Before you specify
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the S5 shred more sheets than the S4?
Because its strip is wider. The S5 cuts 1/4 inch (about 6 mm) and the S4 cuts 1/8 inch (about 3.2 mm), so the S5's cutting head makes fewer, easier cuts per sheet and the same 4/5 HP motor gets through 31 sheets instead of 26. Both are rated P-2, because DIN 66399 bands strip particles by width and both fall in the same band. The S4's finer strip is harder to reconstruct in practice, if not in classification.
Is P-2 enough for shredding customer records?
Generally no. P-2 leaves 1/4 inch strips with continuous readable text, and most privacy policies and data protection guidance expect at least P-4 for personal data. Use the S5 for general office paper and put anything with names, addresses, account numbers or health information through a cross-cut machine such as the KOBRA 240.1 C4. Saying so plainly is more useful than pretending a strip cut covers you.
Does it need oil or bags?
Neither. KOBRA specifies the strip-cut 240.1 models as oil-free with no lubrication or maintenance required, and the 10.5 gallon bin is designed to be pulled out on its casters and tipped. A liner will fit if your building requires bagged waste, but none is supplied and none is needed for the machine to work.
How often will the bin need emptying?
1/4 inch strip waste is the bulkiest output of any cut type — it springs back rather than settling. KOBRA does not publish a sheets-per-fill figure. On sustained use expect to empty the 10.5 gallon bin at least once a day, and every half hour or so if you are clearing archive boxes. The head stops automatically when the door is opened or the bin reads full.
Can it shred CDs and credit cards?
Yes, CDs, DVDs, floppy disks, credit cards and chip cards are all within rating. Feed discs one at a time. Note that shredding a disc on a P-2 strip-cut head produces relatively large fragments; if optical media destruction is the main requirement rather than an occasional convenience, a dedicated media destroyer is a better answer.
What is the duty cycle before it needs to cool down?
There is none. KOBRA specifies a 24 hour continuous duty motor with no cool-down interval on the 240.1 chassis. You will empty the bin many times before the machine asks for a break.