Abloy 8mm Boron Alloy shackle, how good is it?

[billdeserthills]

I would say that since Abloy is using the word 'Boron Steel' that Master padlock co. came up with, their boron steel shackle will be exactly the same composition as the other white meat, that calls their shackle 'Boron Steel' also. The largest Boron Steel shackles I have destroyed have been on the Master #5 padlock and they didn't challenge me overmuch.

However since my tool of destruction is 4 feet long, I'm thinking chances are, it might be tough for a criminal to sneak that type of tool in, to use on your locker.
I would also think that the more you can 'blend in' with the other folks using lockers the better, if someone sees you stuffing a lot of valuables into your locker, that might
be just the impetus needed for a burglar to try to sneak a large bolt-cutter into the gym locker. Sad fact is, you aren't gonna get to put a safe in the gym room locker area, so
you might as well try blending in. Being the only person in the locker room to have a 20 pound lock on your locker might make someone curious, you see??

[AspiringLockpicker]

I would say that since Abloy is using the word 'Boron Steel' that Master padlock co. came up with, their boron steel shackle will be exactly the same composition as the other white meat, that calls their shackle 'Boron Steel' also. The largest Boron Steel shackles I have destroyed have been on the Master #5 padlock and they didn't challenge me overmuch.

However since my tool of destruction is 4 feet long, I'm thinking chances are, it might be tough for a criminal to sneak that type of tool in, to use on your locker.
I would also think that the more you can 'blend in' with the other folks using lockers the better, if someone sees you stuffing a lot of valuables into your locker, that might
be just the impetus needed for a burglar to try to sneak a large bolt-cutter into the gym locker. Sad fact is, you aren't gonna get to put a safe in the gym room locker area, so
you might as well try blending in. Being the only person in the locker room to have a 20 pound lock on your locker might make someone curious, you see??

So... Where do you stand on the security level based on what I said about the power company? I mean it is CEN grade 3. I find this perplexing, so either, as I said, the 330 is more secure than the CEN3 would lead us to believe or the power company are "settling" for a 330 with a CEN3 grade.

[Silverado]

Boron steel isn't just a Master lock thing. It's a medium carbon steel with boron added so it can be hardened to similar strengths as high carbon steel. Dont take that the wrong way, please, I'm not being a smarty pants or anything. I just wanted to point out that it's a way to make not great steel almost as tough as better steel.
Of course I may have misinterpreted billdeserthills comment entirely.

[billdeserthills]

Boron steel isn't just a Master lock thing. It's a medium carbon steel with boron added so it can be hardened to similar strengths as high carbon steel. Dont take that the wrong way, please, I'm not being a smarty pants or anything. I just wanted to point out that it's a way to make not great steel almost as tough as better steel.
Of course I may have misinterpreted billdeserthills comment entirely.

I do think the Boron Steel is tougher to cut through, than the hardened steel shackle, but they are very comparable.
I always thought that Master Padlock initiated using Boron Steel in an effort to save money, so I don't doubt what Silverado says.
If you take a look at the older hardened steel shackle, you can see that it is round, while the new Boron Steel shackle has a hex
shape to it. This must be because less material is being used, I can't see Master doing this to spend more $$$

Far as the Power Company goes, I'm sure they do whatever their liability insurance company tells them is needed

[GWiens2001]

The hex shape is supposed to make it harder to use a set of bolt cutters on it.

Gordon

[AspiringLockpicker]

The hex shape is supposed to make it harder to use a set of bolt cutters on it.

Gordon

The 8mm shackle of the Abloy 330 does not have a hex shape. I am asking if the 8mm shackle of the Abloy 330 is good enough in everyone's opinion to be protecting electrical grid sub-stations that are all over the place supplying power to homes? Since it is a CEN3 grade padlock, does this mean the power grid company is saving money and saying "Eh it's good enough"? Or is the 8mm shackle weilding model 330 Abloy actually better than the CEN3 grade would have us believing?

[Squelchtone]

The hex shape is supposed to make it harder to use a set of bolt cutters on it.

Gordon

The 8mm shackle of the Abloy 330 does not have a hex shape.

I believe someone else chimed in about Master Lock padlock shackles being hex shaped, they were not replying to you directly.

