Before you specify
Frequently Asked Questions
Can it shred staples and paper clips?
Yes. Dahle lists staples and paper clips among the accepted materials for the 909 HS, along with credit cards and optical media. That is genuinely useful: at 85 sheets per pass, the time saved by not de-stapling is often larger than the time spent shredding. Heavy binder mechanisms and ring binders are a different matter - for those, the 919 IS is the machine Dahle rates for binders.
How does P-3 compare with the P-7 machines in this range?
P-3 permits a particle area up to 320 mm2; the 909 HS cuts at 4 x 50 mm, which is 200 mm2. P-7 permits 5 mm2. In practice P-3 is the class most commercial retention policies specify for ordinary confidential business records, while P-7 exists for classified government material. If your policy names a class, follow it - do not assume more security is free, because P-7 machines take 11 sheets a pass instead of 85.
How many people can share it?
At 85 sheets per pass and 39 ft/min it comfortably serves a large department or a whole building's worth of confidential waste, provided the material is brought to it in batches rather than by individuals with single folders. The realistic ceiling is the operator's time, not the motor. Once you need somebody feeding it more than a couple of hours a day, a conveyor-fed 919 IS pays for itself in labour.
Will legal and tabloid paper fit?
Yes, easily. The 17.5-inch throat is the widest manual feed in the PowerTEC family - 8.5 x 14 in legal and 11 x 17 in tabloid both enter flat with room to spare. Sheet capacity figures are quoted on 8.5 x 11 in stock, so expect fewer sheets per pass on larger sizes because more paper is crossing the cutting head at once.
How often does the 68-gallon bin need emptying?
Under sustained feeding at 85 sheets a pass, plan on emptying it at least once per shift. The bin is on a framed roll-out chassis so it is wheeled out rather than lifted, which is the right arrangement at this volume. Shredded P-3 output is bulky and does not compact much on its own, so the bin reaches practical fullness before it reaches theoretical fullness.
What electrical supply does it need?
220 V three-phase, which is a formal electrical installation. Dahle does not publish the circuit amperage for this model, so have the dealer confirm the requirement with your electrician before the machine ships. This is the main reason organisations sometimes end up specifying two 115 V machines instead of one 909 HS - the power drop can cost more than the difference in machine price.
Is it NSA approved?
No, and it is not intended to be. NSA/CSS 02-01 requires a 1 mm by 5 mm particle and a listing on the NSA Evaluated Products List; the 909 HS cuts at 4 x 50 mm. Within the Dahle range, the models we confirmed on the current NSA paper shredder EPL are the 707 PS, 727 CS and 747 CS. The 909 HS is built for volume, not for classified material.