Best 5 Mini & Small Paper Shredder Machine Reviews In 2022
You need a new mini and small paper shredder for your home or office?
You don’t know which one has the best quality?
Don’t worry, you are in the right place because here I am going to help you find the best small shredder machine on sale. On the first note, I am going to tell you everything you need to know before buying a mini paper shredder for your home or office and on the second note, I am going to review some of the best small paper shredders.
Everything You Need To Know Before Buying A Small Paper Shredder
What Are Paper Shredders Used For
Paper shredder is a device that is used for cutting paper into small pieces or strips. On the first thought when you think of paper shredders is destroying classified information and destroying evidence. And that is true, the first use was mainly for a government purpose, later it has expanded to businesses and corporations. None of them wanted their information to end up in the wrong hands, even if the documents weren’t needed anymore. In the last few years due to identity theft paper shredders became popular among the general population.
Three Main Types Of Paper Shredders
There are three main types of shredding methods; strip-cut, cross-cut and micro-cut, depending on what level of destroying you want. Strip-cut, as the name says, will cut paper across the length into narrow strips using the rotating knives, it is ideal for light use and basic shredding. Cross-cut, also known as confetti-cut, will cut the paper into diamond-shaped parallelogram pieces using two contra-rotating knives, it provides a better level of security than strip-cut, and it is much faster than micro-cut. And last, micro-cut shreds paper into a small circular or square pieces, this type has the lowest chances for document reconstruction. Besides paper, you can also cut old credit cards and old CDs so you need a sturdier paper shredder.
Different Types Of Miniature Paper Shredders
Taken that into consideration, many models have appeared on the market. From big professional models with big capacity to small paper shredders for personal use. They differ based on how many sheets of paper can they shred at a time, what is the possibility of jamming the device, trash capacity, noise reduction and finally the way they cut paper and what other materials can they shred. There are also some models worth mentioning like Fellowes mini shredder, and Staples mini mate shredder.
Top 5 Small Paper Shredder Reviews
Small Paper Shredder For Home Use
Amazonbasics 6-Sheet Cross-Cut Shredder
This AmazonBasics mini cross-cut paper shredder a shred up to 6 sheets of paper at the same time and credit cards one at the time into a specially designated area for cards. It is a cross-cut shredder and turns paper into 7/32 x 27/32 inches strips that provide you with a good level of security and also you don’t need to remove staples and paper clips from documents.
The shredder is on top of the 3.8-gallon trash bin which is easily removed when you need to empty it. Its size (12.1” x 7.7” x 15”) is perfect for small businesses or home offices, you can easily store it under your desk or any other workplace convenient for quick access.
If you set this small paper shredder for home use in Auto mode, it will begin the shredding as soon as the sensor detects paper or credit card in the shredder. This mini shredder will shred continuously for 2 minutes before needing the 30 minutes break to cool down. In case of over-running the motor will heat up and to prevent overheating the device will automatically shut down.
It is possible that paper jam might happen; in that case, you can manually reverse the shredder to clear it up easily. And regarding the maintenance, it’s recommended to lubricate the blades every once in a while by using special lubricant sheets or by spreading the mechanical or cooking oil in between two sheets of paper and then putting it in a shredder.
Small Credit Card Shredder
Amazonbasics 8-Sheet Cross-Cut Shredder
Another mini shredder home office made by AmazonBasics has the ability to cut 8 sheets of paper at once as well as one credit card at the time. The size of the shredded paper strips is 3/16” x 1-27/32”. Proportions of this machine are 12.8” x 7.3” x 15.9” and it consists of two main parts, shredding unit with control panel and wastebasket.
The security trigger makes sure that the shredder won’t work it’s not placed on the wastebasket. The wastebasket can collect 4.1 gallons of paper waste, to empty the wastebasket you need to lift the shredding unit with the help of lifting handles and you can easily dispose paper into the trash container, or you can put plastic liners inside and just replace it with the new one once it’s full.
Capacity status can be checked through the clear window on the anterior side. This shredder can work for only 3 minutes without stopping, and then it will require 30 minutes break because the motor needs to cool down. If the temperature starts to rise, the LED light indicator will signal red, and if it continues to overheat it will be completely shut down until it’s ready to work again.
