We only buy Fellowes shredders and have found them very reliable. I originally purchased the oil for the cutters directly from Fellowes a couple of years ago; the bottle was smaller and more expensive at the time. I was quite pleased to find this product available from Amazon at a good price and larger bottle.
I think a lot of people buy a shredder, not knowing that it does need some maintenance to keep it in top shape. Besides not overloading your shredder's capabilities or shredding material that you shouldn't, the next best thing you can do to protect your investment is to regularly lubricate the cutters. This reduces wear, noise, and can prevent the teeth from breaking.
Be sure to read the instructions for your particular shredder, however, about the type of oil to use and the frequency. You may be tempted to use other types of oil you already have around your house or WD-40 or something, but many of those things are flammable and will only serve to damage your shredder or worse.
As another reviewer said, be careful when cutting the tip on the bottle because if you make it too big, the oil will be harder to control. Fellowes Shredder Oil, 12 oz. Bottle with Extension Nozzle (35250)
This is a just a quick review to let you know about Fellowes (and other shredder branded oils) versus your standard kitchen vegetable oil.
Remember that vegetable oils go rancid quickly; they're meant for eating and not industrial lubrication on a regular basis. The use vegetable oil trick is actually intended for people who use their shredders OFTEN, not OCCASIONALLY. I have a giant bottle of canola oil at the office for the big shredder, I use the branded oil at home. The amount of shredding most offices do is enough to warrant using vegetable oil since more than likely by the end of of a typical maintenance cycle, the oil is long gone from the blades and feeding mechanism.
Do not use olive oil, corn oil, cottonseed, peanut, palm, or ANY vegetable oil with an odor. Unless you want your shredder smelling like food, stay away from any vegetable oil with a distinct odor. Canola oil is the best substitute for branded oil. Also look for lower grade canola cooking oil, the ones you often find in thrift stores or 99 cent stores. It should look more "watery" than viscous.
If you think Fellowes is taking you for a ride in selling shredder oil, think again. It's like someone mixing food coloring and water to make "ink" for their printer. Sure the price is way more than it should be, but that also doesn't make the home alternative absolutely correct all the time. Use the Fellowes oil if you shred papers ocasionally and pretty much find yourself oiling once in two weeks. One 12 ounce bottle should last you QUITE a long time. If you're in a heavy office or shredding daily, then go for the canola oil alternative. The last thing you want is to have sticky, smelly blades that have rancid vegetable oils on them.
Fellowes oil has no odor and is quite "watery". If I could buy this stuff cheap in the gallons, I would for all my shredders. Vegetable oils have the caveats I mentioned above, but they DO work if you're in a pinch or trying to save some money.
As a side note, always use shredder bags when possible. They save you from dealing with the "dust" that shredders create. And yes, you can use generic 4-11 gallon trash bags instead of "shredder" bags! That's ok.
I have a Staples 15-sheet shredder for which I purchased the Fellowes lubricant oil. After a single thorough application, the shredder gradually returned to its optimum performance. I used the generic office store brand oil before, and it seems that Fellowes lubricant delivers a difference you can hear.
I spoke with Fellowes, they say it's OK to use regular cooking vegetable oil (canola, etc.) in their machines, but only temporarily, not in the long run, because regular vegetable oil may become sticky and start smelling rancid. I'll stick with the dedicated oil and give it just 4 stars since there exists an alternative. I will, however, give Fellowes 5 stars for their candor. Also, as others have pointed out, be careful not to cut too big a chunk of the dispenser nozzle's tip, so you won't waste oil when oiling your machine.
This is the best priced shredder lubricant out there and it's from a shredder manufacturing company. Though there are other options to lubricate your shredder (such as lubricated paper), there is no substitute for the real thing. All you do is pour this directly onto your shredder and it will keep the blades from rusting and losing it's edge. Recommended for any shredder (not just confetti-cut as it is being advertised as)
My wife and I shred just about everything, but you only need a few drops each time you change the bag. If I am still alive when this bottle is empty, then I will consider myself lucky. Maybe we can put it in the will for our grandchildren someday.'
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