Dahle ShredMATIC SM 90 Auto-Feed Paper Shredder, 90 Sheet Feed Tray, Oil-Free, Jam Protection, Security Level P-4, 1-2 Users

The Dahle ShredMATIC SM 90 is a compact, oil-free auto-feed shredder for one or two users: it pulls up to 90 sheets from its tray and cuts them to P-4 cross-cut particles of 3/16 x 1/2 in (approx. 4.8 x 12.7 mm). A 10-sheet manual slot and a 7-gallon bin in a cabinet only 20 in tall make it a fit beside a desk in a home office, consulting room or private office.

ShredMATIC SM 90 at a glance

• 90-sheet auto-feed tray plus 10-sheet manual slot
• P-4 cross-cut, roughly 60 mm² per particle
• Oil-free cutting cylinder with a 5-year warranty
• Accepts staples, paper clips and credit cards
• 7-gallon bin, 10.3 x 14.5 x 20 in footprint
• Sized by Dahle for 1-2 users

Tray feeding at a desk-side pace

The SM 90 is built for the person who shreds a little every day and would rather drop a pile into a tray than feed pages a few at a time. It works at 6 ft/min, about 11 sheets a minute, so a full tray takes several minutes; the trade-off is a small, light machine that stays quiet enough for a private office. Automatic jam protection backs out and re-feeds a stuck bundle, which is what lets it run while you do something else. For a single urgent letter, the manual slot takes 10 sheets per pass through the same 8.75 in opening.

Dahle lists a lock only for the larger SM 300, so treat the SM 90 tray as open. That is rarely an issue in a private room, but matters if loaded documents would sit in view of others.

Ownership: no oil, few consumables

Like the rest of the ShredMATIC line, the SM 90 runs dry. There is nothing to lubricate, and Dahle covers the cutting cylinder for five years against one year on the machine. It plugs into a normal 115 V outlet and, at about 20 lb (19.8 lb listed), one person can lift it onto a shelf or move it between rooms. A liner for the 7-gallon bin is optional; Dahle does not specify a bag part.

ShredMATIC SM 90 specifications

SM 90 compared with the ShredMATIC SM 300

The SM 300 is the step up for a shared office: a lockable 300-sheet hopper, a 14-sheet manual slot, an 11-gallon bin, twice the feed speed at 12 ft/min and approval for CDs and DVDs. Both share the 8.75 in feed width, P-4 rating and oil-free cylinders. The SM 90 cuts a slightly shorter particle and takes far less floor space and weight.

Who should choose the SM 90

It suits one or two people with a steady trickle of confidential mail, statements or client notes who want a low-maintenance machine next to the desk. Look at the SM 300 instead if several people will load it, if documents must be locked away while they wait, or if you need to destroy optical discs. If a contract requires P-5 or higher, neither ShredMATIC qualifies.