Review on 🔪 Aurora AS1018CD 10-Sheet Cross-Cut Shredder with Basket - Efficient Paper, Credit Card, and CD Destruction in Black by Sarah Smith

. I bought this about 3 weeks ago after searching many different shredders online and in stores. I chose the Aurora AS1018CD because it shreds 11 pages at a time, CDs, staples and credit cards. Before ordering, I measured the height of the device, since I did not find a model of this model in the store to look at. The measurement was high enough for what I took to be a large container at the bottom for the shredded material. Well when I received it I noticed right away when I looked at the box before opening it that it wasn't very big and made a mistake but I opened it and the main unit is 6 to 7 inches tall. That's what fooled me when I looked at the measurements in the specs. I assumed it would be similar to my old unit that went "south" and was only about 2 inches tall. The Aurora basket is small, actually too small as I used it straight away and it fills up pretty quickly. THAT'S WHAT I ONLY RATED IT WITH 4 STARS! Well, like I said, I used it right away and shredded a lot of boxes of old tax files that I never got rid of, and believe me there was a small ton of documents that had to be shredded a few pages at a time, I never have 11 pages put in, but I put as many as about 8 pages in. I have a few credit cards, paperclips (as advised, be careful with them), lots of paper, and let me say this Aurora AS1018CD is a Trouper! Everything I put in went through with absolute ease. I read that he talked about how loud he is. Well I found it quite quiet compared to what I had and was very happy with it. The instructions that came with the device stated that the insert should not be placed in the basket to collect the ground material. This bothered me because it was exactly what I wanted to do because without a bag you have to empty the bin into bags and with my old device (without a bag) I always made a mess on the floor and had to vacuum every time I did emptied the basket. So I looked very closely at this block and figured why is this in the instructions as I don't see anything that could cause a problem. So I went and grabbed some plastic bags, which were a bit small for a trash can, but with some gentle stretching of the plastic, they work pretty well. I put the "heavy duty" engine cover on the basket and it worked great. The plastic bags are really too small and don't go all the way to the bottom of the basket. A few days later I was at Sam's club and found about 10 gallon bags (a box of 1000 for $14 and change) and when I got home I tried these on and they fit perfectly. I'm guessing Aurora said not to use bag liners as probably someone or a lot of people kinda screwed it up, put a bag in the motor and screwed it all up. But it works great, no problem. So if you find yourself emptying the basket a little more often than you'd like, this shredder with its powerful motor is nothing to worry about as I think it'll be a good shredder. for me for many years.