Before you specify
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Turbo switch actually change?
It raises the power drawn by the motor from 460 W to 550 W, which Kobra says increases shredding capacity by around 30 per cent - from 17 sheets in standard mode to 19 in Turbo on 70 g/m2 paper. It also helps push through a stack that would otherwise stall and trigger the auto-reverse. The cut size does not change: you get 1.9 x 15 mm P-5 particles either way.
Should I leave Turbo on all the time?
There is no published restriction preventing it, and the motor carries a 24-hour continuous duty rating with thermal protection in both modes. The practical reason to use standard mode is noise and power draw for small jobs. Most users switch Turbo on when facing a thick stack and leave it off for a few pages at a time.
Is 1.9 x 15 mm genuinely P-5?
Yes. The particle area is 28.5 mm2 and DIN 66399 sets the P-5 ceiling at 30 mm2, so it qualifies - though with less margin than the 1.9 x 13 mm head in the Kobra +2 CC2. Kobra publishes the full rating as P-5 T-5 E-4 F-2 O-4. Watch out for listings that convert this to 3/32 x 5/8 inch: that rounded figure works out to 37.8 mm2, which would fall into P-4. The millimetre value is the one that counts.
How many people can share one?
A team of five to fifteen with normal office paperwork. The 3/4 HP chain-drive motor and 17-19 sheet capacity remove the throughput bottleneck; the 35-litre bin becomes the limit instead. Micro-cut waste packs densely, so expect roughly 350-500 sheets per emptying, which for a busy department is daily. If the machine will serve more than about fifteen people continuously, look at a larger-cabinet Kobra model.
Can it destroy credit cards and CDs?
Kobra's US specification lists paper, credit cards, chip cards and films as shreddable materials for this model, and publishes an O-4 optical-media rating for the cutting head. Cards and discs go through the same 240 mm throat as paper, so the fragments end up mixed in the 35-litre bin. Feed them one at a time, not in a stack with paper.
How loud is it compared with a deskside shredder?
Kobra rates it at 58-61 dB(A) against 55 dB(A) for the +1/+2/+3 deskside machines. That is a clearly audible difference - the chain drive and the higher-power motor both contribute. In a private office it is fine; in a quiet open-plan space, site it away from desks or accept that people will hear it running.
Is this shredder NSA approved?
No. NSA/CSS Specification 02-01 requires a particle of 1 mm x 5 mm or smaller and requires the specific model to be on the NSA Evaluated Products List. At 1.9 x 15 mm the 240 C2 Turbo does not meet the particle requirement and is not listed. Within this Kobra range only the 240 HS-6, at 0.8 x 5 mm, appears on the NSA EPL for paper shredders.