HSM Pure 120 Strip Cut Shredder for General Shredding

This is the volume half of the HSM Pure 120 pair: a 3.9 mm strip cut that swallows 10 to 12 sheets at a time, rated DIN 66399 P-2. It exists for the paper that has to disappear but was never confidential - and it is roughly twice as fast at that job as its cross-cut twin.

Be clear about what P-2 means before you buy. A 3.9 mm strip leaves whole lines of text readable down the length of each strip. It defeats a casual glance and a bin-raider with no patience; it does not defeat anyone with a table and an hour. Note also that the strip width really is 3.9 mm, which is closer to 5/32 inch than to the 1/8 inch some listings round it to - including, historically, ours. That is the manufacturer's figure from HSM's own datasheet for article 2310111, the European twin of this US model.

Key Features

• 10 to 12 sheets a pass. Double the cross-cut version's throughput, which is what you want when the task is clearing a tray rather than protecting a record.
• Feed-activated operation. The rollers start when paper enters and stop when it clears, so the machine never sits running.
• Stand-by power saving. Idle draw drops automatically - relevant for a machine that lives under a desk and is used in short bursts.
• Safety element on the intake. Slight pressure stops the feed instantly.
• Hardened steel rollers, lifetime warranty. Staples and paper clips are handled without sorting. HSM's lifetime cutting-roller cover runs from P-2 to P-5, so this machine sits inside it.
• Removable housing top. The upper section lifts off to empty the 20 litre container; a recessed grip makes carrying it manageable.
• Quiet for its class. Approximately 55 to 60 dB(A) at idle, which is conversation level rather than machine-room level.

Specifications

Sheet capacity is HSM's own figure at 80 g/m². Standard US 20 lb copier paper is about 75 g/m², slightly lighter, so the published figure is a conservative one for a typical American office. Any shredder quoted against lighter paper will look better on paper than it performs.

What's in the Box

Shredder, 20 litre waste container and operating instructions. No bags are supplied. Strip-cut cutting heads do not require oiling in the way particle-cut heads benefit from, so there is no consumable to buy on day one.

Who Should Buy This - and Who Should Not

This is the right machine for a home office or a reception desk that generates a steady trickle of junk mail, envelopes, delivery notes, drafts and expired printouts. Ten to twelve sheets a pass means a day's accumulated paper goes through in a few handfuls rather than twenty. At this price it is also a sensible second machine to sit alongside a secure shredder, so the P-4 unit is not worn out on catalogues.

Do not buy it for anything carrying a name and an account number. For that you want the HSM Pure 120 cross-cut, the same machine in 4 x 25 mm P-4 at 5-6 sheets a pass, or - if you want P-4 without giving up speed - the HSM Pure 320 cross-cut. Do not buy it as a shared office machine either: HSM publishes no duty cycle for the Pure 120 and the 20 litre bin holds around 180 shredded sheets, so a busy department will be emptying it constantly. And it will not take CDs; there is no optical-media class in its rating.