Dahle 20801c Level 2 Strip Cut Departmental Paper Shredder

Staff Review

Dahle 20801c Level 2 Strip Cut Departmental Paper Shredder Review

Large departments often find it practical to invest in a powerful, high capacity shredder for use by many employees.  One great machine for this is the Dahle 20801c Strip Cut Shredder.  This robust device offers continuous shredding of large quantities of paper for an extended amount of time.  It features high capacities, fast shred speeds, and a large waste container to handle the heavy duty needs of a busy office floor.  Here is a closer look at the strengths and weaknesses of the 20801c.

Strengths:

• Use of this device is fairly straightforward; simply switch it on and begin shredding.  If a paper jam occurs, you can put the machine in reverse and the clogged items will be fed back out to you.  The shredder senses when the waste container is full and stops the blades, allowing you to change the bag before a back end jam happens.
• The powerful motor is rated for continuous run.  This is especially important in busy offices, as it allows all day shredding without a cool down period.  A sturdy chain drive system connects the motor and the steel cutting heads to provide slip free power to the blades, resulting in higher performance during extended periods of shredding.
• A wide 16 inch feed easily takes in letter and legal size documents as well as wide computer printouts and other oversized paper.  Paperclips and staples are no match for the steel blades. Up to 32 sheets can enter the machine at once and are shred at a rapid rate of 50 feet per minute. Even extremely large shredding stacks will be gone in no time at all, allowing you to spend less time at the shredder and more time on other tasks.
• The narrow strips that remain are deposited into a generous 35 gallon waste bin.  This is hefty enough to hold a decent amount of waste before needing to be emptied but also manageable to remove and replace.
• Dahle covers the cutting cylinders with a lifetime warranty.  The rest of the shredder carries two year coverage on parts and labor.

Weaknesses:

• Though the strips created are unreadable, they only earn a low level 2 security rating.  While this is fine for generic office shredding, confidential material should go through a cross cut shredder to stay secure.  We suggest the 20813 as a comparable machine with a level 3 rating.
• Most shredders need to be oiled to stay in top running condition; the higher the usage, the more oiling it needs.  With a high capacity model such as this, it can be hard to judge how often it truly needs oiling.  To take the guesswork out of it, we suggest getting the additional automatic oil injection system, which will automatically lubricate the machine as needed.

As you can see, the Dahle 20801c is well-suited to accommodate the busy needs of any office.  With a recommended duty cycle of 2000-12,000 sheet a day, large departments can shred continuously without wearing out the device too quickly.  Offering user-friendly controls and generous capacities, this is a great addition to any office.  We would highly recommend the 20801c for your next departmental shredder.