Before you specify
Frequently Asked Questions
Is P-6 the same as micro-cut, and how does it compare with P-5?
P-6 is the second-highest DIN 66399 class for paper, allowing a maximum particle area of 10 mm2. The 40330's 0.8 x 11.1 mm cut comes to about 8.8 mm2, so it qualifies. For comparison, P-5 allows up to 30 mm2 and P-7 up to 5 mm2. In practice P-6 output is closer to coarse dust than to confetti. Dahle markets this cut as Extreme Cross Cut; under DIN it is a micro-cut.
Can the 40330 shred staples, paper clips, CDs or credit cards?
Dahle does not rate this model for CDs, DVDs or credit cards - the CD/DVD capability listed for its oil-free 50310 and 50314 stablemates is absent here. Treat it as a paper-only machine and remove staples, clips and fasteners before feeding. A 0.8 mm cutting tolerance leaves no margin for metal, and a damaged high-security cutting head is an expensive repair covered for only one year.
How often will a 23-gallon bin need emptying at six sheets a pass?
More often than the sheet rating suggests, because micro-cut particles trap a lot of air on the way into the bin and do not settle the way strip-cut waste does. A small team destroying a few dozen pages a day will typically change the bag every one to two weeks; anyone running a purge will change it the same day. Buy Dahle 20725 bags by the box rather than singly.
Will legal or tabloid paper fit?
No, not unfolded. The feed opening is 10.25 inches, which takes letter-size paper fed long-edge first but will not accept 8.5 x 14 legal or 11 x 17 tabloid without folding - and folding a sheet halves your effective six-sheet capacity. If legal paper is routine for you, look at Dahle's 16-inch throat machines instead.
Is the 40330 NSA approved?
No. It is a P-6 machine and it does not appear on the NSA/CSS Evaluated Products List for paper shredders. NSA/CSS 02-01 requires a particle no larger than 1 mm x 5 mm and requires the exact model to be listed; the 40330's 0.8 x 11.1 mm cut is well outside the length limit. The EPL-listed machine in this same 23-gallon cabinet is the Dahle 40334, which cuts to 1 x 4.7 mm at five sheets a pass.
How noisy is it in practice?
Dahle rates it at 47 dB, the lowest figure of any machine in this group and quieter than normal conversation. It is one of the few genuinely high-security shredders that can sit in an occupied office without becoming a nuisance. The 40430 and 40530, which use the same cutting geometry in larger cabinets, are rated 52 dB and 50 dB respectively.
What is the warranty on the cutting cylinders?
One year, with two years on the machine itself. This is worth understanding before you buy: Dahle gives a lifetime cutting-cylinder warranty on its P-3, P-4 and P-5 models, but every P-6 and P-7 model - including the 40330 - carries one year. Moving up to a high-security cut on a Dahle machine means accepting shorter cylinder cover, so treat the cutting head as a wear item if the machine runs hard.