subject: Dahle 20800 Ec Department Paper Shredder Review [print this page] The Dahle 20800 EC is a strip cut paper shredder designed for heavy use in a busy office, copy room, or communications center environment. In the following report, we take a closer look at the strengths and weaknesses of the 20800 EC.
Strengths:
1.) Even for a departmental shredder, the 20800 EC offers a high capacity. This machine is rated for continuous use meaning that it can handle large jobs throughout the day. Its stated capacity of up to 32 sheets at a time, and between 2,000 and 12, 000 sheets per day place the 20800 EC at the top of its class for strip cut shredders. The throughput level or 50 feet per minute is equally impressive.
2.) The motor is a powerful 2 horsepower and the cutting shafts are operated using a simple but ingenious steel chain and gear system (very much like that on a motorcycle) that really makes slippage a thing of the past. This kind of power is impressive and rare and we found that the 20800 EC handled paper clips and staples with remarkable ease.
3.) The 20800 EC features a feed opening that is sixteen inches wide. That is great for the bulk of your shredding needs (which are likely to be letter or legal sized), but you will be able to fit a lot of larger sheets in there too, such as computer printouts and the like.
4.) With a high capacity strip cut shredder like this, you'll find that the shred bins can fill up pretty quickly. We liked that the 20800 EC features a nice big 35 gallon bin, meaning you will have to empty it less often than some of the others on the market.
5.) The 20800 EC appears to us to be of very solid and durable construction, and if properly maintained (including regular oiling) we don't see any reason why this machine wouldn't last a good many years. Dahle warranties the 20800 EC for all parts for two years, which is about as long as any shredder on the market. The cutting heads themselves are made of the finest German steel, and are actually guaranteed for the life of the machine.
Weaknesses:
1.) The 20800 EC is a very high capacity machine capable of processing huge amounts of documents in a relatively short time. One thing that you should be aware of, however, is that it is, after all, a Level 2 strip cut shredder, and as such does not offer the security as a cross cut machine. In their departmental line, Dahle does have a number of cross cut shredders, such as the 20813 (Level 3), the 20822 EC (Level 4), and the 20831 EC (Level 5). If you need higher security than the 20800 EC offers, you would do well to look into any of these other machines.
2.) The 20800 EC does a great job with paper, staples and paperclips, and can even cut credit cards. However, it cannot handle digital data such as CDs or DVDs. To get that capability, you will have to look for a Multi Media shredder such as the Dahle 30414.
by: Jeffrey McRitchie
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