Best Heavy Duty Paper Shredders with High Capacity
Shred large stacks of confidential documents continuously
Are you looking for a shredder to shred large amounts of sensitive documents? Then we recommend a heavy-duty shredder. These commercial shredders can shred high volumes of documents for a long period of time. Standard paper shredders need to cool down after a few minutes of shredding, but a large commercial shredder for heavy duty shredding is optimized to shred for long shredding sessions.
Top 10 Paper Shredders:
A heavy duty shredder machine is designed to be used at the office with multiple users, so it is great for departmental shredding. You can also use these high capacity paper shredders to help you with your yearly cleanup of old tax records and other financial and sensitive documents. Shred large amounts of confidential and sensitive documents continuously in bulk. Check our top 10 commercial shredder machines below.
The heavy duty shredders below meet the following requirements
- Users: 5+ users (office / departmental)
- Price range: $500+
- Sheet capacity: 14 Sheets or more
- Bin capacity: 15 Gallons or more
- Run-time: 30 Minutes or more
- Security level: Cross-cut or Micro-cut (tiny particles)
More info? Read our Paper Shredder Buying Guide.
Our top pick:
We recommend the Fellowes AutoMax 550C as a great heavy-duty shredder for office use. This commercial shredder operates as an auto feed shredder. Just fill the secured tray with 550 sheets and walk away. The shredder will do the shredding for you. You can also shred up to 14 sheets manually.
Top 10 Heavy Duty Shredders for Non-Stop Shredding
Do you want to shred large amounts of paper? Then you need a high capacity shredder machine.
#1 | Fellowes AutoMax 550C Auto Feed
Shred 550 sheets of paper continuously.
Hands-free automatic paper shredder for large offices
The Fellowes AutoMax 550C Auto Feed is an automatic paper shredder which can shred 550 sheets of paper while you continue working. This ‘walk-away’ heavy duty paper shredder provides maximum productivity for large offices or departments. Shredding is easy and quick by loading the tray with a stack of sensitive documents (up to 550 sheets). It is recommended to stack the sheets neatly. Press start and the AutoMax 550C will do the rest for you. It takes up to 6 to 7 minutes to shred all the documents in P4 particles. You can also shred up to 14 sheets of paper manually in the manual feed slot. The automatic shredder also shreds CDs, DVDs, credit cards and junk mail.
- Security level: Cross-cut
- Run time: Continuous (automatic)
- Sheet capacity: 550 pages (or 14 manual)
- Bin capacity: 22 gallons
- Noise level: 60 dB
- Official product page
#2 | Fellowes Powershred 425Ci
Shred 28-30 sheets of paper continuously.
Powerful TAA-compliant heavy duty shredder for 10+ users
The Fellowes Powershred 425Ci is a 100% jam-proof commercial shredder for large office use. It is ideal to shred large amounts of documents because it can shred sheets of paper continuously, about 30 sheets per pass. The shredder has a 12 inch throat and a 30 gallon bin. You can move the large heavy duty office shredder easily because of the wheels. You keep the cutters in great condition because of the auto oil system. Besides paper this shredder tears through junk-mail, CD’s and credit cards.
- Security level: Cross-cut
- Run time: Continuous
- Sheet capacity: 28-30 pages
- Bin capacity: 30 gallons
- Noise level: 60 dB
- Official product page
#3 | Fellowes AutoMax 350C Auto Feed
Shred 350 sheets of paper continuously.
Walk-away auto feed shredder for medium / large offices.
The Fellowes AutoMax 350C Auto Feed is an autofeed shredder for up to 5 users. It is great for shredding high volumes of paper waste. With this automatic heavy duty shredder you can shred 350 sheet automatically or you can shred 12 sheets manually. In approximately 8 minutes you shred 350 pages, the AutoMax 350C has a run time of 45 minutes. The cross-cut shredder shreds your sensitive documents in small cross-cut DIN P-4 particles, which is great for high security. You can also shred CDs and credit cards with this automatic shredder.
