KOBRA 400 HS-6 AUTO-OILER

The KOBRA 400 HS-6 AUTO-OILER is a large-format P-7 shredder that cuts paper and film to 0.8 x 5 mm through a 16 in (400 mm) throat, with a dedicated automatic oiler keeping the fine knives lubricated. It runs on a 2.9 HP continuous-duty motor, empties into a 53-gallon bag, and is named on the NSA/CSS EPL for paper shredders as "Kobra 400 HS-6". It is built for secure sites that destroy classified paper in bulk sessions rather than a few sheets at a time.

400 HS-6 Auto-Oiler in brief

• P-7 F-3 particle of 0.8 x 5 mm (4 mm²)
• 16 in throat feeding at 30 ft/min
• 2.9 HP (2100 W) motor, 24-hour continuous duty
• Integrated oiler for the high-security cutting head
• 53-gallon (200-liter) bagged bin with full-bag stop
• NSA/CSS EPL listed, TAA compliant, NPSA rated

Why the built-in oiler matters on a P-7 head

The knives that make a 0.8 mm cut work with very tight clearances, and they rely on oil to hold that geometry. On manually oiled P-7 machines, sheet capacity drops and jams increase as soon as someone forgets the oil bottle. The 400 HS-6 applies oil during operation from its own reservoir, so the only routine job is refilling it with KOBRA oil, art. SO-1532 (one-quart bottle). Do not substitute aerosol or general-purpose lubricants.

Sheet capacity: two published figures

KOBRA's documents disagree on this model. The US datasheet (rev. 7) gives up to 14 sheets, while the European datasheet for the same machine gives 8–10 sheets of 70 g/m² A4 and 8–9 sheets at 80 g/m². We recommend planning around the European figures. The 16 in throat is the bigger practical gain: wide printouts and computer forms go in flat, and the 53-gallon bag means fewer stops during a long destruction run.

Drive, safety and controls

Torque reaches the cutters through a heavy chain and steel gearing, and the motor has no duty cycle or rest period. Electronic eyes start and stop the head, jams reverse automatically, the machine halts when the bag is full, and the cabinet door is electronically interlocked. Consumables are ordered separately: waste bags art. SB-35, oil art. SO-1532 and an optional top document shelf art. 99.003.

KOBRA 400 HS-6 Auto-Oiler data sheet

Choosing among KOBRA's large P-7 and 400-series machines

• KOBRA 400 HS-6 COMBI: the same cabinet with an added O-6 optical media cutter (1.5 x 2 mm) and its own 22-gallon bin, for sites that also destroy discs.
• KOBRA 310 TS HS-6 AO: the same P-7 particle with automatic oiling in a lighter 128 lb unit with a 13 in throat and 40-gallon bin, also EPL listed.
• Kobra 400 C2 AUTO OILER: same 16 in format with a P-5 cut of 1.9 x 15 mm and up to 31 sheets, for confidential rather than classified paper.

Right buyer, wrong buyer

This machine makes sense for an agency, contractor or facility clearing secure containers of classified paper on a schedule, where the oiler, wide throat and big bag save real time. It does not suit general office shredding, it rejects discs and cards, and at 246 lb it needs a delivery route and floor that can take it.