If you’re looking for the high-duty commercial office shredder the Dahle brand is the right choice.
Are you interested in learning more about the brand and its models?
Then this article is right for you!
Read about the general advantages of the brand and find out why you should buy their models among other brands offered on the market. I will describe the technical specifications of 4 Dahle shredder models and their versions so you can compare them and decide which model is the best for your needs. You can read about their replacement parts and accessories, and a short description of the user manual. After reading it you will have more information to decide which model to buy, and I will give you my opinion to help you with the decision.
The Advantages Of Dahle Paper Shredder Models
Quiet Performance
Most of the Dahle paper shredder models have a noise level below 65dB which is great for any office because no one is disturbed by the noise of the shredder. It also makes them convenient for home use.
Automatic Oiler For Maintainenance
According to other Dahle shredder reviews, this is one of the most user-friendly features because you don’t have to oil the cutting cylinders. There are also models available that don’t need the oil maintenance which is even better and eco-friendly.
Continuous Shredding And Big Capacity
Motors are powerful and have great thermal protection. Therefore, you can use their models to cut documents during the day without the break. Additionally, the large models have a high sheet and bin capacity and they’re ideal for big companies.
Solid Steel Blades With Lifetime Warranty
The blades won’t cut only paper. You don’t have to remove staples and clips from documents. Almost all models have a separated entry feed for credit cards and CDs/DVDs. The blades are made from strong steel and often covered with a lifetime warranty.
Energy-Saving System
Often the shredder works all day, and to avoid the need of constantly turning on and off the machine, the system goes in the standby mode. This brand has developed the system which doesn’t consume power while the device is in this sleeping mode, which saves a lot of energy.
Dahle Shredder Reviews
Dahle 20390 Model
This model has a paper feed that’s 16” wide. The cutters are made from strong solid steel and they can cut a wide range of materials: paper, paper clips, and staples, CDs, DVDs, cardboard and credit cards. The cutting cylinders are connected with the steel chain and gears for slip-free power.
It’s a strip-cut model so the shreds are 1/4” long. This means the model is at P-2 security level so it’s more convenient for ordinary business papers than for confident materials or documents with important personal information.
As one of the biggest models on the market, it has high-sheet and bin capacity. When shredding automatically it can take up to 60 sheets at once. It’s a model that has high productivity so it’s ideal for a large office.
The shreds are accumulated in the big wastebasket with 50-gallon capacity. Because of the big and heavy bin and high weight of the device that’s around 200 pounds, this model has casters so it’s easy to move it around the office.
Blades are maintained with the automatic oiler which is a very user-friendly feature. Other great features are the automatic start when you insert the papers and automatic stop if the machine is overloaded or the door is open.
Automatic reverse function clears any paper jams that happen, so shredding is continuous, without any breaks. Constant shredding is supported by the powerful motor that doesn’t overheat because it’s thermally protected.
The performance is very quiet and the system has smart power energy management. This system prevents energy loss when the device is in the standby mode. It eliminates the power use completely after 30 minutes of inactivity.
The electric control panel lets you easily control the automatic on/off function, auto reverse, and continuous run function. The device is 24.5” long, 27.5” wide and 46.8” high. The cutting blades are covered with a lifetime warranty.
- high sheet and bin capacity
- automatic oiler
- continuous run
- it has wheels
- lifetime warranty on cutters
- doesn’t have separated entry for cards and CDs/DVDs
- low-security level
- heavy design
Dahle 20394Version
This is the bigger version of the previous model with a much higher security level. It shreds one sheet of paper in 15 000 extreme cross-cut particles that are 3/64” wide and 3/16” long. The P-7 is the highest security level available on the market. The device weighs 228 pounds. It’s 24” long, 27.5” wide and 46.5” high.
- higher security level
- very heavy and big
- without a separated entry for CDs and DVDs
Dahle 20392 Version
This model produces 1/13” wide and 9/16” long cross-cut particles that are small enough for P-5 high-security level for cutting confident materials. It can take up to 25 sheets during the automatic shredding. It’s 24.5” long, 29.5” wide and 46.8” high. It weighs 323 pounds.
