The Aurora AS420C Desktop Style Crosscut Paper Shredder with Basket features a 4 1/2-inch throat, 40-sheet-capacity basket with handle. This desktop paper shredder shreds credit cards, paper clips and staples, and has a detachable power cord.

Aurora 4-sheet Cross Cut Paper and Credit Card Shredder with Translucent Wastebasket

Aurora AS420C Desktop Style Crosscut Paper Shredder

Talk about simple! It’s ready to go right out of the box. About the size of an oblong gallon milk jug. Controls consist of on, off, and reverse — simple. Really cuts paper up, which is what I wanted for security reasons, where no one could put back together if they wanted to. UI did a search about how to select a shredder for home use, and it was definitely recommended to buy a CROSSCUT shredder, which this one iks.

The base is a thick plastic, and the motor/shredding apparatus fits onto the base snugly (doesn ‘t snap on–just sits securely down into the base) and lifts off with use of the handle when needed to empty the base. The handle lays neatly recessed into the top when not in use. The 1st day, I shredded a pretty large bag of old bills and receipts. After maybe 8-10 minutes of shredding, it is ready to be emptied (I just empty into a plastic bag), and then right back to shredding, as it never once got overheated. There is function where it cuts off if it does get overheated, but, as I said, this never seemed to be issue.

As far as credit cards, I shredded one and it labored a little but got the job done. I don’t think I would do this on a regular basis, but then I don’t often need this done. It is also OK to shred staples but, here again, I didn’t want to tax the machine so I just tore them out when I found them. The shredder seems to work best with 2 pieces of paper–e.g. folding a single piece of paper long side to long side (this makes 2 pieces/thicknesses and a perfect width to fit comfortably into the opening) even though it will take 4 thicknesses. I did put in the 4 thicknesses a few times, and the machine really slowed down & labored — I can see how doing this over and over may cause overheating. It was just as easy to quickly fold a piece of paper in half as mentioned and stick that through.

The shredder comes with a little tool to help dig out any pieces of paper stuck up in the “teeth” which I actually never used because I just used my fingers, being extremely careful not to hold it by the handle and not inadvertently cut it on. With all truthfulness, I didn’t test out the little tool the 1st day because I had placed it in one of the side pockets on the base, and when I emptied the 1st shredding, the tool fell out and into the bag of shreds! Yes, it took digging through all the shreds to find it!! Because of this, I would recommend that the manufacturers devise a snap-on area on the outside of the shredder for this little tiny tool, as it just fits loosely in the side pocket and can (and maybe will again) get easily displaced or lost. Since that 1st day, I have used the tool and it works quite well to get little pieces of stray paper that might remain up a little ways in the teeth. Actually, that’s not a big problem because when you start shredding again, the paper bits will come on out.

Other than the easily-lost tool, I would recommend this shredder to anyone who has mail, old bills, receipts, etc. to shred; it’s perfect (and nicely small and compact) for home use.

By K. Robertson (Southern Virginia)

Aurora AS420C Desktop Style Crosscut Paper Shredder