Before you specify
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 3.9 x 40 mm really P-4?
Yes, but with less headroom than the rounded imperial figures suggest. DIN 66399 caps P-4 at 160 mm2 of particle area; 3.9 x 40 mm is 156 mm2, so it qualifies. The imperial approximation you often see for this cut, 3/16 in x 1-1/2 in, works out to about 181 mm2, which would fall outside P-4. The metric figure is the one on Kobra's datasheet and the one that governs the rating, which is why we quote it.
Can it shred CDs, DVDs and credit cards?
Yes. Kobra lists paper, credit cards, chip cards, films and CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray discs for the 300.1 C4. Feed discs and cards one at a time rather than in a stack, and keep them separate from paper runs so the head is not asked to cut mixed materials at full sheet load. This is one of the differences between the C4 and the P-5 C2 on the same chassis, which Kobra does not list for optical media.
How many people can share one before it bottlenecks?
A 300.1 C4 comfortably supports a department of roughly ten to twenty people producing normal daily paper. There is no duty cycle to work around because the motor is rated for continuous running, so the constraints are the 20 to 22 sheet pass rate and the 110-litre bin. If you routinely see people queuing with purge boxes, that is the signal to move up to the 300.2 C4 rather than to add a second machine.
Does the 300.1 C4 come with the automatic oiler?
The US-market SKU for this listing is sold as the Auto Oiler version (Kobra article 99.925), and US distributor listings for that article describe it as the auto-oiler build. Kobra's European catalogue treats the AO oiling system as a build option on the same chassis, so the two markets describe the machine differently. Because a cross-cut head that runs dry wears fast, this is worth pinning down: ask us to confirm in writing that the unit allocated to your order carries the integrated oiler before you place it.
How often will the 110-litre bin need emptying?
Kobra's UK distributor estimates about 1,200 shredded sheets per fill at this cut size. For an office putting a few hundred sheets a day through the machine, that means emptying roughly twice a week. The bin sensor triggers a safety stop when it reads full, so the machine tells you rather than jamming. Waste bags are not supplied with the machine, so order a supply that suits a 110-litre cabinet at the same time.
Will Legal and Tabloid paper fit?
Yes. The 12.2 in (310 mm) throat takes US Letter and Legal easily, and Tabloid at 11 x 17 in feeds in on its 11 in edge. A3 fits fed short edge first. The published sheet capacity is measured on A4, so reduce the stack when feeding larger formats rather than assuming the same count. Do not fold sheets to fit; folds count as extra thicknesses and cost more capacity than they save.
Is the 300.1 C4 NSA approved?
No. NSA/CSS Specification 02-01 requires a particle no larger than 1 mm x 5 mm and the specific model has to appear on the NSA Evaluated Products List for Paper Shredders. The 300.1 C4 cuts at 3.9 x 40 mm and is rated P-4, so it does not meet either condition and must not be used to destroy classified national security information. Kobra's models that are on the current EPL include the 300 HS-6 and the 270 TS HS-6, both of which cut 0.8 x 5 mm.
What warranty covers this machine in the US?
We do not publish a US warranty term on this page because Kobra's US warranty is set by the importing distributor rather than printed on the factory datasheet. Kobra's UK distributor publishes two years on the machine and ten years on the cutting blades (parts only) for this chassis, which is a reasonable guide to the factory position but not a US commitment. Ask us for the warranty document that ships with your unit before you order, and we will send the current terms in writing.