Before you specify
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the crumpled paper feature actually work?
Kobra calls it the Throw and Shred system. Behind a 230 x 100 mm opening sits an automatic feed with rotating flaps that grips and unfolds a balled-up sheet as it draws it into the cutting head. You drop the ball in rather than posting a flat sheet through the 230 mm throat. It handles one ball at a time - it is a convenience feature for desk-side use, not a bulk hopper.
Is the +3 CC4 more secure than the +1 CC4?
No. Both use the identical 3.5 x 40 mm cross-cut head and both are rated P-4 T-4 E-3 F-1, with the same 12-14 sheet capacity at 70 g/m2. The +3 adds intakes, not security: the crumpled-paper feed and the 125 mm media slot with its separate plastics bin. If neither of those matters to you, the +1 CC4 destroys paper to exactly the same standard.
Can I shred a CD and a stack of paper at the same time?
They go through different openings, so in practice you alternate. The 125 mm media slot destroys CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs and plastic cards into a 1.5-litre plastics bin at a rating of O-1 T-2 E-2 - coarse fragments, not micro-cut. The paper throat feeds the 38.5-litre bin. Keeping them separate is the point: your paper recycling stays free of plastic.
How many sheets before I need to empty it?
Cross-cut waste at 3.5 x 40 mm settles reasonably densely, so the 10.2-gallon bin holds roughly 300-400 sheets before the front window shows it full. The safety stop halts the cutters at that point rather than letting you overpack it. The small plastics bin has no window, so check it manually - a few dozen discs will fill it.
Will it handle stapled and clipped files?
Yes for ordinary staples and paper clips; Kobra specifies carbon-hardened steel knives unaffected by both. Remove bulldog clips, ring-binder rings and heavy-duty staples. Also note that laminated sheets, glossy stock and adhesive labels load a cross-cut head much harder than plain paper - they will not damage it occasionally, but they cut into the 12-14 sheet rating and are best fed a few at a time.
Is P-4 enough for HIPAA or client financial records?
P-4 is the level most US commercial guidance treats as the working minimum for records containing personal data, and it is where the majority of medical practices and accounting firms settle. It is not a legal certification - HIPAA requires that PHI be rendered unreadable and indecipherable rather than naming a DIN level. If your own policy or a client contract specifies P-5, the +2 CC2 in this same cabinet meets it at 1.9 x 13 mm.