Before you specify
Frequently Asked Questions
Can it really shred 300 sheets without anyone present?
Yes, that is the design intent. Load the tray, close it and the machine works through the stack, stopping when it is empty or if it detects a fault. The 300-sheet figure is measured on 80 g/m² paper; on lighter 70 g/m² stock it takes 350. At around 20 sheets per minute a full tray is roughly a quarter of an hour of unattended running, which is usually enough to cover a coffee break rather than an afternoon.
Does the automatic feeder take stapled documents?
Remove staples and clips before loading the tray. Automatic feeders separate sheets one at a time, and a staple binds several sheets together, which is what causes misfeeds and jams. The manual slot is more tolerant, but the sensible workflow is to pull fasteners out of anything going into the tray and hand-feed the occasional stapled file. This is the standard trade-off of every autofeed shredder, not a Kobra-specific weakness.
Can it shred CDs and DVDs?
No. Kobra lists this model's shreddable materials as paper, credit cards, chip cards and films. Optical media is not on that list, and a P-5 micro-cut head is not designed to take it. If you need to destroy discs, use a machine rated for optical media — several of the Kobra 400 models are, and for volume media destruction the Kobra HDD or SSD units handle discs among other formats.
What does the automatic oiler actually do, and do I still have maintenance?
It lubricates the cutting head on its own schedule, so the job never gets skipped. Your remaining task is keeping the reservoir topped up with proper shredder oil and checking it as part of routine care. This matters more on a P-5 machine than on a coarse one: a dry micro-cut head loses sheet capacity first, then starts reversing on normal loads, and the decline is gradual enough that people blame the machine rather than the oil.
How does it compare with the AF.1 C4?
Same chassis, same tray, same bin, same motor, same footprint. The C2 cuts 1.9 x 15 mm at P-5 and has an automatic oiler; the C4 cuts 3.9 x 40 mm at P-4 and is oil-free, so it has no oiling requirement at all. Choose on your required security level. If P-4 is acceptable, the C4 is cheaper to own; if your policy says P-5, the C2 is the only one of the two that qualifies.
Is it NSA approved?
No. P-5 is well short of what the NSA/CSS paper specification demands, and Kobra makes no NSA claim for this model. Do not let a high DIN number be read as US government approval — NSA listing requires both a much finer particle and the specific model appearing on the NSA/CSS Evaluated Products List. For classified destruction you need a listed high-security machine.
How often will the 40 gallon bin need emptying?
Less often than the litre figure suggests, because P-5 waste is fine and packs down densely rather than fluffing up like strip-cut waste. For a small team feeding a couple of trays a day, weekly is typical; a busy legal or records office running the tray continuously will empty it every day or two. The bin pulls out on the front of the cabinet, so emptying does not require lifting.