Amazon Basics 8 Sheet Cross Cut Paper and Credit Card Shredder with 4.1 Gallon Bin, Black

I purchased this shredder in 2019 for home office purposes and it still works very well. The size of the shredder is suitable and it is easy to use and clean. The speed when shredding is good and the size of the shredder paper is very small. It have not experienced issues with over heating. It was a good buy and I would recommend it to anyone who has a home office.

Have had this Amazon Basics15 Sheet Cross-Cut shredder for over a year with no problems. I use a "Tall Kitchen" .9 mil trash bag in the bin (approx. 27"Lx24"W) to facilitate shredded paper removal - wrap the upper part of the bag over the bin top surround. The bag shows when bin is closed, but makes bin emptying easier. To ensure a long lifespan, I only shred 8 or less pieces of normal thickness paper at a time, with about 5-10 seconds between shreds. Using this technique, I can shred a 5-6" stack of bank statements (no envelopes) in about 30-45 minutes with no overheat. The safety features (bin full / bin not fully closed) work properly; have never had overheat indication using my technique. NOTE 1: When you see the "Bin Full" indication (i.e. normally the case when you insert paper into the slot and shredder does not start), you can partially pull out the bin and tamp down the shredded paper to increase bin capacity. However, if the bin is nearly full and you can only shred a few times before the "Bin Full" indication reappears, it's time to completely empty the bin to prevent serious jamming. NOTE 2: Periodic lubrication of the blades is vital for a long shredder life; opinions vary as to how often. Some say lubricate every time you empty the bin (assuming you don't tamp down the shredded paper multiple times). But most definitely with frequent jams requiring "Reverse", lack of lubrication may be the problem. I purchased a transparent 8oz squeeze bottle (approx 5.5"Lx2"W) with a twist open/close nozzle, and filled it with grocery store canola oil (i.e. research indicated comparable to name brand shredder oil). With the nozzle open, bottle inverted, and normal squeeze pressure, insert oil into the paper slot (i.e. moving the inverted bottle from left-to-right in about 4-5 seconds). Then immediately place the On-Off control slider into the Reverse position for about 5 seconds. Now run a couple sheets of paper through to distribute lubricant over the blades.

Considering the price, this shredder has worked fine, though I do not often force multiple sheets through it. I have shredded several credit cards, and it has worked just fine for that, too. The noise level is fairly high, but it has been for every shredder I've owned that worked well. The instructions caution users about continual use for more than 15 minutes or so. My ears are usually due for a rest by then. I did buy some like oil for lubricating it, and lubricate it after each use and clean out any small pieces of paper that get stuck. I've very satisfied with the shredder.

It works well. The noise is a little loud, but it does shred paper and gift cards well. Great for the price.

I have had shredders before, but none have worked as well or felt as sturdy as this one. I had a shopping bag full of papers I needed to have shredded, so I bought this 12 sheet shredder instead of taking the papers (junk mail w/my info on it, bills, etc.), to a UPS store. No problems shredding all of it, including old credit cards. A couple of times I put too many sheets in at once, and the shredder stopped, I hit the reverse, and easily removed the stuck sheets without any harm to the machine. It did not overheat (my old one did after just a few minutes), and storing it after I was done, was easy. The basket is a bit on the small side, though adequate and much sturdier than my old shredder’s. The glass (hard plastic?) window in the basket made it easy to see when it needed to be emptied. The top that contains the shredding system and all the electricals to run it, is very heavy, thus, it was good to have a sturdy basket. The top fits well into the basket. My previous shredder always felt unstable, but this one did not. I will probably be using WD-40 oil to make sure it continues to work well. I need to learn how often that is recommended, and will fully read through the enclosed instructions to learn how often - if it’s recommended at all. Some comments mentioned it before I decided to buy this, so I’ll look into it since I never oiled other shedders. (Maybe that’s why they didn’t last? - Who knows…) For this one, though: so far, so good. Seems to be well worth the $40 price.

Spectacular shredder. Just keeps going for hours and hours when ever I use it. Never overheats. No problems yet, and if it does fail, I'll by it again.

I bought this cheap shredder five years ago — in 2019. After the umpteenth pile of financial documents I pushed through her teeth this afternoon, I marveled at how reliable this little unit is. It just keeps on shredding without any mishaps or choking on the stuff I feed it. It will cut through staples without complaint. I have not tried paper clips or heavier duty fasteners. I think that is asking too much if this cheap machine. It shreds credit cards, but slows down considerably when eating them. This is not NSA-level shredding but I think it is adequate for routine family financial and medical information. I do, however, need a set of needle-nosed pliers when I empty it because wads of paper get wedged into the corners. I pushed it way beyond’s its intended light use when we moved two years ago. I had decades of old records that I no longer had a reason to keep and did not want to pay to move. I am talking about a large attic full of records that I shredded in long sessions over a couple of weeks. I fully expected this little thing would give up the ghost and give me a reason to buy a new, more robust unit. But it swallowed all of the papers without a problem or complaint. I am a retired lawyer and I tend to keep more papers than most but when I ultimately dump them, I am very conscious of shredding anything with information someone could use that could harm me. My wife thinks it’s silly, but I also peel prescription information from medicine bottles and shred them too. Trash haulers (for whom I have a lot of respect) sometimes spill stuff in getting our refuse in its truck, especially when overstuffed bags break. I have found on the street neighbors’ paystubs, tax forms, and yes, even prescription medicine bottles. I have to have my unit dumped every other week during “light” periods. Today, in clearing out two years of documents, I had to empty it twice. I can only relate my experience but I am impressed with how much this cheap little thing has shredded for me and how reliable it’s been.

Worked great for many years.