Read this before posting a question :)

[ARF-GEF]

If you are new to the site you might not realise that this is a new section.
During the long life of this forum there has been several threads about recommending, comparing and analysing locks.
People here have been asked many times what lock would they recommend. Even specific variations like" What padlock should I buy for the gym?"

These had all been answered and discussed in details previously, but the threads are often located in other (older) subforums (most likely in "locks", "European locks" or "Got questions?").
Please use the search function (upper right area at the top of the page) with a few key phrases like "what lock to buy"; "lock recommendation"; "looking for a lock"; "choosing a lock"; "getting a lock"; "secure lock"; "lock suggestion" etc. (warning: there is a lock company called "BEST" so be careful with phrases like "best lock". )
There is a good chance you will find your answer, plus a lot more of useful information in the process.


If you already read the relevant threads and still did not find your answer, please follow this brief guide how to ask the question constructively. (That helps us to offer better, personalised advice.)

1.) What are you looking for? (Safe, lock cylinder, padlock, secondary lock like a dead-latch, deadlock etc.)
2.a) If you know for sure what is the general type you should mention that too. (Like when you look for lock cylinders: Euro profile, Scandinavian oval cylinder, Swiss type round cylinder, US mortice, US Key-in-knob etc.)
2.b) What part of the world are you located in? (So people can give you locally relevant answers.)
3.) What is your budget?
4.a) What is the threat level? (Quiet home in small quiet town, flat in a big city's bad neighbourhood, small grocery at the corner or your secret underground vault for diamonds and Rubens and Degas and Monet paintings )
4.b) What level of lock are you looking for? Middle class? Upper middle class? Premium category? Or top of the notch?*
5.) Are there any special requirements? (Like it needs to be dirt resistant because you live in a sandy desert, or on the contrary it goes into a lighthouse so has to withstand lots of salty water? Or with safes: does it have to be portable, does it have to be fireproof? Padlocks: indoors, outdoors? How about water & dirt?)
6.) Generally try to provide all the relevant informations but in a brief, succinct way.

Side questions: Are you more worried about someone getting in without any sign (e.g. picking, bypass) or are you more worried about brutal attacks (like drilling).
Will you lend the keys to people from time to time = is it important that other people can't copy your keys?
Would it be the only lock or do you have primary and a secondary locks? If yes would this be the primary or the secondary?


If you read the other threads you should be already clear with the following facts (and many more advices):
-that there are many aspects in securing a building than the lock. (Doors (especially back-doors), door frames, windows, the visibility of the house, alarm, dog etc.)
-Even the strongest lock is pointless in a weak door.
-There is no perfect lock, everything man made can be destroyed by man. It is always question of time, tools, expertise and effort (and noise).
-Please be patient. It is not our job to answer all kinds of questions and be everyone's own private security expert. For most of us this is just a hobby and this is not a site dedicated for lock recommendation. This is a side function what we sometimes do as a part of our hobby.
That also means that what we write is our personal opinion. It is subjective. We are not a testing institute. And though there are many incredibly knowledgeable and experienced experts among us, we cannot and don't know everything and everyone can be wrong from time to time.
That being said we are happy to help, just don't forget this is not a service which you can demand.


*:Also keep in mind that with locks there is often a correlation between price and quality. Very cheap lock are usually not good and very good locks are often pricey. (What is the lock made of, how well it's made, how complicated is the construction are all crucial for quality and make a lock more expensive. A good lock is a very fine mechanism with high quality materials which requires good tools and expertise to make.)
Try to harmonise your expectations and the budget. If you look for that lock which has no known method of non-destructive opening, be ready to spend money for it.

As time allows, the mods will be bringing existing "what lock should I buy" style questions from other areas on the forum over to this area.

Good luck and have fun in your search for infos and do no hesitate to ask if you could not find the answer in previous posts.

[cledry]

Good post. You should be a moderator.

[fgarci03]

ARF-GEF has many hidden tallents!
The post is, in fact, very well written (IMO) and touches the weak spots many people miss.


It alone will answer a lot of questions and, for that, many thanks!

[dicey]

He forgot the most important question:

- What do you want to protect and how much is it worth?

A 50€ lock might do well in a 500€ bicycle but not on a 5000€+ motorbike.
This text needs some editing but is good for a start

[fgarci03]

He forgot the most important question:

- What do you want to protect and how much is it worth?

A 50€ lock might do well in a 500€ bicycle but not on a 5000€+ motorbike.
This text needs some editing but is good for a start

I think it's implied on the questions he posed
Anyway, although that is a very good point, I wouldn't use say it's the most important. I think the way the lock is installed is more important than the lock itself. This may be a personal opinion, but I'd rather have a cheap cylinder with a great anti-drill/break/snap/whatever-you-can-think-of escutcheon, than an EVVA MCS with half the cylinder sticking out the door like you see on most cheap installations.

As always, all my beliefs are available for debate, but that's my current opinion

[ARF-GEF]

Thank you for the kind words and highlighting the missed points. As with all of my posts everyone is always welcome to correct, supplement and amend them

[gumptrick]

Great post!
I know this thread is a few years old now, but I just got done from talking to some family friends about locks/security and there's one thing that I'd like to add, and that is to think about the specific type of security concerns & requirements that you have before choosing a lock.

What security measures you do you need? physical toughness (resistance to prying, hammering, power tools)? Pick resistance? Weather or environmental resistance? Key control (copying keys, etc.)?

For example:
If you need a lock that will go inside a big office building, school, hospital, or anywhere else with a large number of people needing access to different locks then your primary concern is probably not a thug with a crowbar or bolt cutters so physical strength is probably not so important. Rather you might be more concerned about people making unauthorized copies of keys, and you might have a need for master keying. Thus you would want to consider locks that have good key control features, and perhaps the ability to easily re-key the locks or change cores easily in case a key is known to be compromised.

On the other hand if you want to lock up personal property--perhaps a motorcycle or gate/door--then you probably don't care about key control at all. Factors like physical strength are more important here.

If you need a lock that will need to withstand harsh environmental conditions or special environments then that could raise additional concerns. Stainless steel or brass locks would be a good choice for use around saltwater. Locks that are 100% brass could be required for industrial applications that require non-sparking hardware for fire safety.