Your question is very technical in nature, I think a factory rep from Abloy Finland would know more than anyone here as to the specifications CEN3 calls for versus the rating they give an Abloy PL330 padlock.

Asking over and over isnt going to eventually get us to answer your question. and to be honest, I believe an Abloy 330 is a pretty good lock compared to other stuff out there. Do you honestly envision a bored teenager or football hooligan easily cropping one off and tampering with the power station? I bet they would have to work very hard to get one cut off, probably easier to cut the hasp off instead of cutting the lock.

Squelchtone

[GWiens2001]

Nothing will stop a determined attacker with the proper tools.

This thread clearly heading towards questions of destructive entry, which is not permitted outside the advanced forum. As a heads up to the OP and anyone who may answer - please do not discuss any form of destructive entry.

If the utility company feels it is 'good enough' for them, then it is sufficient in their view.

Gordon

[AspiringLockpicker]

The hex shape is supposed to make it harder to use a set of bolt cutters on it.

Gordon

The 8mm shackle of the Abloy 330 does not have a hex shape.

I believe someone else chimed in about Master Lock padlock shackles being hex shaped, they were not replying to you directly.

Your question is very technical in nature, I think a factory rep from Abloy Finland would know more than anyone here as to the specifications CEN3 calls for versus the rating they give an Abloy PL330 padlock.

Asking over and over isnt going to eventually get us to answer your question. and to be honest, I believe an Abloy 330 is a pretty good lock compared to other stuff out there. Do you honestly envision a bored teenager or football hooligan easily cropping one off and tampering with the power station? I bet they would have to work very hard to get one cut off, probably easier to cut the hasp off instead of cutting the lock.

Squelchtone

True.

@GWiens2001 I wasn't really looking for specifics of data or anything, though I have put a video out today showing differences and data on me cutting an 8mm stainless steel rod, a hardened steel shackle, and the abloy 330's boron shackle and drew some conclusions from that. My goal here was to merely get general opinions of the worth, the security adequacy or inadequacy of the model 330 with it's 8mm shackle that the OP was talking about, with regards to me seeing them used to protect power sub-stations. That's all.

[billdeserthills]

I don't know how the power substations are where you live, but out in my area they are fenced off with chained
link fencing, that anyone can open with a wire cutter. The padlocks are much stronger than the fence would be
and as Gordon said, "nothing will stop a determined attacker with the proper tools"

[AspiringLockpicker]

I don't know how the power substations are where you live, but out in my area they are fenced off with chained
link fencing, that anyone can open with a wire cutter. The padlocks are much stronger than the fence would be
and as Gordon said, "nothing will stop a determined attacker with the proper tools"

In our area, in the middlands, I see either heavy wooden doors with hasps and Abloy 330, sometimes metallic sheds (usually) with 330's but one has a high thick wooden gate and has an Ingersol big meaty padlock on it. The 10 lever version.

[tpark]

I don't know how the power substations are where you live, but out in my area they are fenced off with chained
link fencing, that anyone can open with a wire cutter. The padlocks are much stronger than the fence would be
and as Gordon said, "nothing will stop a determined attacker with the proper tools"

In our area, in the middlands, I see either heavy wooden doors with hasps and Abloy 330, sometimes metallic sheds (usually) with 330's but one has a high thick wooden gate and has an Ingersol big meaty padlock on it. The 10 lever version.

In my area, they use a variety of locks. The substation buildings have HID readers and they use SFIC BEST mortise locks or doors, and BEST sfic padlocks for the gates. There are signs that say that the wire has no value and your basic "high voltage can kill you" signs. I'm sure someone could easily cut a hole in the fence and go in there - I think the fence and the gate are there to prevent the genuinely stupid from going in and becoming a charred carcass. Same with power cabinets - they use a combination of CISA padlocks and brass shackle Herculock padlocks. I don't think it would be hard to snip the lock off and get a big socket wrench and get at that high tension transformery goodness in there and end up like a squirrel on a pole peg transformer.

I think that infrastructure should be locked in a manner that suggests that you shouldn't go in there, but there isn't anything really valuable to steal, preferably with something you can still open after it's been sitting out in the open for a few years.