Cam lock recommendation?

[seagull369]

Hi folks. I'm looking to buy a few cam locks (the type used on cabinets and drawers) and need them to be fairly pick resistant. Well, certainly more so than the ones I found at Home Depot that I could probably have opened with a paperclip. I was hoping someone could perhaps make a few recommendations on what would be a good choice.

From my limited searching, I have noticed tumbler lock versions of these locks (on ebay), but am not sure if they offer much security over the usual style. There's also combination versions but it looks like each lock has it's own unique combination associated with it, and I'd rather they be all the same. Medeco claims to sell a few different pin and tumbler looking versions that seem to fit the bill but don't know if they offer the protection they claim to.

Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.,..

[keysman]

Depending on the application.. there are lots of options

If you have the space Olympus 800/ 900 cabinet locks( http://www.olympus-lock.com/products.htm ) are a good choice. They can be fitted with many standard key and knob cylinders and a variety of Small and Large format IC cores, Allowing you a large choice of high security cylinders.

C-asinos and vending machine company’s have access and use many different cam locks from Abloy, Assa, and Medeco to name a few.

While there may be a few people who can pick different “ high security” cam locks , it is not done without a lot of practice and a thorough understanding how the locks work.

[Altashot]

Opt for the Medeco! Have no fear. They are more than: "fairly pick resistant", they are very difficult to pick. Excellent quality, possibly stronger than the drawer/cupboard you plan to install on. They have security features that are highly superior than the kind you can find at your local hardware store. There are other very good camlocks that would be suitable but since you already know of Medeco, you can purchase from them with confidence. It is a very good choice.

M.

[seagull369]

Ouch! Medeco's, Abloy and Assa don't come cheap, do they? Probably cost more than what I'm protecting. I checked out Olympus, but didn't find much about pricing or availabilty when searching online. The B7 series they have, though, looks like the style of what I need. Length needs to be 7/8"(M) and couldn't really tell from their site if they offered that.

I don't mean to sound boneheaded, but do you guys think a generic double bitted lock might offer some decent security? They're used on arcades and stuff. They don't seem to be too hard on the wallet from what I've noticed.

Again, thanks for the assistance.

[lockr]

Ouch! Medeco's, Abloy and Assa don't come cheap, do they? Probably cost more than what I'm protecting. I checked out Olympus, but didn't find much about pricing or availabilty when searching online. The B7 series they have, though, looks like the style of what I need. Length needs to be 7/8"(M) and couldn't really tell from their site if they offered that.

Bottom line is that it comes down to how much value you place on what you're trying to protect. If you're just looking for a couple of inexpensive locks to put on cabinets that don't contain anything really valuable, then you have a lot of options. If you're trying to protect something very important or valuable, or, you're fascinated with cool locks (like most folks on these forums) then you can/should opt for something higher-end.

I second Medeco... they're great. I picked up an older series 60 (biaxial) off of eBay, took it apart and reassembled it; I was very impressed with the design and construction - these are solid locks. Abloy Protec and Bilock are also fantasic... cost seems to run about $60-$90 (US) per lock.

[seagull369]

Yea I understand that. Guess I'm looking for something middle of the road. What I want to lock up isn't uber expensive but isn't worthless either.

I'll keep an eye on Medecos on ebay. Maybe I'll get lucky and find one in my price range.

[ARF-GEF]

Medeco is great, but abloy protec is also very good. Check you local locksmith for ideas and possibilities too.
I'm not sure where you are from, but you can order abloy protecs from securitysnobs from most parts of the world. They start from 45 bucks.
(is it against the rules to recommend (this/a) company? Does it count as advertisement?)

Mul-T-lock has cam locks too as far as I remember. They are not as secure as Medeco or protec, but are still quite formidable unless the bad guys have the specific tool to open them. And they are of decent quality and cheaper than protec and medeco. For medium security need it should be enough.
Just stay away from disc tumbler locks. They are very often simple and fast to open. Same for most of the chicago style locks.

[lockr]

Yea I understand that. Guess I'm looking for something middle of the road. What I want to lock up isn't uber expensive but isn't worthless either.

I'll keep an eye on Medecos on ebay. Maybe I'll get lucky and find one in my price range.

You can get lucky with eBay. As an example check out http://www.ebay.com/itm/181034771873 but imho these are are bit over-priced - I have seen them cheaper. I believe they're also key retaining (you can only remove the key in the locked position) so they might not be ideal for your application. If you get multiples they won't be keyed alike. Such are the perils of purchasing used locks from eBay =)

If you're looking for something inexpensive, but a step up from the cheapo junk that's floating around, Chicago (now owned by CompX) Ace II tubular locks are a reasonable "middle of the road" compromise. You could get them keyed alike, multiple cam options, sizes, etc. http://compx.com/products-chavendace2.html

[seagull369]

Would any Medeco model fit the bill? I found a model 725 on-the-cheap that seems to fit the bill (although a vid on youtube seems to show a 12yr old girl opening one in about 10 seconds) .

