Need cheaper than Schlage, better than masterlock or kwikset

[Zoooooble]

If you're looking for a good cheap way to practice on harder locks (without buying expensive high security locks), just buy sets of pins and repinning your current locks with tougher stuff (mushroom drivers, spooled, and serrated). You can generally find fairly cheap pin rolling kits on eBay, and many will fit Schlage cores that you can find around the house or also find on eBay super cheap.

If you do want to invest a little money though, I would recommend higher end padlocks like the American Lock 700 series. The 700 series is an excellent practice lock to use as an intro into higher-security padlocks, and you can start by pinning it with only 2 or 3 chambers then work your way up. (It even has some serrated key pins in it; my favorite).

I actually did put up an ad on our companies for sale page looking to buy unused locks.

Why limit yourself to unused locks?
I honestly find that practicing on used (even heavily used) locks is quite helpful. Used locks often have a very different feel to them and respond very differently to picking, so they provide a good broad range of practice.

[locksmistress]

h4x0r ish

What does that mean?

[Kodack]

It's hacker speak. 4 = A, x = ck, etc. It's based on mobile phone sms code where it is easier to type a 0 instead of an O and a 4 instead of A (they look similar).

Hackerish

[Kodack]

If you're looking for a good cheap way to practice on harder locks (without buying expensive high security locks), just buy sets of pins and repinning your current locks with tougher stuff (mushroom drivers, spooled, and serrated). You can generally find fairly cheap pin rolling kits on eBay, and many will fit Schlage cores that you can find around the house or also find on eBay super cheap.

If you do want to invest a little money though, I would recommend higher end padlocks like the American Lock 700 series. The 700 series is an excellent practice lock to use as an intro into higher-security padlocks, and you can start by pinning it with only 2 or 3 chambers then work your way up. (It even has some serrated key pins in it; my favorite).

I actually did put up an ad on our companies for sale page looking to buy unused locks.

Why limit yourself to unused locks?
I honestly find that practicing on used (even heavily used) locks is quite helpful. Used locks often have a very different feel to them and respond very differently to picking, so they provide a good broad range of practice.

unused as in, not in use, not "brand new". The reason I don't re-pin my current locks is that I also want to get a feel for different mfg. springs and how a schlage or yale might feel different and have a different keyway shape than a kwikset or masterlock.

[Kodack]

Okay my locks came in. I ordered them from that site and shipping was pretty fast in USPS.

I just had a big uh-oh. I purchased a cylinder by itself and when I rotated it all the pins fell out of the bottom!!!! I wasn't expecting that! I got them back in the right order though. I'll have to tape up the bottom of it.

The Abus 85/50 is big, heavy, but not as nice as the masterlock. It's solid brass but has rough edges, isn't polished as well. A little sanding at the factory and they would have a more pleasing product.

I will keep you posted on how my picking goes. The keyway looks a little restrictive though, but we'll see.

thanks again for the advice.

[Kodack]

It took me about 30 seconds to get the lock open 1st try using double diamond rake.

I can rake it open with fair consistency, it presented no real challenge.

Picking it pin to pin is a different story. The key entry curves a little at the top left with a ward sticking out which cuts down on the room in the keyhole a bit. I find that even with my most shallow hook pick and my smallest torque bar, I don't have enough room to get past the last pin (a mushroom). Since I can't get under that pin due to lack of clearence I can't very well pick it.

There's nothing wrong with raking though right? I can still laugh in the face of German engineering and mushroom pins.

[Cman22]

I would go to the local hardware store, not lowes or home depot just a true value hardware store, and ask in the locks department for a shlage cylinder. At my local hardware store the guy gave it to me for free but the other guy charged 5 bucks for a cylinder.

My schlage came with 4 spools. To start out i would work with 3 pins 1 spool then 5pins 2 spools.