Bonsaii Heavy Duty Paper Shredder, 60-Minute 18 Sheets Cross Cut Office Credit Card Shredders for Industrial and Business Use, 23-Litre Pullout Bin with 4 Casters, Black (C149-C)

Many years ago I purchased a Rexel 5-sheet shredder that has performed well. My requirements have changed, given the quantity of cardboard one accumulates from online shopping. Careful research suggests that heavy duty shredders aimed at the SOHO market should be capable of shredding cardboard. Indeed, the Bonsaii website states this as a capability for the C149-C. The next decision was to choose between a micro cut and a crosscut. As security isn't a concern for me, but capacity and speed of throughput are, I believe cross cutting shredders are a better choice. It's a pity that there isn't a common standard for shredders stating how long a model takes to shred a single sheet of A4 paper, and how long when the maximum rated sheets are shredded.Since I received my C149-C I have shredded about 25 kg of paper and cardboard - mostly cardboard. I have had several sessions which consisted of almost continuous use, and the overheating light has never come on. I have shredded paper, magazines and various types of cardboard. It seems to me that if the material to be shredded passes through the 5mm entry slot without being forced, it will shred. My old Rexel sounded as if it were straining when near its maximum capacity, and not infrequently jammed. The C149-C is quiet in normal operation, and a passing a thick piece of cardboard through it does change the sound of the motor, but it never feels as if it is about to quit. So far, it has tackled everything I have thrown at it.The build quality appears good, with a pleasing heft to the motor unit. The removable box for the cuttings slides in an out reasonably easily, although sometimes it needs an extra push to seat properly so the 'box is missing' light goes out. I purchased some 23-28l plastic shredder bags from another manufacturer, but found it isn't worth the hassle of using them to line the box - inserting the box and seeing how full it is become more difficult. I now don’t line the box and simply tip the contents into a bag when the box is about three quarters full. With a modicum of care spills are avoided and I repeat this 3 times before the bag fills up.I also bought lubricating oil and using it every second load, given I am shredding cardboard covered with sticky labels and adhesive packaging tape.Strangely, the one material the C149-C isn't so good at shredding is the brown paper strips that Amazon uses as padding in its shipments. The reason is this paper tears easily. Having been scrunched up, it can slightly jam as passes through the entry slot. whereas cardboard is pulled powerfully into the shredder, this paper simply tears. The other minor annoyance is the slot is wide enough to take A4 paper in portrait orientation. The 22cm "M1" envelopes Amazon uses only just fit, and the "A3" envelopes at 24cm need to be cut in half.As you may gather from the above, whilst it is early days, I am very pleased with my Bonsaii C149-C, especially as several competitors cost considerably more.

Unwrap it carefully. Buy the oil but not the bags.I am trying to be as green as possible and in early retirement I have been shredding a lot of old work related documents as well as my daily i newspaper and as much of our lockdown delivery cardboard as fits through the shredder.First impressions: It arrived as predicted within 48 hours and was well packed and Undamaged.As described by others the Castors look fragile and are not free running even after lubrication.It was bought to replace well used (10yrs+ ) but jammed and burned out high end domestic Fellowes machine with a easy to empty basket. ( see comparison in photo ).I am using the plastic bag that came around it in the box, it was also supplied with a single bag inside as well. Buying commercial see through polythene shredder bags will be convenient but they cost 16p each and won’t biodegrade.I oiled the cutter blades before use.Performance after filling one bag to brim:Noise - much, much less noisy than my old machine and more pleasant pitch - you could work in the same room.Capacity- 20 mins continuous use including up to 16 sheets of professional magazine shiny paper, several i newspapers torn in half lengthways, amazon cardboard book delivery cartons folded double thickness to full width (22cm)I didn’t try it on copier paper.The cooling fan comes on while in use but at no time did it run over after finishing shredding an item.As reported by others, for security purposes, the chads are wider than other machines but for composting this does not matter. I suspect this also the reason for its quietness and speed.It cross cut the newspaper much more effectively and therefore the shreddings sat down in the bin more easily. As a result I got a lot more in the bag than my old machine.I try not to compact the shreddings as that defeats the speed of compost making.Speed: for home use it was comparable to the old Fellowes and for a once a day session I am contentbut you cannot fill an auto feed and walk away.There was a slight delay on both starting and starting to reverse - this might be a good thing. It stopped 2 seconds after the cutters cleared. It stopped automatically on the first fill but I am not sure if that is a feature.Ergonomics: it’s lower than the old machine but the slot is same distance from the front. This made it more of a strain to feed it while standing but it’s shape and size and the (careful use of ) the castors mean it would be ideal for sitting under a desk.The bag sits over the rim at the back and sides and I did not have a significant spillage, the clips at the front are a bit fiddly but once you master the technique it clips in and prevents leaks at the front.I would not want to tip the shreddings straight from the bin into a plastic bin bag as the plastic felt quite fragile and the rectangular shape would not fit easily into the bag for a second fill and protruding plastic lugs would tear the bag. But transferring shreddings form the transparent bag to another bag was pure dead simple.Reliability: no commentExcellent first impressions. If it lasts then it should be more than adequate to supply my Allottment with brown material to go with the kitchen waste and grass clippings

This thing deserves 7 out of 5 stars! Before I bought it I ensured it could shred quite a few sheets at once and could run for 60mins before overheating as my last one was smaller and barely last the 30mins it was rated for.This thing is unrelenting! I’m using it to shred light cardboard boxes and it just eats them up! Never overheated yet, in fact fan only needs a run on time of just a few seconds.The bin is spacious and easy to empty. It shreds bank cards like they are paper.Could not be happier, it’s made such a difference already.