Martin Yale Intimus 407 Shredder

Sheet capacity is the number of sheets of paper a shredder can handle at one time.

Indicates the recommended amount of time that a shredder be allowed to cool off between uses.

Shredder motors will overheat and burn out if used continuously for too long. This is the recommended maximum amount of time that the shredder should run before being allowed to cool down.

Indicates the length of the particles or the width of the strips into which the shredder cuts paper. More secure shredders cut paper into smaller particles.

Indicates the length of the particles or the width of the strips into which the shredder cuts paper. More secure shredders cut paper into smaller particles.

The level of noise a shredder makes while in use is measured in decibels (dB). Current shredders tend to operate in the 60-80 dB range. 60 dB roughly corresponds to the noise level of a nearby conversation, while 80 dB might be the noise level of a busy street.

A shredder's throat is where documents are fed in to be shredded. Most are at least wide enough to accommodate letter-size paper (eight and one-half inches). Wider throats can handle larger document sizes.

Some shredders have a wastebasket or bag that collects the shredded particles and needs to be emptied when full.

The security level of a shredder is related to the size of the paper particles it produces. More secure shredders cut paper into smaller pieces. There are six Security Levels. Security Level 3 is commonly recommended as the minimum level for disposal of sensitive personal documents, while Security Level 6 is approved by the United States Department of Defense for diposal of top secret documents.