- higher security level
- smaller sheet capacity
- a lot heavier
Dahle 20396 Version
This model also has a higher security level than the model. It has P-4 security level and the cross-cut shreds are 1/8” wide and 1-9/16” long. The feed can take up to 38 sheets at once. The device is 24.5” long, 29.5” wide and 46.8” high. It weighs 328 pounds.
- higher security level
- smaller sheet capacity
- higher weight
Dahle 20814 Model
This model has the capacity to take up to 18 sheets at once. The paper feed has a strong solid steel blade that can cut paper clips, staples, paper, CDs, DVDs and credit cards. The thicker materials such as cards and CDs/DVDs must be put in the feed manually one by one. The feed is 16” wide.
The cross-cut sized shreds are 1/8” wide and 1-9/16” long. They are at P-4 security level so you can cut any confident and sensitive content without worry. The shreds are accumulated in the bin with 35-gallon capacity.
Like the previous models, the great user-friendly feature is the strong motor with thermal protection that can run continuously without break. Therefore you can shred a lot of documents a day.
The performance is very quiet and ideal for home or office. The automatic start function enables shredding immediately after you put the paper in the feed. The same function stops shredding if you overloaded the machine with documents.
In the case of paper jams, the device has an auto reverse function that easily clears them so that shredding can continue. Like the previous models, it has the energy saving system, so if the machine doesn’t work for 30 minutes it won’t consume any power.
If the hand touches the cutting area, the system will immediately shut down to avoid any injuries. Another great feature is the automatic lubricator that maintains the blades all the time. The device has a wooden cabinet and rolling casters. It’s 33.5” long, 25.5” wide and 17” high. It weighs 123 pounds.
- thermal protection on the motor
- anti-jam technology
- casters for mobility
- energy saving system
- high-security level
- less sheet capacity
- lower bin volume
Dahle 40334 Model
This model is NSA/CSS 02-01 approved for top-secret data destruction, so if you want to have the model with one of the highest-security levels, this is the right choice. The security level is P-7. The shreds are 3/64” wide and 3/16” long, therefore they’re unreadable.
The cutting blades are made from solid steel and they’re constantly lubricated with the automatic even flow lubricator. In that way, the blades last longer. The paper feed is 10.25” wide and it can take up to 5-sheets at once when shredding automatically.
The wastebasket is 23-gallon big. The blades will cut DVDs, CDs, credit cards, paper, clips, and staples. In the case of the paper jams, the device has an auto reverse function that easily clears them so that the machine can continue to shred.
Paper jams are prevented by the overload protection also. If you put too much paper, the machine will shut down. Shredding starts immediately after you put the paper in the feed. It can be stopped automatically because of too much paper, or as a safety feature in the case, someone put their hand in the cutting area.
The motor has the thermal protection so it won’t overheat after continuous working. The system is also energy-efficient because there is no power consumption after 30 minutes of standby mode. The shredding has a low noise level.
The device is 18” long, 22” wide and 35” high. It weighs only 94 pounds so it’s lightweight in comparison to other models. It has casters so you can easily move it anywhere you want. The cutting blades are covered with a lifetime warranty.
Other parts have a 2-year limited warranty. This is the standard version which is also available in CleanTec version that has additional filters that eliminate up to 98% of the dust that is harmful to the cleaner. This model is also available in larger sizes: 30-gallon, 38-gallon, and 50-gallon bin capacity.
- automatic oiler
- highest-security level
- lightweight
- lifetime warranty on cutters
- energy-efficient system
- small sheet capacity
- without separated CD slot
Dahle 22092 Model
This device is 16.4” long, 12.2” wide and 7.8” high. It weighs only 14 pounds, therefore it’s much smaller and lightweight in comparison to other models. The wheels allow you to move it around the office easily. It can take up to 12 sheets at once while automatically shredding.
