Shredder FAQ's

Is there a difference between cross-cut and confetti cut shredders?

No, there is no difference at all between confetti cut shredders and cross cut shredders. Both cut the paper both vertically and horizontally.

A strip cut shredder will cut in strips that vary in width (usually 2 – 6 mm wide) and the length of the shredded paper will be the same as the paper being shreded.

Can I shred labels with a Paper Shredder?

No, we do not recommend shredding adhesive backed labels. Such items include, mailing labels, envelopes, stickers or any material that has a sticky or gummy backing. Using your shredder to destroy these types of documents can cause permanent and irreparable damage to your shredder, which may not be covered under the warranty on your machine.

While some shredders are capable of shredding staples, paper clips, credit cards or CD/DVD media, shredding ‘sticky labels’ cause the adhesives to build up on the cutters of the shredder.

What is Thermal Overload Protection?

Thermal Overload Protection is a feature in some shredders that helps to prevent the shredder from overheating.

Most shredders cannot shred continuously, and require a certain amount of time for the motor to cool off before beginning another shredding cycle.

Thermal overload protection protects your shredder and prevents the motor from burning out. This feature will shut down the shredder and force the cool down period.

How long should I allow for my shredder to cool down.

When shredding, we do recommend letting the shredder cool down for the recommended cool down period. This varies between shredder makes and models.
The shorter the cool down time, the shorter the next shredding cycle will be, since the motor may not have cooled completely. If the recommended cool down time is 15 minutes, you would just need to wait 15 minutes before shredding again. You should bare this in mind when deciding on a shredder to meet your needs.

How often will I need to oil a shredder?

Regular oiling of shredders is a necessary maintenance step to keeping the shredder functioning properly and prolonging its life. Failure to oil the blades regularly could result in excessive noise during operation,and the shredder shredding less than its capacity.
The frequency of oiling needed is determined by a range of factors such as the type of paper being shredded, the amount being shredded and whether the shredding is intermittent or continuous. For instance, if shredding continuously, oiling may need to occur every 10 minutes. We recommend that you oil a cross cut shredder each time the wastebasket is emptied. (High security shredders should be oiled every 15 minutes or when capacity drops).

How do I oil my shredder?

There are various acceptable oiling methods. You can put the tip of the oil bottle and squeeze oil across the paper entry, making one or two sweeps the length of the entry, while at the same time pressing the reverse button for around 10 seconds.
You could squeeze oil across the paper entry and then shred one piece of paper. Or you can apply oil to a piece of paper in a zigzag motion and then shred that paper.

Can I use any oil?

Using oil other than that recommend by the manufacturer may cause your warranty to become null and void should any problems occur with your shredder. Never use flammable synthetic oil, petroleum-based, or aerosol lubricants to oil the cutting blades. Never use WD40.

My Shredder is jammed! Now what?

Firstly ensure the wastebasket is empty then if your shredder has a reverse switch move the power switch to the reverse position. This will reverse the jammed paper out of the shredder.
If the shredder jams again, then try alternating the control switch slowly between reverse and auto position to attempt to move jammed paper completely through the shredder. Repeat this process until jam is cleared.
If necessary, turn off your shredder and carefully pull out the paper to clear jam. Once cleared, move switch to the auto/on to continue shredding. The jamming may also be happening because the cutting cylinder needs to be oiled.

My shredder wont shred?

This likely has to do with the sensor of your shredder. When shredding small documents, such as checks or receipts, be sure that you are inserting the paper directly over this sensor. These vary with each shredder model and make but usually on small shredders, the sensor is normally a mechanical sensor, which looks like a plastic bar or lever in the very centre of the mouth of the shredder. Some machines have an electronic sensor. These sensors are also located in the very centre of the mouth of the shredder, and look like small glass beads or marbles. These sense if paper is being inserted into the shredder. As with the mechanical sensor, paper must be inserted in the very centre for the shredder to detect paper. That could be the reason for the shredder not shredding.

My shredder won’t stop shredding!

If you find your shredder won’t stop shredding, then this usually indicates that paper dust, debris or oil has covered the sensors indicating to the shredder that paper is being entered and can cause the shredder to run continuously. Cross cut shredders are more susceptible to this than stripcut shredders since the oil can very easily cloud the sensors.

Simply wipe off the sensors to clear away anything that may interfere and your shredder should be back to normal.