Aurora AU870MA High-Security 8-Sheet Micro-Cut Paper Credit Card Shredder Black

We’ve had at least 3 shredders over the years, from the simple strip shredders of years ago, to the micro-cut shredder. Shred level is appropriate for home financial documents. Noise is not bad. Our previous Amazon shredder had a removable basket while the head stayed mounted to the frame; on this unit, the head sits atop the basket, so when you need to empty it, you have to remove the head off the basket, and find a place to put it temporarily. I know there are still versions with pull out baskets, but their price has increased. We don’t have to empty ours all that often, so from a price point, this works just as well. The more difficult challenge is the closing cutter cover on top; it doesn’t open beyond 45 degrees, which makes it more difficult to insert paper for shredding. Our previous unit didn’t have that. I’m not sure that the cover makes it all that much safer, but it’s there. For the price, an acceptable unit. If we get 2-3 years out of it, I’ll declare success! Biggest issue across all shredders is keeping the cutters lubed. Scrap 8.5 x 11 paper lightly coated (not saturated!) with higher temp oils (olive or avocado) should be used periodically. You can spend more, buying those pre-lubed shredder sheets, but why?? Just search on how to do this on the web. It does extend cutter life. This is a good budget choice!