Before you specify
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 0.78 x 11 mm P-5 or P-6?
P-6. The arithmetic catches people out: 0.78 x 11 mm is 8.6 mm2, which is above the 5 mm2 ceiling for P-7 but well inside the 10 mm2 ceiling for P-6, and the width is under the 1 mm that P-6 also requires. It is not P-5 - P-5 allows up to 30 mm2, so calling this machine P-5 understates it. If you see this cut listed as P-5 anywhere, the listing is wrong.
Is this shredder NSA approved?
No. NSA/CSS 02-01 requires a maximum particle of 1 mm x 5 mm and the model to be listed on the NSA/CSS Evaluated Products List. At 0.78 x 11 mm the particle is more than twice the permitted length, and this variant does not appear on the list. HSM's listed P36i models are the 1 x 5 mm versions - Securio P36i (L6) and P36i (L6) OMDD Combo - which run at eight sheets a pass.
Can it shred CDs, DVDs or credit cards?
Cards yes, discs no. This variant is rated E-5 and T-6, which covers chip cards and magnetic-stripe media, but it has no O rating for optical data carriers. A 0.78 mm cutting unit is too fine to survive a polycarbonate disc. If optical media are part of the job, order a P36i configuration with a separate OMDD cutting unit rather than trying to push a disc through this throat.
Should I remove staples and paper clips?
Yes. HSM's general P36i copy notes that the induction-hardened rollers cope with staples and paper clips, but that statement covers the whole model range including the coarse P-2 version. On a sub-millimetre P-6 cutter, metal is the main wear risk - HSM sells a metal-detection variant of the P-7 machine precisely because of it. Treat fastener removal as standard procedure on this machine.
How often will the waste box need changing?
HSM rates the 145 l compartment at roughly 1,446 sheets at this cut size. That is a lower figure than the 1 x 5 mm version, which packs closer to 2,667 sheets, because slightly larger particles occupy more space. For a department shredding a hundred or so pages a day it still means a couple of weeks between changes. The display warns before the machine stops on a full bin.
What warranty does it carry?
A 3-year machine warranty. HSM's 5-year machine warranty and lifetime cutting-roller warranty apply to SECURIO models rated P-2 to P-5 only, so a P-6 machine falls outside both. This is the least-discussed cost of moving above P-5 and deserves a place in the comparison: the P-5 P36i keeps lifetime roller cover, this one does not, and micro-cut rollers are the costliest component in the machine.
Can it run continuously?
Yes. HSM rates the P36i chassis for continuous operation regardless of cut size, driven by the same 1000 W IntelligentDrive motor with performance, standard and silent modes. In practice the limiting factor on a long job at P-6 is the 11 to 13 sheet feed rate rather than the motor. The automatic oiler means you are not stopping every few hundred sheets to lubricate the rollers.