Best shredder under £50/$65

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If you are looking for a shredder to destroy your documents for under £50/$65 you have come to the right place!  Shredders are very popular right now because of the rise in identity fraud, by throwing out your utility bills, bank statements or credit card statements, you are providing a fraudster plenty of valuable information.

Shredders do not need to break the bank to be effective – their main job is to cut the paper into thin strips!  There are of course varying degrees of shredding but when looking for a cost effective shredder for any budget, let’s keep it simple.  A few things to remember when choosing a shredder:

  • What level of security is required when shredding documents?
    • There are various levels to consider when choosing a shredder
      • 1 (Din 1) – low security
      • 2 (Din 2) general straight cut shredders – everyday letters
      • 3 (Din 3) cross-cut shredders – confidential documents, bank statements, business etc
      • 4 (Din 4) micro-cut shredders – very secure –  probably overkill for home or small office
      • 5 (Din 5) extremely high level – government level secure
      • 6 (Din 6) maximum-security – government and military use
  • How many sheets do I need to shred at one time?
  • Do I need to destroy CDs and credit cards?
  • Will I need to destroy sheets over a long period of time in one session?

AmazonBasics 8 Sheet Strip-Cut Shredder with CD Shred

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This shredder is priced well below the £50/£65 budget and it is very good value for money, check the latest price on Amazon here.  This does more than just shred documents into strips, it has a strong enough cutting action to shred CDs/DVDs into strips too.  Not many shredders offer the 2 in 1 cutting ability for under £50.

Let’s look at the features:

  • 8 sheet capacity
  • Cuts CDs and DVDs
  • Shreds credit cards
  • 2 minute continuous run time (15 minutes cooldown)
  • Shredded strip size is 0.65cm
  • Level 2 (P-2) security level (general document shredding)
  • Straight cut shred
  • Autostart with manual reverse
  • 12-litre waste basket
  • 22cm paper feed
  • 33.5 x 32 x 17cm (LxWxD)
  • Weight 2.8kg

This is currently the Amazon Choice for document shredders and it is easy to see why.  At this price point, you won’t get a better all in one shredder.

The shredding capacity is above average, most machines offer 6 sheets at one time, this allows 8 sheets to be shredded in one go.  If you have old backups on CD or DVD and you want to destroy them, this shredder can handle 1 disc at a time.  If you have expired credit cards that you want to get rid of, you don’t need to cut them up with scissors, stick them in the shredder.  There is a dedicated slot for inserting CDs, these will be cut into 4 pieces.

The large wastebasket is an advantage, you can shred loads of documents in one session and cut down on your trips to the recycling bag or bin.  The unit has a 2 minute continuous run time which is a long time when shredding constantly.

When shredding documents with staples, there is no need to waste time and break nails trying to remove them, the machine can handle them.

Operation is simple, leave in auto mode for auto-starting when a document or cd in detected.  There is manual mode if you prefer to start the process, and there is reverse, just in case something gets stuck or you shred the wrong thing!

This shredder is aimed at light home use, the shredded strips are cut into long strips, whilst not as secure as a cross-cut or micro-cut shredder, this will do the job for most people.  Due to it being a strip-cut shredder, you should experience fewer paper jams so less delay and hold-ups whilst shredding.

The noise rating is 70dB which is on the low to medium range for shredders.

If you are wondering what it can shred, a4 sheets are ideal but any document down to a business card.

This does not shred cardboard boxes – please don’t try!

Buy Now on Amazon


Fellowes Powershred M-8C 8 Sheet Cross Cut Personal Shredder with Safety Lock

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The Fellowes Powershred M-8C costs a little more than the AmazonBasics 8 sheet shredder, check the current price here.  There are some notable differences which make the extra cost worthwhile, I’ll discuss that later on, first let’s look at the features of this shredder.

This is a cross-cut shredder, that means that instead of long strips of paper, it cuts them into smaller chunks due to different cutting action.  This is essentially more secure than the straight cut and thus costs a little more.  Let’s break down all of the main features:

  • 8 sheet capacity
  • Shreds credit cards
  • 5 minute continuous run time (30 minutes cooldown)
  • Shredded strip size is 0.50cm x 4 (4 pieces)
  • Level 3 (P-3) security level (ideal for confidential documents)
  • Crosscut shred
  • Autostart with manual reverse
  • 15 litre wastebasket
  • 22cm paper feed
  • Safety lock
  • 39 x 34 x 25cm (LxWxD)
  • Weight 5.6kg

This shredder can handle 8 sheets of paper at one time, above the average of 6.  If you have masses of papers to destroy, this has a continuous run time of 5 minutes.  Unlike the previous AmazonBasics shredder, this cannot shred CDs and DVDs but it can shred credit cards – this may be a negative for some buyers.

If you are shredding bank statements or sensitive information, this is rated at level 3 security, as a cross-cut shredder, the paper is cut into 4 pieces no more than 0.5cm.  This level of cutting is ideal for home and business use.

The wastebasket is a very large 15 litres, if you consider the size of the waste paper shreds, this will take some time to fill up meaning less trips to the recycling bin.

The noise level is lower than most, you don’t need earplugs to use it!  Most users are pleasantly surprised with the noise level produced from this shredding machine when compared to similar shredders.  It is a little large at 39x34x25cm and a little heavy at 5.6kg but you can just leave it in a corner to work.

Buy Now on Amazon


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