Contents
Genie 755 AFX, 5 sheets / 75 sheets AutoFeed, safety level P-4, 21 litres test
First impression
Genie 755afx 4x40mm Cross-Cut Shredder: Most shredders have (only) one slot (for paper), and some have a second slot for CDs/DVDs. The more comfortable ones have an auto-feed, which relieves the user of the annoying paper insertions. So does the Genie 755afx – it feeds the paper independently and then cuts sheet by sheet. The Genie brand has built a well-thought-out solution – the target group here is only and exclusively home office customers who often have a bit more paper to cut.
So that you don’t have to stand at the shredder for a long time to count the paper into small, counted packets and insert them, you use the automatic processing via the auto-feed and the user can quickly get back to his main tasks.
A flap covers the second insertion slot and makes the Genie 755afx appear compact and closed – in addition, the almost 3.5 kg lightweight can be moved with a practical carrying handle.
Next to the manual insertion slot for (single) sheets – maximum 5 sheets (80 gsm) – is a flap with the auto feeder, which holds a stack of a maximum of 75 sheets of paper and works twice as fast as the one for (single) sheets. The Genie 755 of auto feeder then picks up the paper sheet by sheet from below with the help of plastic rollers and pulls the paper independently into the cutting unit. Once the stack has been inserted, there is no need to wait for the paper to be processed – that is the manufacturer’s plan.
Otherwise, the options are clear – there is a slide switch for the most necessary functions (AUTO/OFF/REV). The corresponding LEDs indicate “overheating”, “overload” corresponding to paper jam, and “bin full” – whereby “bin full” strikes a little early. The paper shreds can be knocked over to make room in the tray – otherwise, about 250 sheets of snippets will fit in. With a slight shake of the shredding pile and a squeeze, up to 280 sheets will fit.
Genie 755afx 4x40mm Cross Cut Shredder Product information
Tester knowledge
It is especially the automatic processing of the 75 pages of 80 gsm paper that sets the device apart. Unfortunately, other document shredders with auto feeders are much quieter and faster – if you throw single sheets into the manual slot, it takes around 19 seconds. If you use a maximum of 5 sheets per pass (80 gsm), it takes 21 seconds. After a maximum of 5 minutes of continuous output (or 138 pages), a cooling-off period of at least 24 minutes is then due.
The whole process is accompanied by the noise of 73 dB (idle) and 71 dB with paper contact.
According to the manufacturer, paper clips or staples must be removed – at least that’s what the 25-page multilingual manual says.
The procedure is somewhat different with the auto feeder – here the Genie 755 AFX works at almost twice the speed – no wonder since only single sheets are fed. After about 7.5 minutes, the 75 sheets are processed. After 85 pages, a cool-down break is also “demanded” here – or 8 minutes of continuous auto-feed.
Genie 755afx 4x40mm Cross Cut Shredder Review
What puts the Genie 755 AFX out of “step” are stapled pages, as they occur in every office. The manual feed slot doesn’t mind – according to the manufacturer, but the auto feeder then quickly gets stuck because the rubberized rollers are not strong enough to separate the paper and pull it individually into the cutting rollers. The pages get caught and stuck. Then it’s a case of tearing off the paper, switching off the machine, and switching it on again in the REV position. The motor pushes the paper remnants (partially) out again. What remains has to be pulled out. Fortunately, this worked reasonably well in our tests, i.e. we were able to clear these paper jam situations with the described procedure in 6 out of 9 tests. In the remaining tests, we had to remove the paper remnants with knitting needles and flat-nose pliers when the machine was switched off. What happens quite often is that the first 20 or so pages are fed in cleanly and then smaller packets slip right down. This blocks the transport rollers and we have had to fish out some of the remnants. What regularly helps against this problem are:
- load only one type of paper (only 70 gsm or 80 gsm – do not mix).
- push the paper open before inserting it and place it straight in the auto feeder.
- align the sheets and blow on them to loosen them / separate them from each other.
The catch basket of the Genie 755 AFX has a capacity of 21 liters, which is large enough for a paper volume of around 250 sheets, so you don’t have to keep running to the waste paper bin. The security level P-4 means that each A4 sheet produces over 420 shreds measuring 4 x 40 mm. Around 280 sheets will fit if you press the stack of paper together by hand as soon as you see “the shreds mountain” in the fill level window – or first give the shredder a good push so that the paper shreds dissolve. Unfortunately, the Genie 755AFX has no drawer or bottom rollers, so you always have to remove the entire top section to empty it. Paper shreds tend to fall out of the cutter when you do this. But due to the lightweight of just under 3.5 kg, floor castors would also be an unnecessary luxury. In short, we can recommend the Genie 755 AFX with restrictions because of the auto feeder.
Coming to the single/few sheets processing – if you spontaneously want to shred only 5 pages of paper, you can directly insert a small stack of a maximum of 5 sheets (80 gsm) – very practical.
However, the manual insertion slot has reached its physical upper limit even with 5 sheets. This amount is cut up much more slowly, so the amount of paper should be the exception. Otherwise, the Genie 755 AFX stops working after 5 minutes of continuous use for less than 25 minutes. 5 sheets per pass make the temperature in the Genie 755afx rise very quickly, both perceptibly and measurably. This is an advantage if the auto feeder transports without problems. If the Genie overheats – just wait, once it has cooled down again, it will start working again on its own.
Under no circumstances should glossy or parchment paper ends up in the auto feeder. Formats other than A4 reliably cause paper jams – the auto feeder is very sensitive to this.
Cutting performance
Once you have 75 sheets of 80gsm paper ready, you insert the stack and the machine works through – without a break. In case of overheating, the Genie 755 AFX starts automatically after cooling down and continues until the end.
We consider this type of “paper shredding in sections” to be acceptable because no one has to intervene. Paper jams occasionally occurred in our test device because the stack of paper slipped and several sheets had to be transported at the same time. Single/multi-folded paper is also problematic. This should be avoided at all costs. Glossy paper (e.g. advertising flyers or similar) was sometimes not transported because they are probably too slippery for the rollers. In this case, the leaflet/flyer has to be inserted directly into the manual slot – so it’s not an unsolvable problem if you know that.
What we liked
+ good concept of “insert and forget” paper processing
+ Lightweight and compact (3.5 kg), with a carrying handle, it fits under any desk
+ Processing speed via auto feeder very good – very slow via single sheet slot
+ Viewing window and bin sensor for paper shreds level
What we did not like
– Auto feeder does not always transport faultlessly
– Upper part/cutting head must be lifted off for emptying
– Processing speed via single/few-sheet slot very slow (approx. 20 sec. per sheet)
– No slot for CDs/DVDs or credit cards
– Paper scraps tend to fall out of the cutting unit onto the floor when emptying the machine
Conclusion
The Genie 755 AFX is not at all suitable for shredding files for hours on end, as it needs breaks every 5 minutes (manual slot) to 8 minutes (auto feeder) to cool down – then 24 minutes each time.
Genie 755afx 4x40mm Cross Cut Shredder Review
The Genie 755 AFX is very well suited for a home office – but not for a small office because even small deviations in the paper (auto feeder) cause problems – the auto feeder needs to be handled very carefully.
Another disadvantage is, that we always had to lift the cutting head to empty it. The fact that the “container full” sensor strikes too early is also the case with other shredders. The only thing that helps is to knock on it from time to time, but you can see the paper cuttings level in the viewing window.
For the price, this is a recommendable device for the home office, with some restrictions (auto feeder).
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