Shredders come in all shapes, sizes and cuts. When the shredder was first mass produced for home use, the strip-cut was the way to go. Now there are better ways to protect your identity.
Straight-Cut
A straight-cut (or strip-cut) shredder cuts paper into long, even lengths. A set of blades in the machine cuts the paper in one direction. It's the most basic type of shredding. These shredders are also the most inexpensive.
Cross-Cut
A cross-cut shredder cuts paper into several pieces. The blades cut the paper one way and then again in the opposite way. This makes the shredded pieces much smaller. Cross-cut shredders are generally more expensive than strip-cut.
Identity Theft
For identity theft protection, cross-cut shredders will destroy your documents better than straight-cut shredders. This is because it's more difficult to piece together cross-cut shredded pieces.
Straight-Cut Maintenance
Straight-cut shredders are easier to maintain. Paper doesn't get stuck in the blades too often because there's only one set of blades.
Cross-Cut Maintenance
Cross-cut shredders are harder to maintain and pieces of paper are more likely to get stuck within the blades. Use shredder oil or shredder lubricant sheets to make the blades run smoothly.
