Dahle PowerTEC 808 MS Digital Media Shredder

The Dahle PowerTEC 808 MS is a digital media shredder for solid-state storage and small devices: SSDs, cell phones, mini tablets, USB thumb drives, CDs and DVDs. It cuts them into 4 x 15 mm fragments, rated O-3 for optical media and E-3 for electronic media under DIN 66399, one device per pass through a 6.5-inch feed. It is built for IT and compliance teams that retire flash-based devices regularly and need a repeatable, documented way to destroy them in-house.

PowerTEC 808 MS at a glance

• Destroys SSDs, phones, mini tablets, thumb drives and optical discs
• 4 x 15 mm cross-cut fragments, about 60 mm² each
• DIN 66399 classes O-3 and E-3
• 3.5 HP chain-driven continuous-duty motor
• Standard 115 V supply, rated 55 dB
• 287 lb steel cabinet on casters with a 4-gallon bin

Why flash media needs a device shredder

Phones, tablets, USB sticks and SSDs keep data on memory chips rather than magnetic platters, so methods aimed at hard drives, such as degaussing or punching a hole through the platters, do not address them. The 808 MS breaks the chip packages themselves into 4 x 15 mm pieces, which is what the E-3 classification describes.

A paper shredder cannot do this safely, and a drive punch is not designed for small boards. That gap is the job this machine fills.

How the 808 MS fits an asset disposal process

Because it takes one device per pass, the 808 MS lines up naturally with an asset log: record the serial number, feed the device, move to the next. A self-closing flap shuts behind each item so nothing is exposed while the cutters run, and door sensors stop the machine if the cabinet is opened.

Rigid electronics put heavy shock loads on a cutting head, so Dahle pairs a 3.5 HP chain-driven motor, thermally protected and rated for continuous duty, with rubber shock mounts. It plugs into an ordinary 115 V outlet, which means it can live in the IT store beside the hardware it will destroy.

Two practical points. The 4-gallon bin is small because shredded electronics are heavy, so expect to empty it often during a disposal session; Dahle publishes no bag part number for it. And the output is e-waste, so arrange a compliant downstream route before the first session.

PowerTEC 808 MS specifications

808 MS or another PowerTEC machine?

• PowerTEC 818 HD: a hard drive punch rated H-3, with a 4.7-inch feed, for magnetic drives rather than flash devices.
• PowerTEC 828 HD: combines a hard drive shredder with a P-3 paper shredder in one machine.
• PowerTEC 717 OS: optical media only, cut to 2 x 4 mm for an O-5 rating, with a 20-gallon bin.

Who should buy the 808 MS

It makes sense for organizations that retire phones, tablets, USB drives or SSDs in meaningful numbers and want destruction handled and recorded on site. It is the wrong choice for spinning hard drives, which belong in the 818 HD or 828 HD, and it is not a paper shredder. A team that disposes of only a device or two a month may find an outside destruction service with a certificate more economical.