Buying a Cross-Cut Shredder: 5 Options

With the threat of identity theft a real and growing problem, many people are looking for ways to secure not only their savable documents but also the documents they discard. While a regular paper shredder will do the trick, a savvy thief can still reconstruct a document from full vertical shreds. Many consumers are now turning to the cross-cut paper shredder that will render a document into bit sized pieces of confetti. Here we will review the top five cross-cut shredders for any budget, for home or for office.

Fellowes Powershred SB-95C
Fellowes is the long-standing king of shredders and highly regarded across the boards. The Powershred SB-95C is at the top of this class. It can be purchased at any office supply store for around $650 or slightly more. This is a heavy-duty machine designed for a busy office, but if affordable looks good at home as well. It has a slim design and a quiet motor. The maximum sheet capacity is 15 and the shred size is .16 x 1.5 inches.

Fellowes MS450Cs
A more affordable alternative in the Fellowes line, the MS450Cs features a smaller shred size of .08 x .31 inches, but its maximum capacity is only 7 pages. This is the perfect shredder for the home. Although it can be had for under $200 from office discount stores, the usual price is about $215 retail.

Fellowes DS-1
The DS-1 is the most affordable choice for the cross-cut shredder by Fellowes. It is a strong and reliable machine, holding 11 pages and with a cut size of .16 x 1.38 inches. Drawbacks to this model are a slightly noisy motor and short power cable, but for $160 or less it can't be beat.

Office Depot Ativa DXC180D
Coming out of the Fellowes brand, Office Depot's Ativa DXC180D is a strong competitor. While it can be had at other online stores, Office Depot provides the best price at just over $650. This is reliable shredder, but not the fastest on the market. It takes up to 18 pages at a time with a cut size of .16 x 1.52 inches.

Aurora Electronics AS1219D
Closing out our review is the Aurora Electronics AS1219D. This is a strong shredder with a maximum sheet capacity of 12 pages and a cut size of .16 x 2.16. While it may not be adequate for some, it is a sleek and simple entry. Although it has plenty of power, the basket fills quickly and care should be taken to empty it often. It can be had for around $160.

No matter which model or brand you choose, the cross-cut shredder is a good idea for any home or office to protect your vital data from prying eyes. Don't settle for the vertical cut machines any longer.