Shredder wont turn on FIX!

[@IjeomaThePlantMama]

Like a lot of other viewers, it was the safety tab for me!! I was putting the top part down the wrong way so the tab wasn't being engaged. Flipped it around and it turned right on! THANK YOU for getting right to the point!!

[@baybeari]

Thank you so much! Just watching this video gave me the courage to look harder, when I was just about to throw my shredder out!!! Women, heads up! Don't be afraid of taking things apart, especially if you are going to throw them away, anyway. I think we have been taught that it is too hard to do, but it isn't! If it turns out to be broken, you can still throw it away, but you have learned something, in the meantime. I fixed two electric pencil sharpeners that I was going to throw out for NO REASON. And I just saved my self about $100 or more for a shredder. Thank you for making these KZbin vidoes, everyone!

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

+baybeari glad it helped. Keep up the good work!

[@miriambucholtz9315]

This is the first thing I'm going to look at when I take mine apart. It did work again, briefly, when I plugged it in, so I suspect something of this nature. Seeing what to do is immensely helpful, as my father would never teach me much about anything electronic; he probably thought I'd burn the house down or blow something up. I did work as an apartment building superintendent several years ago, so I'm fairly used to taking things apart (especially plumbing) and, hopefully, fixing them.

[@yashmenpara8311]

Everything was working, green light was on including reverse but 'auto' would not turn on. I unscrew the top part and looked under cutter blade. It was jammed thick with paper shreds. It was so jammed and thick that I had to use plier to pull everything out. Now auto sensor is working. I learn hard way not to use too many papers

[@cactususan]

Yup! The tab was jammed. SO simple, but I needed the step-by-step walk-thru. Thanks!

[@donnastolz1488]

Thanks - I have the same shredder as you showed in this video; checked everything you recommended and now my shredder works again. No need to toss and buy a new one.

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

@@donnastolz1488 this is the best! Sorry I didn't see this for three years 😂

[@edavanzo296]

Thank you so very much for the tip on checking the safety mechanism - In my case, that was the culprit! You saved me from the expense of a window replacement...you got it...that's the direction I planned on throwing my Fellowes Powershred W10c!

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

glad i could help!! money

[@billclark8241]

I got your "window replacement" joke before reading your clarification. Very funny. I have learned that open windows tend to break less often ;-)

[@Serenity44754]

Ha! Bought a new shredder because mine totally stopped. Set aside the old one for junk or trying to fix it in the future. Happened upon your video and thought I would give it a try. It is a Champion WQ83Mi. Tried it again, first, to make sure it was still dead. Unplugged it!! Opened it up and couldn't find a fuse, but I did locate the safety latch, which was totally different from the one you showed. I jiggled the latch around a bit with the screwdriver, but there was nothing that could be removed or adjusted. So, I closed it all up again and just for kicks tried turning it on and lo and behold it worked again. Nice and strong too. Now I have two, lol. Thanks for your video!

[@thekoozreviews]

Love the speed of this video I’m putting a like on this video even if I don’t get it fixed, I hate those videos where I got a fast forward two minutes if somebody trying to show their face and get camera time and all that garbage, appreciate this video. Thanks.

[@heatherwright6853]

That is fantastic! My Staples cross shredder just wouldn't work. Fine when I put it away last time but now does nothing at all: not even reverse. Your introductory list was what I needed. There _is_ a safety tab. Who knew? Jabbed it a couple of times (with a letter opener: not plugged in or switched on, obviously) to make sure it wasn't stuck, and tried again. Like magic. Thanks again.

[@raymondmartinezjr7718]

After cleaning and vacuuming out the motor cabinet, cleaning all the sensors, and verifying that the interlock switch is working the shredder still wouldn't power up. My next step was to turn to the internet for a schematic for my unit. No luck. Finally, I found your video. Your tips got me to pull the small circuit board off and lo and behold, there was the blown fuse! Thanks for your video. It was a great help. Cheers..

[@anitamckenzie7755]

And can you buy new fuses for shredders

[@candujal]

WOW this entire time I thought my shredder was broken and it was just the safety tab that seemed to be stuck. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

Today was a good day ☺️

[@joeyjojo5]

Thanks for posting! Didn't realize there was a "safety tab". thought my shredder was broken and was about to throw it out. Works great now

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

@@joeyjojo5 glad to hear, three years later, still got it?

