Formax OnSite FD 8502CC Cross-Cut Paper Shredder

Staff Review

Formax FD 8500CC Cross-Cut Paper Shredder Review

The Formax FD 8500CC is a formidable machine that offers busy offices FACTA-compliant shredding and great capacity. Here are a few of the strengths and weaknesses of the FD 8500CC.

1. The FD 8500CC offers you and your business Level 3 cross cut security shredding, meaning that it complies with recent federal regulations that were passed to combat consumer fraud and ID theft. According to these laws, any business that handles confidential personal, health, and/or financial information must properly destroy these types of documents when throwing them away. Shredding them at a security level of 3 is the best and easiest way to comply with these regulations, and it's important to note that failure to do so may result in big fines and/or opens your business up to the possibility of a civil suit.

2. The FD 8500CC is a pretty powerful shredder with a specially geared motor that is purported to operate at 33 feet per minute and to give you the ability to shred 18 sheets per pass. We didn't have any problems with the machine operating at (or very close to) the stated capacity, but your mileage may vary (as it were), depending on such factors as the level of humidity where you live, the quality of your electrical system, and the thickness of the paper stock that you are shredding. The cutting blades are heat treated solid steel (and under lifetime warranty), and dealt with paper clips and staples with no problems whatsoever. We also liked the extra wide 16 inch paper feed which gives you the ability to not only shred the most common paper sizes, but can fit larger custom sheets as well.

3. We like a machine that is easy to use and the FD 8500CC really shines in that regard. Even the neophytes among us found this machine, with its LED control panel, as easy as pie to operate. Of special note are the optical sensor enabled automatic start/stop function (that allows for "walk away" use), and the manual button for lighter materials that the sensors might not pick up on.

4. Shredder maintenance is not rocket science, but it is something that every shredder needs and that all users should be aware of. The FD 8500CC makes it simple with a special indicator light that lets you know when the cutting heads need oiling, and Formax even offers an optional add-on oiling system to make it even easier. There is also an automatic cleaning mode wherein you can put the motor into reverse to clear the blades of paper particles that collect over time.

5. The FD 8500CC also has some great safety features, such as automatic power cutoff when the bin door is open, or when the waste box needs emptying. It also has a circuit breaker to keep electrical issues at bay and an automatic reverse mode when the machine senses a paper jam.

Weaknesses:

1. At 242 pounds, the FD 8500CC is a fairly weighty machine. Though it does come on casters for easy moving about the office, you will need a few people to help get it to its destination when it is shipped.

2. Though the FD 8500CC has thermal protection to keep from the motor from overheating, you will probably want to make sure that you stay within the limits of the motor, as you would with any shredder.