Today, in the modern world of technology, when everything has been digitized, the need for filing the data and keeping everything saved onto paper is slowly going extinct. Soon in the future, probably the use of pen or pencil to literally write on a paper might just end since all the information now in saved and carried along in the digital media on the handy gadgets. The need for having to carry the bulky files and going to surf through them to find required information is diminishing every passing day since it has now you can access your data on the cloud without losing any time.
Despite all the modernism, at offices and schools, the information is still being printed and kept in stores, as a real-time data or in the form of backup, since the electronic data may fail and you might end up losing the data on your PC or hard drive, altogether. But what if the bulk just keeps growing and you feel the need to get rid of the junk, without losing any sensitive personal or business information.
Fortunately, we can make use of the high-tech shredders available today, making our lives easier. These shredders chop your data on pages into minute pieces, making sure that there it cannot be put back into place nor used for exploiting the data’s confidentiality and integrity thus keeping your safety and security intact.
Classification of Shredders/ Security Levels
- Strip-cut shredders:
It is fast and cuts paper into long strips that are almost 1/4 “wide, therefore aren’t good for privacy or security of data.
- Cross-cut shredders:
Chop paper into thin and short strips in cross sections 7/32″ x 1-27/32″ wide. More secure than strip-cut but faster than Micro-cut shredders.
- Micro-cut shredders:
Dice the sheets of paper into tiny confetti that are 5/32” x 15/32” wide. They are best for keeping your info confidential since it’s impossible to put together such small pieces of papers
Properties to look for when choosing the best shredder:
When making a choice for the best shredder, it is necessary that you take into account your need. E.g. if it is for a small office, or personal home use; a small fast shredder that runs fast enough to shred few papers quickly would be fine, without having to worry much about the capacity. However, if it is required for a big company/ firm, the capacity, shredding size along with the security of the information plays a vital role, along with the ability to dispose of more amounts of papers, card etc.
Here are a few features that must be looked into, before you make up your final choice for the shredder:
- Capacity
It refers to the number of papers etc. that can be shredded at once, as well as the size of the shredder’s basket, which can accumulate the disposed of scrap. - Ease of Use
A few shredders available today offer a safety feature that automatically shuts off if someone’s hand comes too close to the shredder, while others provide a special jam protection. A few shredders in the market require manual removal of motor for emptying the machine; others just make use of the slide-out waste bins. - Noise
- Power Keeping into account the type of input materials the shredder can bear e.g. bulk of papers, credit cards, DVDs, CDs etc.
- Run-time The amount of time that a shredder can shred, continuously, until it starts heating up or the operation slows down
- Cool down time
- Security
The security of a shredder is measured by the size of its shreds. According to DIN 66399 standards- the internationally accepted standard, the shreds can range from
P-1: lowest security; Insecure to P-7: highest security for top-secret documents
P-4 is widely acceptable security level for most of the offices; while P-5 may also be used for disposing particular sensitive documents, as per requirement.
- Speed
Speed is defined by the number of paper sheets the shredder can be fed, in a given time.
This is a one hundred percent Jam Proof shredder that cuts the paper in a Cross-Cut manner. This makes it run faster, shredding almost up to 18 sheets of paper at one time and is also capable of handling staples, credit cards, CDs, full of mail envelopes etc.
The design of Fellowes 99Ci is basically very typical to that of the top-feeding shredders. The slot where papers are fed into the machine is positioned so as to bring ease to the feeder, as the pages slide into the shredder in an aligned manner; from side to side. This positioning makes the shredder a bit narrow in shape but much deeper than the usual setup.
It even has the capacity to dispose of scrapped optical discs, DVDs, hard cards etc. You will have to flip open a flap and put the desired material in the shredding jaws. You do not even have to worry about the waste as it comes with a 9 gallons spacious pull out waste basket. The waste bucket has a 25-minute cycle time and becomes handy with preinstalled casters.
It also has a Jam Prevention System that ensure smooth running of the shredder and prevents any blockage while operating by using a 3-level mode of operation; level one makes use of a sensor that senses the thickness of the input material which, upon detection of overloading, refuses to operate. But, if the load is within its limit, in level two initiates the shredding operation, ensuring that the input material is shredded well. Finally, level three indicates the completion of process by turning a light bar on, informing the user about the number of papers shredded. The LED indicator also indicates if the waste bin is full and requires you to empty it.
This shredder comes with a unique safety feature known as SafeSense Technology that allows you to operate the shredder at office, as well as at home, preventing injuries or accidents. It turns off immediately if it senses a hand coming too close to the shredder jaws. Other exquisite features include the also has Energy saving and Silent Shred Technologies, making Powershred 99Ci the perfect choice for offices.
This shredder can work continuously for almost half an hour, after which it would require to cool down for about forty minutes. This timing is far better in comparison to other available shredders.
