In my day to day as a mobile locksmith I meet all kinds of clients. Some people call us for emergency service because they lost their keys or lost their keys, while others call because they just moved into a new house and want to replace their locks. But lately we have been receiving “educated” consumers. I say “educated” because there are a few things one should learn before replacing their locks, because a lock is a generic term just like a car. You don’t just buy any car, you choose a car after learning which one is a good value and suits your needs. The same should be true of the front door lock that protects you, your valuables and your loved ones as well.
95% of the time I see a customer, I am not surprised to see that they have the same “standard” locks that almost everyone has in their home. These locks are made of the cheapest stuff; Some are even made of plastic! These locks are usually purchased from the big hardware vendors for as little as $5 each. As an emergency locksmith this is great, I don’t have any difficulty opening any customer’s door. What about a thief? Does he have it easy too? The answer is a big Yes!
This is where high security locks play an important role. The high security brand we offer here at A&A is Mul-T-Lock. This brand has a solid reputation for over three decades and provides the best security for any home or business owner. So what’s so special about these padlocks? Well, for starters, the build quality is exceptional; They are made of solid brass instead of hollow pewter like your standard stock lock. The deadbolt, which is one of the most popular products we sell, has a deadbolt that retracts a full inch into the door frame. Also, this bolt has ball bearings on both sides that interlock with the frame, making it difficult to open even with a crowbar. There are strategically placed steel inserts to avoid drilling into the lock. The entire mechanism is protected with a metal cover to prevent “ice chipping”; this is when one would insert an object between the lock and the door to manipulate the mechanism. This lock is virtually impossible to pick, and even if it were possible, it would require great skill and very special tools.
One of the most important features that these high security padlocks provide is that they are resistant to the infamous impact wrench. While most common locks can be picked and locked quite easily, these locks will defy such attempts. The cylinders have telescopic pins instead of normal pins; this means that each pin is actually two pins, one inside the other.
Another special feature are of course the keys for these high security locks. Keys can only be duplicated by the owner of the lock. When you buy a high security lock, you will receive a special card that is somewhat reminiscent of a credit card. You will sign your signature on the back of this card, and from then on you will only be able to make copies of your key by presenting this card along with photo identification to an authorized dealer. What this means is key control. You can feel safe giving your babysitter or maid a key and knowing that once the key is returned to you, you can be sure that no unauthorized copies have been made. You can sleep easy knowing there are no copies of your keys lying around. This is also great for business owners who want to make sure only they have the keys to their store or office.
The variety of locks and cylinders allows us to offer you this high security solution for almost any configuration you may have, in other words we can accommodate many unique lock mechanisms with a high security cylinder.
Last but not least, these locks come with a lifetime mechanical guarantee that shows how confident the manufacturer is in the reliability of their products. Price-wise, these locks are certainly much more expensive than regular locks, but then again, most common locks don’t offer much security either. If someone is really determined to break into your property, they will be successful, but keep in mind that most break-ins are not carried out by professionals and are usually random. Statistics say that most common thieves will move on if they can’t break in in less than 2 minutes. For those of you who are saying “well I have an alarm system” please note that having an alarm system is only good if you want to make an insurance claim for your stolen goods; An alarm system will not help protect you or your loved ones, good security starts with a good lock.
In summary, high security locks offer the following:
– Exceptional build quality
– Can resist most forced entry attacks
– Will resist any attempt to pick locks
– Virtually shockproof
– Key control: only you can authorize copies of your key
– Flexibility – Variety of cylinders that can be installed in most lock mechanisms
– Lifetime mechanical guarantee