Before you specify
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I really put a whole ring binder in it?
Dahle lists binders among the accepted materials for the 919 IS, which the 909 HS listing does not include. That means the machine is built to ingest binder board and the metal ring mechanism rather than just the paper inside. Use judgement with unusually heavy lever arch mechanisms or plastic-and-metal presentation binders, and feed them one at a time rather than in a stack - the conveyor will not object, but the cutting head has finite torque.
Why is the bin smaller than the 909 HS bin?
The 919 IS holds 45 gallons against 68 gallons on the 909 HS, because the conveyor assembly takes up space the hand-fed machine devotes to waste. It is a real trade-off and worth planning for: a belt-fed machine produces waste faster and holds less of it. If that combination will not work for you, the optional 919 CB output conveyor moves shredded material out to a larger container or a baler instead.
How loud is it?
65 dB, which is 5 dB above the 909 HS and 5 dB below the 929 IS. That is loud enough that it belongs in a dedicated destruction room or warehouse area rather than adjacent to desks. The conveyor and the larger material it ingests are both part of that figure - shredding a binder is audibly different from shredding loose sheets.
Does the conveyor mean I can leave it running unattended?
No. It reduces how continuously an operator must feed the machine, but somebody still needs to load the belt, watch for material that should not go in, empty a 45-gallon bin, and be present at the emergency stop bar. Treat it as a machine that lets one person do the work of two, not as an unattended process.
What supply and space does it need?
220 V three-phase, with the amperage to be confirmed by your dealer - Dahle does not publish a circuit rating for this model. The footprint is 52 x 47.25 in with a height of 48.5 in, and you need clear working space on the infeed side to stage material. At 1,080 lb it needs a dock or liftgate for delivery and a floor that can take the load.
Is 5 x 40 mm genuinely P-3?
Yes. A 5 x 40 mm particle has an area of 200 mm2, and DIN 66399 permits up to 320 mm2 for class P-3. There is real margin there, unlike some machines marketed at P-3 whose particle area sits right at or above the limit. If your policy requires P-4 you would need a particle of 160 mm2 or less, which this machine does not produce.
Can it take credit cards and optical media?
Yes - Dahle lists CDs and DVDs, credit cards, staples and paper clips alongside paper and binders for the 919 IS. Bear in mind the resulting fragments are P-3 sized, which is a commercial confidentiality class. If discs specifically need a certified optical destruction standard, that is a job for the 717 OS at O-5 or the 747 CS at O-6, not for a bulk paper shredder.