Interesting New Smart Lock by August

[billdeserthills]

I just installed two of these for a client, it isn't a lock, actually it is an E-adaptor, that fits over the T-turn mounting area on many standard deadbolt locks
Manufactured by www.august.com
this adaptor allows you to use your smart phone to operate your standard deadbolt lock and also uses the front of your deadbolt, so your key still works also

I installed it onto a couple of Schlage B660 deadbolts and it is simple. First remove the old T-turn and the mounting plate. Install the August mounting plate with the original screws that held the old plate on. Select the proper tailpiece adaptor and slide it over the tailpiece. Flip the mounting tabs out and slide the August unit over the new mounting plate, lock tabs back down. Now simply press in the area of the design on the back cover, it will pivot out and can be removed. One of the pre-loaded batteries has a plastic tab, pull that off and reset the rear cover, it is held in place by a few magnets. At this point the client downloads the tools they need from www.august.com
and the job is done*. One nice thing about this system is no monthly fees are required, as with the Yale 'easy living' E-lock


* last important step would be to make sure the deadbolt easily extends into the strike

[Silverado]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSgXyMJT8C8

I watched this review on it. I don't feel like it's worth the money.

[mseifert]

I am aways suspicious of anything that deals in security that is connected to Bluetooth or Internet.. It is a interesting innovation, but connection to the internet is a web point for me ..

[billdeserthills]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSgXyMJT8C8

I watched this review on it. I don't feel like it's worth the money.

I'm not trying to sell you one, and it doesn't do anything to increase a lock's security level
All it does is enable someone to use their smart phone as a key. My client wants to rent out
his house and doesn't want the absence of keys to cause a problem. With this device he can
e-mail a program to the renter's smart phone that will unlock or lock his front door--No key needed

You might think it's a lousy waste of money, it is your client who will want it
also they aren't $300 any longer, the one I saw is $200 now

[Jacob Morgan]

As it keeps the external hardware the same, it might have an edge on other wireless devices because people may not realize they are wireless. It does not scream "I'm wireless, hack me" to everyone walking down the street.

However, it would concern me some if the bolt was not really lined up well with the strike plate. A lot of houses have locks where one has to push in a little on the door to lock and unlock, or things swell with humidity, etc. It would be interesting to see how long the motor would last if it had to power open less than perfect installations.

[billdeserthills]

As it keeps the external hardware the same, it might have an edge on other wireless devices because people may not realize they are wireless. It does not scream "I'm wireless, hack me" to everyone walking down the street.

However, it would concern me some if the bolt was not really lined up well with the strike plate. A lot of houses have locks where one has to push in a little on the door to lock and unlock, or things swell with humidity, etc. It would be interesting to see how long the motor would last if it had to power open less than perfect installations.

Even the weiser and kwikset powerbolt had notes about the strike area needing to be free of obstructions
I hit the Front door strike plate with my die grinder, fixed it right up--I also adjusted the roller catches

[MrWizard]

New and innovative and cool but for the client to use his smart phone to unlock his door a locking doorknob cannot be used unless they use the key so what is the point. And having only one lock that locks on a door in insane. I would never suggest that to anyone. Sure a doorknob isn't going to stop anyone but one lock in todays world is just stupid. Plus the strike plate on the deadbolt will have to be adjusted more than once in it's life that motor is likely not going to last when the rain comes and swells the door or hinges wear and door drops down and it will. Grind that plate all you want. When they decide the door is not tight and put on weather stripping it won't work long. On an inside office door this might thrill someone.

[billdeserthills]

New and innovative and cool but for the client to use his smart phone to unlock his door a locking doorknob cannot be used unless they use the key so what is the point. And having only one lock that locks on a door in insane. I would never suggest that to anyone. Sure a doorknob isn't going to stop anyone but one lock in todays world is just stupid. Plus the strike plate on the deadbolt will have to be adjusted more than once in it's life that motor is likely not going to last when the rain comes and swells the door or hinges wear and door drops down and it will. Grind that plate all you want. When they decide the door is not tight and put on weather stripping it won't work long. On an inside office door this might thrill someone.

