These days we expect most shredders to have basic features such as a reverse function and the ability to shred a decent number of sheets of paper at a time. But some shredders really do go the extra mile, offering many more additional features designed to make shredding easier and safer. Here are some cool shredder features to look out for:
1) Quiet shredding
All shredders will make some noise, but there are models now available that aim to reduce this noise significantly. These shredders are often referred to as ‘noise reduction’ or ‘ultra quiet operation’ shredders and can be great for office environments where you don’t want too many noisy distractions – or even at home if you are doing some late night shredding and don’t want to wake the neighbours!
2) Auto-oil
Oiling your shredder is an essential part of shredder maintenance – but it’s a process which is sometimes neglected. Therefore to make this easier some shredders now come with an auto-oil system, a great way to keep the shredder performing smoothly and optimally.
3) Ability to shred credit cards, CDs and DVDs
Shredders are primarily used to shred paper. But a number of models will now also shred credit cards, CDs and DVDs too – very handy when you are trying to dispose of sensitive data on these kinds of media.
4) Safety technology
Shredders are now a common household item but safety is still paramount especially when you have children and pets. To ensure shredders are as safe as possible, manufacturers have added a number of safety features. These will for example prevent the shredder from operating if the throat area is touched or if the shredder bin is left open. Fellowes have a shredder safety technology called ‘Safe Sense’ and a number of other manufacturers have their own version of safety technology too.
5) Jam-free technology
Getting a paper jam is a big frustration when you are trying to get through a batch of shredding, so a number of shredders now have built-in features to try and prevent this. Rexel Mercury shredders for example feature ‘Mercury jam free technology’. This alerts the user to remove excess paper before continuing to shred, therefore helping to prevent unnecessary paper jams.
