Posts Tagged ‘compare’
Cross Cut Shredders vs. Strip Cut Shredders

 

Which Makes the Best Cut?

                Whether at home or in the office, there is a matter that should concern you, the disposal of paperwork. Even you no longer need a certain piece of information, someone else might want it. It is 2012 and everyone is aware of the danger of identity theft, the US Federal Trade Commission estimates that 9 million cases of identity theft take place in the United States alone. There are myriad ways to defend your personal information but you can’t afford to end the fight at the garbage can. When deposing of paperwork that contains financial, personal or otherwise sensitive information; it is important to render them unusable to those who would desire that information for their own ends. One of the best ways to accomplish this goal is to use a paper shredder.

Paper shredders are not a new invention. The first patent for one was issued in 1909 and they have been mass-produced since the 1950s. It wasn’t until the mid-1980s that they came into major use among non-governmental entities when the Supreme Court ruled that the 4th Amendment does not prohibit warrant-less search and seizure of garbage placed outside of a home or office. Shredders quickly became popular due to privacy concerns. Since then the law, environmental concerns, identity theft and industrial espionage have made them even more omnipresent in the workplace and home.

There are several different models of paper shredders. From small ones that can fit over a wastebasket to huge commercial designs that shred thousands of documents per hour; there are even top-secret models used by such government agencies as the NSA. The two types of shredders we’ll be discussing are the cross cut and strip cut designs and what are the pros and cons of each design.

The strip cut models use rotating knives to cut narrow strips as long as the original piece of paper. Cross cut models (also called confetti cuts) use two contra-rotating drums to cut the paper into rectangular, parallelogram or diamond-shaped sheds.

Here in comparison are the weaknesses and strengths of the two models:

Speed: in this category the strip cut model wins out. The cross cut is slower because it cuts the paper into more pieces.

Bag changes: the advantage is the cross cut design because the smaller pieces. Far more can fit into one refuse bag because the shredded are smaller than the strips.

Maintenance: Shredders require regular oiling to function properly. Strip cut machines require less oil then cross cut ones because they are cutting less. Dahle has recently released the CleanTEC paper shredders that all have automatic oiling features.

Security: This one should be your primary concern. Cross cut models offer far more security because they cut the paper into smaller shreds that are virtually impossible to piece back together. The cut paper produced by strip cut machines can (and in several cases have been) pieced back into their original form by determined people.

Price: Cross cut machines are generally more expensive then strip cut models. This question should be answered by considering how much paper shredding that you need to do.

Here is a list of companies that make commercial shredder models:

Boxis Autoshred

Dahle

Fellowes

Formax

GBC

HSM

Intimus

Kobra

MBM

Olympia

SEM

You Shred

It’s up to you to decide which factor is the most important aspect in your decision to buy a shredder. Here at K.L. Security, we want to make sure you have all the facts about your security products and believe us; shredders are security products. Protect your clients, personal information and vital paperwork; shred them when you toss them!

 

Written by: Joseph Fowler

 

Product names, logos, brands and other trademarks featured or referred to within dahleshredder.com website are the property of their respective trademark holders. This bloghas been compiled for research purposes only and does not constitute our endorsement of any brand, product or service. For more information please visit our terms and conditions

 
Used Fireproof File Cabinets | Pros and Cons

No matter what type of paper shredder you buy to destroy documents, there is always a need to have previously stored the documents in a proper file cabinet. The storage of your vital business documents is a very important part of business continuity and operations. Without office documents such as customer records, customer history, financials and other critical information it is very important to safeguard these records for business use today and in the event of a disaster.

Used Fire Files

Office Furniture and File Cabinets

Most businesses today still require paper documents or hard copies of contracts, leases, litigation records and more. Because of the sensitive nature of these documents is of great importance to protect from both theft and fire. If your office were to experience a record loss from fire, would you be able to recover the documents? Would you be able to keep your business alive if a catastrophic document loss occurred? Most documents reside in standard metal file cabinets; however it is an important consideration to choose a fireproof file cabinet.

If you answered “no,” or don’t know if your file cabinets have a fire rating you should immediately re-evaluate your document storage policy and procedure. Standard metal file cabinet brands will not protect paper documents during a fire and all paper records will be lost.

USED Storage Cabinets vs. Factory Seconds or Scratch & Dent

Fireproof filing cabinets come in a variety of sizes, widths and UL fire ratings. Used cabinets are available at a discount prices and it’s easy to source the cheapest prices online. One option that appeals to many small business owners are Factory 2nd’s or “Scratch and Dent” file cabinets. These fire files are like new with the occasional scratch, paint chip or dent. They function just like a brand new fire file EXCEPT they are a fraction of the cost.

Much like buying surplus or used office furniture you benefit from a lower out of pocket expense and a great return on your investment. Remember there is a difference between a cabinet that has been used and abused and a Factory Second. The old adage “you get what you pay for” still holds true in this example – a used fireproof file cabinet may not have drawers that function correctly or locks that work properly. A Factory Second file cabinet has never been used, it simply cannot be sold as new due to the scratches, dents or paint chips.

UL Fire Rating

Vertical and Lateral File Cabinets

We carry a full line of used fireproof file cabinets and can assist you with a wide variety of office furniture needs.

For more information call Toll Free 1-866-867-0306