- Security level: Cross-cut
- Run time: 45 minutes
- Sheet capacity: 350 pages (or 12 manual)
- Bin capacity: 18 gallons
- Noise level: 60 dB
- Official product page
#4 | Fellowes Powershred 325Ci
Shred 22-24 sheets of paper continuously.
Quiet cross-cut high volume commercial shredder for 6-10 users
The Fellowes Powershred 325Ci is a solidly built paper shredder for heavy use. The shredder for heavy duty work shreds up to 22 sheets of paper per pass. Besides bulk shredding you can also shred CD’s, DVD’s and credit cards. The wide 9.5 inch throat contains a safety sensor and a sensor which prevents paper jams. The large commercial paper shredder runs very silent, you can barely hear the motor while running. This Fellowes shredder comes with 5 free shredder bags and is easy to setup and operate.
- Security level: Cross-cut
- Run time: Continuous
- Sheet capacity: 22-24 pages
- Bin capacity: 22 gallons
- Noise level: 64 dB
#5 | HSM SECURIO B32c
Shred 17-19 sheets of paper continuously.
Great and quiet heavy duty paper shredder for small office use (5-10 users)
The HSM SECURIO B32c is a heavy duty commercial paper shredder that is perfect for small to medium businesses. With a sheet capacity of 17-19 documents per pass you can shred lots of paper sheets. This HSM shredder can also shred staples and paperclips. For shredding CD’s, DVD’s and credit cards this shredder has a special slot, this keeps shredded plastic separate for recycling purpose. The shredder contains wheels for moving it around. The sturdy and reliable HSM SECURIO is made in Germany, it has a solid construction and the powerful motor runs very quiet.
- Security level: Cross-cut
- Run time: Continuous
- Sheet capacity: 17-19 pages
- Bin capacity: 22 gallons
- Noise level: 60 dB
- Official product page
#6 | Formax FD 8650HS
Shred 15 sheets of paper continuously.
High security shredder evaluated by NSA for Level 6
The Formax FD 8650HS is a high security office shredder. The Formax shredder contains a fully-automatic internal oiling system which oils the cutting blades automatically when needed. The paper shredder has an heavy-duty all-metal cabinet with casters. In case of a paper jam the shredder has an auto reverse function to switch the motor into reverse to clear a paper jam. The continuous-duty motor is powerful enough for non-stop operation. The auto-sensor indicates when the waste bin is full, the shredder stops automatically.
- Security level: Cross-cut
- Run time: Continuous
- Sheet capacity: 24 pages
- Bin capacity: 53 gallons
- Noise level: – dB
- Official product page
#7 | Kobra 260 TS C4
Shred 24 sheets of paper continuously.
Professional heavy-duty shredder for paper, CDs, DVDs and credit cards
The Kobra 260 TS C4 can shred 24 sheets of paper at a time. The heavy-duty motor can shred for 24 hours without timed cool down periods. The chain drive with steel gears allows the cutting knives to shred high volumes with low power consumption. The Kobra comes with two separates sets of blades, one for shredding confidential documents and the other to shred CDs, DVDs and credit cards. The automatic oiling system will lubricate the cutting blades automatically.
- Security level: Cross-cut
- Run time: Continuous
- Sheet capacity: 24 pages
- Bin capacity: 16 gallons
- Noise level: 55 dB
- Official product page
#8 | HSM SECURIO P40c
Shred 35-37 sheets of paper continuously.
Shred over 600 sheets of paper per minute into cross cut particles
The HSM SECURIO P40c is a commercial paper shredder for shredding high volumes of documents. This ‘made in Germany’ HSM shredder also shreds staples, paper clips, CDs, DVDs and credit cards. Thanks to the continuous duty operation this shredder can shred non-stop with no down time. The silent shredder is ideal for departmental shredding and can be used by 12 or more users. You receive lifetime warranty on the solid steel cutting cylinder.
