What Should I Know About Shredder Parts?

Most home use paper shredders won't have extra parts beyond the lubricating oil and the waste bags, if yours even comes with the waste bin. The lubricating oil can be found in any office supply store and costs about $9 per 16 oz bottle. The waste bags can be found at $34 for 100 bags. Fellowes offer waste bags specifically for their brands of shredders, from the personal models to the large 39 gallon models. They also sell the lubricating oil. Many shredders will use the same type of oil and work just as well. If your personal home shredder does come with a waste bin or basket of some sort, be aware that some of the plastic do tend to crack and break easily upon removal. Take extra care with your equipment for it to last.

Fellowes offers the choice of buying their oil and waste bags from dealers, retailers, or online and clearly list which shredder models each set of bags is for. They offer automatic oilers with some of their larger volume shredders. The caster wheels can be replaced if necessary, although, usually a service repairman can take care of such as this when you call it in on your warranty period. If not, caster wheels can be found at hardware stores and the price depends on what size you'll need and from which store you make the purchase.

Shredder accessories can include paper shelves, bag bars, support bars, shred boxes, desk mounts, and forms racks. The shred boxes and desk mounts are the most expensive parts on this list, costing almost $200 each.

Industrial shredder parts are, of course, a bit more involved. Usually when you run into the necessity for an industrial shredder, you'll be able to take advantage of a warranty and service from the company that sold it. There are many shredder repair services, though, and places that offer parts. Komar Industries, Marathon Equipment, Steel America, Industrial Paper Shredders, Ameri-Shred, and Columbia Steel Casting are some of them.

Because recycling has become such a big business, the need for parts and repairs of the equipment has grown. Parts for industrial shredders might include roof covers, kick out doors, feed rolls, rotor caps, grates, or shredder hammers. Of course, the motors require a more extensive list of parts that you'd most likely be glad to hand over to a professional for repairs! Oil for these big shredders is sold by the gallon bottles. A 4 pack would cost around $125. Bags can cost as much as $165 for 50 at a size of 40x40x68.

A locked document container is another accessory you may come across in the industrial shredder line of equipment and parts. These keep your information private until you're ready to shred. These containers can cost $250 and hold 36 gallons of documents.

If you do choose to work on your shredder on your own, please take care to avoid being cut by the blades and make sure the shredder is disconnected from the electrical source before beginning to disassemble any parts.