A paper shredder is a renowned shredding device. It is used to cut confidential and private documents into strips or finely reduced particles. These machines serve the purpose of granting both security and organizational benefits. It is an essential device that is a part of all offices and companies and is also beneficial for users who wish to keep it at home for the destruction of their house-related personal information. If you’re looking for cross-cut paper shredders but don’t know how to select one, stay right here. Mentioned below is sufficient information that will help you and guide you into making the best decision and choosing the most beneficial shredder type.
Why Should I Have One?
Well, the answer to this is quite simple. Almost everyone needs a paper shredder. It is a very basic and essential device that you must use for shredding all your important information to protect yourself from identity theft and any sort of manipulation. If you have ever thrown away any personal information into the dustbin, you need a shredding machine. It is as simple as that. Not only this if you have ever thrown an important document without destroying it, but you are also at great risk of identity theft. Now, you might be wondering, what exactly is identity theft?
Well, I would say identity theft is a somewhat fancy way to describe a very dangerous thief, digging up your dustbin, retrieving your personal information, and then using it to abuse you. This abuse might take place in the form of financial loss or at times even blackmailing. The abuse and manipulation mainly depend on the type of information the thief has gotten his/her hands on. So, how can you protect yourself from this sort of manipulation?
One simple step is to start using a cross-cut paper shredder. This device will shred all your important documents and personal information so that they will no longer be readable. In this way, you can enjoy complete personal security and remain safe while you do not have to stock up piles of unnecessary yet private documents in your house.
Hence, in this article, we will be going to great lengths to discuss the cross-cut models.
Cross-cut Type
A cross-cut paper shredder is one of the most reliable types available out there. It resembles the strip-cut shredder in many aspects. The main difference between these two types of machines lies in the fact that this one shreds the paper into much smaller pieces and provides a different level of security and has a slightly different working principle. Cross-cut shredders normally offer a medium to a high level of data security. They are generally used for shredding confidential documents, such as bank statements, documents containing personal data, or business-related papers.
How Do They Work?
A cross-cut paper shredder works in a very simple way and it is quite easy to operate. It is designed in a way that it has cross-cutter serrated blades that are placed in two seats that face each other in exactly opposite directions. So as you place your documents in it, these blades will move and churn your paper both widthways and lengthways, into confetti-like pieces. On average, a cross cut shredder reduces the papers to around 400 particles. These shredded particles are received by the receptacle also known as the bin and on top of this bin is a lid, through which you insert the papers.
Sub-types of Cross-cut Paper Shredders
Two types of crosscut shredders are commonly available. These two common types consist of the diamond cut and confetti cut. Diamond cut is the type of cross-cut shredder that offers the greatest security. It shreds paper into diamond-shaped pieces. This shape in particular makes it nearly impossible for any thief to make sense out of the destroyed document. The second type of cut is referred to as the confetti cut. It cuts the paper into small pieces similar in size and shape to confetti. Documents destroyed from this cut are also very hard to reconstruct.
Distinctive Features
No Chance for Reassembly
The most important feature that this cross-cut shredder has is primarily its high-security offer. This security makes it almost impossible for anyone to retrieve the discarded information and use it. I mean even the best of the puzzle solvers can never put together this finely shredded paper and steal any information. Even the computer software’s designed to make use of these discarded documents can not steal any information from these efficiently shredded documents.
Shred type
Cross-cut shredders tend to cut paper in two different directions. This results in a very small type of shred (5/16″ x 3″ to 1/32″ x 3/16”). The cross-cut machine also cuts the paper length-wise and cross-wise, which further adds to its credibility.
Security
In terms of security, a cross-cut paper shredder is much better than other types of machines like strip-cut shredders. This is because while a passionate and serious thief can reassemble strips of paper together, at times, pieces of confetti are much harder to reassemble even if the thief has a lot of time in his hands. The incredibly minute size of the particles makes it very hard to connect one piece to another and make the document readable. On top of that, that there are many pieces in a single sheet mixed in with other shreds from more sheets and of course lots of disgusting things in the garbage can. One piece would also contain very little information.
Higher Bin Capacity – Good or Bad?
The size of the confetti-sized pieces is very small. This small size not only means greater security but also that the paper will take up very little space in the cross-cut shredder machines receiving bin. This lowers the number of times the bag would have to be changed and presents a better storage capacity. Although it’s not the biggest factor to consider, it will save a great deal of time and will also reduce any chances of risk. This is because as the papers are very light in weight, they may start flying in the air and will create a huge mess if you are not careful. So fewer changes also mean a much lower risk.
Advantages and disadvantages
Pros
- It shreds documents into extremely small particles and provides a greater security level, so you can rely on it for shredding highly confidential documents
- Presents a variety of choices that you can choose from according to your specifications. That will help you greatly if you are choosy about the features
- It shreds faster than some other types of models like the micro-cut shredder. You will not have to stand and wait for the machine to do its job for too long and get your work done in no time
- It is extremely reliable and can be used to destroy sensitive information. That includes both personal and business-related information so it would be the perfect choice for using at your office or for your business. You can even use this shredder to destroy highly important materials. Like tax documents and bills that contain a great deal of information about you
- The waste shreds will compact into the waste bin much more and take up very little space. So you will not have to go through the labor of unloading them very frequently
Cons
- It needs to be regularly maintained and oiled. Unless you want the machine to stop working efficiently or retire very quickly. This isn’t the most burdensome task as every machine needs a little bit of attention and care. But of course for lazy people, this may appear to be no less than an annoying chore
- They present a greater risk of breakdowns. This drawback is attributed to the fact that its mechanical composition is a little complex. So you need to be extra careful while using this device. And you may need to spend some time familiarizing yourself with the dealing procedures
- It is more expensive so you might need to adjust your budget a little bit. Especially if you were opting for something on the cheaper side
Summary
Conclusively, it can be said that the cross-cut paper shredder is a quite ideal type of shredding machine. Not only is its high-security level appealing to businesses and offices but it can also be kept at home for the destruction of personal information. It is readily available in markets so you can purchase it without facing any difficulties and enjoy full security. Its different types also make it very user-friendly as the user gets to select the features as per his/her liking and find the type that works best for them.