We used to have a standard (Non cross) shredder which we had used for about 10 years before buying this shredder last year. We decided on getting this one purely because it had cross cut and it was cheaper than the Bulldog shredders which do seem to be the best on the market (Most advanced) - we wanted extra security when shredding documents such as bank statements and so on.

Setup of the shredder was simple. Stick the lid on the bin and plug it in (Hey, that rhymed!). It was that simple. Once we had done that we could put multiple sheets, we usually do about 5 at a time and it handles it well, in the top of the shredder and it quickly shreds the sheets into multiple confetti-like pieces before our eyes. It only takes a second or two to cut its way across an A4 piece of paper which is it's size limit. It can also cut any paper smaller than A4 too in less time.

The bins capacity is surprisingly large, this is greatly aided by the cross cut which packs the pieces even tighter together and means that I do not have to empty it anywhere near as often as my old shredder which actually had a similar sized bin.

I find that shredders, due to having all of its real components at the top, to be top-heavy and unstable - leading to them being easily knocked over, especially when full. This shredder undoubtedly is still top-heavy but it still has decent stability and I haven't knocked it over yet.

The shredding blades are covered by the plastic casing so that only paper can fit down it, so you needn't worry about children or animals getting pulled in through their curiosity. However as a precaution I always switch it off at the wall when I'm done.