If your office handles loads of sensitive documents, you surely need a document shredder. Many different types of document shredders are available in the market, making it quite overwhelming to opt for the right shredder machine. As every business has its own specific document shredding requirements, certain machines could be more appropriate compared to others. This is why it makes sense to do your homework before buying your document shredder for office. This will help you figure out what kind of shredder will work best for your workplace.
Discussed below are some key factors that you must take into account to find the perfect shredder for office.
- Paper size is the foremost factor to consider during your decision-making process. Try to figure out the size of the paper you are likely to shred most frequently. In most of the offices, we find shredders capable of handling letter-size paper documents. Sometimes, however, you may also have to shred pay stubs or tax documents printed on extra-wide square paper. A smaller shredder may save you some money, but it would also mean the additional hassle of handling oversized papers. Therefore, before taking any decision, always assess the size of the paper your business needs to shred.
- Load size is another factor that is critical to your buying decision. If you expect to shred around 20 sheets per month, narrow shredder input may be sufficient. An average office shredder should work fine for up to 10 users. However, if your shredder will be used by more than 10 people, you may need a commercial shredder.
- Another distinguishing factor while purchasing a shredder machine is the type of cut. Strip shredders cut the paper into strips resembling spaghetti. These devices are suitable for shredding junk mail and similar documents. However, if you really want your information to remain private, you need a cross-cut shredder. Compared to strip cutting, these machines offer a higher level of security by turning the paper into countless pieces. Your choice should depend on the type of documents you are looking to shred.
- The shredder of your choice should save you time and effort and much of this convenience comes down to shredder speed. Most of the shredders can run continuously for a specific run time. After this, they need a cooling cycle before coming back to running condition. Based on your shredding requirement, you can opt for shredders with cooling cycles ranging from two minutes to over an hour.
- While choosing a shredder, you must not ignore the security level of the machine. There are six security levels for shredders, with level 1 offering the lowest security level and levels 5 and 6 providing the ultimate in document protection.
- Shredders, in general, are noisy machines. However, if you are ready to shell out a little more money, you can opt for high-end shredders with silent operation.
- If energy efficiency is important for you, there are shredders that prioritize saving energy while operating.
- Depending on your needs, you can also choose shredders with advanced features such as credit card shredding, tamper-proof technology, pull-out beans, etc.
At Mastershred, we have a selection of highly efficient shredders suitable for all types of offices. Please contact us today for more details.