For all intents and purposes, there are three different types of shredders out there, here is an explanation of them, and their various advantages.

Strip Cut Shredders:

This is the type of cut that probably comes to mind when you think about shredders, as it has been historically the most common by far, and is what shredders started out as. What strip cut refers to is long, straight, spaghetti-like strips (the reference is apt, as the first shredders were actually modeled on pasta makers). The most common width you will find of strip cuts are one quarter, one eighth, and five thirty seconds of an inch. Strip cut shredders have a couple of advantages in that they are sometimes more economical machines, and they can usually shred more pages at a time than some of the higher end models. The problem with strip cut machines is that the shreds they produce can be pieced together a lot more easily than those produced by cross cut shredders ( see below).

If security is not the main concern, strip cut shredders can be a great way to get rid of general, non-confidential documents. If the documents you are shredding contain any confidential information at all, however, you will want to use a machine with better security. Which brings us to our next category.

Cross Cut Shredders:

As the higher security option, cross cut shredders render your documents into small shreds that resemble confetti, making them anywhere from extremely difficult to impossible to piece back together. The smaller pieces also mean that you can fit more shredded documents into your waste bin, so you will have to empty it much less often. All cross cut shredders are not created equal and different machines offer several different shred sizes and capacities. Most commonly, you will find shredders that create pieces that measure somewhere in the one eighth by an inch and one eight in size, but you may find some variance. Cross cut shredders are what are required by law for businesses that discard the private information of employees and clients in order to help prevent identity theft, so if you are looking for a machine for your business, cross cut is almost certainly the only way to go.

You may find that some cross cut machines are a little more expensive due to the enhanced machinery needed to produce the cross cut. The extra cost (if any) however, is very much worth the security and adherence to the law.

Micro Cut/High Security/ Particle Cut:

This is the stuff of spies and high level government departments, but they are available to the general public as well. The Department of Defense and the National Security Agency created the specifications for this type of shredder, so you know that when you shred a document in this type of machine, that particular piece of paper will never be read again.

Though the security of these types of shredders is outstanding, it is beyond the needs of the typical home or business, and the increased cost, reduced sheet capacity, and increased need for maintenance should be seriously considered before you purchase one of these machines.

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Category: Computers and Technology
Keywords: paper shredder,paper shredder types,cross cut shredders,shredder types,strip cut shredders