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A paper shredder can be a valuable tool for your office or home. From electric to manual models, the best shredders under $50 can quickly destroy documents. Although you can't shred hundreds of pages at once, these reliable models still offer a range of feeder capacities, running and cooling times, safety levels, and overall dimensions.

First, look at the feeder capacity of the shredder. Many shredders are capable of shredding more than one sheet of paper, but those with a large amount of shredder may want a device that can process up to eight sheets at a time. Depending on your needs, you may also need a card that can cut staples, paper clips, plastic credit cards, and CDs.

If you choose an electric model, you also need to pay attention to the running time of the shredder. Budget shredders usually run for up to five minutes. The shredder usually requires a period of cooling time after reaching the maximum operating time. If you want to reduce waiting between smashing tasks, a shorter cooldown is ideal.

Another feature to consider is the safety level of the paper shredder, which is usually classified using the DIN 66399 standard system, ranging from P-1 to P-7. When shredding spam or other materials that are not highly sensitive, a P-2 grade shredder should be used. However, if you want to destroy confidential information, please choose to cut the paper into smaller pieces and have P-3 or higher grade paper. (If you have highly confidential documents to process, it is recommended that you purchase at least a P-5 grade shredder-unfortunately, you are unlikely to find a P-5 grade shredder that costs less than $50.)

Even when the budget is tight, there is no shortage of paper shredder sizes and styles to choose from. Traditional free-standing paper shredders are very suitable for placing under a table or in a closet, but desktop models or paper shredders without a basket are easier to put away.

Here are the five best shredders under $50 on Amazon, along with some convenient lubricating tabs to help you keep your shredder blades sharp.

This affordable paper shredder has a P-4 security rating and a price of less than $50. It can micro-cut up to six sheets at a time, as well as credit cards, paper clips and staples. It has a running time of two minutes and a cooling time of 30 minutes. In addition, it turns off the power when overloaded to prevent jamming.

Positive Amazon review: "This does a great job of cutting the paper into very small pieces. I think it will be quite a challenge for the bad guys to reorganize what passes through this shredder. I usually only put it at a time. A small amount of paper passes through it, but there is no problem keeping up with it."

If you want to shred a lot of paper in the shortest amount of time, this Amazon Basics shredder can shred eight sheets at a time-the most of all the options on this list. Unlike the P-4 shredder, this P-3 shredder does not shred paper into confetti-sized pieces, but if you need a large-capacity shredder within your budget, this may be worth the trade-off. It can cut staples and paper clips, and has a separate slot for destroying credit cards. The device can run for up to three minutes until the device needs to cool down for 30 minutes.

Amazon positive review: "This paper shredder is great. It has been tested and works very well. Credit cards and multiple sheets of paper are put together. It never slows down or gets stuck. The container contains a lot of things."

If you want something that can be placed well on the table or hidden in an easy-to-access cabinet for small paper shredding operations, this shredder should meet the requirements. It has a capacity of four sheets, and although its P-3 rating is not suitable for highly sensitive paperwork, it can certainly cut through spam, as well as staples and paper clips. It also has a separate slot to destroy credit cards. The shredder can run for up to two minutes and the cooling time is 15 minutes.

Amazon positive review: "We need to replace the desktop paper shredder that has been used for many years. To be honest, there are not many options. We seized this opportunity and were very happy. It is a bit smaller than ours, so it takes up a lot of space on the kitchen table. There is less space, which is a plus. It’s a bit quieter than the one we’re replacing and has a faster shredding speed. We have a normal size paper shredder in the garage for larger paper shredding work, but It’s like having this small quick-mail shredder in the kitchen. This perfectly meets our needs."

If you really don't have enough space, this shredder may be very suitable. Since it does not come with a basket, you need to put it on the trash can or recycling bin when you use it-but that means you can easily put it away when you are not using it. In addition, thanks to its retractable arm, it can be mounted on a trash bin up to 15 inches wide. The shredder can cut up to eight sheets of paper into strips at a time, and can also handle paper clips, staples, credit cards and even CDs. It runs for two minutes and has a recommended cooling time of 15 minutes.

Positive Amazon review: "As most of the previous reviews have said, this small machine does what it says! I want to shred some old credit cards, but I don’t want a standard size paper shredder. In fact, I would have changed it. Small things are satisfied, but that’s just me! It’s easy to smash my card and a few pieces of junk mail, and I can hide it on the mt shelf when I don’t need it! The size is good and the effect is great!"

For small, low-risk paper shredding operations, this manual shredder can come in handy. You can turn the paper into strips just by turning the handle. It can also damage paper clips and staples, as well as some elbow grease, credit cards and CDs. (Credit cards are cut into five pieces and CDs are cut into three pieces.) And since it does not require electricity to run, you can use it as needed-or your arm can be extended. Since this option is quite compact, it is very suitable for offices with tight space. Although it can cut paper crosswise (not just cut it into strips), it has no security level and is not suitable for highly sensitive information.

Amazon positive evaluation: "I have had two electric shredders in the past, but they all stopped working. This small manual machine can do the job well and is very suitable for small tasks. There are not many moving parts, and it should last a long time."

The efficiency of shredders depends on the sharpness of their blades, and these lubricating sheets help ensure that they stay as sharp as possible. They also help prevent paper jams in the future and remove dust and debris that accumulates between the shredder teeth. Unlike oil lubricants, they won't make you clean up a mess, and better yet, they are easy to use. Just pass one of the paper through the shredder as usual. It is suitable for paper shredders and for paper that is just over 6 inches wide.

You should always follow the shredder's maintenance instructions, but you can usually refuel the shredder when it must be emptied. This set of sheets is a pack of 12, but for a few more dollars, you can buy a pack of 24.

Amazon positive review: "My paper shredder is a bit rusty and doesn’t work smoothly. After I use it, the rust is almost completely gone, and the paper shredder works better. I thought I needed to replace it, but it’s new Just as easy to use."