Wednesday 31 August 2011

Combination Lock - dead bolt, digital


I bought 2 locks. One of them broke the first day we installed it. The combination part of the lock stopped working, so now we can only open it with the key. Operating these locks with the key is tedious and uncomfortable, plus you have to make sure that the lock is in open position from the other side of the door, before you lock it with the key. Using the combination lock is not much easier. To lock the door you have to run the combination, while pulling the door handle forward so that it stays in position. The locks are very uncomfortable to grip, wether you are using the key or the combination. We end up spending about five minutes manuvering the locks every time we want to open or close the doors. Unfortunatly, we tossed the boxed they arrived in so can not return them. I will be purchasing the digital kind. Master Lock DSNRN1015BOX Nightwatch Combination Deadbolt with Bump Stop Cylinder, Satin Nickel

When looking to purchase this product I was very confused by some of the reviews out there and now that I have it installed I am very pleased with it and wanted to address some inaccuracies:



1. You can change the combination - it's recommended that this is done by a locksmith only but I did it and I'm not a locksmith. When changing the lock need to carefully place the parts back in the order they came out.



2. Not true that the lock needs to be in the open position from the inside before locking with key - can be open or closed from inside and can lock with either key or combination interchangeably.



3. You do not have to hold the door handle while spinning the combination. If the door is a poor fit you might have to hold it while actually closing or opening the bolt.



4. You do not have to "time" the key to the combo or to the inside. Everything is completely interchangable e.g. you can open with a key, close with a combo, open from inside, close with key, etc. etc.



5. Although I haven't used it in temperature conditions less than 40 degrees yet, I don't see how that could be an issue - the insides are all mechanical - metal and grease - which should work fine at low temperatures.



Overall I believe it's a great product for the money. If you prefer not to spin a combination every time you want to open/close your door then you can get a button type lock at 3x the price. I have it installed on my garage where it works great and I'm opening the lock several times a week; I wouldn't use it on my front door where I need to open it multiple times a day. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this product to anyone.





Pros:



a. Much cheaper than the other pushbutton combination locks (1/3 of the price)



b. Fits in a pre-drilled door or can replace an existing deadbolt lock without requiring an extra hole drilled - as many button locks do require - providing pre-drilled hole is 2" diameter



c. No batteries required



d. Can easily and interchangably use either key or combination



Cons:



a. More effort to open/close using combination than push button type, especially in the dark. If you have arthritis or a similar condition that affects your small motor skills this could be a problem.



b. Requires a 2" diameter hole (many deadbolts are installed using a hole 1" or less as mine was and I had to widen that hole with a drill to make this lock fit, that said I would have also had to drill extra holes to make a pushbutton lock fit)



c. When locking the door requires you to enter the combination again (unless locking with the key or from inside)

I bought 12 of these for storage lockers for a condo unit. I had 2 of them that would not work. There is a learning curve with these. Yes, they work like an old fashion combo lock, but they have to be "timed" with the dead bolt. That will be different with a RH door VS a Left hand door. If you use the key to open it and do not return the dead bolt to the original position, it will be out of time. Also realize that the direction you turn the knob is opposite for left hand doors than right hand doors. I can see that they are going to be a problem with a rental type situation. And, DO NOT FORCE THE ACTION OR IT WILL STRIP!!!! I like the clean look though. No big key pad with lights.

Do not us this lock in a place were a re are using it alot you have do do the combination to get in and then again to lock the door. It does not work in cold temperatures, below 40 degrees. it has brobles if yo use the key to open the lock one time and the combo the next.

This is a nice lock and I like the combo feature. It takes a little bit to get use to locking and unlocking with the combo but it works.



Unfortunately I could never get the bump lock feature to work so my lock can still be bumped. I pull out the thumbturn thingy until I see the red ring but I can still open it with my key.

My boy friend is a carpenter and has me order his supplies on line at Amazon.

One of his customers requested this lock. He was hesitant but "the customer is always right" so he installed it.

He was very happy with the installation and the customer was happy with the lock. It has been in operation for over 4 months. Works Good!

This is a "buy it" item. - Dead Bolt - Keyless - Door - Digital'


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