The Fellowes Powershred 99Ci is one of the best shredders available in the market, as gives super best performance and has been built to perfection with potent stainless steel shears and a powerful electrical motor. It may probably be an expensive addition to your office, but it surely is well equipped and handles effectively all the shredding requirements of a busy office. When bought, the company gives you a 2-years product & service Warranty along with a remarkable lifetime cutter Warranty.
Advantages:
- Powerful motor
- Ultra silent operation
- Cross-cutting
- SafeSense technology
- Great capacity
- LED indicator
- Warranty
- Amazing 4.6/5 star rating on Amazon
Drawbacks:
- Heavy
- You’d have to be careful the confetti may spill out of it because of the basket’s shape, making it little difficult to empty.
- Few customers have criticized the acclaimed 100% Jam-proof Technology
- Caster wheels hard to install
- Takes longer than 40 minutes to cool down.
The AmazonBasics 12 is one hell of a beast that shreds a letter sized paper sheet into a minute confetti of about 2235 pieces; each 5/32 by 15/32 inches wide, making sure that your sensitive information remains extra secure. At a rate of 6 feet shredding per minute, this beast takes a continuous shred cycle of almost eight minutes to quickly shred easily multi-page documents, ranging up to 12 sheets, simultaneously.
The machine is so powerful that it gives out best-shredding quality, with a powerful motor that does not struggle and takes in not only the junk papers but also handles hard materials like small paper clips, staples etc. efficiently. The user must slide the scrap material in the shredder at a certain angle, which is well guided by the flap.
On top of all other remarkable features, this machine is easy to use and empty. Also, it shreds with considerably less irksome sound in comparison to most of other models.
The pullout garbage basket is very spacious and allows you to take a quick peek via clear window. It has a capacity of encapsulating up to 6.7 gallons of confetti and is super easy to empty as it can be pulled out with ease using caster wheels. This unit does not seem to struggle, despite heavy input and performs great e.g. it micro shredded 23 stacks of paper in a time of just 4 ½ minutes, without jamming or overheating.
Although the cool-down time for this machine is claimed to be 45 minutes but in a certain tests carried out, the shredder was seen struggling as larger paper stacks were put into the machine, because of the overheating of the blades, therefore it is advised that the blades of this machine must be lubricated in between different sessions.
AmazonBasics is not at all noisy at it makes only 65db of sound, making it one lowest sounding shredder among its competitors.
All in all, available at such an extraordinary price, AmazonBasics 12-Sheet High-Security Micro-Cut Paper Shredder is definitely one of the bed mid-range shredders available on the market, with the best micro-cutting security feature. This unit not only has the ability to chop down stacks of paper but has the terrific ability to dispose of hard materials, like credit cards, paper clips, staples etc. It is best for personal or office use.
Advantages:
- Micro-shredding increases security
- Destroys CD/DVDs etc.
- Quiet Operation
- Thermal protection
- Auto shut-off
- Low maintenance cost, as blades remain sharp for a long time
Drawbacks:
- Relatively undersized shred cycle (8 min)
- Blades require more time to cool
Fellowes Powershred W-11C is a machine that is affordable, has a solid built and is great for medium use; at home or office. It has the capability to crosscut up to 11 sheets of paper at a size of 5/32 x 1-3/8″ simultaneously. This shredder accepts easily a 9″ letter or legal sized document and shreds it into small particles, keeping the security of your private and personal documents intact, thus preventing fraud.
The shredder is equipped with highly durable cutters, made of steel that can easily handle heavy input such as credit cards, hard papers, staples etc. efficiently, providing P-4 Level of security.
Although this model is claimed to be a medium-duty shredder, it has the ability to handle bulk to papers, but for a short time; of 5 minutes, with continuous usage, after which it’d require to almost an hour to cool down.
One of the amazing features it comes with is the Child and Pet safety lock, which is highly secure and not possible to be overridden. It does not allow the machine to function if the waste basket is not intact and protects not just your identity but also keeps the shredder disabled when it is being moved to the lock position.
This unit comes with a substantially big 4.75 gallons waste basket that can accommodate disposed material for a longer time but the top is a bit heavy when it comes to emptying the shredder.
One of the innovative features included in this shredder is the Auto start/stop mechanism that ensures the shredder to give an easy, fast and automatic operation making it cost effective and worthy of its cost. Fellowes Powershred W-11C comes with a 1-year product & service warranty along with a 3-years warranty for the cutter.
Advantages:
- Shreds great, without jamming
- Emptying it is easy
- Reasonable Basket capacity
Drawbacks:
- Very noisy; as loud as a vacuum cleaner (70db)
- Heavy Top
- No casters
Tip: The cross-cut shredders have the ability to cut down the input paper only to a fraction of an inch, therefore it is a good security measure if you make use of other methods to cut the shreds further down, into smaller irreparable pieces, in order to prevent any kind of identity or information theft. You may also make dispose of the paper shreds into different trash bags.y the size of its shreds. According to DIN 66399 standards- the internationally accepted standard, the shreds can range from