by globallockytoo » 29 Jan 2008 21:20
Definitely a wide open question. There are many opinions on the different products.
Are you looking for quality of construction, aesthetics, pick resistance, ease in availability, number of technicians around who are experienced with the product, durability etc?
What about the applications to where you want the products installed?
Are they typical wood construction, metal frames, inward opening, outward opening?
Many people will provide many opinions. Many companies will prefer to recommend a product based on their existing inventory. You asked your question in this forum, i presume in the hope you would get multiple opinions. Thank you for soliciting multiple opinions. My opinion will not necessarily be more correct than the next persons and it is up to you to decide whom to trust and respect more. The value of a relationship between you and your chosen professional is integral in building trust and for you to gain the best recommendation for what you want.
In my opinion, there are many products available today that will meet or exceed your requirements (but we dont know those exact requirements yet).
My signature product line, in my business is Bilock. Bilock can be used in almost all existing hardware lines available on the market. It is particularly pick and bump resistant (proof), has aesthetically pleasing colors, is unique because keys cannot be duplicated easily.
Abloy Protec cylinders, likewise are available for many hardware lines, is particularly pick and bump resistant (proof), are difficult to duplicate.
Medeco is a quality product that is sometimes overpriced for the market, but the superior marketing machine of the Assa-Abloy army, has positioned this product as the market leader in high security in America.
Does the trade accept this position?....I think not!
Baldwin products are exceptional products and tailored to the private home market across the USA. Their products are of substantial quality and offer excellent aesthetic properties for the residential low-medium security market. Baldwin offers a lifetime guarantee on it's products, which certainly adds to it's appeal.
Emhart is a new entrant in recent years in the USA, that makes reasonable quality products more tailored for the residential market. Nothing wrong with their product line and suitably priced.
Schlage, has been known as an industry leader in the USA for many years. They produce some quality products and cover most markets across the spectrum. Due to their desire to maintain their profit margins, whilst not dramatically increasing their prices, they now produce the larger share of their products in overseas/latin American countries. This unfortunately seeks to lower the perceived quality of the products.
Cal-Royal make a very competitive line of products that are sufficiently comparable to the Schlage lines but at substantially cheaper prices. They provide many similar alternatives to Schlage but I find their products to be more user friendly in similar ways to LSDA products. LSDA has been more well known for a lot longer than Cal-Royal.
Weiser/Weslock are another brand that have long established links to the USA market. The products are of lower quality than the above product lines but still reasonably priced and they have some quality product finishes.
Kwikset are the bottom of the pile in my opinion. I cant stand the product. It is shocking quality and not worth a fifth of the price it is sold for. It is the single biggest selling product line in the USA because the majority of the consumer market is motivated by price alone. You only get what you pay for but with Kwikset, you dont even get that. I will always recommend other products.
end of rant.
One One was a race horse, one one won one race, one two was a racehorse, one two won one too.
Disclaimer: Do not pull tag off mattress. Not responsible for legal advice while laughing.
Bilock - The Original True Bump Proof Pin Tumbler System!
