Before you specify
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between the front slot and the top feed?
The front slot is a conventional 305 mm paper throat rated for up to 30 sheets at 80 g/m2, or a single optical disc or plastic card. The top opening measures 250 x 130 mm and exists for items that are too thick or awkward for a slot - pill bottles, blister packs, key fobs, folded cardboard, crumpled paper. intimus rates it for three to four bulky items at a time. Use the right opening for the material; forcing bulky items into the front slot is how the cutting head gets damaged.
Can it really shred syringes and pill bottles?
intimus lists medical material including syringes, pill bottles and blister packages among the approved materials, fed through the top opening. Two practical cautions. First, confirm with your own clinical waste policy and your disposal contractor that shredding is acceptable for your specific stream - sharps in particular are regulated. Second, the resulting mixed waste needs an appropriate liner and disposal route, not a general office bin.
Will it destroy a passport?
Yes. Passports are on the approved list and are fed through the top opening rather than the paper slot, because of the cover and the embedded chip. The result is P-4 grade destruction of the paper elements. If your requirement is specifically the RFID chip and you need certified electronic media destruction, that is a different standard - an E-rated media shredder such as the intimus FlashEx is the appropriate machine for that part of the job.
How does it compare with the OmniShred 115?
They are the same machine mechanically: identical 3.6 x 43 mm P-4 cut, identical 30-sheet capacity, identical 305 mm front slot and 250 x 130 mm top feed, same 1,100 W motor, same 63 dB(A). The difference is the cabinet and the container. The 85 has a 68-litre bin and stands 81 cm tall; the 115 has a 115-litre removable cardboard container and stands 108.5 cm. Choose on how often you want to empty it and how much floor height you have.
How loud is it in an open office?
63 dB(A) at idle, which is noticeably louder than a desk-side shredder at 55 dB(A) and closer to normal conversation level. Under load with cardboard or plastic it will be louder still. It is fine in a mail room, a dispensary back-office, a warehouse or a facilities area. It is not the machine to put next to someone taking phone calls all day.
Can it shred cardboard boxes?
It will take cardboard through the top opening, and that is genuinely useful for destroying branded or labelled packaging. It is not, however, a cardboard converter. If your aim is to turn used boxes into packing material rather than to destroy them, the intimus PacMaster S is the purpose-built machine for that - it perforates and trims cardboard into a cushioning mat instead of reducing it to waste.