We went through about 5 different shredders over the last 10 years
Just home use stuff. Cheapest was about £10 and the dearest about £80.

After the £80 shredder bit the big one I decided we needed a different approach.

So, I bought a garden incinerator.

A big shiny metal bucket on a stand with air holes and a chimney on the lid.

I threw in lots of confidential documents and lit it. Then I put the lid on, stood back and watched the show.

Well, the fucker went like an inverted rocket engine. I assume paper burns at a much higher temperature then branches and leaves. Anyhoo, I am grabbing another bunch of papers when I feel something hit my leg. It felt like someone had dropped some water on the ground next to me and some of it had slashed on my leg.

But it wasn't water. The generously galvanised incinerator had started to shed large droplets if molten zinc which had then splashed on my legs. Unfortunately I was wearing shorts.

I now have a scar that looks like a crop circle which had been planned and executed by an alien who struggled in crop circle class.

It's great no that the zinc has all melted off!!!
(OTT, Sat 28 Jun 2014, 9:25, 1 reply)

Fire fixes everything.
Except back issues of National Geographic, which are curiously reluctant to burn.

Whilst we're being dull, the best way to get use from a cheap shredder would be to shred small quantities of documents, pausing regularly to clean the blades.
( monster munch person, man, woman... camera... TV?, Sat 28 Jun 2014, 9:50, closed)

Shiny magazine stock is coated in clay which inhibits combustion.
Just so you know.
(the other guy not the one that gave you coochie warts, Sun 29 Jun 2014, 3:04, closed)

Thought it would be something like that, yes.
The fact that I'd clogged all the air holes in the burner with them, probably wasn't helping.
( monster munch person, man, woman... camera... TV?, Sun 29 Jun 2014, 19:17, closed)