The WLT 2024 electric shredder

[NeotarDrew]

Re: the new electric ES2024 WLT shredder, this thing is a beast and works great, but it came with no instructions on how to clean it. Does anyone here know what's up? On the website it's mentioned in bold print to use hot water over e.g., vodka, etc., but with no explanation as to exactly how.

Do we have to take this thing apart to clean it?

Any info would be great - thanks

 

[pottsS]

That looks great. I don't have it, I didn't know it was available yet! Anyways, the trick to keeping a shredder clean is shredding the tobacco dry and casing it after shredding if it needs moisture. My converted paper shredder has done over 40# and all I have ever done is vacuum it. They sell cleaner sheets for cleaning paper cutters but I have never used them. I learned with my first shredder that it is best to avoid gumming them up. It seems like I used a mixture of soapy water and vinegar to clean the gum off my first shredder...but that looks like a shredder that I would want to avoid taking apart to clean!

 

[deluxestogie]

If you shred any variety of leaf other than flue-cured or some Orientals, then the cutters will get gummy. Others will need to chime-in here with their cleaning methods, since I do not use a shredder.

Bob

 

[pottsS]

I'll try to link you to the post I read when I realized I needed to shred drier than I thought...there are a lot of helpful comments, but Bob is probably right...I do just shred oriental and most likely flue cured. I really can't help you on how to access the rollers to clean them on the ES204 and the link won't help you either, but it does give some insight into how to operate to avoid it. The latest paper shredder was well used when I got it. Contrary to popular opinion paper does gum when envelopes, glossy paper ect are shredded. I can just take the top off my paper shredder and lift the cutters out, but even so I spent a lot of time with a dental pick and a small brush getting them clean. I stand by my advise to do all you can to avoid the need to clean
https://fairtradetobacco.com/threads/an-alternative-opinion-on-shredder-maintenance.10235/

 

[NeotarDrew]

Thanks so far, but it would be cool to find out more. A competing company also recommends putting a thin bead of vegetable oil through the blades every-so-often. I did this when we had a normal paper shredder back in the day, but to spend hundreds of dollars on a product with no instructions in weird to me. Hopefully someone will see this thread who will know. We can't be the only sale they made on this unit.

 

[FmGrowit]

You should have gotten an instruction sheet with the shredder. We had 100 of these shredders made as a test run. There are a couple of minor issues with the shredder that will be addressed with the next batch. Because it is an electric device, we have to tell you not to use water or any other liquid to clean the cutters. The shredders have few moving parts, so there isn't much to explain.
Strip the tobacco. Do not put the mid-rib in the shredder.
Turn the shredder on in the forward direction. You'll know it's in forward by the direction the cutters turn.
Put the tobacco in the shredder.
If the shredder becomes jammed, switch it to reverse to free the jam.
It's pretty much just common sense stuff like that.

I can write pages of safety warnings to go with the shredder, but this takes time and money. Does anyone want to pay to read things they already know?

 

[NeotarDrew]

It's pretty much just common sense stuff like that.

Of course, what would be better said is just how to clean it. Using it is no big deal. On the website it's mentioned to use hot water vs. spirits, etc. and that's what we were wondering. It's a kick ass shredder for sure, but after some time it'll be ready to clean and pouring hot water in the thing (even propped up at an angle over a big bowl, e.g.) is what my post was about. After reading all the material on the website, it's a bit vague and seems not to apply to this particular model. Any help in this would be awesome, as there's nothing online or any vids to research, only for hand cranks where you can take the things apart. We had written an email but got no response, bc we wanted to clarify what was on the site about cleaning & whether it applied to this new(er) model.

Thanks for any help!

 

[FmGrowit]

A customer has been testing this new electric shredder since we got it. He has it hooked up to a voltage/amp meter so he can monitor the draw. When the shredder starts drawing more amps, that would indicate the shredder is working harder, indicating that the cutters are becoming dirty. At last report, after 6 months of shredding tobacco, there was no appreciable increase in amps. He said that after running 12 pounds of tobacco through the shredder, it does not need to be cleaned.

Again, this is an electrical device. We CANNOT tell you to run hot water over the cutters to clean them...if they ever need to be cleaned. Nowhere on the website does it suggest to use hot water or spirits on the shredders.

I don't know what else to tell you.

 

[ShiniKoroshi]

A customer has been testing this new electric shredder since we got it. He has it hooked up to a voltage/amp meter so he can monitor the draw. When the shredder starts drawing more amps, that would indicate the shredder is working harder, indicating that the cutters are becoming dirty. At last report, after 6 months of shredding tobacco, there was no appreciable increase in amps. He said that after running 12 pounds of tobacco through the shredder, it does not need to be cleaned.

Again, this is an electrical device. We CANNOT tell you to run hot water over the cutters to clean them...if they ever need to be cleaned. Nowhere on the website does it suggest to use hot water or spirits on the shredders.

I don't know what else to tell you.

Is the new model easy to disassemble (remove the cutters from the frame)?

 

[FmGrowit]

I guess it depends on how mechanically inclined you are. I would not recommend disassembling the shredders.

 

[ShiniKoroshi]

I guess it depends on how mechanically inclined you are. I would not recommend disassembling the shredders.

Well, that may be ok if the price is right. But if Im dropping more than a Benny then it needs to be serviceable.

 

[pottsS]

The price is right...are there any electric shredders on the market where you can just lift the cutters out and throw them in the dishwasher? How much do those shredders cost?

 

[ShiniKoroshi]

The price is right...are there any electric shredders on the market where you can just lift the cutters out and throw them in the dishwasher? How much do those shredders cost?

Not that I am aware of. All I said is that it needs to be serviceable. But after looking at what is available I can't really see what the issue is. Start removing screws until it falls apart, clean, reverse order. Simple as.

 

[NeotarDrew]

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Hi all. Thanks for the replies! Above is a screen capture from the WLT website (https://wholeleaftobacco.com/wiki/cigarettes).

This is all we were wanting to know & clarify. The bold print is on the site. We did not add it in.

Regards everyone, and have a nice holiday!

 

[deluxestogie]

I wrote the Wiki for WLT about 5 years ago. Those were the recommendations at that time. I no longer have access to the updated WLT site, and can no longer edit it. Be safe.

Bob

 

[WillQuantrill]

Unboxed mine today thanks to my lovely wife for Christmas and while I read the instructions operation was pretty intuitive. Kind of surprised at the weight for its size but I can appreciate that is indicative of higher grade materials than my pot-metal hand shredders. Really happy with mine and enjoying using it, but I think if you have ever hand shredded fair bits of tobacco you could appreciate this machine.

 

[FmGrowit]

View attachment 54141

- - - - -

Hi all. Thanks for the replies! Above is a screen capture from the WLT website (https://wholeleaftobacco.com/wiki/cigarettes).

This is all we were wanting to know & clarify. The bold print is on the site. We did not add it in.

Regards everyone, and have a nice holiday!

The WIKI page developer and I had a disagreement before the publication was complete. Please disregard this recommendation. Not every written word is Gospel.

There's a lot of valuable information on the WIKI page, but perhaps it's time to remove it.

 

[deluxestogie]

Rather than remove the Wiki, perhaps just edit that paragraph on cleaning shredders.

Bob

 

[adamziegler]

time to remove it

If you mean the wiki, please don't... That wiki is part of the reason I became a member here and have making purchases from WLT.

 

[Jayatflorida]

I was trying to take a picture of the instructions that came with Dons new electric shredder that states to clean with running hot water without soaps. It keeps saying the image is to large though.