Shredders, degaussers

I would like feedback from anyone using commercial shedders and degaussers or other equipment to erase data as to whether they are using these on site (mobile) and as to what they charge for the service. While they are expensive it seems to me that they could pay for themselves relatively quickly in at least two ways, by the service fee itself and by multiplying the number of potential clients.

I know of at least two large players in our area that offer these type services and I have seen trucks from hospitals etc. loaded with towers etc. to be shredded at the shredder's location and assume that they can provide mobile service as well. It seems to me that there could be a big market in working with small to medium businesses.

Do you typically shred/degauss just the hard drive or the other drives and floppies as well?

If you read some of the big boy ads they recommend both degaussing and shredding although that seems like overkill to me.

Any help along these lines would be most appreciated.

Degaussing is not %100 fool proof. You can have a careless employee forget to turn on the machine and think a drive is wiped send it out and next thing u know your on the bad end of an expensive law suit.

Shredding is 100% fool proof. throw it in the big grindy thing, out pops shards.


I have found that people prefer physical destruction rather than magnetic. Not sure why but i think that unless they see it or know the actual drive will be destroyed than their data might still be their?

I use a log splitter. Its so much fun!

Do most of your clients prefer that you do this on site and do you issue a certificate of destruction or provide the customer with any additional information?

I would like to see a picture of your log splitter and have you modified it in any way?

For those using a shredder which one do you use? How big is it? I am assuming its big enough to shred the entire hard drive without first disasssembling. Mike.