DAHLE CleanTEC 51472 Paper Shredder w/Fine Dust Filter, Automatic Oiler, German Engineered, Security Level P-5, 16 Sheet Max, 3-5 Users

The Dahle CleanTEC 51472 is a P-5 micro-cut office shredder that also carries an O-4 rating for CDs and DVDs, with a 12-inch throat wide enough for tabloid paper. It takes 16 sheets of 20 lb bond per pass, oils its own cylinders and filters up to 98% of fine paper dust. It is the CleanTEC to choose when a small professional office has to destroy sensitive paper and archive discs on one machine.

CleanTEC 51472 at a glance

• Two DIN 66399 ratings: P-5 for paper and O-4 for optical media
• Particle 1/13" x 9/16", roughly 2 x 15 mm or about 28 mm²
• 16 sheets of 20 lb bond or 18 of 16 lb per pass, at 18 ft/min
• 12-inch opening; letter, legal and 11 x 17 feed flat
• EvenFlow automatic oiler, CleanTEC filter and a 30-gallon bin

Reading the 51472's two security ratings

DIN 66399 grades paper and optical media separately, and the 51472 has a rating for each. P-5 means each paper particle is no larger than 30 mm², and this cut comes in at about 28. O-4 is the higher of the two disc ratings across this Dahle range, while the P-4 CleanTEC models such as the 51464 are rated O-3. If your policy cites DIN, check which letter it applies to which medium. Neither rating extends to hard drives, USB sticks, solid-state media or tape, which need purpose-built equipment.

Built-in care for a fine-cut head

P-5 cylinders cannot run oil-free, so Dahle fits the EvenFlow Lubricator, which meters a slow film of oil across their full width as they turn. Refill it with Dahle 20721 (12 oz) or 20722 (1 gallon). The Matrix cylinders carry a lifetime warranty against defects, and the machine is covered for 2 years. Trident Grip geometry keeps stacks square, and a chain-driven continuous-duty motor on rubber shock mounts runs at a rated 53 dB.

At 138 lb, the 51472 is the heaviest of the 30-gallon CleanTEC office models, and the extra weight sits in the cutting head. SmartPower standby, auto start/stop, a bin-full stop and lockable casters are standard. Shred bags (Dahle 20725) and spare filters (20710) are sold separately.

Dahle CleanTEC 51472 specifications

Where the 51472 sits among its siblings

• CleanTEC 51464: the same cabinet and 12-inch throat at P-4, oil-free, with 24 sheets per pass. Choose it if P-4 meets your policy.
• CleanTEC 51422: the same P-5 particle through a 10.25-inch throat at 13 sheets, with no disc rating.
• CleanTEC 51522: the same P-5 cut, 12-inch throat and 16 sheets over a 38-gallon bin for heavier shared use.

Who should buy the CleanTEC 51472

It is well matched to accounting, legal, medical or HR offices whose material is both sensitive and mixed, and where the shredder sits among staff. It is the wrong choice for clearing a stockroom of archive boxes, where 16 sheets per pass is slow, or for a whole floor, where the 30-gallon bin becomes the bottleneck.