I’ve just bought a supposedly good quality leave-it-in-your-will cross cut shredder, and it only shredded about 6 inches of newspaper before jamming. I’ve cleaned it nearly all out but nup, still a jammed sign.

Totally not gardening but the paper goes under the chook roost and then gets composted and then gets to the garden so kind of relevant.

It was 4 sheets of tabloid size newspaper, folded again so that makes 8 sheets. The old shredder (straight cut) just whizzed through this.

Also, straight out of the box, I tipped it very carefully back to check under the motor part, and the screws of one “foot” were too short and the plastic foot is snapped.

I feel this is shoddy. There is no guide to how the limit of sheets of paper, and certainly no mention of newspaper. This is boxed and advertised as a “winner takes all” shredder.

Can anybody advise if 8 sheets of newspaper is too much for a cross cut shredder? It was below cost price but at $200 it’s a slug for me. I was looking at durability but I think I’ve got a dud.

Rexel Mercury Model RSX1630

Is this it? The specifications are there. I reckon they would be on the box somewhere too. But if a foot has broken, I’d be returning it for another one, as that should not happen on the first use.

http://www.rexeleurope.com/rexel/en/gb/p/219/2102395/rexel-mercury-shredder-rsx1630-confetti-cut.aspx

Thanks Buffy, yes that’s it. No mention of newspaper, just 16 pages per pass of paper. Staples are fine as well, apparently.

Well the screws were too short on the “foot” part (stabilises the metal frame, the side that supports the motor), that’s for sure. Shoddy workmanship right there.

Not sure about the motor part…when I hit the “reverse” button as directed in the “manual”, the machine does not make a noise, similarly when I hit the “forward” button.

It’s bruk!

I would have thought that newspapers would be too soft for shredders. They would tear and jam the works too easily. Just what I have always assumed.

bluegreen said:

I would have thought that newspapers would be too soft for shredders. They would tear and jam the works too easily. Just what I have always assumed.

Don’t say that, BlueGreen!! The old shredder, a “straight” shredder which was finer than most, had not problems with newspapers as long as they weren’t too thick. However, after carefully reading the specs and anything I can find, there is no caution against newspapers.

So I am wondering if cross-cut shredders have problems with newspapers…they shouldn’t, one would think…

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

I would have thought that newspapers would be too soft for shredders. They would tear and jam the works too easily. Just what I have always assumed.

Don’t say that, BlueGreen!! The old shredder, a “straight” shredder which was finer than most, had not problems with newspapers as long as they weren’t too thick. However, after carefully reading the specs and anything I can find, there is no caution against newspapers.

So I am wondering if cross-cut shredders have problems with newspapers…they shouldn’t, one would think…

You could try inserting the newspapers after rotating them 90º. ie: if the straight cut did them and the cross cut won’t then try turning the feed of newspapers so that the grain is parallel to the cutters.

I’m going to type a letter detailing what’s wrong, and together with a photocopy of the tax invoice, hand it in to the newspaper shop where I bought the shredder. Actually speaking, there’s nothing on the shredder packaging to say that it’s a crosscut shredder.

If I hand a letter in, that will be better than talking it over as they’re always busy in that shop.