We will be reviewing three of the best cross-cut paper shredders in the market today. Owning a shredding machine is necessary for all companies. Oftentimes, people working in both large and small companies have to deal with a lot of papers some of which may be confidential. In order to ensure you take proper care when handling these sorts of papers, you should either keep them under lock and key or completely destroy them.
Confidential documents that have been under lock and key for several years could become less important to a person or company. However, that doesn’t stop the impending security disaster that may ensue, if and when it falls into the wrong hands. It’s possible you destroy such documents by tearing them into tiny pieces with your bare hands or with the aid of scissors. But have you thought of how much valuable personal or office time you’ll be wasting each time you do that?
With a shredding machine, all you need to do is feed the paper and continue with your office work. The machine does the remainder of the job. Shredding machines come with a lot of features that make them fun and easy to use. There are three major types:
- micro cut
- cross cut
- strip cut
Take your time and choose your most preferred. You might also follow-up with our individual cross-cut shredder reviews.
Aurora JamFree AU1400XA 14-Sheet
The Aurora AU1400XA Jam Free Cross-cut paper shredder happens to be among the elite models in the industry today. Capable of shredding 14 sheets of paper at once, you have a machine that can handle medium and large-sized tasks effortlessly and efficiently. There are many features to review before purchasing machines like this in any office and we will discuss some of them in detail below.
The first feature which happens to be a very vital one for shredding machines is jam-free operation. Shredders that don’t have this feature will keep causing you extra problems as you’ll need to spend vital time attending to paper jams. The AU1400XA crosscut shredder includes a jam-free technology that will in the long run prevent frequent repairs and increase its lifespan.
In as much as every company wants to keep their running cost as low as possible, Aurora’s AU1400XA crosscut shredder instantly complements that. Machines with electric motors consume more energy thereby impacting negatively electricity bills. With that in mind, Aurora’s AU1400XA idles out when not in use within five minutes so that your bills remain within the ideal budget.
If your office is a busy one and the shredder located centrally so that everyone gains access to it, you’ll need a very powerful machine. One that not only shreds a bunch of papers at once but also has a bin capable of containing a lot of shredded documents. The AU1400XA has a 5.0-gallon capacity waste bin which is just enough for you; it also has the ability to shred 14 papers at a go. 5.0-gallon capacity is capable of collecting about 200 sheets of shredded paper and since 14 can be fed at once, it invariably means that about 14 persons will have to shred 14 sheets of paper each before the bin is full.
Features
In order to extend the life of this powerful machine and also form safety protection for users, it has an advanced safety feature that instantly powers off the shredder as soon as it senses any forced entry.
Just as earlier stated, this machine is designed for heavy-duty shredding operations and that is proven with its 10 minutes non-stop continuous runtime. Its 45 minutes off cycle is also sufficient for most working places.
Machines as these should have a way of communicating with their operator especially when the information to be passed is vital. Overheating, for example, is vital information that an operator should know about. The bright led indicators situated on the machine does the communication job perfectly.
Multifunctional shredders are widely preferred in companies because of the variety of items that may require shredding. Although papers form the bulk of items that are shredded using shredding machines, credit cards and compact discs may also contain confidential information. The AU1400XA shreds papers, CDs, DVDs, credit cards, paper clips, and staples, making it one of the most universal shredding machines.
Finally, its quiet operation is the icing on the cake. Shredders unlike other heavy-duty equipment are placed in offices and as such need to operate silently. With Aurora’s AU1400XA in your office, you can be sure that no one would be distracted while in operation therefore, they can continue with their businesses as much as you also can.
AmazonBasics 6-Sheet Cross-Cut Shredder
If you are still in search of the best crosscut shredder in the market then you have probably not looked at the AmazonBasics 6-sheet Cross-cut paper shredder before. It is a lightweight machine that promises the best shredding experience you can ever find. This machine provides you with the means of destroying confidential documents including papers, CDs, DVDs, credit cards, and more. It also has an auto-start/shut-off, and manual reverse mechanisms to make shredding operations as hassle-free as possible.
Description
AmazonBasics crosscut shredder employs two blades which it uses to cut papers into rectangular shapes. Shredded pieces take the dimension of 7/32 X 1-27/32 inches, unlike strip-cut models that slice documents into long strips. Although micro-cut shredders are more secure than their cross-cut counterparts, the latter is quite faster and also, to a large extent, secure.
When you have the need to purchase a machine for your office, you’ll always prefer a stylish design so that it does complement the beauty of your office, rather than the opposite. The AmazonBasics 6-sheet crosscut shredder is beautiful in all ramifications. It fits into most of the offices. In terms of performance, the machine has a series of LED indicators which signifies various working conditions. You have the warning lights which warn against overload, overheat, and the wrong alignment. You also have the status lights which indicate that the machine is Ready, or Disabled.