[@poppyalexwest]

Thanks so much we have a proaction shredder. Unscrewed the unit. Located the switch under a PCB board. Took out screws and re sited the inner switch into the outer switch housing . Now working perfectly!!

[@filmcult3778]

Thank you much! I was all paranoid thinking someone broke my f'ing new shredder. Turns out your tip on making sure the little safety button is pressed when it rests on the shredder bin was the fix. My particular shredder, WM675XB, had the back lip (where the safety button sits inside of) of the shredder mechanism, was coming down inside the bin, so that the safety button was not even getting pressed. The fix was simply to handle the shredder and make sure the lip went over the bin as it came to rest on it. See, I thought the safety button was on the side of the shredder. It's not, it's on the back side behind a plastic lip. Thanks! My little shredder is lots of fun and kills time even if it's not a heavy duty office shredder, it shreds roughly about 45 minutes, just enough for my personal needs.

[@filmcult3778]

and after shredding spam mail and other papers; I will take the shredded paper and put water into its bin and let that sit overnight. Then I will take a paint blender bit and spin that on my drill, mashing up the shredded papers to hell. Drain that, stick it in the outside dumpster. Even if that's overkill on shredding unwanted papers, it's a great way to stave off a few hours. There's some videos floating around on youtube about taking your papers and totally destroying them with water and a drill.

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

+Film Cult nice! Thanks for the good words and for sharing!

[@peteohm]

Film Cult q

[@insomniacryan9916]

Fixed my shredder in under 60 seconds. Total MVP.

[@HimakaCapersCreator]

Thank you so much I thought I broke the shredder (my dad would have been mad at me), turns out it was overheated, had pieces stuck and also I didn't place it the right way. After seeing the video I unplugged it I replaced the bag and then placed the shredder back on top and it snapped then I plugged it back in and it turned on. Lesson learned: Do not overheat a shredder trust me it has happened before. I used to work at the science materials resource center and they had 2 huge shredders that shredded a ton of paperwork. Before you ask no I don't work there any more I got moved and trained to a different place before graduating that program.

[@muzickmind]

Thanks for mentioning the safety tab! I had set the shredder on the basket backwards. Turn it around and voila!

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

+Sandra Jones glad I could help!

[@eyelandgal1]

I have the same issue I just don't recall where the safety switch should be positioned

[@vicO1323]

I did the same thing, thanks for not taking 20 minutes to explain these tips.

[@lilal8848]

Dude you saved me from buying another shredder. It was the safety tab that needed prodding. Turned right on after I fiddled with it. And I'm surprised it still worked after I yeeted it into the trashcan, my bad lol. Thanks again.

[@notmiyavi7313]

YOU SAVED MY LIFE. MY MOM WOULD'VE KILLED ME. IT WAS THE SAFETY TAB ❤❤

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

1up :)

[@changela78]

Thank you! You solved my problem in the first few seconds. Didn't know there was a safety tab!

[@sillymoth]

Glad I found this. Slightly different issue but inspired me to try stuff. I don't have a power switch like this. Just a sliding switch with options forward, auto, off and reverse. Seems a poor design and the off position should be at the end. Inside i could not access the back of this as it's covered by the circuit board. However, I did notice a thin stiff metal strip sticking out. This was meant to be held down by a small plastic tab with a screw on the side. Maybe the vibrations during use had loosened the tab or screw just enough to slide away from making contact. I repositioned the tab and tightened the screw a little to hold it in place. All functions now work. Couldn't even power on before. I was about to chuck it, so very happy.

[@Sambaman66]

I was about to buy a new one, but watched your video and got mine going again! Thanks for the advice!

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

@@Sambaman66 this is the best! Thanks for the kind words, I'm glad to hear another shredder has been saved!

[@loralynstaples5483]

I almost threw my shredder away.....it was the simple saftey switch that was blocked. THANK YOU!

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

Glad I could help!

[@damonb4051]

Thanks, when you said safety tab, that did it. I looked at the lid and the can and discovered the lid fits on so that a fin on the can fits into a slot on the lid. Once I did that, boom, it worked! Thanks!

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

+Damon B glad I could help!!

[@zainy25]

Thanks a lot, it was a safety tab, you saved me from buying new shedder xx

[@jb3636]

You had me at safety tab. KZbin has made me lazy! Oh but the pain off 2 hours later....if it wasn't my safety tab. Thanks so much.

