Buyers Guide

What size shredder will suit my needs?

This page will help you choose what type of machine would be most suitable for your requirements. Please note that sheet capacity stated on most shredders are the maximum amount tested on 70gsm paper not the standard 80gsm paper in normal use. As a service centre we recommend that a 20 -30% reduction in the amount of sheets you put through on a day to day use will prolong the life of the cutters. Please allow for this when choosing your shredder.

Home/Office Use Shredders - For Individual or Family use: may include low volume Strip-Cut or Cross Cut machines.
Small Office - Slightly higher volume Machine Shredder Head would normally need you to lift off the Waste Collection Bin to be emptied.
Office/Desk Side Shredders - Shredder Waste Collection Bin can normally be emptied or a few require you to lift off the Shredder Head.
Departmental Shredders - Recommended as a centralised shredder in a Large Office.
High Security Shredders/Industrial - These machines are designed to destroy paper documents to the very smallest particles and are generally supplied to Government/Military installations where documents must be shredded to avoid espionage and where information may undermine State Defence.

Also some shredders have a option of destruction of non-paper media like CD’s, DVD’s, Floppy Disks, Credit Cards etc.

How many sheets are you shredding per day?

A - up to 10 sheets
B - 25 - 50 sheets
C - 50 -100 sheets
D - 100- 250 sheets
E - 250 - 500 sheets
F - 500 - 1000 sheets
G - 1000+ sheets

How many sheets do you want to shred in one pass?

Always remember that all manufacturers quote the number of sheets a machine will shred using 70gram paper – most copier paper is 80 grams so the number of sheets that your machine will actually accept may be less than you expect.

A - 1-2 sheets
B - 5-10 sheets
C - 10-20 sheets
D - 50+ sheets

How many people will be using the machine?

As users requirements differ from person to person. Some single users will need to destroy more paper than several users in another office. Most Small or Medium Office shredders will be OK to cope with several users.

A - 1 user
B - 2–3 users
C - up to 6 users
D - up to 12 users
E - up to 25 users

Strip Cut or Cross Cut?

A cross-cut shredder gives you a better security as they are normally have a start level of three. A strip cut which start at level one, The security levels go from 1-6, Level 1 being the least secure up to level 6 which is very secure this usually use my the MOD, Government and Major Company who need to shred extremely sensitive info.

Level Size (mm)
1 9.5 - 6.8 strip cut For use at home and general office waste
2 6 & 3.9 strip cut Internal documents such as notes, invoices, printouts, etc
3 2mm strip cut ,3.9x80 3.9x40 3.9x30 3x35 2x28 Cross Cut Confidential documents, such as company internal documents, personal
documents etc. Legal minimum standard, Solicitors, Accountants, Schools, Government, etc
4 2 x 15 Cross Cut Secret information to safeguard livelihood or company’s existence
5 0.8 x 12 Cross Cut Espionage-prove for , i.e. Military
6 1 x 5 Cross Cut Ultra Espionage-prove

STRIP CUT
• Strip cut models can withstand more “abuse” from staff who may overload or put items in that the machine is
not designed for. Making these ideal communal machines that anybody can just walk up to and use.
• Pound for pound strip cuts are cheaper to buy and run plus they tend to last longer.

CROSS CUT
• Cross cut offers a higher level of security, even the least secure meet security level 3
• The shredders bin needs emptying a lot less often, as paper is cut both ways. Over twice as much shredded
paper will fit in the bin as it would be able to on a strip cut.

What type of paper?

Most machines are capable of shredding wider paper than the width of the entry throat, but this will reduce the number of sheets that you can shred in one pass.

A - A4 = 210mm short side x 295mm long side
B - A3 = 295mm short side x 420mm long side
C - Computer Print Out or Listing Paper = up to 360mm

Do you have other types of media to destroy?

Never try to shred items that your machine is not designed for. Some of our Shredders like the Swordfish 1000XCD, Dahle 20082 and the Kobra 240 Turbo Boost range will cope shredding the following one at time.

A - CD/DVD’s
B - Credit cards
C - Floppy Disks

Where will the shredder be located?

Most Shredders are small enough to sit by a desk or filing cabinet and uses standard 240v mains power and can be easily moved around; others which are slightly larger are best suited as a central shredder and these also can be moved as most are on castor wheels.
Some Heavy Duty are best placed in a warehouse or a post room, Industrial and cyclone models are best placed in the warehouse or ground floor office as these can't be easily moved and also require 3 phase power, please bear this in mind when ordering if you are unsure please ring us for more information. We can provide a site inspection for a small fee. Some machines are made to special order and are non-returnable.