Contents[Hide]

Paper Shredders Buying Guide

Paper shredders are no longer used only by crooked politicians and CEOs covering up scandals.  With identity theft on the rise, shredding your sensitive documents is an excellent preventative measure toward keeping private information from being compromised. You wouldn't throw away your hard drive  with your personal data still on it.  Why take the same risk with your documents? Keep your piece of mind and use this guide to find a paper shredder  of your own. 

Shredder Types

Personal

Personal shredders are intended for somewhat frequent home use.  They can only handle a small amount of paper at a time, and are not typically designed for continuous use.  Most are capable of shredding documents with an occasional staple.  Some come with a warranty. Here are a few popular personal paper shredders:

Heavy Personal Use

(Security Level 2)

The Fellowes PowerShred SB-80  features:

  • Shreds up to 18 sheets per pass into 7/32" strips as fast as 200 sheets per minute .
  • Durable steel cutters that accept credit cards, staples, and paper clips.
  • A designated safety slot accepts CDs.
  • Shredder shuts off and alerts operator when a jam occurs, door is ajar, or if waste basket is full.

Light Personal Use

(Security Level 2)

The Draper 75028  features:

  • Simplistic functions: forward, reverse, or automatic.
  • Shreds up to five pieces of paper at once.
  • 229mm paper width.

Moderate Personal Use

(Security Level 3)

The GBC Shredmaster 960x  features:

  • Shreds up to 10 sheets at a time.
  • Easily shreds staples, paper clips, credit cards and CD/DVDs.
  • Indicator light  for open door and shred bag full.
  • Thermal cut-off prevents overheating.

Commercial

Commercial shredders are generally larger, and are able to shred large amounts of paper at a time.  They are also designed for frequent to continuous use, unlike the personal shredder.  Most can shred staples  and paper clips.   In addition to a warranty, service plans are commonly sold with commercial-grade shredders.  Here are some common commercial-grade paper shredders:

(Security Level 2/3 strip/cross)

The Rexel 2250  features:

  • Cross cut shredding for high security shredding.
  • Auto start / stop.
  • Auto reverse to clear paper jams.
  • Container full indicator.
  • Shreds up to 7 sheets at a time.

(Security Level 4)

The Fellowes MS-460Cs  features:

  • Shreds up to 10 sheets at a time.
  • Accepts floppy disks, CDs, and credit cards.
  • Automatic shut off.
  • Alerts operator when a jam occurs.
  • Shredder stops immediately when hands are too close to paper opening.

(Secutiry Level 5)

The HSM 125.2  features:

  • Shreds up to 25 sheets of paper at a time.
  •  Fully automated.
  • Accepts credit cards, CDs, paper clips and staples.
  • Thermally protected motor.

Cutting Styles

In addition to choosing a shredder type, you also need to decide which cutting style your shredder will use.  While cross-cutting shredders are generally more secure, they also tend to be slower at shredding large amounts of paper.  Shredding style is not everything. W'hen choosing a shredder, t'ry to take other features like shredding speed and paper capacity 'into consideration'.

Strip-Cut

Paper shredders that use strip-cutting shred the paper into thin, long strips.  They provide adequate security for most home and small businesses.  Strip-cut shredders are also capable of shredding more documents at a time because less cutting is involved. These shredders are sometimes referred to as spaghetti-cut shredders. 

  • If a strip-cut shredder is what suits you best, look for one that cuts paper into strips about 1cm (or smaller) in width.

Cross-Cut

Cross-cut paper shredders cut the the paper in a criss-crossing pattern, and offer a higher level of security when destroying documents.  They generally work at a slower rate than strip-cut shredders due to the extra cutting and have smaller limits on how many pieces can be shredded at one time.   These shredders are sometimes referred to as confetti-shredders. 

  • Cross-cut shredders create less volume, which means you won't have to empty the waste basket  as often.

Other Considerations

  • Shredders that have a "Bin Full" indicator are great when a shredder is kept in a cabinet or enclosed space.
    • Most paper jams in shredders occur because of an over-full waste basket.
  • Some shredders have overload protection. If too many sheets of paper are loaded into a shredder, the overload protection will turn the shredder off before the motor is burned out.
  • To avoid early breakdown, look for a shredder that can handle about 25% more paper than you need to shred at one time.
  • Some shredders have an automatic stop/start. This is a built-in sensor that starts automatically when paper is fed and stops when done.

Shredding Security Standards

Not sure what level of shredding security you need?  The DIN (German Institute for Standardization) has established six internationally accepted shredding security standards.   See the recommendations below so you can pick the right shredder for the correct application:

  • Everyday Documents (Security Level 1& 2)
    • Junk mail
    • Credit card receipts

  • Confidential (Security Level 3)
    • Bank statements
    • Databases
    • Utility bills
  • Highly Confidential (Security Level 4)
    • Client data
    • Highly personal data
    • Patentable material
  • Maximum Security (Security Levels 5 & 6)
    • Top secret documents
    • Research data
    • Government documents

Safety Precautions

  • Many home shredders can be left in a "stand-by" mode that will start the cutting process when anything is inserted into the feed slot.
    • In homes with small children or pets, simply keeping the shredder unplugged while not in use can greatly reduce any risk.
  • Never place anything in a shredder that it wasn't designed to shred.
    • Check your the owner's manual for a complete listing of all acceptable materials your shredder can handle.

Major Manufacturers

Related Products

Paper 

Recycling Bin  for documents to be shredded.

Lock up important documents in a safe. 

Document Stamps 

Staple Removers 

External Links