Kobra +1 SS4

The Kobra +1 SS4 is a deskside strip-cut shredder that slices paper into 3.8 mm (1/8 in) ribbons, a DIN 66399 P-2 result, and takes 17-19 sheets per pass on 70 g/m² paper. It shares its cabinet, 1/3 HP motor and 10.2-gallon bagless bin with the cross-cut +1 CC4, but trades security for speed. It is a good fit for an office that clears a lot of routine paper and has little that identifies individuals.

Kobra +1 SS4 at a glance

• 3.8 mm strip, P-2 (complete rating P-2 O-2 T-2 E-2)
• 17-19 sheets at 70 g/m², 15-17 at 80 g/m²
• Paper, credit cards, chip cards and CDs/DVDs/Blu-ray discs through one 9.2 in throat
• Motor rated for continuous running with thermal protection
• Bagless 10.2-gallon (38.5-liter) bin, 55 dB(A)

What a P-2 strip cut is good for

A strip cutter makes only lengthwise cuts, so each sheet leaves the head as a set of narrow ribbons. That is less work for the 250 W motor than cross cutting, which is why the SS4 accepts up to 19 sheets where the CC4 in the same housing stops at 14. The downside is that each 3.8 mm ribbon still carries readable fragments of text along its length.

DIN 66399 places this at P-2: suitable for internal paperwork such as printed drafts, delivery notes, duplicate reports and out-of-date schedules. It is not the level to choose for payroll, patient or customer records. If any of your paper carries names with account numbers, addresses or signatures, a P-4 model is the better buy.

Running the +1 SS4 in a busy office

Electronic eyes switch the cutters on as paper enters and off once it clears. An over-thick stack triggers automatic reverse, and pulling the bin out or letting it fill stops the knives. The carbon-hardened steel cutters are, according to Kobra, unaffected by staples and paper clips. Because the drive is rated for 24-hour use with thermal protection, a long clear-out session does not have to be split into timed bursts.

Ownership costs stay low. The bin needs no plastic liners, so there is nothing to reorder, and it slides out from the front without lifting the head. Energy Smart standby cuts power use between jobs and lights an indicator to show the machine is resting.

Kobra +1 SS4 specifications

How the +1 SS4 compares with its neighbors

• Kobra +1 CC4: same chassis with a 3.5 x 40 mm cross cut. Two security levels higher at P-4, with up to 14 sheets per pass.
• Kobra +1 SS7: a wider 7.5 mm strip at P-1 and up to 27 sheets, for paper with no confidentiality at all.
• Kobra +2 SS4: the same 3.8 mm strip head with a separate 125 mm media slot and a 1.5-liter plastics bin, so discs stay out of the paper waste.

Who the +1 SS4 suits

Pick it for a print room, warehouse office or school administration desk that destroys bulky, low-risk paper and values quick feeding. It also suits anyone who wants occasional disc or card destruction without buying a second machine, accepting that plastic fragments will share the paper bin. Look elsewhere if the documents fall under privacy rules: a P-4 machine such as the +1 CC4, or the P-5 +2 CC2, is the defensible choice there.