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

Glad I could help :)

[@Donnarico123]

Was just going to buy a new shredder but the safty tab wasnt lined up and didnt click. Fixed now, Thank You

[@hiddenrainn]

Thanks for the suggestion! Mine overheated and i thought that was it, but i found your video talking about a sensor. I got rid of all the paper stuck on the shedder and waited close to an hour to cool it down. Decided to slam shut the basket for the shedder paper and i guess the sensor was stuck. It works now~!

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

Glad I could help!

[@jenniferagema2756]

Solved my problem in less than 30 seconds. Thank you!

[@CodewithLeanne]

Amazing! The lid was on the wrong way so the safety catch wasn’t opening 🤦🏻‍♀️ Thank you!

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

Glad I could help!

[@patriciawilson2512]

You are amazing! Thank you for saving me money! I didn't have to buy a new one because of this video:)

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

Glad I could help!

[@bigchainring1977]

Safety tab was not engaging when the heavy top part was set down on the bin..ty for the video

[@itubedv]

I was about to throw this brand new shredder away because of the safety button!! The moment I flipped it around on the basket it clicked! Fixed!

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

itubedv glad you were able to figure it out! :)

[@bbkingme]

Hahahaha me too! I watched the video, after not using the shredder for two years, and discovered my safety tab is bent, but also I had a plastic bag in there to collect the shreds, and that was covering up the safety tab! Ain't we a bunch of dolts! You, sir, are awesome!!!

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

Because you didn't trash your shredder for two years, you are awesomerer

[@kwasidapaah8383]

Me too, it was the safety tab

[@karishmakkumar6160]

Hello, How did you fix the safety tab? The plastic needed to click the safety tab is broken in my case. Thanks for any info.

[@twilomix]

I have 1 of the bonsaii models , and the blue light is blinking even with the bin tray inserted.. Amy help as it's a new machine

[@Johnsmith-wh1sx]

Thank you so much just found a over jammed shredder I opened it up I'm jammed itput it back together and would not turn on I was about to give up until I seen your video about it having to be in the basket I'm sure enough that was my problem thank you

[@WayneMaugans]

Thanks man! You just saved me like $300! Really appreciated this video!

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

Glad I could help :)

[@CENTAUR559]

I have a staples spl tmc16a shredder with a red anti jam light that disables the printer. Took it apart cleaned up the sensors but not sure what is going on. I'm able to hold down the fwd and Rev buttons and it spins, so it's not jammed. I just dont know how to check which sensor it is or how to fix it. Help

[@CENTAUR559]

Is the sensor that sensitive?

[@CENTAUR559]

Figured it out. It was a bad Ir bulb. Unfortunately I left the shredder connected when soldering the new one on and it sparked. Won't turn on now. I'm not sure what piece to check now. I hope I didn't fry it. But it was just the ground and power for the bulb that connected so I'm not sure what resistor or whatever could have blown or how to test/check

[@jodicooper9481]

The hidden screw under the sticker saved us! Could not figure out why it would not come off. thanks Bunches!

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

+Jodi Cooper glad I could help!

[@jodicooper9481]

+TRY to HELP you Thanks.

[@spencernadeau]

Safety tab was in fact the problem, thank you!

[@cysenberg7]

Thanks for the safety tab part in the first 20 seconds lol... just had to turn the shredder around...

[@sanjayjoseph5280]

Thanks, I was very close to chucking my shredder in the bin!

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

YES! glad i could help

[@dennisboudreau7294]

I checked all those issues but still no go. You didn't say much about the fuse. Where is it and can it be replaced

[@MsDpv88]

Wow, I did not realize that there was a connection. I had put the basket on not realizing there was a it needed to be on a specific way. Thanks

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

@@MsDpv88 super glad I could help :)

[@jW-qx4qd]

Yup! That's what happed to my shredder. Little plastic tab on top of my shredder drawer that pushes the safety tab tore, so I blued it with Gorilla glue and glued some plastic card pieces behind it to reinforce it. Hopefully it will stay. Thank you!

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

Glad I could help :)

[@karishmakkumar6160]

Did that work for you? I have the same issue.

