Tools for Locksmithing

[2octops]

It all depends on what you want to do.

You can buy a lock out kit for $200 and run with it or you can set yourself up as a full service company for about $250,000. There is a lot of money that needs to be spent that is not typically thought about. Overhead and operating expenses. Service vehicle upkeep and maintenance. Insurance, advertising, uniforms, shop, warehouse space and equipment, legal, accounting...

You can make money either way. You'll make more money if you spend more money.

If you are in Fl, you've gotta spend the $$$ on license also and continuing education.

[cledry]

We have to take in about $2000 per day 5 days a week just to break even.

[2octops]

We have to take in about $2000 per day 5 days a week just to break even.

Yup. That sounds about right.

It's funny, people think that if you are able to make a few hundred a day then you could survive and live well. I remember thinking that myself many years ago.

I would not be able to eat if I made under $1000 a day consistently.

[jruno602]

Tools for locksmiting...

When i started locksmithing the first thing i did was auto lockouts and rekey homes..

Now most locksmith distrutors will try to sell u a huge pining kit and the auto kit with every coat hanger in it...Luckily my distrubtor was appreciative of my humble beginings and steered me to the right course which i am going to share today..

I would say 90% of auto lock outs can be done with a simple high tech brand auto kit that comes with the wedge, pump, long tool, and slim jim..this kit usually retails for 60$-90$ dollars..i have personally opened over 300 cars with this kit and then stopped counting after that...You pretty much get to the point where all you need to know is wat the make and model of the car is

Also if its a truck..always bring a STEP LADDER or ask if it has lifted suspension or big tires on it..and one of the best tools to bring is a EXTRA FLASHLIGHT..because sometimes people have such dark tinted windows that you would need a spotter to hold the extra flash and beam it thru the front windshield to see what your doing at night time..


As far as pinning kits...Dont buy those huge universal kits when you starting off..the reason why is because you have to first learn each brand of locks and how to rekey them and service the locks...

So for example where i live the major residental locks we handle are kwikset, schlage, and some weisers...lab offers "mini x kits" that you can start off with for each brand which i still use to this day and speeds the process up when rekeying a bunch of house cylinders...the last thing you want to do is have a huge pinning kit thats cumbersome and lug around and constantly have to look at all those #'s in f

Now when u start doing A2 systems, then you can buy a dedicated A2 kit which lab offers for 90$

[chieflittlehorse]

I was in the shop today and my coworker was showing me the Kwikset Smartkey cylinder and then handed me the SmartKey Reset Cradle tool.

It took a while to figure it out but after looking at the instructions it was a piece of cake. This is a good tool to have if you ever need to service these locks in the field or shop.

[chieflittlehorse]

Okay, just for the novice. I think your basic lock equipment should be a basic pickset, 4 followers of different diameters, shims, key blanks, pin tweezers, a Lab pin kit, retainer pliers, hex key sets, needle nose pliers, decoders, micrometers, small 2n1 and 4n1 flat/phillip drivers, etc...

[RigaMortice]

First two things I would consider are a Letterbox Tool and Mica cards.

Without going into detail that would suffice for your average uPVC/Yale lockouts, as most of you on here know

Hardly something I could make a living off of. As someone said, it's literally spending £200 and running with it.

[lockjock50]

I didnt see jumper cables listed. If you do automotive transponder key generation. All too often i have went to a vehicle that has been sitting around for months and the battery was dead. Sometimes it takes a jump to program and start the vehicle.
Most people carry cables anyway but if you dont its a good idea just in case.

[Midnight Cobra]

I didnt see jumper cables listed. If you do automotive transponder key generation. All too often i have went to a vehicle that has been sitting around for months and the battery was dead. Sometimes it takes a jump to program and start the vehicle.
Most people carry cables anyway but if you dont its a good idea just in case.

Even better is a jump pack. Sometimes, the car is not situated where your jumper cables can reach.

[liverladylocksmith]

don't know if it's been mentioned without reading through all of the older posts but if you're doing any auto work in the UK then a Ford Tibbe pick and decoder (either variety) tonnes of 'pre laser key' cars still about and lots of vans still use Tibbe keys - nice and simple way to bag a few lock outs without demonstrating the use of other more obvious entry methods - makes you look really clever in front of the customer too

[Capt_Tom]

Wow...that's a lot of tools! I'm starting to think again about getting into this industry!! I used this company when I was having lock problems:
I used their car door unlocking services. They were really awesome and I thought, hey why not do it myself! But I see now that I don't have the funding aha.
But just in case I have a random case of "I WANNA DO THIS SO BADLY", can you tell me what the total and complete cost of all this would be?? Thankkkks

I apologize to a late reply, as I just ran across this post. Your enthusiasm is refreshing, but also dangerous. My advice to you would to get to know a local locksmith. Ask about a receptionist job, but let them know that you would like to learn to re-key locks, cut keys, etc. If that happens, look over their shoulders, ask questions, etc. This will give you an idea of whether or not you are in what you think you want to be in. You just might save yourself a LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY... and heartache. If you do find that you are on the right track, you will have an idea of what the smiths in your shop use, and why. Easier to make your list that way. Not to mention honing your techniques.

Good Luck

[Capt_Tom]

I might add that in some areas the locksmiths have work that they do, and work that they pass off. The last company that I worked for did no auto work. It was passed to another locksmith that specialized in it. He in turn passed back most of his residential and all of his commercial work. If you decide to work (or start) this way, you do not need all of the tools on the lists posted here. (some of which are eye candy anyway)

[liverladylocksmith]

In the UK the auto side is extremely expensive to get into, especially if you want to cover a wide range of cars and carry out more than just bypass entries, most newer cars have laser keys, which require specialist picks for most of the makes, and then there's the transponder chip programming. There's a lot of money to be made but initially while you're building your business and investing as you go, some work can be contracted out to someone who has the equipment.

[lockstar5000]

Thanks alot for this post/thread. I am in the very beginning stage of starting a locksmith business and this is very helpful. Awesome

[dll932]

Here's a few more items I found very useful:
Epoxy putty.
Vise-Grip locking pliers, small and large.
Inspection mirror (s).
Snap ring pliers, reversible.
Screw extractors.
Pop rivet gun and plenty of rivets and back up plates.
Chisels (metal and wood), punches (prick and pin).
Digital VOM, pocket size.
BRIGHT flashlight (s)!
Hacksaw.

I'm sure I could think of more, but one tool I can't do without is a Dremel mototool (or Craftsman, Black & Decker, Proxxon). The cutoff wheels will go through a padlock shackle, buzz off rivet heads, work like a file (if you're careful), put a slot in a busted screw, do strike adjustments. I use Rotozip bits to open up holes, router bits to route (duh). They even have a planer attachment, useful on doors. Oh-I use the Dremel to sharpen other tools.

You have to get to know your market. Cleveland Ohio has much older housing stock, so we made quite a bit repairing/replacing older lockset. That brings up another thing: Your junk box can save your butt with obsolete parts.