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Im getting my ass handed to me by this lock right now...can anyone give me any useful info on this type of lock? any easy way it can be picked??
Last edited by Squelchtone on 31 Dec 2013 10:03, edited 1 time in total.
Reason:I have fixed the title for you to reflect the style of Medeco cylinder this is.
I am not able to find a Medeco XEO style lock. The closest thing I'm finding is a video where someone picks a Medeco cam lock "Xeo style" (this being an honorable reference to a method of picking used by a member of KeyPicking.) Do you have a picture of the lock?
Thats the exact one im trying to pick now...Im not having any luck with it though. Ive picked 3 types of master locks so far but not having any luck with this one
Mister_ACE wrote:Thats the exact one im trying to pick now...Im not having any luck with it though. Ive picked 3 types of master locks so far but not having any luck with this one
Moving from Master locks to Medeco locks is a huge jump to put it mildly. Just a thought. How long have you been picking for? Most Medeco locks are quite difficult even for experienced pickers. You may want to try some less difficult locks like Brinks and American Lock. I'm not saying don't keep trying for the Medeco, but don't get yourself too discouraged if you aren't proficient with an array of middle security locks and can't immediately pick a high security lock. Just my two cents. Keep us posted!
It is notoriously hard to pick Medeco locks. Sure, there are members here that will laugh at that, but they are very highly skilled and well practiced. As phrygianradar said, you might be better off working on less difficult locks for a while. Or, if you have the key to the lock and can disassemble it without ruining the lock, try reducing the difficulty by removing pins, or remove the sidebar altogether.
That is quite a unique way of picking a lock. First time I've ever heard of XEO style picking... Not to belittle that style of picking or anything, but obviously that will not work when the lock is installed and has to be picked.
If you do not manipulate the lock, then the lock will manipulate you
Mister_ACE wrote:Im getting my ass handed to me by this lock right now... any easy way it can be picked??
No.
While they are pickable, there is no easy shorcut to it, and vending/cam locks can be even harder than other types of Medeco cylinders.
Any particular reason you chose this specific lock to pick? Please post a picture of your lock, with a piece of paper in the picture that says "lp101" so we can see it's your lock being picked and not a mounted, in-use lock. Once you do that I'll be happy to give you some specific techniques you can use to open it.
I took interest in lockpicking a few months ago and I just had some old locks laying around I've done a few pad locks and some master locks...really no particular reason why I chose this lock I heard medeco locks were a challenge so I thought I'd give it a try but I'll be more than happy to post the picture
Mister_ACE wrote:I took interest in lockpicking a few months ago and I just had some old locks laying around I've done a few pad locks and some master locks...really no particular reason why I chose this lock I heard medeco locks were a challenge so I thought I'd give it a try but I'll be more than happy to post the picture
I received your PM, I sent instructions on posting a picture.
As a side note, Medecos can be challenging but fun locks to pick. But it can sometimes be easier to learn to pick them using a rim or mortise cylinder rather than one of the vending/cam or cam locks. The design is different.
Is it wrong that even though that's just a photo and not a Medeco in real life, I have an uncontrollable feeling of wanting to pick it? =) the click of the sidebar as the plug rotates always brings a smile to my face. It's very satisfying.
I'm waiting for that moment where I too can hear that click and get that satisfaction of accomplishment so I can move on to something even more challenging
Squelchtone wrote:Is it wrong that even though that's just a photo and not a Medeco in real life, I have an uncontrollable feeling of wanting to pick it? =) the click of the sidebar as the plug rotates always brings a smile to my face. It's very satisfying.
Squelchtone
ROFL. Seconded!
Gordon
Just when you finally think you have learned it all, that is when you learn that you don't know anything yet.
Mister_ACE wrote:I'm waiting for that moment where I too can hear that click and get that satisfaction of accomplishment so I can move on to something even more challenging
You're not gonna pick Medeco after a couple master locks.. not gonna happen. it's like saying I learned to ride a Huffy bike, so let me take your new Ferrari for a test drive, oh btw, I don't know how to drive stick yet, but my brother let me try once in his '94 Honda Accord for a block or two.
the list is usually crappy padlocks > Master lock no 3 > Kwikset deadbolt > Master No. 140 > Schlage deadbolt by luck > Master No. 532 > Master ProSeries 6121 > Schlage deadbolt consistently > Wilson Bohannan padlock > BEST SFIC by luck > 6 pin commercial Schlage > BEST SFIC to control > American Lock padlock with serrated pins > Medeco cylinder with the side bar removed > Medeco cylinder with side bar but all but 1 pins removed > dumb luck raking open a Medeco 4 pin cam lock or t-handle cylinder > your lock.
Mind you, that example is locks that were available to me while learning, other people in other countries had other stuff like Abus cylinders in europe, Lockwood cylinders in Australia, or one of the many other brands of lock cylinders or padlocks out there.
People have in the past asked us for a road map to 'what lock do i pick next' there isnt really a hard list, a lot of it is personal preference and what is available where you live. take my list as a very very general example, the point it makes is that a couple Master padlocks doesnt mean the next jump is that Medeco. Maybe with a lot of luck and a Bogota triple rake.
Just being realistic, I'm sure you can do it, but practice is your friend, Squelchtone
I think that is a good list and pretty accurate to my experience as well. When I first started, I just picked anything and everything that I could. If it was too hard, I would put it down and look for something that was hard but not pull my beard out hard. I am a very patient person, so if I set my mind to do something I will sit and work at it until it gets done. A much wiser approach is the one that Squelchtone gave as an example. I am sure that if you did nothing but sit with that lock for hours every day it might just pop open and then what? You would feel awesome for a while and really cool about yourself and then some friend of yours would ask you if you could come pick the lock to their front door and let them in because they are in a situation in which they could really use some help. Then you would realize that you didn't learn anything from picking that Medeco. You would find yourself at the front door failing to pick a Schlage with a few spool pins in it saying to yourself, "why can't I do this, I picked a Medeco for crying out loud! Sorry, better call a locksmith…" If you took the time to work at a steady pace building up your skill level by the time you got to Medeco locks being the next in line, you would actually know what was going on a bit more. Probably wouldn't take you as long and you would still get that awesome "I just picked a Medeco" glow for a few hours, days, whatever. Take your time, there will be plenty of time for bragging about picking a Medeco after you can pick more standard locks consistently. That will come in much more use in real life than picking any high security cam lock.
Still, the point is to have fun and if you are having fun picking at that Medeco then go for it! I beat my head against a MTL Interactive for a week or more until I got it picked. It was an awesome high for a while, but hind sight is more clear, some even say 20/20...
Didn't mean to get preachy on you; it just reminded me so much of myself that I couldn't help it… I would love to hear a success story about this one. (what did he mean by that?!)
And for a real challenge Have a medeco cylinder fitted to a time delay Pick it, time delay, then... To have to pick it within a minute The buzzer ringing in your ears then silence What a feeling, and the look from the idiot who Threw out the broken key bits...priceless
