MUL-T-LOCK Classic = good deadbolt?

[outshine]

Thanks again for all the info guys.

I ended up going to another locksmith who seemed to know a lot more about Mul-T-Locks than the previous guy (when I asked that first guy why he recommended the Classic and not the MT5+, he claimed "the only difference between them is the price and the key").

The second locksmith recommended the MT5+ and explained why, and it all made sense and sounded like he knew his stuff. So, I went with the MT5+.

The only thing I'm still unsure of is the strike plate. This locksmith didn't seem to think I'd need anything more than what comes with the MT5+, which is more of a strike box I guess (and 2.5 inch screws). And I assume the fact that it gets screwed in from inside the box makes it more secure than a typical strike.

I guess I'm just wondering if that's secure enough or if I can/should still do better as far as kick-in protection goes?

Thanks again.

[ARF-GEF]

Well MT5+ in itself doesn't defend against kicking it:) The door defends against people getting in. The locking mechanism protects against kicking in and MT5+ only controls the locking mechanism securing the door.

I think it depends on the price and on your budget. If the door is strong enough in itself and you have the budget for it (And it's not expensive) go for it. I don't think it's necessary but if it's not a big deal to buy it then why not?

Anyway MT5+ is a good choice
Secure but not very expensive.

[ARF-GEF]

One more thing:
We have these in Europe and decent ones built on a decent door really step security up:
http://www.abus.com/eng/Security-at-Hom ... /Door-bars

I really like them I think they are very secure.
It's good if they come with Integrated pulling protection for door cylinder or any protection of the cylinder, since when the bar is a good quality one and the door is strong the cylinder becomes the weak point.

I'm not sure what they are called. Abus calls them door-bars but that doesn't sound familiar to me.
Does anyone know what is the common name for these in English?

[ARF-GEF]

(This is one of the times I really miss the edit button...)
So EDIT:

If you have Abus in the US this one looks really good:
http://www.abus.com/eng/Security-at-Hom ... ars/PR1900

This one looks also pretty nice.
http://www.abus.com/eng/Security-at-Hom ... ars/PR2700

[bjornnrojb]

Another consideration which hasn't been mentioned: have you thought of what criminals will think if you are the only apartment in the building with a fancy looking lock? If somebody in the criminal mindset sees your shiny special looking lock they will assume that you are Uncle Moneybags. If you put MT5+ on the door, you should probably go the whole way and make sure that your doorframe is secure as well.
If I was going to upgrade the security of my door I would extend my strike plate to be three feet long, get a latch guard, and change the keyway of the existing deadbolt to either a restricted keyway or something old and strange like D1. Nothing would appear new or shiny from the outside, either. I don't want anybody thinking I have a lot of expensive equipment or anything at all worth stealing in my house (or in my car either!)

[ARF-GEF]

Well AFAIK most burglars go for the easy money. If they see a challenge or considerably higher risk target (longer time/noise and so on) they try to avoid that.
So when a burglar sees a good lock I believe he thinks about how risky it is to drill that for 10 minutes and how much easier it is to just snap that badly installed one on the next door.
Another point to consider is that I thin in one building the people living in similar quality apartments are usually on similar financial levels. If he were so much richer he would live in a bigger flat or at a better building or at a better neighbourhood.
My experience is that most people who have good locks do not have it because they are rich as f*ck, but because they have been burglarized previously. In fact most expensive homes I've seen have good or at least decent but not top of the range lock, that is if they have not yet been broken into. After that they often consider a much more serious investment into quality physical security.

But I agree that security is a game where the weakest chain is what counts.