subject: A Short Guide To Buying A Paper Shredder [print this page] Paper shredders are a necessary part of every office these days because they're a great way to protect everyone's privacy and identity. However, before you rush out and buy one, you need to think about what kind of shredder you need. Here are five things you should think about when buying one.
1.) What will you be shredding? And how often? These are the first two questions you need to ask yourself. Obviously, you're probably going to be shredding paper, but what about CD's? Credit cards? Floppy disks? Do you want to leave the paper clips and staples in your documents? If you need to destroy more than paper, be sure to look for a machine that can handle other types of media, as well as paper fasteners. Also, you'll need to think about how often you'll be shredding. If you anticipate only shredding once a month or so, a personal-sized device might be just what you need. However, if this shredder is going into the copy room at your office and will be used by several people, a larger unit with a continuous-duty motor would be a better choice. (You might also want to buy several smaller units and place them throughout your office.) And if you plan on shredding high volume of items on a regular basis, get a heavy-duty shredder with a large waste bin.
2.) Cross-cut or strip-cut? After you've determined what you'll be destroying (and how much of it), you need to figure out which shredder type you prefer. Strip-cut devices are generally the least expensive products and they turn your documents into shreds that may remind you of spaghetti. Meanwhile, cross-cut machines offer much more security than strip-cut ones because they turn your papers into many more pieces. (The higher-security products are sometimes called confetti- or micro-cut shredders.) Since the pieces are so much smaller, it's possible that you won't need to empty the waste bin as often because the particles will take up less room. However, cross-cut devices are a bit more expensive, so keep that in mind if money is an issue.
3.) How much security will you need? Another important consideration is the machine's security rating. Paper shredder security is rated on a scale of 1 to 6, with 6 offering the most security because the shreds will be smaller. If you're simply shredding junk mail and personal papers, a machine with a lower rating is a good choice. However, if you're working with patient information, employee records, or other types of classified information, get a machine with the highest rating you can afford. After all, not disposing of certain documents can be a violation of federal privacy laws such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and you don't want to find yourself in legal trouble.
4.) What special features do you want? After you've covered the important stuff, you can then focus on what special features you'd like to have. Some possibilities include anti-jam technology, near-silent operation, and so on.
5.) Which brand do you like? How much do you want to spend? There are many paper shredder manufacturers. Three of the best are Dahle, GBC, and Fellowes. If you buy one of their machines, it will be money well-spent. Also, consider your budget and remember that choosing the cheapest device around will probably not be a wise decision because you may end up replacing it after a short while if it breaks down.
Buying a paper shredder is easy when you know what to consider. Now that you know, your own shopping process will be incredibly easy and you're bound to find just the right machine for your office.
by: Jeffrey McRitchie
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