Dahle PaperSAFE PS 380 Paper Shredder, Oil Free / Hassle Free, Jam Protection, Security Level P-4, 15 Sheet Max, Shreds Staples, Paper Clips & Credit Cards

The Dahle PaperSAFE PS 380 is the largest oil-free PaperSAFE deskside shredder, taking 15 sheets of 20 lb paper per pass to P-4 and destroying CDs and DVDs at O-3. It empties into a 7-gallon bin, runs at a rated 60 dB and needs no oil, bags or filters. It is meant for a single busy desk or small practice that shreds every day and wants nothing to maintain.

PaperSAFE PS 380 key facts

• 15 sheets per pass, the highest rating in the PaperSAFE range
• P-4 paper and O-3 optical media
• 1/8 x 7/16 in particle, about 35 mm²
• 60 dB at an unhurried 9 ft/min
• 7-gallon pull-out bin
• 28.7 lb, the heaviest PaperSAFE model

Where the PS 380 sits in the PaperSAFE line

Dahle puts its largest sheet rating into the same 10.5 x 17.5 x 21.5 in cabinet used by the PS 240 and PS 260. It is the heaviest of the three at 28.7 lb, and at 9 ft/min it is also the most deliberate feeder in the group, built to pull a thick stack steadily rather than race through it.

Fifteen sheets is enough that most people stop counting: a folded report, a stapled packet or a handful of statements goes in at once. The jam protection reverses the motor if you overdo it.

Signs you have outgrown a deskside shredder

The PS 380 is the most capable PaperSAFE, so its limits are worth knowing. The 7-gallon bin is fine for one desk but tiresome once several people feed it. The thermally protected motor suits intermittent use, not the chain-driven continuous-duty drive of Dahle's cabinet shredders. And the 8.75-inch feed accepts letter and legal paper but not 11 x 17 tabloid.

If any of those apply, a cabinet machine such as the CleanTEC 51464, with 24 sheets per pass and a 30-gallon bin, is the honest recommendation. Within its limits, the PS 380 offers oil-free cylinders, bag-free emptying, no filter and a 5-year warranty on the cutting cylinders.

PaperSAFE PS 380 specifications

PS 380 against similar Dahle shredders

• PaperSAFE PS 260: the same cabinet and 60 dB rating at 12 sheets per pass, for slightly lighter daily use.
• Dahle 52214: an oil-free P-4 small office shredder with 20 sheets per pass, an 11-gallon bin and a 9.5-inch feed.
• DAHLE CleanTEC 51464: a P-4 cabinet with 24 sheets per pass, a 30-gallon bin, a 12-inch throat and dust filtration.

Who the PS 380 suits

It is the right machine for an accountant, a clinic front desk, a law office or a home business that shreds client records daily, especially where nobody has been made responsible for the shredder. Look elsewhere if several people share it, if you need to destroy tabloid sheets, or if your policy specifies P-5, which no PaperSAFE meets.