Comparison Fellowes AutoMax 200C vs Rexel Auto+ 200X

The largest possible size of the fragments that come out from the shredder after being processed. However, it's told about fragments only in the case of using cross-cutting; for stripe cut models (see “Cut Style”), this item indicates the largest width of the stripes. The size of the fragments is directly related to the security level provided by the shredder; see the relevant paragraph above for details.

The number of sheets that the shredder is capable of processing at one time — in other words, the largest size of a stack of sheets that can be loaded into the device. Most modern shredders can handle multiple sheets; up to 5 pcs at a time is considered a very limited indicator, up to 10 pcs — a small one, 11 – 15 pcs can be called an average value, 16 – 20 pcs — quite good, and in the most powerful models this figure exceeds 20 pcs.

Note that this parameter is given for paper of a certain grammage (and, accordingly, thickness). At the same time, the East European standard for office paper is a grammage of 80 g/m², and in many European countries thinner paper is used with a grammage of 70 g/m², and it is for it that the capacity of many shredders is indicated. Therefore, if this moment is not specified in the specs, it is best to load the shredder not up to limit values, making a margin of 1 sheet per 8 sheets of capacity — 1 sheet with a stack thickness of up to 8 sheets, 2 sheets with a stack thickness of 8 to 16 sheets, etc. However, other conditions for density may be specified in the user manual.

Also note that the number of sheets per load is determined by manufacturers based on the results of tests under perfect conditions — in the absence of staples on paper, with low humidity,...optimal voltage in the mains, perfect sharpening of knives, etc. In fact, any deviation from these indicators affect some decrease in efficiency.

The duty cycle of the shredder is the maximum time that it can work without interruption.

Limit of operating time is due to the fact that the destruction of documents and other media is associated with quite significant loads on the electric motor and gear. This leads to strong heating, while the breaks allow the hardware of the shredder to cool down. Actually, there are models with the possibility of continuous operation, but they are expensive and not always really necessary; see "Features" for details.

In small shredders for domestic use, the work cycle is often only a few minutes, and among powerful professional devices there are values of half an hour or more. Also note that in some models, shutdown after a full cycle is provided automatically due to overheating protection (see "Features"), however, the presence of such a system does not mean the presence of an automatic shutdown on time — it can only work with a critical increase of temperature.

The minimum break time required by the shredder after a full cycle of work (see above).

A break is required so that the motor and mechanisms of the device can cool down after the intense loads that they are subjected to during operation. Moreover, if the operating time was less than a full cycle, then the break can also be made shorter; however, if the device has worked for more than half of the cycle, for a full assurance it is still worth to take a break for all the time intended for it. Some models may provide other recommendations in this regard — they should be specified in user's manual.

The largest amount of sheets of paper that the shredder can shred in a day without overloading or other problems. Standardly indicated for A4 paper with a certain grammage; moreover, if this grammage is not given in the specs, it should be assumed that we are talking about paper with a grammage of 70 g/m², which is considered as the standard in many European countries. And since East European paperwork uses thicker paper — 80 g/m² — when choose a shredder depending on its daily sheet limit, it is worth taking a certain margin (at least 10 – 15%).

Note that even the simplest modern shredder can handle with the occasional shredding of documents (up to a couple of dozen sheets per day). Therefore, it is worth paying attention to this indicator mainly in cases where it is planned to shred the paper often and in large volumes. Also note that increasing the security level (see the relevant paragraph) reduces the reliability — more thorough shredding is associated with a higher workload on the mechanisms of the unit.

The volume of the waste bin that is filling with shredded materials after passing through the shredder. The larger it is, the less often you will have to empty the basket; at the same time, large containers increase both the weight and dimensions and the cost rate of the device. For comparison: the volume of a standard household bucket is about 10 liters, a shredder with a basket of such a capacity will have dimensions of about 35x30x15 cm and belongs to the entry level in terms of capacity.

The power of the motor that drives the exterminator knives.

Engine specs are selected by manufacturers in such a way that the unit is guaranteed to be able to complete the tasks it's intended to. Therefore, while choosing the shredder this parameter has minor importance, the main attention should be paid to more lifelike specs — the sheets-per-load capacity, the speed of destruction, etc. However, devices of a similar degree of secrecy and price category may differ in power. In such cases, the difference is that a more powerful motor is capable of providing a thicker load stack, a faster shred rate, and/or a longer duty cycle (see above). The cons of these benefits are an increase in cost rate and energy consumption.

Regarding energy consumption, it is also worth noting that the motor power usually more or less corresponds to the total power consumption of the shredder. This data can be useful for some specific calculations — for example, calculating the total power of the load connected to an uninterruptible power supply.

Transport rollers are small wheels that also act as support. Such wheels make it much easier to move from place to place: one person can easily roll even a rather weighty unit that could not be lifted alone. And even with a small weight, rollers can also be very useful — for example, if the shredder is alternately used by several people in the same room it is easier to move the device to one of the tables for a while than to carry documents for recycling each time.

Transport wheels can be made removable; if necessary, this point should be clarified separately.

The maximum noise level produced by the shredder during operation. The lower this indicator, the quieter the device works and the more comfortable it is to use, the better it is suitable for conditions that require silence (for example, libraries or archives).

When assessing the noise level, it should be taken into account that the decibel is a non-linear measure unit, and noises with a difference of several decibels differ in volume by several times. For comparison, we can proceed from the following data: office shredders, positioned by the manufacturer as "quiet", have a noise level of about 55 – 60 dB, which corresponds to the volume of ordinary human speech. 65 dB can be compared with a loud conversation, 70 – with a noisy street, 75 – with a scream, and there is practically no higher volume among office models.