I can live with the possibilty the key gets 'retained' and won't be keyed alike. I've learned to deal with the consequences of being a cheap-wad over the years

I live in NY, btw.

Thanks for the continued suggestions..

[ARF-GEF]

You definitely can get Abloy protecs in NY. You can get anything in NY:).

If you don't want to spend so much on the locks but still want something high security check out abloy novel.
It's very much like abloy protec the same basic principle. (If someone has more infos about what's the difference I would be grateful to hear it. I had a quick glance at the part of a novel but I couldn't really examine them.)

I think they are almost as secure as abloy protecs, but I couldn't really quantify the security difference in %... Maybe someone else can tell you more about the difference in safety too.
All I know it abloy novel is a lot better than most pin tubbmlers and is significantly cheaper than even the old protecs.


Some medecos are really good but a good deal of them is compromised especially older models.

The one you mean (the one in the video) is a medeco biaxial. It was really easy to open the was the little girl show you, but you still required the proper bumpkey.(Since the bumpkey has to have the proper sidebar.) So it's not like any 12 year old can just walk up to it and open it in 20sec, they need to have a special equipment.
There is said to be a way to overcome the sidebar and the when you pick it but since I don't know how that works, I can't really comment on that.

As far as I know before dec. 2007 there was only 4 kinds of sidebar combinations so you could get the locks open with 4 bumpkeys. Now it's more so you would need to have more bumpkeys to open these locks.

Medeco made a major update in late 2011. I know they added new anti pick pins (ARX pins) and generally improving greatly on the M3. But the ARX only defend against the Medecoder, a special picking tool, not against bumping.

So I wouldn't recommend getting a medeco biaxial at least before someone assures you that they alleviated this bumping problem.
I also wouldn't really buy medeco locks from the ebay since you can't be sure what age this model is and some older models can be opened quite easily. If you buy a medeco be sure that it's a new model.(preferably 2012)
Ebay is generally a great source of locks but in this case you should be careful.
(Also if you are paranoid: who knowns who has keys for the ebay lock and who knows whether the lock has defects... Since you don't want to spend big buck you probably won't care, but I though I should mention it.)


But I'm don't really know that much about medeco biaxials even on theoretical level; I've never picked one, they are far above my level so don't take all this for granted.
Hopefully a more knowledgeable member will correct me.

[mhole]

What are you fitting it to? Even given how woeful most wafer camlocks are, the lock is still unlikely to be the weak link in most items which use cam locks...

[lockr]

Also, how many locks do you need, and what's your budget?

[seagull369]

I need the locks for a metal safe and need 3 of 'em, since it had 3 doors on it. The safe is actually rather sturdy (made out of pretty heavy sheet metal) and the doors are designed so a prybar really can't be inserted..

As far as budget I'd say maybe $50-60ish for all 3?

[lockr]

I need the locks for a metal safe and need 3 of 'em, since it had 3 doors on it. The safe is actually rather sturdy (made out of pretty heavy sheet metal) and the doors are designed so a prybar really can't be inserted..

As far as budget I'd say maybe $50-60ish for all 3?

The question you need to resolve is if this "safe" is going to be used to protect something of real value (eg, a tools, money, etc). Not to nitpick, but when you say "sturdy metal safe" (implying that you'd be potentially securing something of value) and then "$16 - $20 per lock", the first thing that jumps to mind is that you're not serious about security.

If your intent is just to keep honest folks honest, then you'll be fine with any decent lock. Quality is still a concern because often (but not always) cheaper locks are less reliable. But if you're going to be protecting anything remotely valuable in a situation where physical security is important, then you should pay a visit to a locksmith for their suggestions and advice.

From how you've described your application, you are concerned about security so the aforementioned higher-security locks (Medeco, Bilock, Mul-T-Lock, Abloy Protec et al) would be recommended. If you can score three Medeco's off of eBay for a song and you can tolerate them being key-retaining and not keyed alike, then that's a great option. But it doesn't hurt to also talk to a professional and get a quote; check around and see Medeco, Abloy, etc dealers you have in your area.

[ARF-GEF]

Key retaining is not a bad thing at all. I think it's better because it's harder to accidentally leave the safe open.
Also be sure to securely fasten the metal safes otherwise they are just picked up...
You should also consider that if the thing you intend to keep in it is sensitive, it might be reasonable to have a very good lock so that even if the weaker door is forced open it remains "tamper evident".

If you feel comfortable with writing us the thickness of the door or possibly it's original insurer's classification we might give you better advice on which would be a sensible lock on it.