Aurora AU870MA Shredder Review: Is This Micro-Cut Paper Shredder Worth It?

Quick Verdict

The Aurora AU870MA shredder earns its spot on a home office shortlist. P-4 micro-cut performance, an honest 8-sheet capacity, and credit card destruction in one compact unit — that's a reasonable value proposition for anyone tired of hauling sensitive mail to a workplace shredder. I give it a 4.2 out of 5: solid performer, but the 5-minute run ceiling and bin size will frustrate power users.

What Is the Aurora AU870MA?

I unboxed the AU870MA on a rainy Tuesday morning — the kind of day when a stack of bank statements and old utility bills feels especially burdensome. The unit arrived double-boxed, which I appreciated; no shipping damage, no mystery scuff marks. Out of the box, setup took about three minutes: slide the bin in, plug it in, lift the safety flap over the slot.

At its core, the Aurora AU870MA is a micro-cut shredder rated P-4 security. That means it chews paper into confetti-like pieces roughly 5/32 by 15/32 inches — small enough that reassembling anything becomes a genuine headache. It handles up to 8 sheets per pass, pulls credit cards through the dedicated slot, and stores its 3.9-gallon wastebasket in a pull-out drawer at the base. The motor runs about 5 minutes continuously before the thermal cutoff kicks in.

Key Features

• P-4 micro-cut security — pieces too small to reconstruct documents
• 8-sheet capacity per pass; auto-start when paper detects the feed opening
• Dedicated credit card slot alongside the main paper entry
• 5-minute continuous run time with thermal auto shut-off and overheat LED
• Manual reverse function to clear jams without opening the unit
• 3.9-gallon pull-out wastebasket
• Backed by a 1-year Aurora limited warranty

Hands-On Review

By day three I had a rhythm with this thing. Morning mail, junk offers, anything with an account number — it all went in. The auto-start is instant and reliable; the slot literally swallows paper the moment it touches the opening. What surprised me was how quiet it runs. I've used $300+ Fellows shredders that sound like a workshop table saw by comparison. The AU870MA hums, clicks, and spits out confetti — no drama.

I pushed it to 8 sheets exactly as rated, then experimentally tried 9 to see what would happen. Unsurprisingly, it groaned, stalled briefly, then required the reverse button to clear. The reverse function works well — a firm press and held for a second or two, and the paper backed out cleanly. Nothing got trapped permanently.

The 5-minute run limit became apparent around week two, when I tackled a box of old tax documents. Halfway through, the motor stopped and the overheat indicator lit up amber. I let it rest for about 25 minutes and resumed. That interruption was mildly annoying but entirely reasonable — consumer-grade shredders at this price simply aren't built for marathon sessions.

Credit card shredding was a pleasant bonus. I tested three expired cards: two Visa debits and a store credit card. Each fed cleanly through the slot, emerging as a shredded plastic tangle in the bin. The pieces are smaller than the paper confetti, which makes sense given the different material composition.

Who Should Buy It?

The Aurora AU870MA fits neatly into a specific profile:

• Home office workers handling moderate daily shredding — a few statements, junk mail, the occasional envelope with personal info
• Small-business owners who don't produce enough waste to justify a $400+ industrial unit but still need reliable document destruction
• Privacy-conscious households where two or three people share a shredder for routine mail and old paperwork
• Anyone upgrading from a basic strip-cut model who wants genuinely secure disposal without a dramatic price jump

Skip this if you run a busy office where six people need to shred continuously throughout the day — the 5-minute ceiling and small bin will bottleneck your workflow. And if you need P-5 or P-6 high-security destruction for government or medical documents, look at commercial-grade models instead.

Alternatives Worth Considering

If the Aurora AU870MA doesn't quite match your needs, these shredders are worth a look:

• Fellowes Powershred 79Ci — Cross-cut style, 16-sheet capacity, quieter than most, but larger footprint and no dedicated credit card slot
• Amazon Basics 12-Sheet Micro-Cut — Comparable P-4 security at a lower price point, though build quality and run time are noticeably inferior
• Bonsaii Everzero 9-Sheet — Slightly higher capacity, same micro-cut security level, and a notably larger 6-gallon bin — better for moderate home-office workloads

FAQ

Final Verdict

The Aurora AU870MA shredder does exactly what it promises: P-4 micro-cut security, an honest 8-sheet capacity, and the ability to destroy credit cards — all in a compact, reasonably quiet unit. The 5-minute run ceiling and 3.9-gallon bin are real limitations, but they're honest trade-offs at this price. Will I keep using it? Absolutely — with the caveat that I empty the bin every two or three days rather than letting it pile up. For home office document security that won't embarrass you when the warranty kicks in, this one earns a recommendation.