Resources for Paper Shredders

If you're like many businesses, you'll want to dispose of company documents by using paper shredders. If you're considering getting one or more of these units, you'll benefit from learning a few paper shredders key terms. While shopping for a paper shredder, you might hear terms such as sheet capacity, shredder speed, feed width, cross cut and strip cut. Knowing what these terms mean might make deciding what type of paper shredder to buy a whole lot easier.

Strip cut

Strip-cut paper shredders shred paper into thin strips. While the strips are narrow enough to be unreadable, strip-cut shredders are considered the least secure type of paper shredder for protecting against identity theft.

Cross cut

Cross-cut paper shredders use two blades to shred paper into tiny bits or particles. These types of paper shredders are considered best for destroying sensitive documents.

Sheet capacity

Sheet capacity refers to how many sheets of paper can be fed into the paper shredder at one time. Sheet capacity is one of the factors used in comparing one paper shredder with another.

Feed width, or opening

Feed width, or opening, refers to the place on the shredder where paper is fed. Also referred to as the throat, feed width must be considered if you have oversized documents to shred.

Shredder speed

Shredder speed reflects how many sheets of paper a particular shredder can shred. This can be measured in seconds, minutes or on a per-day basis.

Duty cycle

Many paper shredders have a duty cycle. This safety feature protects the motor of the paper shredder from overheating due to overuse. Duty cycle refers to how long a shredder can run before it needs to be turned off.