- Security level: Cross-cut
- Run time: Continuous
- Sheet capacity: 35-37 pages
- Bin capacity: 40 gallons
- Noise level: – dB
- Official product page
#9 | MBM DESTROYIT 4005
Shred 10-12 sheets of paper continuously.
High security P-7 heavy-duty paper shredder with micro-cut blades
The MBM DESTROYIT 4005 is a micro-cut shredder which shreds you documents according to security level 7. This offers a high level of security which is much higher than a cross-cut shredder offers. The MBM can shred up to 528 pages per minute. The automatic oil injection system ensures that the shredder will perform optimally at all times. When the shred bin is full the shredder stops automatically. Special sensors prevents paper jams by monitoring the maximum allowed sheet capacity. The cabinet is made of high quality wood and mounted on casters.
- Security level: Micro-cut
- Run time: Continuous
- Sheet capacity: 10-12 pages
- Bin capacity: 44 gallons
- Noise level: – dB
#10 | Dahle 40514
Shred 20-24 sheets of paper continuously.
Heavy-duty paper shredder for professional office use
The Dahle 40514 is a cross-cut machine that is able to shred to security level P-4 standards. The shredder is perfect for shredding financial statements, health records and other confidential documents. The wide 12″feed opening can shred up to 20-24 sheets of paper at a time. The Dahle is ideal for central shredding in your office where paper shredding occurs on a daily basis. The steel chain and gears provides powerful paper shredding and the lubricator automatically oils the cylinders for continuous paper shredding.
- Security level: Cross-cut
- Run time: Continuous
- Sheet capacity: 20-24 pages
- Bin capacity: 38 gallons
- Noise level: 52 dB
- Official product page
Didn’t find the right commercial shredder for your shredding needs?
The commercial-grade heavy duty shredders we’ve selected are targeted for (medium / large) office use. But maybe you are looking for a smaller continuous shredder for your home office, or maybe you want an industrial shredder for shredding large volumes of paper. These shredders have different specifications and different price points. Find all the heavy duty shredders here on Amazon.com.
Find more shredders for your office environment. Check our top 5 personal shredders for home use and shredders you can use for small office. Collect your shredded documents in a blue commercial recycling bin with a recycle label or go for extra security with a lockable shred bin. A shred bin can also be used to to store sensitive documents prior to paper shredding.
Industrial paper shredders for bulk shredding
When you want to frequently shred high volumes of confidential documents it is recommended to invest in an industrial-grade paper shredder. An industrial shredder is built for continuous shredding in bulk. Find out more about industrial paper shredders.
Shred without a shredder
Maybe a paper shredder isn’t the right solution for your paper shredding project. You can also opt for hiring a paper shredder, or hire a paper shredder company in your area. These companies can shred all your confidential documents.
Why do you need a commercial heavy duty shredder?
Some people don’t realize this, but most average shredders can only shred for a few minutes before they need to cool down. This cool down period can take up to 45-60 minutes. These cheap shredders are limited because of the short duty cycle. Thereby the small bin fills up quickly with your shredded documents, which isn’t recommended for high capacity shredding in the office. Imagine you want to shred large amounts of sensitive documents with a basic shredder that can only run for 10 minutes and needs to cool down for almost an hour. Therefor it is recommended to invest in a more expensive and larger heavy duty shredder that is designed for heavy office use.
Heavy-duty shredder v.s. Standard paper shredder
- Users: 5+ users
- Price range: $500+
- Sheet capacity: 14+ Sheets
- Bin capacity: 15+ Gallons
- Run-time: 30+ Minutes
- Users: 1-2 users
- Price range: $25 – $100
- Sheet capacity: 5 Sheets
- Bin capacity: 3 Gallons
- Run-time: 2 – 10 Minutes
See a Fellowes Powershred 225Ci in action
Besides the short run-time and limited bin capacity, an average home shredder for light usage isn’t built for heavy duty work. When you use a small shredder like a work horse all kind of problems will ocure, such as paper jams or even a defect in the cutters or motor. A paper shredder for light use is made for shredding a few documents at a time, not for eating through boxes full of documents and junk mail. For this kind of heavy duty commercial shredding you really need a large shredder that is made for this intensive task.