To deal with paper jams you will need to reverse the blades by manually switching to the command Reverse until the jam is removed, then you can set it back to Auto mode. This shredder is for light use at the office or at home and thanks to the small proportions it can easily fit under your work table for easy access.
Small Micro-Cut Shredder
Amazonbasics 12-Sheet Micro-Cut Shredder
This AmazonBasics small paper shredder can fit up to 12 sheets of paper at the time and it will cut them into small pieces, 5/32 x 15/32 inches, providing the high level of security at a very good speed of 6 feet of paper per minute.
This shredder can also shred credit cards, and in addition to that, the stainless steel blades allow it to destroy CDs and DVDs, but one at a time. Auto start enables it to start the blades as soon as it detects paper, in the angled input to prevent injuries, and it will run continuously for 8 minutes, then it will shut down for 45 minutes to prevent overheating the motor.
It’s bigger than the previous two models which makes it great for big and small offices, the dimensions are 17” x 13.4” x 24.3” with a 6.7 gallons trash bin that can store up to 600 sheets of paper without emptying the bin. It also has a small plastic window where you can check when it’s full. Another useful feature is that it has small wheels so you can easily move it from one office to another. This device is easy to operate and it comes with smart paper jam features but it requires you to feed the device with paper manually.
Powershred W11C is light-duty small shredder for personal use and for small offices that can shred up to 11 pages with staples at the same time and credit cards, one at the time. Since it doesn’t have specified designated entry you should place it in the middle so the sensors can detect it and it’s not recommended to shred more than 10 credit cards a day. Its blades from strong steel cross-cut paper into 5/32 x 1-3/8 inches pieces that give you a pretty good level of security for your documents.
This mini industrial shredder is made of two parts, trash bin and detachable unit with handle. You just have to set the unit on top of the bin until it clicks with the plastic tab in order for it to work, that’s the security interlock switch that ensures the shredder to stop working if you lift the unit or accidentally knock it over.
Besides that, it also has a safety lock feature that allows you to prevent tampering with the shredders, really useful for people with children. Trash bin capacity is 4.75 gallons and it has a kind of a window where you can check if it’s time for emptying. Shredder dimensions are 18” x 13.75” x 8.5” which makes it great small paper shredder.
The last one on our list is Bonsaii mini paper shredder that can fit up to 6 sheets of paper and it cuts them in small pieces 5/32 x 15/32 inches. It doesn’t just cut it, but tear it up and makes it almost impossible to reconstruct that gives you a high level of security. The shredding rate reaches 6.2 feet per minute making it pretty efficient no matter the smaller load. It can also shred credit cards but one at the time.
Dimensions of this small electric paper shredder are 12.6” x 7.3” x 15.7” which makes it perfect for personal use or small offices since it doesn’t take up a lot of space. This device consists of two parts, the unit with the handle in the middle which makes it easy to lift from the trash bin when emptying it. The trash bin is a good size (4 gallons) with a plastic window on the front that shows when it’s full.
Auto-start enables the shredder to start cutting as soon as it detects inserted paper in the slot. You need to keep in mind that this is for light use and if you over-work your shredder it might jam, but in that case, you can manually reverse it. Also, it has a protective mechanism that prevents overheating, and it will automatically turn off the device when the overheating is detected.
Conclusion – What Is The Best Small Paper Shredder?
Considering all the mini shredder reviews, I would recommend the Amazonbasics 12-Sheet Micro-Cut Shredder. This AmazonBasics small paper shredder can fit up to 12 sheets of paper at the time and it will cut them into small pieces, 5/32 x 15/32 inches, providing the high level of security at a very good speed of 6 feet of paper per minute. This shredder can also shred credit cards, and in addition to that, the stainless steel blades allow it to destroy CDs and DVDs, but one at a time. You don’t need a small shredder to have a asmall paper waste so read my post about micro-cut paper shredder. If you aren’t sure that you have found what you need, read my list of high-quality paper shredders right here.
