Standard Horizon 3020s Strip Cut Paper Shredder

Staff Review

Standard Horizon 3020s Strip Cut Paper Shredder Review

Standard is known in the office world for putting out quality products. One example is their 3020s strip cut shredder. Its compact, durable design makes it ideal for an office setting. Small enough to potentially store under a desk yet still able to handle a decent load of papers, the 3020s is well able to accommodate the medium duty needs of any office. With a capacity of 15 sheets and speeds up to 17 feet per minute, as well as features including automatic on/off and bag full/jam auto-off, this little powerhouse is one you will definitely want to consider for your office. Here is a closer look at some of its strengths and weaknesses.

Strengths:

• Standing just under 22 inches tall, this machine is small enough to fit under a desk or a table. However, the capability of it may lead you to keep it easily accessible for use by many people.
• The 9.5 inch opening can handle up to 15 sheets of paper at a time, meaning you can shred your small stack in one pass and be on your way. If you have to make several passes, the machine will eat them up as fast as 17 feet per minute, leaving you free to concentrate on more important tasks than shredding.
• The 3020s is also equipped with an automatic on/off feature. Paperwork can simply slide into the machine and it will sense the items and begin shredding without needing to be turned on every time. This ensures electricity is not wasted in powering an unused machine. The automatic off is also programmed to activate when the bag is full or if there is a jam, allowing the issue to be addressed instead of made worse by continued use.
• Another feature is the waste container open detection system. Rather than continuing to slice with no bin to catch the shreds, this device alerts the user that the container is not closed. The bin itself holds 7.5 gallons of paper waste.

Weaknesses

• The blades are only programmed to slice documents into 1/8 inch strips. For low-level security needs, these strips may provide enough safety. If your needs for security are higher, you may consider upgrading to one of Standard’s cross cut shredders for more protection.
• The 9.5 inch opening only handles smaller documents. Many offices find this to be adequate. For faster shredding of longer papers, check out Standard’s larger shredders for a wider paper entry.
• Lastly, the waste container is only a 7.5 gallon bin. The strips tend to fill the container faster than the cross cut particles made by other machines. For businesses with moderate amounts of shredding, this may be enough space. If your office has high volume shredding needs, it may be wise to invest in a cross cut shredder with a larger bin.

Overall, the Standard 3020s shredder is well-suited for medium duty office needs. The capacity and speeds at which it functions frees the user from spending long periods of time standing at the shredder. This compact strip cutter is packed with automatic features to suit your needs. We recommend you consider this model when purchasing your next office shredder.