Met all expectations... and beyond

I only received this 2 days ago, but have spent most of my time catching up on my "shredding". The machine itself is a real workhorse, and does just as it was advertised to do.

A few comments and suggestions:

Upon receiving the machine, and the "adequate", but not great manual, I had a question about the assembly, and so called the customer support number, which is prominently shown on the unit itself. They could not have been nicer, and promptly answered my question...so, "great customer support".

Now, a suggestion: Amazon sells "Bonsai Shredder Lubricant Sheets", which I highly recommend. Basically, you run a sheet through the shredder, and it lubricates the machine! No mess, no fuss.

Finally, when you assemble the machine (which only entails placing the motor on top of the wastebasket and the shell that holds the wastebasket, you must FIRMLY seat the motor onto the shell. If you do not, when you plug in the machine, the "Auto" button will flash. Now, the manual does not tell you why the Auto button would flash, but it is probably because the motor assembly is not FIRMLY set into the shell. Just give it a firm tap, so that there is no space between the motor and the shell. Once you do that, the Auto button will turn a constant blue, and you are ready to go.

As mentioned, I have REALLY worked this machine for the past 2 days, and it does everything it should, and is, therefore, highly recommended!

Return on Investment

Initial Review

20 minute run time per hour.

One of the fastest feed times - 1700 sheets in 20 minutes (more material shredded in that 20 minutes)

16 page thickness easily shreds magazines, single ply cardboard / standard shipping boxes (with a little effort it can shred double ply)

Confetti cut. Holds 6-7 gallons - 7-8 lbs of material

Significantly reduces cost for recycling.

Noise - 60db - is barely noticeable from another room.

Small confetti cut size (5/32 by 15/32 inches (4x12mm)), suitable for vermiculture. Eliminates layering effect when mulching.

It's hard to know what the return on investment is.

In my circumstances; an extra recycling bin costs ~$10 per month, and a bag of mulch costs ~$5. To get a return on investment, in one month, I would need to generate 15-20 bags of mulch. It's been only a couple weeks and we're well on our way to achieving this. If this shredder lasts more than a few months, it is well worth the money.

It's too soon to tell, but if this lasts a year, I will come back and give 5 stars across the board for general use.

Updated Review 20210129

After Christmas, my unit failed. I contacted customer support. They asked for a short video, which I supplied.

Immediately they sent me a return unit and notified me I did not need to worry about sending back the old unit.

I've recommended to others, and have now bought a 2nd unit.