Dahle 20396 High Capacity Paper Shredder w/Automatic Oiler, Jam Protection, Security Level P-4, Shreds CDs, 38 Sheet Max, 5+ Users

The Dahle 20396 is a high-capacity cross-cut shredder rated P-4 under DIN 66399, and with 38 sheets of #20 bond per pass it is the volume leader among the Dahle machines built on its 16 in, 50-gallon chassis. Each sheet becomes particles of about 3.2 x 39.7 mm. It is meant for records rooms, mailrooms and large shared offices of five or more users that need commercial-grade security without slowing down.

Dahle 20396 at a glance

• 38 sheets of #20 bond or 42 of #16 bond per pass, at 22 ft/min
• P-4 cross cut (O-3 for optical media), about 127 mm2 per particle
• 16 in feed opening, 50-gallon bin
• Rated for staples, paper clips, credit cards and CDs / DVDs
• 2 years on the machine, cutting cylinders covered for life

Where the 20396 earns its place: sheer paper volume

Most of what slows a big clear-out is the shredder asking for smaller handfuls. With a 38-sheet rating, the 20396 lets one person work through archive boxes at a steady pace, and the 16 in throat takes tabloid pages and complete file folders without folding. Because Dahle rates it for staples and clips, nobody has to strip documents first. When the purge includes expired cards or old discs, they go into the same machine, one at a time.

What P-4 covers, and where it stops

DIN 66399 allows a P-4 particle to be up to 160 mm2; the 20396's particle is about 127 mm2, well inside that limit. P-4 is the level usually chosen for confidential company records and documents holding personal data. It is not intended for policies that name P-5 or above, and it is not a machine for classified waste.

Maintenance, bags and noise

A chain-driven motor turns the cylinders, automatic jam protection reverses an overfeed, and the EvenFlow Lubricator oils the cutters continuously from a reservoir you refill with Dahle 20721 or 20722 oil. Shred bags are a separate purchase: Dahle 20726, sized for 31-55 gallon bins and packed 100 per box. At 64 dB it is the loudest of the three sister models, so a copy room or records area suits it better than a quiet open-plan floor.

Dahle 20396 specifications

Comparing the 20396 with its sister models

• Dahle 20392: same cabinet with a P-5 micro cut of about 1.9 x 14.3 mm, taking 26 sheets per pass and running quieter at 60 dB.
• Dahle 20394: P-7 and NSA/CSS-listed, with a 1 mm x 4.7 mm particle and 9 sheets per pass, for classified work.

Is the 20396 for you?

Choose it when the priority is moving large amounts of paper to a P-4 standard with as few stops as possible. Pass on it if a contract or regulation specifies P-5 or higher, if it would sit next to quiet desks, or if your team only shreds a few dozen pages a day, in which case a smaller 23-gallon class machine is a better fit.