The bin has a capacity of 3.8 gallons which complements the 6-sheet feed capacity. There is a little opening close to the top of the machine. It allows you to see the shreds as soon as they get to the top of the bin; you’ll therefore know that the bin is full and needs to be emptied.
Features
The auto start mechanism senses the presence of papers or other items that need to be shredded and automatically starts the machine. As soon as the operation is over, the auto shut-off mechanism turns off the machine thereby helping you conserve energy. Another function of the auto shut-off feature is to sense the presence of an un-shreddable object and act immediately to turn the machine off. The same auto shut-off feature is programmed to shut the machine off when it senses that the machine has been running for some time and the motor is beginning to overheat.
Since the machine is a lightweight design, it can run continuously for only two minutes. After that, it’ll require about 30 minutes to cool down before you can use it again. It is best used for light shredding operations in offices that are not too busy. Documents such as credit cards, CDs, and DVDs, need to be fed one at a time into the separate space provided for shredding but notwithstanding, the final result is impeccable.
Mechanical machines need frequent maintenance in order to last long and the AmazonBasics crosscut shredder is no different. However, maintenance required for it is not as hectic as those of other machines. All you need is to lubricate the moving parts of the machine once in a while. That ensures it continues working at optimum efficiency.
Everyone wants some form of warranty on products like this and AmazonBasics understands that. They, therefore, provide you with a 1-year limited warranty giving you that rest of mind you need.
Bonsaii DocShred C209-D 10-Sheet Cross-Cut Paper Shredders
Shredders are preferred in most organizations due to the time it saves by destroying important documents in such a way that it cannot be reassembled. This generally stops unauthorized persons from gaining access to confidential documents. The Bonsai DocShred Cross-cut paper shredder is one of the preferred machines in the market today due to its high efficiency and ability to prevent crimes such as fraud, identity theft, and all forms of similar crimes. Its flexibility is another feature that makes it immediately stand out from others. You can use it not only in your office but at home too.
The C209-D shredder is designed in such a way that makes its features easy to use. It is perfect for office use as it can shred a wide range of confidential documents. That includes forms, bills, credit cards, CDs, and DVDs.
The ability to swallow up a bunch of paper sheets at once adds to the beauty of this machine. This means that you don’t need to feed your documents one after the other for shredding; rather, arrange up to 10 into a bunch and feed at once. The machine will comfortably take up the bunch and shred them in a few seconds. A second slot is made available for shredding media discs and credit cards. But since these documents are somewhat tougher than papers, you are required to feed them one after the other through the slot into the machine for shredding.
Features
Machines that deal with papers have the ability to jam once in a while. This can be frustrating as you’ll have to leave whatever you are doing and attend to it. The Bonsaii shredder has a jam and overload protection. The jam protection helps prevent paper jams. While the overload protection helps protect the machine’s motor by switching off as soon as it senses any abnormal situation. Abnormal situations include feeding documents that exceed the machine’s shred capacity, or prolonged shredding operation beyond the advised runtime. A reverse function switch is placed on the machine. Its job is to help resume normal operation in the event that a paper gets stuck.
It is a lightweight machine with dimensions: 12.64 x 7.91 x 16.54 inches and a weight of 11.86 pounds. That means you can easily move it from one office to the other, or even from your office to your home. The handle provided at the top of the machine makes it even easier. Still, on design, the C209-D has a 5.5 gallons waste bin capable of storing a lot of shreds (320 pages). You wouldn’t have to empty it every now and then. A little window is also placed at the top of the bin from where you can easily see how full the bin is.
The ability of a shredding machine to run quietly is a feature everyone using it in an office wants. Bonsaii’s shredder doesn’t disappoint in this aspect as it works silently and efficiently. Paper shreds made by the machine generally take the dimensions of 13/64 x 1- 37/64 inches. Small enough to frustrate anyone who wishes to reassemble.
To cap off the amazing features of this solid machine, it comes with a 1-year limited warranty.
Conclusion
When it comes to selecting the best cross-cut paper shredders for your home or office, confusion may set in due to the fact that they all have similar features and amazing looks too. Well, the best choice should be one that is capable of handling the kind of tasks your office throws at it.
If your office is such that shredding operations are sparingly done and you are sure that there will be no heavy shredding task in the foreseeable future, then I’ll advise you to go for the AmazonBasics 6 sheet shredding machine. It has all the attributes of a best seller coupled with the fact that it is very affordable. In fact, it is often labeled as the best cheap cross-cut shredder for home use. If on the other hand, your office shredding operations are done every other day, you should look towards Aurora’s AU1400XA shredding machine. It’s sturdy and known to be a workhorse. Capable of shredding continuously for 10 minutes before requiring rest, it’ll definitely handle all shredding operations you throw at it.
The article is detailed and well explained. Thank you, you made my choice easier.
Awesome and very informative article!