Cross-Cut Paper Shredders Buying Tips

How to Choose Cross-Cut Paper Shredders

If you are worried about identity theft and are looking to buy a paper shredder you need to bear in mind there are a number of different types of paper shredders available. Some shredders will cut the paper into strips, these strips are of different widths depending on which type of shredder you buy. There are also cross-cut paper shredders, industrial paper shredders, home use shredders, office shredders, high-security shredders, there are even manual shredders. Well-known manufacturers include Fellowes (not Fellows), Intimus, Destroyit.

Among the best type of shredders are what is known as crosscut paper shredders, also called or confetti shredders. These shredders use two counter rotating drums to cut your paper into small pieces instead of strips. These pieces of paper can be either rectangular, parallelogram, or diamond-shaped.


Cross-cut document shredders are a great choice for jobs requiring maximum security for highly confidential documents. Your documents are shredded both vertically and horizontally. The result is that any papper shredded is not cut into strips but tiny pieces that render the document almost impossible to recover.

The disadvantage with cross cut shredders is that they need frequent maintenance and lubrication. They are are also more expensive than simple strip cut paper shredders. For the highest possible security shredding (such as required for military applications), there are particle cut models that will shred a page into over 1,500 pieces.

The features you need to look for when assessing cross-cut shredders are - sheet speed, sheet capacity, shred size, opening size, waste volume.

Shredder Safety

As with all paper shredders safety is also a consideration. Shredders cand, and do, cut fingers, particularly children's fingers, and there are cases when children have lost fingers in shredders. Shredders have dangerous moving parts.

These concerns have led paper shredder manufacturers such as Intimus and Fellowes to develop safety features such as:- sensors that will switch the machine off if fingers get too close to the paper entry; thinner paper entries; safety locks so that children can't switch the shredder on; safety flaps that keep the cutters covered when the shredder head is removed from the waste basket; safety interlock switches to ensure that the shredder head can not be operated if it is not in the waste basket.

Shredder Security

Document shredders offer different levels of security. Generally speaking the more security a shredder offers the more expensive it will be. These security levels are defined in standards describing the different shredding levels :-

Level 1 = strips that are 12 mm wide
Level 2 = strips that are 6 mm wide
Level 3 = (confidential) strips that are 2 mm wide
Level 4 = (Commercially Sensitive) = particles measuring 2 x 15 mm i.e. cross-cut )
Level 5 = (Top Secret or Classified) = particles measuring 0.8 x 12 mm
Level 6 = (also Top Secret or Classified) = particles measuring 0.8 x 4 mm

What to Look For in a Cross Cut Shredder ?

Get a crosscut shredder that is more powerful than you think you need. All document shredders have a capacity rating, but these tend to be optimistic. If your cross cut shredder claims it can handle ten sheets of paper then divide that figure by 2. You may also ike to consider cross cut shredders that can also shred CDs, DVDs and credit cards.

Get a crosscut shredder with an easy-to-empty bin. These shredders are more expensive, so if you are on a tight budget then you may think it is not necessary, but if your budget is not so tight then it is a good idea to get a bin that is easy to empty.

Almost every type of cross cut shredder will have auto-stop/start and reverse modes. Auto-start means that your shredder will switch on automatically when you insert a sheet of paper. Reverse mode is useful for clearing paper jams.

If you have children or pets in the house, then buy a shredder with the best safety features. It's best not to gamble with little fingers for a few dollars more.


The major shredder brands are :- Boxis, Destroyit, Dahle, Clary, GBC, Fellowes, Intimus, Formax, Olympia, Kobra, ScriptStroyer.

Prices for cross-cut shredders range from around $60 to $600 depending on the exact features your require.

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See also Identity Theft and Paper Shredders and Heavy Duty Shredders