Offering the small business Level 5 shredding
security, the Dahle 20430 is intended for central placement and
multiple users within a small office setting.In this article, we recently studied the
features of the 20430 and comprised a report of what we consider to be
its strengths and weaknesses.
Offering the small business Level 5
shredding security, the Dahle 20430 is intended for central placement
and multiple users within a small office setting. We recently studied
the features of the 20430 and comprised a report of what we consider to
be its strengths and weaknesses.
Strengths:
The main strength of the 20430 is in the enhanced security
level that it can provide a small business. While Level 5 shredding
might be considered overkill for the majority of businesses (FACTA
regulations mandate a security level of 3 or better), there are a lot
of small businesses that contract with federal, state, or local
government or research organizations who will need to meet the
standards those organizations set forth for the destruction of
confidential information. Level 5 is considered "espionage safe" and is
rated below only the level 6 machines that are used by the Department
of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security.
The 20430's throat width is 9 1/2 inches, which is wide enough to
easily handle letter and legal size paper. In other words, the vast
majority of shredding jobs.
In the tight
quarters in which small offices are often set, it can be difficult to
keep the distractions to a minimum. Dahle has gone to great lengths to
keep the 20430 as quiet as possible during operation. First, the
cutting shafts are encased and then they are placed on rubber shock
mount units, virtually eliminating vibration of the cabinet. The all
wood construction of the cabinet also absorbs a great deal of sound,
and the result is that the 20430 is one of the quieter small office
shredders on the market.
The single toggle
switch makes operating the 20430 extremely simple. Using that one
switch you can set the machine for auto on and off (controlled by an
electronic sensor), reverse, or continuous run. The machine will also
stop automatically when the shred bin is full, or when the cabinet door
is opened.
Between the swing-door opening, the
removable bin and the optional liner bags, emptying the 20430 is a very
quick and easy process.
Weaknesses:
In the shredder world, there is almost always some kind of
trade off between capacity and security. The level 5 security offered
by the 20430 is remarkable, but as a result, the machine can only shred
up to 6 sheets of paper at a time. If you need Level 5 security, you
will just have to take your lumps here, but if you are just looking to
become FACTA-compliant, you might want to look into a Level 3 machine
that offers you higher productivity, such as the Dahle 20314.
As it is not rated for continuous use, the 20430 is intended to be used
on an as-needed basis, and is not the kind of machine that you want to
use for, say, a massive monthly shredding session. If you do
accidentally overheat the 20430, its thermal protection will kick in,
shutting the machine off for a requisite cooling period.
As the cutting blades of the 20430 are only guaranteed for one year (as
opposed to the lifetime warranty offered on the rest of Dahle's Small
Office line), we recommend that you oil the cutting shafts of the 20430
on a regular basis (as with any shredder) to extend the life of the
blades. In fact, with a high security shredder you should really
consider oiling the shredder on a daily basis.
If you are interested in more information about the Dahle 20430 Small-Office Shredder, you might want to visit MyBinding.com. They offer a great price on this machine and they even offer Free Shipping. Plus, they carry the full line of Dahle Paper Shredders, shredder bags and shredder oil. Check it out today!
