Before you specify
Frequently Asked Questions
Can this shredder handle staples, paper clips and credit cards?
Yes. HSM rates this cutting head for paper, staples, paper clips, credit cards and CDs/DVDs, so documents do not need to be prepared before feeding. Optical media and cards should go in one at a time rather than stacked with paper. Continuously feeding heavy staples or cards will wear the rollers faster than paper alone, so treat cards and discs as occasional items rather than the machine's daily diet.
How many people can share this machine before it becomes a bottleneck?
That depends on volume rather than headcount, but the useful figures are 20 - 22 sheets per pass and a 100 L container holding about 1,223 shredded sheets. As a rough guide, a P-4 machine like this suits a workgroup that generates up to a few hundred pages of shredding a day. If people start queuing, the constraint is almost always the security level rather than the motor - a lower DIN class on the same chassis runs considerably faster.
Is the sheet capacity figure realistic for US paper?
The 20 - 22 sheet rating is HSM's own figure measured at 80 g/m² paper. Standard US 20 lb bond letter is about 75 g/m², so on typical American office paper you should meet or slightly beat the rating. Be aware that HSM's overview brochure quotes capacity at 70 g/m² instead, which produces numbers roughly 15 percent higher; if you are comparing our spec against a brochure figure, check which paper weight each one uses.
Will legal and A4 paper fit through the throat?
Yes. The intake is 12.2 in (310 mm), which takes 8.5 in letter and legal stock and 210 mm A4 with room to spare, and will clear 11 in tabloid fed short edge. What it will not comfortably take is wide continuous computer stationery or A3 fed long edge. If oversized stock is routine for you, the SECURIO B35 offers a 15.75 in (400 mm) throat on an otherwise comparable machine.
Is this shredder NSA approved?
We have not verified a listing for this model on the NSA/CSS Evaluated Products List, so we do not claim NSA approval for it. Those two things are separate: NSA/CSS 02-01 requires a maximum particle of 1 mm x 5 mm and the specific model must appear on the NSA's own list. A DIN 66399 rating on its own - including P-7 - does not establish NSA approval. If you have a classified-destruction requirement, verify the model number directly against the current NSA EPL before ordering.
What bags fit this model, and are any included?
No bags are supplied with the machine. This chassis uses HSM's reusable collection bags for HSM 225, 386 and SECURIO B34, available in packs of 10 or 100 under part numbers 1410995000 / 1410995100. Generic 26.4 gal liners will physically fit the 100 L container but often tear at the fold or slip off the frame, which makes emptying messier rather than cheaper. HSM also offers a cardboard box - b34 as an alternative to plastic.
How often does this shredder need oiling?
Any cross cut cutting head benefits from regular lubrication - the usual guidance is an oiled sheet or a pass of HSM cutting-block oil each time you empty the bin, and more often under heavy use. Dry rollers lose sheet capacity before they fail, so a shredder that seems to be weakening is usually just under-oiled. If nobody in your office will own that task, buy the version of this machine with the external automatic oiler fitted instead.
Can it run continuously, and how loud is it?
HSM builds the SECURIO cabinet range for continuous operation rather than short duty cycles, so it is designed to run through a full bin rather than needing a cooling pause every few minutes. Sustained overloading will still trip the thermal protection; feeding at or under the rated 20 - 22 sheets avoids that. Noise is around 56 dB(A) at idle, which is quiet enough to place the machine in an open-plan office rather than banishing it to a service room.