There are multiple different types of document cutting mechanisms used by Paper Shredders. The three main mechanisms used are strip-cut, cross-cut, and micro-cut. The cutting mechanism of your shredder has a direct impact on security level, energy output, speed, and maintenance, so which one to buy will depend on your needs as well as personal preference.

Strip cut shredders shred documents into strips creating long ribbons of paper. Our strip cut shredders cut documents into 5.8mm – 6mm wide strips. Strip-cut shredders are energy and time efficient, but they offer less security than other cutting methods.

Cross cut shredders use two different blades to cut documents vertically and horizontally at the same time. This cutting method has much higher security than strip cut paper shredders, it would be extremely difficult to reconstruct documents that have been put through a cross cut shredder. Confetti-cut is a type of cross-cut shredder that cuts the paper into small pieces of confetti-like strips. Because cross-cut shredders are more mechanically complex, it takes more energy to run them and they can require more maintenance than strip-cut shredders.

Micro-cut shredders work in the same way as cross-cut shredders, but rather than blades cutting horizontally and vertically, the micro-cut blades typically cut diagonally. This can produce much smaller paper particles that are virtually impossible to piece back together. Micro-cut shredders can cut one piece of paper into more than 2,000 pieces. The main advantage to micro-cut shredders is the increased security level, this cutting mechanism is recommended for users who need the highest level of data protection. Micro-Cut shredders can require more maintenance and are slower at shredding due to the technical complexity of the cutting mechanism.