The shipping box came damaged, but the shredder survived with no damage, although with one screw displaced. That missing internal screw allows the head to be lifted, and with a little dexterity one can insert a hand in the gears. While that's a potential hazard
(blood tends to make the confetti sticky), I view it as an unexpected benefit, since I can shut off the power and reach inside to clear a jam (and I am smart enough not to risk doing so with the plug in, even if the power switch is off).
I replaced a dead Aurora, which was so much more powerful - except no one will service the Aurora and you can't get parts for it. Moreover, the Aurora crosscut left 2" strips, while the Royal 1610x cuts true confetti.
The Aurora would take 15-16 sheets of paper, while the Royal 1610x struggles with 8.
On the other hand, the Aurora had about a 10" throat, while the Royal 1610x has a 16" throat.
The Aurora was powerful enough to take on staples and paperclips (learned by mistake it digests them very well), while the Royal instructions says avoid both. The Royal doesn't mind munching staples - I'm not inclined to try paperclips.
The Royal bin is made of (bunchacheapskates) cardboard, so it is helpful that I have a central vacuum outlet not far away.
Since the Royal confetti cut is so fine, the large bin holds easily three times the shredded waste the Aurora could.
The Aurora had a 2 minute limit with 4 minutes of cooling. The Royal 1610x doesn't overheat for about an hour. Except for foreign embassies, I'm not sure why anyone would want to push the overheat limit.
I have not found any shredder to be "quiet." Neither my Aurora nor my Royal are "noisy," but you clearly know when they are crunching something.
NOTE: It is possible for a piece of paper or cardboard or something to get into the throat and trigger the Royal motor, but not reach deep enough to engage with the shredder teeth. The motor will continue to run, and if you are not paying attention you may not notice it. Solution is simple: if you can't push it, either turn off the switch until you have something else to shred, or use something disposable (not fingers) to push the stuck piece down so the teeth will engage it.
If you can ignore the relatively minor shortcomings, the Royal appears to be a decent shredder for the price.
