Before you specify
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a P-6 shredder NSA approved?
No. NSA/CSS Specification 02-01 sets a maximum particle of 1 mm x 5 mm and additionally requires the specific model to be on the NSA Evaluated Products List. This machine's 0.78 x 11 mm particle is narrow enough but more than twice the permitted length, and it does not appear on the list. It is not authorised for classified US government material regardless of its DIN class.
How much slower is it than the P-5 AF300?
Manual capacity falls from 8-10 sheets to 6, so roughly a third less per pass, and the automatic tray takes correspondingly longer to clear because the head is making about three times as many cuts per sheet. The tray still holds 300 sheets and the motor is the same 610 W unit. If your policy does not actually require P-6, the P-5 version is the faster machine for the same money-ish outlay.
Why is the cut called P-6 and not P-5?
DIN 66399 sets P-6 at a maximum particle area of 10 mm2 with a width limit of 1 mm. At 0.78 x 11 mm this head produces 8.58 mm2 particles that are 0.78 mm wide, so it satisfies both tests. It is a common error to see 0.78 x 11 mm quoted as P-5; the area alone would allow that reading, but the strict width limit is what places it in P-6.
Are the cutting rollers covered for life?
No. HSM's lifetime cutting-roller warranty applies to models rated P-2 through P-5. This is a P-6 machine, so its rollers sit outside that scheme and fall under the standard machine warranty. It is a genuine difference between this model and the otherwise identical P-5 AF300, and it should be weighed alongside the higher purchase price when you are deciding whether P-6 is actually required.
Can it shred credit cards or CDs?
No. This configuration carries P-6 for paper and F-3 for film only, with no card or optical media rating. Rigid plastic is not something a 0.78 mm cutting head is designed to handle, and feeding it risks damaging the rollers. If you need to destroy cards and discs as well as paper, keep a separate media shredder, or pair this machine with a P-4 model that carries an O rating.
How often will the bin need emptying?
The bin is the standard 35-litre unit shared across this chassis. P-6 waste is very fine and does not compact well when aerated, so expect a lower sheet count than the P-4 version of the same machine achieves. Plan on emptying after roughly every one and a half to two full tray-loads and keep HSM 1661995050 bags in stock rather than discovering you are out mid-purge.
Will it take stapled documents?
Yes, HSM rates it for paper containing staples and paper clips, and the rollers are solid steel. Because a P-6 head has very fine teeth and no lifetime roller warranty behind it, it is worth removing fasteners when that is easy, and feeding heavily stapled bundles through the manual slot rather than the automatic tray, where a thick staple can jam the sheet separator.