Here's Why Your Kwikset SmartKey Stopped Working...

[Robotnik]

Picked and reset this Kwikset SmartKey knobset today. This is one of my least favorite things about this lock from a security perspective - if you pick it, you can reset it - however that's not why I'm posting.

These locks are not known for their durability, but I wanted to show exactly what goes wrong with them. This picture is of the plug in the picked position, prior to resetting (key on left was original, key on right was what I reset to).



A few cycles after resetting, the key stopped working, so I began tearing the cylinder apart. The failure here turned out to be exactly the same type as I've seen on at least four other cylinders. The picture below has a red dot next to the failure point.



If you've read GWiens2001's teardown of these, you'll recall that these locks work with key pin sliders interacting with a set of 5 wafers, all of which must align with a sidebar in order for the plug to turn. What I've seen happen again and again is that one or more of the wafers will become disengaged from its corresponding slider and drop down, permanently blocking the plug from turning without disassembly and repair.

While I've managed to accelerate the stresses on the locks I've rendered inoperable via picking, I've also seen this happen via light abuse (such as inadvertently using the wrong key), or from normal use.

[billdeserthills]

I broke my smartkey deadbolt by slamming the screen door too hard

[Robotnik]

I broke my smartkey deadbolt by slamming the screen door too hard

That sounds about right.

These things are a bear to pick, but are porcelain-delicate.

[billdeserthills]

I have already encountered a few that quit working simply because the key copy that was made at the hardware store wasn't cut very well.
I have attempted to reset the lock with the kwikset cradle resetter and they never hold it together for long, once they break. Last week I
had a lady call me out because her handyman improperly installed their new kwikset push button deadbolt w/ smart-key. I wound up making
a key to one of the other doors on their guest house and I told the lady I thought her handyman was dumb for not checking his work, on the
push button lock, before calling the job "done". She told me that it wasn't nice to call him "dumb" so I said "You are right, in fact your handyman
is a friggen Genius, he found a way to get paid and made me some money too!" She seemed unamused. I think all that was wrong was the lock
was mounted on a left-hand door and nobody had swapped the shunt, to make it work left-handed, but I wasn't gonna fix it for free.

[Pintickler]

Hey, Robotnik, do you pick those things open with any regularity ? I have almost never even tried. I either find another way or just drill them. I always figured even if I did manage to pick one open it wouldn't ever work right again anyway.

[billdeserthills]

Hey, Robotnik, do you pick those things open with any regularity ? I have almost never even tried. I either find another way or just drill them. I always figured even if I did manage to pick one open it wouldn't ever work right again anyway.

I tried dif ways of forcing them open and they didn't work for long afterwards, I have seen others force them open and after resetting them in the kwikset cradle, sometimes
several times, I have yet to find one that didn't require replacement after being forced. However picked is not a forced opening...

[Robotnik]

Hey, Robotnik, do you pick those things open with any regularity ? I have almost never even tried. I either find another way or just drill them. I always figured even if I did manage to pick one open it wouldn't ever work right again anyway.

I can pick them with reasonable regularity, however these generally take a while (if they open at all) and rarely survive picking attempts long-term, even if successful. I'd never put a picked SmartKey back into service. In the field, I wouldn't even attempt picking, considering the time you'll need coupled with the delicate constitution of these.

[nick08037]

Around here the big box hardware stores sell a double cylinder Kwikset Smartkey deadbolt for under $20 , that make the retail cost of the individual cylinder less than $10 for a new replacement if you needed to provide one -Nick

[dll932]

I have yet to see a "change it yourself" lock I would trust enough to install.

[globallockytoo]

I opened 2 doors yesterday that had Kwikjunk smartkey. As time is an issue in every job, I simply bagged the door, above and below the latch and loided the latch. Open in 10 seconds...no damage and the lock still works like new.

I had a deadbolt on another door last week. I didnt bother with picking....simply inserted a blank with head cut off....and used screwdriver to turn keyhole. It damages the lock (prevents it from being rekeyed) but the original key still works. I sold the client a new (non-smartkey lock) and job done.

On site, it is not worth the time necessary to attempt to NDE these locks, unless the customer is prepared to pay the required hourly rates. in a workshop environment, you may enjoy th challenge to pick these locks, but in reality, out on the road, time is money. With so many people expecting to pay peanuts, they should also expect to get monkeys.

I'm a professional with experience in the field. People are paying for my experience and do so accordingly.