[@lilbitl8019]

You saved me $$$$. I've had my printer apart like 11teen times lol, THE HUBBY SAID JUST THROW IT OUT AND GET A NEW ONE ... I unscrewed every screw possible, oiled it, reversed, TOOK THINGS (I should've and panicked when I could not get something together right away lol) APART etc.. and poof it was the safety tab. Ours got bent and a miner crack... THANK YOU SO MUCH..

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

SUPER glad to hear that you got it fixed :) glad i could help!

[@ab6ixblindforloveismyultja641]

Thanks! It was the safety/sensor button for me. It wasn’t depressing enough.

[@ab6ixblindforloveismyultja641]

Wow this is the first time I’ve seen bots reply to each other/working in tandem.

[@AlphaMaleTexas]

What about the Micheal Graves shredder mine does not power up?

[@elizabethnolf2461]

got my answer within 30 secs THANK YOU

[@HB-ct8hh]

I can't locate the safety switch to replace for my Office max shredder modal om99732. Got any ideas?

[@skylarderrig6125]

Mines brand new out of the box and won't turn on .it says the bin is open or not in but it is

[@lhbarksdale3]

My ATIVA shredder “quit working “ on me! After watching the video I was ready to toss it out! Then I thought of my cousin, you know the “semi-comedienne!” She said, “The reason why I don’t dust is because we are all dust and she didn’t want to disturb anybody’s relative!” Funny! Ha! Ha! Safety #1-Unplug the unit from the wall! So I decided to use my small vacuum cleaner to clean out my shredder. Then dusted with a “dust cloth” and surprise-it worked! Oh- the bucket/ basket must be inserted properly for the safety switch to operate correctly! Happy 2019!

[@malibutonymalibutony]

My Shredder Works in reverse but will not take new pages in to shred them, any advice? Thank you

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

Did you try the safety pin?

[@malibutonymalibutony]

@@TRYtoHELPyou like pressing in a reset button somewhere?

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

No, there should be a safety pin so it knows when you have set the thing on the can (as mentioned in the video)

[@eileenharder2473]

Yup safety tab needed prodding. You just saved me $50

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

And less space taken up at the junkyard too! Glad I could help!

[@cloudfantastic1453]

Thanks the safety switch just needed jiggled now works.

[@averagenetfool]

Chock up another safety tab "repair". Thanks!

[@user-pl7lr5dn8q]

i was about to take it apart and i saw that part about the thing it connects to inside and now it works. damn tech almost fooled me! lol

[@iiking7772]

mine is a brand new $350 staples 24 sheet shredder and i only shredded about 2 pieces of paper so far. i tried to turn it on tonight and the light was not lighting up or anything

[@jenjerx]

Why does my paper shredder operate in reverse only? This likely has to do with the Auto run sensor of your shredder not being engaged correctly. On small shredders, the sensor is normally a mechanical sensor, which looks like a plastic bar or lever in the very center of the mouth of the shredder, (Where you normally insert the paper). When shredding small documents, such as checks or receipts, be sure that you are inserting the paper directly over this sensor. If that doesn't seem to be the problem, you may want to check to be sure that no paper is stuck underneath this sensor. If you can see small amounts of paper, with the shredder turned off, use a needle nosed pliers, tweezers or toothpick to try to remove small amounts of debris from below this mechanical sensor. All other shredders will have an electronic sensor. These sensors are also located in the very center of the mouth of the shredder, and look like small glass beads or marbles. These are the photo sensors that sense if paper is being inserted into the shredder. As with the mechanical sensor, paper must be inserted in the very center for the shredder to detect paper. If you need additional assistance, or if the above solutions did not solve your problem, please contact us by clicking on the "Ask a Question" tab above. You should expect a reply within 1 business day. For fastest service, please be sure to include you serial number in your question.

[@polarexpress_fr]

Thanks for your help! I got mine to work by clearing out a few pieces of stuck credit card plastic in the teeth.

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

Glad I could help!

[@yopaljeff]

Lol I had this thing completely disassembled. Your very first tip was the solution.. Was just a safety tab that needed to be pressed down...

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

Glad I could help!

[@paschen94]

What about the top button? The back one is fine the top one I think is broken

[@irisabdullah1526]

You’re awesome! Thank you! It was my safety tab!

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

Glad I could help!

[@futuresuperstar4life]

Mine works in reverse but not in auto! Is this normal because this is the second shredder this has happened to..