For who is a heavy-duty shredder for?
Heavy-duty shredders are mostly used in the office. The shredders are used for shredding large volumes of documents. But also at home you might have the need to shred more documents than your average home shredder. There are also heavy duty shredders you can use at home, these shredders aren’t as large as the commercial office shredders. But they have some heavy-duty features, such as a longer run-time, higher sheet capacity and a larger bin.
Requirements of a commercial shredder for heavy duty shredding
- High sheet capacity – The sheet capacity tells you the amount of standard documents you can shred at once. The larger the capacity, the faster you can shred your documents.
- High bin capacity – The amount of shredded paper the bin can hold, we recommend at least 15 gallon.
- Long run-time – The number of minutes the paper shredder can run before it needs to cool down. Expensive heavy duty paper shredders can run continuous without cooling down. A heavy-duty shredder is rated around 30 minutes or more.
Other things to take into consideration
- Jam-proof – One of the biggest annoyances with paper shredders is a paper jam. Luckely most commercial shredders have built-in technology which prevents a paper jam. A special sensor registers the amount of paper that is feeded in the manual slot. When the stack is too large, the shredder will stop and reverse the cutters.
- Quiet and silent shredding – In some offices it is desired to shred documents discretely. Look for a quiet heavy duty shredding machine with a low noise level that produces less than 55 dB of sound while shredding.
- Oil the shredder – It is very important to lubricate the shredder often. Some office shredders will auto-oil the cutters, but some need manual assistance. Read more about shredder oil and lubricant sheets for shredders.
- Cross-cut or Micro-cut – Do you expect small particles or very small particles from your heavy duty shredder? In short a cross-cut shredder can shred more sheets of paper in one go and produces larger paper particles. If the safety of information is very important within your company, we recommend a micro-cut paper shredder. Read more about this in our paper shredder guide.
Tools for paper shredding
We recommend the following related paper shredding tools:
Commercial shredder manufacturers
What are well-known heavy duty shredder manufactures and brands?
Autofeed shredders – Shred while you walk away
Some offices make use of automatic paper shredders, also known as auto feed shredders. These type of office shredders can also be used for heavy duty jobs, for instance for the finance department. An automatic paper shredder is an unique machine because these shredders can shred documents automatically. You just feed a stack of paper (it depends on the shredder how much it can handle) and the shredder takes care of the rest. An automatic shredder is also described as a ‘walk away shredder’. Because you can really fill up the shredder, press the button and walk away while the shredder shreds all your paper sheets while you contiune working.
By Recycling.com/ 25 November 2018
Pls. let me know the price and the availability of heavy shredder with the Sheet capacity: 35-40 pages. Thanks
Dear Saghir, thank you for your question. Here you can find all heavy duty shredders with a sheet capacity of 40+ pages: https://amzn.to/2GHKszk
Need a Heavy duty Sheerer for dispose of old record files. Please send us your best quote with payment terms and delivery in fujairah
Dear Sahajwani. Here you can find all heavy duty shredders with a sheet capacity of 40+ pages: https://amzn.to/2GHKszk
We have requirement of Heavy Duty Paper Shredders machine at AB plant Vadodara. Kindly send the details of local authorized dealer in India ( Gujarat)
Thank you for your question. Maybe you can look at this firm: http://www.goyumshredder.com/.
This is helpful, thank you. However, what do u think about the Rexel auto office paper shredder
Dear Elijah, thank you. Rexel Auto+ shredders are also great shredders. For heavy duty use in the office we recommend the Rexel Auto+ 300x or the Rexel Auto+ 600x, it depends on the number of users. Rexel is also known as Swingline in America. Best regards, Pim.