In Arizona all new homes have just one deadbolt, below that is a handleset with a thumb press. In fact many homes here also only have a deadbolt on all the other doors
as well, with a passage set underneath. People sometimes want to add another easily picked deadbolt to their doors, I will try to explain to them about simply replacing the
one inferior deadbolt they already have with a Medeco or Assa lock, but it is generally a no-go with folks. I think it might have something to do with the gun freedoms we
enjoy, here in Arizona. If you want to place a handgun in your pocket here, you may do so legally, without any permit or license

Gee MrWizard I thought you would know that the handleset or knob/lever on the door was the thing that determines where the door is being held when closed--The deadbolt strike
plate sometimes does need some adjustment to be in-line with that place, or else it won't latch without moving the door...

[MrWizard]

Gee I do know that, and that is the first thing that loosen up by repeated slamming and improper installation from the start and the deadbolt binds when the weather stripping as added. And the fact builders are not supplying a locking knobset or lever handle to save money doesn't make that the right thing to do by lessening the security. By not telling the customer only having one locking lock on the door is less secure is a bad idea is not what a locksmith should be doing.

[GWiens2001]

My concern is whether the key would work in the lock with that bluetooth mechanism over the thumb turn. I can just see it - bluetooth mechanism fails for some reason, and now your key will not work, either.

Gordon

[billdeserthills]

My concern is whether the key would work in the lock with that bluetooth mechanism over the thumb turn. I can just see it - bluetooth mechanism fails for some reason, and now your key will not work, either.

Gordon

Customer provided the deadbolts and the August locks too, so not my problem. I just wanted to give installers an option for an E-Lock,
something better than the last E-Lock I installed, which was the Yale 'easy living', which was neither easy or living--In fact the first one
I installed had a frayed cord and shorted out when I plugged the batteries in

[victorylocksmith]

this stupid lock is a complete piece of crap, they have some major issues. first off, it runs into any problem a motor drive deadbolt does, if the strike plate is lined up right or the door sucks, be prepared to do a lot of work and have major issues. there is also the issue of connectivity, it loses connection all the time and simply just isn't reliable to depend on, so the client should always bring their own key which destroys the point of having the august lock in the first place. lastly, there is the issue of the lock relocking, i know people have been locked out because it supposedly auto relocks for 'security' and people may leave to go outside to grab the paper and forget their keys or phone. however, these people may sometimes also rejoice because the lock sucks so much, it jams frequently when it attempts to auto relock.

[Tyler J. Thomas]

this stupid lock is a complete piece of crap, they have some major issues. first off, it runs into any problem a motor drive deadbolt does, if the strike plate is lined up right or the door sucks, be prepared to do a lot of work and have major issues. there is also the issue of connectivity, it loses connection all the time and simply just isn't reliable to depend on, so the client should always bring their own key which destroys the point of having the august lock in the first place. lastly, there is the issue of the lock relocking, i know people have been locked out because it supposedly auto relocks for 'security' and people may leave to go outside to grab the paper and forget their keys or phone. however, these people may sometimes also rejoice because the lock sucks so much, it jams frequently when it attempts to auto relock.

Strike adjustment and alignment is a piece of cake 99% of the time. Sell them a strike box if they don't have one and use that as an opportunity to tackle alignment issues. Tighten and adjust all hinges and then mark for the strike. Locksmithing 101. The auto-lock feature can be turned on or off, as is the case with all deadbolts that offer this feature.

I've seen them demo this lock on Ask This Old House but I've never had a chance to play with one. Did get to install a few Schlage Connects a few weeks back. Great locks. Strong motor/gear for reliable throws. Schlage's quality control has seemed to skyrocket after the Cobra debacle.

[billdeserthills]

Anytime a motorized dead-bolt type lock is installed the strike needs to be lined up correctly. In fact since I find strike misalignment causes most problems
with early lock component failure I like to 'adjust' the strike on any lock that does not line up properly, when the door is closed. I use my DeWalt die grinder
and charge $10+ to remove whatever is blocking the bolt. This, is part of the instructions, if anyone bothered to actually look at them

[Tyler J. Thomas]

Anytime a motorized dead-bolt type lock is installed the strike needs to be lined up correctly. In fact since I find strike misalignment causes most problems
with early lock component failure I like to 'adjust' the strike on any lock that does not line up properly, when the door is closed. I use my DeWalt die grinder
and charge $10+ to remove whatever is blocking the bolt. This, is part of the instructions, if anyone bothered to actually look at them

I like using rotary files bits. Loud as heck but very effective and they last incredibly long. Not always my first choice but if I'm left with no other options, I chuck it up and turn her loose.