Before you specify
Frequently Asked Questions
The model is called CHS10-30 - does it really shred 10 sheets?
No. ACCO's own datasheet for the CHS10-30 rates it at 5-7 sheets of 70 g/m2 paper and 4-6 sheets of 80 g/m2 paper. The 10 in the model name does not correspond to the published sheet capacity, and listings that advertise this machine as a 10-sheet shredder are repeating the model number rather than the specification. Plan around five or six sheets per pass with normal US office paper. That is typical for a P-7 cutting head - the finer the particle, the more material the cylinders have to displace per pass.
Can this shred staples, paper clips, credit cards or CDs?
No to all four. The manufacturer datasheet lists staples, paper clips, credit cards and CDs as unsupported for this model. A 0.8 mm cutting geometry has very little tolerance for metal or rigid plastic, and feeding any of them risks damaging the cylinders. Remove staples and clips before shredding. If you need a machine on this same cabinet that does accept staples, clips and cards, the CM15-30 is the direct sibling.
Is the CHS10-30 NSA approved?
We cannot confirm that it is, and you should not assume so. NSA/CSS Specification 02-01 requires a maximum particle of 1 mm x 5 mm and, separately, that the exact model appears on the NSA Evaluated Products List. The CHS10-30's 0.8 x 5 mm particle satisfies the dimensional requirement, but a DIN P-7 rating on its own is not an NSA listing. If your programme requires NSA-approved destruction, check the current Evaluated Products List for this specific model number before purchasing.
What does P-7 mean in practical terms?
DIN 66399 sets P-7 at a maximum particle area of 5 mm2 with a maximum width of 1 mm. This machine's 0.8 x 5 mm cut produces roughly 4 mm2 particles. For comparison, P-5 allows up to 30 mm2 and P-4 up to 160 mm2, so a P-7 particle is around forty times smaller in area than a standard P-4 cross-cut fragment. It is the highest class the standard defines - there is no level above P-7, so any listing that claims a higher paper level is simply wrong.
How often will the bin need emptying?
The bin holds 100 litres, but P-7 output is fine and fluffy and does not settle the way cross-cut strips do, so usable capacity in practice is lower than the volume suggests. Given a 5-7 sheet pass rate, most users on this machine are shredding tens rather than thousands of sheets per session, so emptying tends to be driven by how compacted the waste has become rather than by sheet count. ACCO does not publish a sheets-per-fill figure.
Does it need oiling, and how often?
It oils itself. The CHS10-30 has automatic oil injection, which is a meaningful feature on a high-security head because the friction load is much higher than on a cross-cut machine. You will still need to keep the oil reservoir topped up with the manufacturer's shredder oil. Do not substitute aerosol lubricants or vegetable oils - they gum the cylinders.
Will legal or A4 paper fit?
Yes. The feed opening is 260 mm, about 10.2 inches, so 8.5-inch-wide letter paper and 210 mm A4 both pass comfortably. US legal paper at 8.5 x 14 inches fits when fed short edge first, which is the normal orientation anyway. Anything wider than 10.2 inches, such as tabloid or A3 fed long edge, will need folding first.
Can it run all day without stopping?
The duty cycle is specified as on/off continuous, so there is no fixed cool-down period in the rating. In real use the limiting factor is the operator, not the motor: at five to seven sheets per pass you are feeding almost constantly. The 640 W motor and continuous rating mean the machine will keep up with a person, but this is not a bulk-destruction device and should not be treated as one.