting through wheelie bins overnight.
Once mine has been emptied into the bin wagon, I can't see there's much risk of data loss.
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We've burnt out maybe five or more of them in the last few years. I suppose shredding 6 year's worth of business papers didn't help much. Reading the reviews of shredders showed even spending £100 on one doesn't improve reliability but using shredder oil helps a bit. Then we hatched a plan.
Argos sell an extra warranty with seemingly anything they sell. We took out a warranty on our last one and over 2 years have got three new ones for free.
These extra warranties are normally a ruse to raise profits so normally I never even entertain them, but for a shredder they're ideal at something like £2.99.
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>> Argos sell an extra warranty with seemingly anything they sell. We took out a warranty
>> on our last one and over 2 years have got three new ones for free.
>>
>> These extra warranties are normally a ruse to raise profits so normally I never even
>> entertain them, but for a shredder they're ideal at something like £2.99.
Arrggh...I skipped past the extended warranty screen when paying for the latest one at Argos. As you say it is normally just a bit of a scam, but maybe in this case it might have been worthwhile.
The first two I had were Rexel and cost £35 each, this latest one is made by Bush and was £20.
I am loathed to pay more because of the problems I have had, but that is probably a false economy.
I've also emailed Amazon telling them that I want my money back on the second Rexel. They are generally OK, but they do try to push you onto the manufacturer. A quick quote from the Sale of Goods act, regarding seller liability does the trick.
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I only buy the sub £20 ones.
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How about one of these?
tinyurl.com/3x98w5m
Accessories required: box of matches and a few sausages. :)
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Got a cross cut one from Woolworths when they were still trading. Thinking about it I got it cheap as it was their final week. Claimed it could shred up to 5 sheets of paper at a time, credit cards and CDs. It struggled with 4 sheets of paper and came to a halt if you put a credit card through it.
I only used to put 2 sheets of paper through at a time.
Someone else in the family got bored shredding a load of paper one day and put 5 to 6 sheets through at a time to speed things along a bit. Despite the shredder making funny noises, they carried on regardless until it ground to a halt.
One of the metal shafts inside was a hexagonal shape. The hexagonal hole in one of the nylon cogs that fitted on the metal shaft was now circular. Fortunately I had an old shredder in the shed and managed to make one good one out of two bad ones. Household rule is now not to put more than 2 sheets of paper through at any one time, and use scissors for CDs and credit cards (or take documents/cd's/credit cards to work and put through the industrial shredder instead)
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>> Household rule is now not to put more than 2 sheets
>> of paper through at any one time, and use scissors for CDs and credit cards
>> (or take documents/cd's/credit cards to work and put through the industrial shredder instead)
Well, it is says that it takes credit cards on the box, then it should take credit cards.
The one I am using now is handling the paper fairly well (although I am putting in a maximum of 3 sheets when it says that it takes 8), and the thermal cutout is about 5 minutes of continual feeding which probably isn't bad.
Once I have done all of the paperwork, I have a couple of credit cards to shred.
I am inclined to stick them in, and if it jams take it back (although knowing my luck the service guy back at the manufacturer will also be a credit card fraudster).
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>> Well, it is says that it takes credit cards on the box, then it should take credit cards.
Was unable to take it back to Woolworths and complain / get a refund though as they had ceased trading by the time I found out it couldn't cope with what it claimed it could do.
Cheap shredders = rubbish and only last 5 mins.
The one at work cost something like £100. If it wasn't for the narrow paper slot and safety cut out it would have your arm off, followed by the rest of your body.
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Those I've seen that claim to shred credit cards and discs usually have separate slots.
What does everyone else do with the shreddings? My road can look like a busy day of weddings sometimes on bin collection day.
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>>What does everyone else do with the shreddings?
I collect A4, similar sized letterbox stuff and envelopes ( minus the plastic windows and save them in a bag (s) for life especially ouside the lawn growing season.
Once mowing starts I start up the cross cut shreader and mix the output with grass clipping and vegetable off cuts in a plastic compost bin.
This prevents the grass cuttings turning to slime and I get good compost. Obviously it depends if you havea suburban lawn not a pasture.
I have no idea of the shreadings to grass ratio.
I understand that some councils are not happy at shreadings being put in a recycling bin.
www.recyclethis.co.uk/20070711/how-can-i-reuse-or-recycle-shredded-paper
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>>>The one at work cost something like £100. If it wasn't for the narrow paper slot and safety cut out it would have your arm off, followed by the rest of your body.
Absolutely agree.... after wearing out a few £20-£30 shredders in little over a year for each I went for a Fellowes at just under £100 last year..... main justification was shredding a lifetimes paperwork from a deceased relative plus 5yrs of my own business records.
It has performed superbly and gives the impression it would shred the cat if it got too close.
Last edited by: Fenlander on Sun 2 Jan 11 at 21:18
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>> It has performed superbly and gives the impression it would shred the cat if it got too close.
>>
Gave up on shredders. It all goes in the Wood burner.
M
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>> Absolutely agree.... after wearing out a few £20-£30 shredders in little over a year for
>> each I went for a Fellowes at just under £100 last year..... main justification was
>> shredding a lifetimes paperwork from a deceased relative plus 5yrs of my own business records.
Are either of these similar to what you bought?
tinyurl.com/3ywoa8y
tinyurl.com/3amhwbg
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Whats this shredding lark?
Fill washing up bowl with some water - Place in sensitive documents - Allow to soak - Collect in hands and roll and squish into a mash.
Job done!
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>> Whats this shredding lark?
>>
>> Fill washing up bowl with some water - Place in sensitive documents - Allow to
>> soak - Collect in hands and roll and squish into a mash.
>>
>> Job done!
Yeah, that definitely sounds easier than feeding a few pieces of paper into a slot ;)
Actually, I am reasonably impressed with this Bush shredder, aside from the credit card problem. If it does get a bit gummed up with paper, it seems much more resilient than the Rexel at pushing through and getting itself cleared. I've shredded a mountain of paper with it today.
Even if it conks out tomorrow morning, I have already shredded much, much more than with the two Rexels combined.
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>> It is this one SS....
That looks the same as the one we've got at work FL. Don't think it's a Fellow brand though. I'll take a ganders Tuesday if I remember.
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Are most paper shredders rubbish? - R.P.
