Aurora AU1210MA Professional Grade High Security 12-Sheet Micro-Cut Paper/CD and Credit Card/ 60 Minutes Continuous Run Time Shredder

This shredder does an amazing job. It can handle the amount of sheets indicated, which is a lot more than my very old unit. It's quiet and the bin is large to handle a lot of material. The shredded paper is very small pieces, so no long strands of paper. It does indicate to oil it periodically, so I bought some oil and when doing a lot of shredding I put some oil on a piece of paper and run it through. You'll know when it's time as it makes a little more noise. Or reoil every time you empty the bin. The bin can be tricky to empty and not have pieces all over the place, but I've learned to turn it sideways to empty into my trash bags. I have to do a lot of shredding in the volunteer position I'm in, so I needed something to handle more paper at one time. For the price, this is a great unit.

I was looking for a shredder to replace my very old GBC Shredmaster strip-cut shredder, which was adequate for low security work, but left the papers easily reassembled and only ran for less than 10 minutes before needing to cool down. I chose the Aurora AU1210MA based on a recent Consumer Reports review which rated it a 70 vs. the Fellowes Powershred LX22M at 89, but the latter costs more than three times as much and only has a 30 minute run time vs. the Aurora's 60 minutes. The only other higher scorers were the Tru Red TR-NMC122A (scoring 72), which was about the same price and was rated slightly better for noise but it has a 5 minute run time followed by a 60 minute cool-down, and the Amazon Basics 8 sheet Microcut (scoring 71), costing quite a bit less, but it also has a 5 minute run time (with a 30 minute recovery period).The Aurora arrived very well-packaged in a sturdy box with tight-fitting cardboard inserts that completely protected it from damage. It was not inside of a second box, and there was no need for one. It was easy to assemble and was more compact than I expected it to be. It weighs about 22 lbs, most of which is in the shredding head. The wheels make it easy to move around. I'm not sure if it would work with shredder bags, due to the bin layout, but I'm emptying it into a 30 gallon paper lawn/leaf bag so I can meet my county's requirements for curbside recycling of shredded documents, which prohibit plastic bags. The large opening of these paper bags makes it easy to empty the bin without spilling any confetti.I've now been shredding old records containing sensitive information like Social Security numbers for several days and this is what I've noticed: the Aurora has never stopped working, despite some long shredding sessions and some thick sheafs of paper, and it has yet to jam. I've nearly filled a 30 gallon bag. It is very quiet, despite Consumer Reports rating it as a 3/5. My only minor complaint is that the bin isn't quite as sturdy as the rest of the unit, and requires a bit of care when reinstalling to make sure it is aligned properly so it will close completely. One thing I noticed from reading the owner's manual is that it can be oiled using ordinary vegetable oil -- no need to buy special purpose shredder lube or pre-treated sheets. That should save money over the long run. I've not oiled it yet, since it's just a few days old. I have shredded some stapled documents with no problems. I haven't tried any credit cards or CDs yet.I think that this shredder will give me many years of service and I'm very happy with my purchase. While I would have loved to own CR's highest-scoring unit, I couldn't justify spending around $400 for it and I really appreciate that the Aurora has the best rated endurance of any of the models I considered.

Wow finally got a real shredder with some guts. Quiet, powerful, made well, easy to control, big basket and tiny pieces. Beats the under $50 shredders in all aspects. Should have got his before. Price is very reasonable for what you get. I love my shredder. Oil it per the inventors and put half of amount of max paper they say and it will last a long time

This shredder is reasonably priced for what it does. I used to shred many documents and I have found it to be flawless. The window shows how full the bin is. The easy pull out drawer makes emptying the bin a breeze. The shredder is quiet and does the job every time. I have not had any jams. I used it to shred multiple pages as well as one credit card. I can't imagine how a moderatly priced shredder could perform any better than this excellent shredder. I recommend this product whole heartedly.

This is a really good shredder, it cuts sheets of papers into very fine particles. It is not extremely noisy either. It does not take up a lot of space, fits very well in the corner.

Only had it a few hours. Having saved lots of personal info I didn't want to trash without shredding since my old machine died. I've gone thru enough for two bins. So far so good. I haven't tried more than 10 sheets. It slows a bit on 8 or more, but works. I'll likely keep my feeds to 6 sheets just to make it easy. Ran it practically non-stop for 30 minutes twice and no issues.Does a real nice job cross-cut shredding. Seems to match its P4 claims on shredding sizes. Shredding unit itself is quite heavy. It rolls easily on the wheels it comes with though they are on the small side. After the first bin I oiled it and it seemed quieter. Maybe it needs oiling a bit when you first get it. It is fairly quiet in any case when running. Cord is nice and long.I do think the lower part of the unit and paper bin are on the flimsy side. All a snapped together affair and the bin has some grooves/wheels to guide it in and out, but I wonder how well it will lock in place with more use. And you'll want to handle it with care as it flexes just taking it in and out and handling to empty the paper. Seem like for the price this plastic part could have been a millimeter thicker and more robust.I haven't tried credit cards or CDs. I'll keep staples and paper clips out of it. Why abuse your machine? I usually use some small bolt cutters on credit cards. Easy to snip into pieces. I'll just shred paper I think.Pretty happy, it is more powerful and shreds much smaller than my old cheap machine from Office Depot.

Quiet for a paper shredder. Works fine for our needs