Industrial Shredder Buying Guide: What to Look For

Every 25.7 seconds, a building is broken into somewhere in the US. While not all of these locations are business-related, this surprising statistic still illustrates why you need to be careful with your sensitive files and employee documentation. You never know whether you will be next, and it’s essential that you’re prepared.

Having the right industrial shredder and using it frequently is critical to protecting printed files. You can dispose of those that you no longer need, some of which will have employee information such as finances and social security numbers. Read on to learn how you can choose the perfect shredder to keep those working with you safe.

Type of Industrial Shredder

The first step to choosing an industrial paper shredder is to consider the many types that are out there. Standard strip-cut shredders shred your files into long vertical strips, which is the easiest and least expensive way to dispose of documents. Cross-cut shredders that cut the paper in varying lengths and directions may be the better choice for businesses because it is more secure and pages are nearly impossible to piece back together.

For larger business needs, micro-cut options or even disintegrators may be the better choice. These cut the paper into extremely small pieces, some of which are nearly microscopic. Finally, full-on ‘industrial shredders,’ those made for manufacturing facilities and warehouses, can shred a multitude of materials other than paper.

You also may want to look at hammermills if you have large quantities of shredding that you need to do at once. Hammermills pulverize material through a screen but are otherwise similar to disintegrators. They’re designed for high levels of destruction on large amounts of material, so you’ll never need to worry about anything being pieced back together.

Other Shreddable Materials

A heavy duty industrial shredder will be able to shred tons of different materials used around plants, large corporate facilities, and packing areas. From metals to cardboard boxes to plastic bottles, these shredders can eliminate any and all waste. While this may sound excessive, it’s perfect for those who need to dispose of boxes or metal plates with shipping information on them.

You also can use these shredders to get rid of catalogs, magazines, and larger files. Since these items may contain sensitive information, shredding them may be necessary. If this sounds like something your business needs, you’ll want to look into something made specifically to shred larger items and materials.

Size

Workplaces are limited when it comes to size, and you’ll need to select a shredder that fits appropriately in your space. If you get something too large, you’ll have nowhere to put it and will need to return it regardless of how well it suits your needs.

Measure your space carefully to make sure that the shredder that you’re ordering will fit. The cubic footage of your space can be found by multiplying its base, width, and height (the latter of which is usually pretty high). If you’re dead-set on a specific shredding machine and you don’t think it will fit in your available space, consider moving some furniture or desks around to make room for it.

It normally is possible to create an area where your shredder will fit with a bit of planning. Make sure that you don’t save it until the last minute when you’re stressing over where to put a giant machine that you already have hauled up to the office.

Cost-Effectiveness

Setting a budget is critical to most aspects of running a business, and purchasing supplies around your office or warehouse is no exception. Before purchasing a shredder, go through the money that you have to spend on upgrades to your workspace. Take a look at how much you can spend on a shredder before you’ll be forced to pull money from other necessary budgets.

There are tons of industrial shredders for sale at low costs, so you have lots of options. Make sure that you select the right one both for your functional needs and for your budget. You don’t need to dip into your marketing budget or reduce the funds available for developing and improving upon your core products and services.

Durability and Longevity

Finally, you need to select a shredder that’s made to last. If you don’t, you may find yourself needing to replace it only a couple of years down the line, which is a waste of the money you could have just spent on a good one in the first place. Replacement is also a waste of time because you’ll need to spend time setting up a large piece of industrial equipment multiple times.

Make sure that you select a shredder with a heavy-duty plastic or metal shell that is sealed and fastened appropriately. More importantly, get those that have durable blades (to actually shred the paper). These usually are made from metals ranging from sturdy aluminum (in small shredders) to stainless steel (for those made to shred large and bulky materials).

Regardless of your budget, you don’t want to skimp on quality. Not only could it lead to your shredder breaking or being otherwise destroyed, but it also means that you’ll need to pay for maintenance more often than you otherwise would.

Dispose of Documents Safely

Now that you know what to consider when choosing an industrial shredder, it’s time to learn more about protecting your files and maintaining your privacy while at work. Check out the ‘business’ tab on our home page to read about these issues. Here, you’ll find articles about how to keep your information secure and choose other business equipment, so start browsing today!