The blades can cut paper, paper clips, and staples, cardboard, credit cards, DVDs and CDs. It has separated slot for CDs and DVDs which ensures blades longevity. Put them and cards in the feed manually, one by one.Cross-cut shreds are 3/16” wide and 1-3/8” long, and small enough to be unreadable.
High P-4 security level allows you to destroy any confidential data that you have. They are accumulated in the 4-gallon big wastebasket that’s easy to pull-out. The system has a LED indicator that shows you when it’s time to empty the bin. Bin has a special compartment for CDs/DVDs shreds so the waste is automatically separated and organized.
Paper jams are cleared easily with the anti-jam technology that consists of the auto reverse function. The shredding will automatically start when you insert the materials in the feed, but if the machine has detected too much paper it will stop to shred which prevents unnecessary paper jams.
The performance of the device is very quiet, at 62 dB. Therefore this model is ideal for both home and office.It shreds at a speed of 14 feet per minute which is very fast. The unique feature of this model is the blades that don’t need oil maintenance for high performance, which is user-friendly and good for the environment.
It saves a lot of energy because it doesn’t consume any power when it’s in the standby mode. The motor is powerful and large, which prevents overheating so it can run continuously without a break. All parts are covered with a 1-year limited warranty, but cutting cylinders are covered with a 5-year limited warranty.
- lightweight design
- separate entry feed for CDs and DVDs
- doesn’t need oil maintenance
- energy efficient and eco-friendly
- full bin LED indicators
- smaller bin and sheet capacity
- no lifetime warranty on cutting cylinders
Dahle 22022 Version
This version can take up to 9 sheets and it has 4-gallon big bin. The shreds are 3/16” wide and 1-3/16” long. The noise level is 59dB and shredding speed is 10 feet per minute. The device is 7” long, 12.5” wide and 15.5” high. It weighs 8 pounds.
- very lightweight
- lower noise level
- slower speed
- smaller sheet capacity
Dahle 22312 Version
It can take up to 17 sheets and it has 7-gallon big wastebasket. The shreds are 3/16” wide and 1-7/16” long. The noise level is 53dB and the speed is 9 feet per minute. The weight is 24 pounds. It’s 11” long, 14.25” wide and 21” high.
- more quiet shredding
- bigger sheet and bin capacity
- heavier model
- the slowest speed
Dahle 22318 Version
It has a lower noise level of 52dB. The shredding speed in feet per minute. It can take up to 18 sheets at once and has 9-gallon bin capacity. The cross-cut shreds are 3/16” wide and 1-1/16” long. Its 13” long, 15.5” wide and 25.5” high. The weight is 32 pounds.
- the lowest noise level
- slightly smaller shreds
- bigger sheet and bin capacity
- heavier
- slower speed
Dahle Paper Shredder Replacement Parts And Accessories
The Dahle shredder parts that must be replaced with the specifically made ones for the model are the cutters and the motor. Other features such as casters, doors, frames, control panel and other can be replaced with universal parts. You should also buy accessories such as Dahle shredder oil to maintain the cutters. Beside Dahle oil, you can buy Dahle shredder bags that help you to organize the waste. Read my post about universal paper shredder replacement parts and accessories in case you want to know more information.
Dahle Shredder User Manual
Every model comes with its user manual, and you must read it before using it. The manual contains safety instructions, maintenance tips and describes how to operate the machine correctly. You can also read the parts list and the assemblage instructions. If you want to read it now, download and read this online Dahle shredder user manual for 20390 model.
Conclusion: What’s The Best Dahle Shredder?
In my opinion, the best model is the Dahle 40334 model because it has the highest P-7 security level and all great features such as energy-saving system, automatic oiler, full bin LED indicator and thermal protection on the motor. This Dahle shredder is lightweight, capable of shredding anything and includes a lifetime warranty on cutters. Also, you can choose between different sizes and between standard or filter model. If you need a heavy-duty paper shredder or even a cardboard paper shredder, read my post about best paper shredders on the market.