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

There is a sensor in the middle of the slot. It has to sense that a piece of paper is present or else it won't feed. Make sure you are feeding from center. Also, try doing the step where you try to pry out any items, make sure it's unplugged tho!

[@michelleabruscato5663]

My shredder says it's out of alignment...what do I do??

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

Sounds like you have something jammed in it, try to find something in there jamming it and pry it out. Some large items jamming the thing can cause mis-alignment

[@michelleabruscato5663]

I cleared the jam...thats how it got out of alighnment

[@1943vermork]

FYI my shredder Omnitech OT-EMC-10A is equipped with a dc motor. Found out the bride was shorted which blow up the fuse. Another guy on YT found the forward/reverse relay was shorted. Unfortunately for me, it was too late when I figured out. I had destroyed beyond repair.

[@manojnair1709]

thank you for the nice informative short video

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

Thank you for the nice super cool comment

[@gingerniau5790]

It won't turn on? Insignia 6 cross cut.

[@mysteriousbynature]

Thank you! It was the safety tab!

[@KingsMom831]

Great video! Thanks 😊

[@badmf107]

Simple but helpful video, thanks for putthing this together.

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

Glad I could help!

[@jennawoo5586]

but I cannot open it. how can i open it...???

[@bobsutton4791]

My shredder goes / works in revers ..but will not go in the shredding mode ...

[@user-tk8fi4hk3y]

I checked the sensor in the middle and it is working. I removed all the paper jams and the tray is empty but it still won't work in the forward position. Please help.

[@playingasyolas7033]

Thank you. This video is very helpful.

[@MarcWoolfson]

Rocker switch fixed! Thanks!

[@olugbengaajayi2039]

Thank you so much. This is really helpful

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

Glad I could help :)

[@paulinejones6099]

Safety was stuck , thank you

[@pedroguns45]

This videos amazing, big thumbs up!!

[@juiice]

Thank you! It was the safety tab on mine.

[@frankdavidson9675]

mine wont turn off in auto then it gets hot have to unplug

[@orangeprincess7333]

or if you got impatient and put 30+ pieces of paper keep reversing and take scissors to cut the jammed paper and keep cutting put in reverse then auto and it’s all cleared!!!

[@jumbella]

Hey it worked. Thank you so much. :)

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

Glad I could help. To this day, this is still our shredder. Been years and is still going strong. A fix can last a while and I hope it does for you!

[@jumbella]

@@TRYtoHELPyou :) Yes it was the safety tab. And its now perfect. I was freaking out as this was a replacement for a previous one that "died". It was literally the safety tab was not happy with the plastic bag insert. I realised that the plastic bag must have curled up interfering with the tab. So I am very grateful as was thinking that I would have to buy another one. :)

[@FenixBlade911]

This was a great help! Thanks!

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

+FenixBlade911 glad I could help!

[@ericdeford]

Safety tab fixed it. Thanks!

[@Bodragon]

the safety switch is the first thing to check/test. I came here hoping for some technical help. I was cruelly disappointed.

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

+Bodragon please link a better video

[@Bailey-p1v]

I cannot get it to work

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

I wish I could help but sometimes things are just broken for good.

[@hodythum1938]

Thank you so much, it works now!

[@mukeshmicks]

Thanks 😊 you saved me money.

[@denisforster7761]

Thank you it was the safety sensor awesome 😄

[@blueskygal255]

Safety tab was it. many thx!

[@mustic1234]

Thank you, I was about to throw my shredder out.

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

Glad I could help :)

[@HyfeeBoy]

+1 Safety Tab. thought i may have overheated the unit

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

Boom! Another one doesn't bite the dust!

[@saikofukuyo973]

Another thank you! Safety tab!

[@CineRocco]

Thanks! Got it going again!

[@patrickjoseph3618]

Mine got overheated, and when the switch is on "Auto" on it buzzes loudly. The relay on the control PC board is buzzing because the coil is not being charged with a good dc voltage. Two of the high wattage resistors are fried so bad that you cannot read the color code.

[@daniellebrackett4905]

So helpful, thank you!

[@jeffreykoczela7091]

Love it. Well done.

[@wookaraoke]

The light goes on but then nothing......

[@shassan5565]

Was helpful. Thank you!

[@SANE43]

it was safety tab for me. thx

[@lisabaxter7786]

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