Before you specify
Frequently Asked Questions
What does oil-free actually mean — will the cutters wear out faster?
It means the cutting system is designed to run without added lubricant, so there is no oiling schedule, no oil bottle and no automatic oiler to maintain. It is a design characteristic of this head at P-4 particle size, not a coating that wears off. Finer heads such as the P-5 C2 cannot work this way, which is exactly why that model ships with an integrated oiler.
Do I have to remove staples before loading the tray?
Yes, for anything going into the automatic tray. Autofeed mechanisms separate sheets individually and a staple holds several together, which causes misfeeds. Feed stapled documents through the 260 mm manual slot instead, where the head handles ordinary staples and paper clips without difficulty. Sorting a stack once beats clearing a jam twice.
Can it shred CDs and DVDs?
Yes, but through the manual slot only, one disc at a time — Kobra explicitly qualifies optical media as manual feed. Never put a disc in the automatic tray; the feed rollers are designed for paper and a rigid disc will not separate from the stack correctly. Credit cards, chip cards and films go through the manual slot as well.
Is 300 sheets a realistic figure?
It is realistic at 80 g/m², which is close to standard US office stock, and the tray takes 350 on lighter 70 g/m² paper. What people underestimate is the time: this is a 600 W desk-side machine, not a conveyor unit, so a full tray takes a meaningful part of an hour. The value is that nobody has to be present for it, not that it is fast.
How does the AF.1 C4 differ from the AF.1 C2?
The head, and nothing else that matters. The C4 is P-4 at 3.9 x 40 mm and oil-free; the C2 is P-5 at 1.9 x 15 mm and ships with an automatic oiler. Chassis, tray capacity, bin, motor, footprint and weight are identical. The C4 also accepts CDs and DVDs through the manual slot, which the C2 does not. Choose on the security level your policy requires.
Where should it go in the office?
It has a 21.2 x 17.2 in footprint and stands 43 in tall, so it fits beside a desk or in a copy area, and at 56–58 dB(A) it is quiet enough for shared space. Leave room to open the tray lid on top and to pull the bin out at the front. At 103 lb it is a two-person lift, so decide where it lives before delivery rather than after.