Kwikset Smart Key

[Lorek]

I was just wondering what other people's experiences were of the smart key system kwikset's been putting out over here in the U.S. I've installed a couple but I'm wondering how secure these locks really are. Up until now I've only heard rumors as to how secure / insecure they are. With answers varying from "their easier to pick than defiant's" to "they are high security and need to be drilled out for all lockouts. " I tried doing a search and it didn't pop anything up though I remember seeing several threads before. And If they are high security locks (*ducks head*) I just really want to be able to give customer's a knowledgeable answer on the things.

[gotta]

I wouldn't classify them as high security. There aren't tryout keys for Medeco. I tend to steer customers away from new products until such time there is ample feedback. I think it's too soon for these. I got tired of dealing with the sidebar ignitions on 10 cut Fords so I learned to impression them. Neccesity is the mother of invention. I would present them to customers as an alternative, but leave out high security.

[dougfarre]

Try searching again. I think they hard locks to pick, but can be bypassed in other ways. Saying that, I think zeke79 was the only person to come forward and describe his method of picking this lock while there was an active thread about it. He said it took him twenty minuets on the same attempt to open it. No one else has come forth to describe their experience.

[Eyes_Only]

Zeke did figure out a semi destructive bypass method for these things but also said that info shouldn't be made public until Kwikset was notified of the design flaw and given ample time to respond with some sort of fix for the problem. If they don't respond within a certain time frame I think he said we can make this info public.

[dougfarre]

With that said, he also picked the lock without causing any destruction. Has anyone else...? Didn't think so.

[Lorek]

Good to know. I personally have been steering my customers away from these as I don't like the idea that they're rekeyable from the outside, and most of my customers are property managers that use master key systems and the SmartKey can't be mastered.

[Gordon Airporte]

This site is almost nothing without a working search and the one on the site is kind of flaky, if it works at all. Use Google and put "site:lockpicking101.com" in your search string, like this:

http://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Al ... t+smartkey

[Jaakko]

and the SmartKey can't be mastered.

Actually it could be master-keyed, but it would require some homemade changes to those nice wafers that have the hole for the sidebar.

[jgor]

and the SmartKey can't be mastered.

Actually it could be master-keyed, but it would require some homemade changes to those nice wafers that have the hole for the sidebar.

The way I understand it, the wafers are only flush within the wafer housing at one configuration, where it lines up the cuts on the side of the wafers opposite the sidebar.

In order to master-key it you'd have to make a second cut on both sides of the wafer (on the outside for the sidebar and on the inside for the rail it rides on when you're rekeying it). But when you line up the second set of cuts, the wafers will either be pushed up too high and stick out the top of the wafer housing, or not be pushed up enough and stick out the bottom. So it seems the plug would not be able to spin when the master key is inserted, even though the cuts are lined up and the sidebar can fall in, because the wafers themselves are still protruding from the wafer housing.

[dougfarre]

With that said, he also picked the lock without causing any destruction. Has anyone else...? Didn't think so.

I had to come back and find this thread so I could announce that I also have finally conquered the Kwickset Smartkey. And the amazing thing about this lock, is you can reykey it instantly! So after I discover its exact nature I will check back

[Eyes_Only]

Conquered? You mean you can pick it consistantly?

[linty]

i tried for a few minutes to pick one with no luck, but i'm not really that great at picking.

because of the sloped sidebar i'd imagine it should be possible, since you'd be able to put some pressure onto the sidebar through standard tensioning.

Neat lock, probably not going to change the world though.

[dougfarre]

I have been able to pick this 2 times now back to back, and then not again since. As for consistency... Was Sir Edmund Hillary questioned about his use of the word "conquered" when he claimed to have "conquered" Mt Everest for the first time? I like to compare to myself to him. Not the Sch. Everest mind you.

[gotta]

I have been able to pick this 2 times now back to back, and then not again since. As for consistency... Was Sir Edmund Hillary questioned about his use of the word "conquered" when he claimed to have "conquered" Mt Everest for the first time? I like to compare to myself to him. Not the Sch. Everest mind you.

So if I read this right, you want us to call you Hillary?

[zeke79]

I have been able to pick this 2 times now back to back, and then not again since. As for consistency... Was Sir Edmund Hillary questioned about his use of the word "conquered" when he claimed to have "conquered" Mt Everest for the first time? I like to compare to myself to him. Not the Sch. Everest mind you.

Doug,

Awesome to hear that you got the smartkey picked. It really is a nice lock for a picker to try and tackle as it really is a tough lock to pick. I have ran into a few now that I took off the shelf and was not able to pick them. The odd thing is that they were not necessarily a tough bitting, I just couldnt pick them. I tried for 15 to 20 minutes on each one (there was 2 of them that I could not open) and finally gave up for the day. I might try again sometime when I feel up to it.

I urge all of the pickers out there who consider themselves to be at a mid level of skills to pick one up and give it a shot. It will be a lock that will keep you entertained for a long time as you can always rekey them to any kwikset key you have laying around without any special tools or a pinning kit.