Most shredder purchases go wrong before the machine is ever delivered. Not because the buyer chose badly, but because they answered the wrong questions first.
The most common mistake is measuring the bench instead of the box. People check their packing station, order a machine that fits the space, then discover the cardboard they actually receive is wider than the cutting width. A 350mm machine will not take a 500mm sheet without folding or cutting first. Before choosing a width, go and measure the cardboard coming through your door. If a large share of it exceeds your intended cutting width, you will be doing preparation work every day, and that cost rarely appears in the purchase comparison.
The second is assuming three-phase power is available. The P50, P50-3, P50-X, and P80 run on single-phase 110V or 220V, or three-phase 380V. The P90 and P120 are 380V three-phase only. Plenty of buyers plan around a P120 and only then check whether the building has three-phase. If it does not, the electrical work adds cost and weeks to the timeline. Check the supply before anything else.
The third is choosing mesh when strips would do. Mesh expands into a three-dimensional structure and handles impact. Strips are dense, uniform, and stay where they are put. If your products are light and your issue is movement inside the box rather than shock, strips often do the job better and are easier to control. The P50-X produces both, which is worth knowing if your packaging content varies through the week.
The fourth is overlooking thickness. Cutting width gets all the attention, but thickness is where machines struggle. Desktop models handle up to 10mm. The P50, P50-3, and P50-X handle 15mm. The P80, P90, and P120 handle 20mm. If your incoming board is double-wall or triple-wall, feed it into the calculation early. A machine that jams on your standard material is not saving anyone time.
The fifth is forgetting who maintains it. Blades dull. Cardboard contains grit, tape, and occasionally staples. Someone has to check blades and replace them, and if that person is also running the packing line, the job has to be quick and the parts have to be available. Buying from a manufacturer rather than a reseller matters here. Aircosan builds these units in its own factory and manufactures models up to 1200mm wide, so spares and technical input come from the source rather than a third party.
None of these are complicated. They are just easy to skip when the focus is on price and speed. Get the five right and the machine choice usually becomes obvious, because you are no longer comparing specifications in the abstract. You are comparing them against the material you actually handle and the building you actually work in.