Black & Decker BD-10P Crosscut Paper Shredder Review

Black & Decker BD-10P Crosscut Paper Shredder

Sporting a concave front with a large rectangular window, three columns of indented ribs on both sides, and an overhanging curved carry handle at its top, the Black & Decker BD-10P Crosscut Paper Shredder is a sleek-looking machine that makes a fine addition to your home or office. The silver shredder head and black waste bin further adds elegance and style to the machine.

With a depth of 19.25 inches, width of 9.25 and height of 15.75, the shredder is a slim machine which does not occupy a large amount of real estate in your office. Although it is lightweight at 18 pounds, it is fitted with castor wheels to make it quite portable. With these features, you can easily push it under your desk when it is not in use. An ergonomic handle further helps in this.

Underneath its appeal is a powerful shredder that cuts through up to 10 sheets of paper in a single pass. The sheets are reduced to small pieces measuring 5/32 x 9/10 inch, qualifying the machine as a Security Level 3 shredder. Actually, it exceeds the requirement although it does not quite make it to the next level.

The blades are sharp and tough enough to cut through staple wires left on the papers. In a slot different from that for paper shredding, the Black & Decker BD-10P also shreds CDs, DVDs, and credit cards. These, however, are not cross cut but are only sliced into three pieces.

Featuring an auto start/stop and reverse functions, the shredder automatically starts shredding when pieces of paper or DVDs are inserted into the entry slots, and also automatically stops when it has done its job. In the event of a jam, setting the reverse function reverses the rotation of the blades, thus ejecting jammed material.

The Black & Decker BD-10P runs quietly, generating only 70 decibels, or about the sound of a normal conversation between two persons.

The waste bin is a pull-out type, eliminating the need to lift the shredder head when you need to empty it. It can hold up to 4.75 gallons of shredded material. There is also a smaller basket within the bin that is intended for catching shredded DVDs and credit cards.