Dahle 20612ec Level 4 Cross Cut Office Paper Shredder

Staff Review

Dahle 20612 EC Level 4 Cross Cut Office Paper Shredder Review

A security Level 4 paper shredder that is designed for centralized office use, the 20612 EC is intended to be placed near copy and fax machines is a busy office. We recently took a look at the various features of this machine, and here is a list of what we consider to be its strengths and weaknesses.

Strengths:

1. The 20612 EC is a Level 4 security cross cut shredder, meaning that not only does it comply with all federal regulations regarding the destruction of the sensitive information of your clients and employees; it is recommended for the destruction of confidential documents that are crucial to your company’s existence. The shreds that the 20612 EC produces are in fact smaller than the minimum required to be classified as level 4.
2. This machine’s capacity of 17 sheets at a time, and somewhere between 400 and 2,000 sheets per day, is pretty impressive for a shredder with a Level 4 rating. Level 2 or 3 shredders may give you a little more capacity, but with the extra security there is always somewhat of a trade off. The 20612 EC gives you the best of both worlds, and should be more than up to the task in even the busiest office settings.
3. When a shredder is going to be placed in a central location, you will want to be careful to find a machine that runs as quietly as possible in order to minimize the level of distraction. The 20612 EC (along with the entire line of Dahle Office Shredders) mitigates that aspect by encasing each of its cutting heads in its own steel casing, and be placing these casings on rubber shock mounts. What this does is greatly reduce the vibration of the cabinet during operation, and really cuts down on the noise factor.
4. The 20612 EC gives you a 10-1/4 inch feed opening. That should be more than adequate to get you through the majority of shredding jobs (letter, legal, A4, and A5 sized sheets) with ease.
5. The 20612 EC is easy to operate, with auto on/off, continuous run, and reverse operation. There are also safety features such as auto shut off when the bin door is opened or the shred bag is full, and an auto reverse in case of an overfeed (a very nice function if your machine ever runs into inexperienced users).
6. As with all of Dahle’s shredders, the cutting heads of the 20612 EC are made of the strongest German steel, and are guaranteed for the life of the shredder.

Weaknesses:

1. At 16 gallons, the shred bin of the 20612 EC is not a terribly large one, but with shards so small it will take a lot longer to fill up than a strip cut model would. The smaller shred bin will reduce the amount of floor space required by the 20612 but also increases the frequency of bag changes.
2. The 20612 EC is definitely up to the task for fairly heavy duty use. However, it is not rated for continuous use. For most office settings this is fine, but if you are going to need a machine that can shred all day, every day, you will have to step up to a continuous use machine.