
Before you specify
Frequently Asked Questions
Does it shred CDs or DVDs?
No. This variant carries E-3, F-1, P-4 and T-4 ratings but no O rating, so optical media are outside its specification and feeding a disc risks the cutting rollers. Within the C-series only the C18 5.8 mm strip-cut model is rated for optical media, at O-2. If you need both good paper security and disc destruction, the P36i range with a separate CD or OMDD cutting unit is the correct answer.
How many sheets can it take with staples in them?
HSM rates the machine at eight to nine sheets of 80 g/m2 paper and specifies that the induction-hardened rollers accept staples and paper clips. A stapled set of eight sheets is fine. What reduces capacity is the fold, not the staple - a folded bundle counts double. Remove binder clips, bulldog clips and plastic spines before feeding.
How often will the bin need emptying?
HSM rates the 25 l container at approximately 351 sheets of shredded paper. At 60 to 80 pages a day that is about a week. Particle waste packs far denser than strip waste, which is why this model holds more than twice as much paper as the strip-cut C18 in the identical container. There is an inspection window for checking the level.
Will legal-size paper feed properly?
Yes. The throat is 230 mm (9.06 in) wide. US legal paper is 8.5 in wide - the same as letter, just longer - so it feeds portrait without folding. Tabloid at 11 in wide does not fit and must be folded, which then counts as two sheets against the capacity. A4 at 210 mm also feeds normally.
Can several people share it?
Two or three light users, yes. This is still a personal-class machine: intermittent duty cycle, 6.6 gallon bin, no continuous-run rating. Beyond about three regular users you will hit the duty cycle before you hit the bin, and the queue becomes the bottleneck. HSM's departmental answer for five to fifteen users is the SECURIO P36i.
What warranty applies, and does the cut level affect it?
Yes, it does. HSM publishes a 5-year machine warranty and a lifetime warranty on the solid steel cutting rollers for SECURIO models rated P-2 to P-5. This C18 is P-4, so both apply in full. Machines rated P-6 or P-7 fall outside that and carry a 3-year machine warranty with no lifetime roller cover - a real consideration when comparing across security levels.