We're aware that some users are experiencing technical issues which the team are working to resolve. See the Community Noticeboard for more info. Thank you for your patience.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

Push Button Locks - how good are they and any recommendations?

Options
2

Comments

  • Locknut
    Locknut Posts: 436 Forumite
    Don't trust the pushbutton locks they can easly be bypassed or decoded in seconds unless you spend £100's.
    The best option would be to give her a garage key or similar and put a keysafe inside said garage.

    like this one. http://www.google.co.uk/products?hl=en&expIds=17259,17311,24472,27147,27846,27955&xhr=t&q=master+key+safe&cp=10&safe=off&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=HiklTfPlJ4qEhQfp6qGTAg&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CDQQrQQwAA
  • wacko911
    wacko911 Posts: 678 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 6 January 2011 at 5:32AM
    Get a house alarm. If she looses the key and someone uses it, the alarm will go off. Plus your house will be better protected and less of a target when it's empty. Maybe even a cheapy self install alarm?

    I have used cheap push button locks (<£20 fleabay) on the back door and an internal workshop ( to keep wee hands out). The backdoor one was so it would latch shut and prevent anyone sneaking in the back door and stealing car keys, type of burglarlys and the standard 7 level dead lock used when house was empty. Like others have said the sequence of keypress reduces the possible combos to about 4000, but it would take a long time to go through them. I did try guessing/forcing type attack on the lock but couldnt find a way to reduce the time it takes to open it. (unlike the £30 combo laptop lock which I can open in less than 5 seconds no matter what the code is set to!).

    The correct way if you have 2 doors is to have the weak door/lock on the outside and the strong door & lock on the inside. The theory is you hear them smashing through the first door only to be stopped/slowed down by the second, giving you time to get your shotgun call the police, trigger the panic alarm etc.. The exception being if they are hidden after getting through the first door they then have time to attack the second door without being seen.

    I would say go with your original plan, anyone your daughter brings in with her and learns the code is going to be someone you trust anyhow and if the key does go walkies then change the lock.
  • wazza
    wazza Posts: 2,595 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    wacko911 wrote: »
    Get a house alarm. If she looses the key and someone uses it, the alarm will go off. Plus your house will be better protected and less of a target when it's empty. Maybe even a cheapy self install alarm?

    ....

    I already have an alarm installed.
    Problem with having access to internet is that i get asked by many to solve their problems :( Well at least i learn something on the way :D
  • wazza
    wazza Posts: 2,595 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Locknut wrote: »
    Don't trust the pushbutton locks they can easly be bypassed or decoded in seconds unless you spend £100's.
    The best option would be to give her a garage key or similar and put a keysafe inside said garage.

    like this one. http://www.google.co.uk/products?hl=en&expIds=17259,17311,24472,27147,27846,27955&xhr=t&q=master+key+safe&cp=10&safe=off&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=HiklTfPlJ4qEhQfp6qGTAg&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CDQQrQQwAA

    The idea of key safe appeals to me, also easier to install.
    Problem with having access to internet is that i get asked by many to solve their problems :( Well at least i learn something on the way :D
  • Locknut
    Locknut Posts: 436 Forumite
    And the beauty is you keep your BS deadlock on so insurance is happy. its just a case of finding a good hiding place for the box. Also the combo can be changed in seconds.
  • MX5huggy
    MX5huggy Posts: 7,154 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Give the girl the key, how old does she have to be to get a key to her home?
  • diable
    diable Posts: 5,258 Forumite
    Tie the key to a piece of string and drop it through the letterbox ;o)))))
  • muckybutt
    muckybutt Posts: 3,761 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    I use the locks regularly, the high street stores I look after have them fitted to most of the internal staff doors, a monthly code change rules out folks getting used to the codes. As for pressing buttons until you get the code ? ha you're having a laugh theres 10'000s of combinations.

    As for insurance purposes I wouldnt think your insurers would have a problem as all of the stores I visit have them fitted on the cash offices.

    A key safe however is another good idea.
    You may click thanks if you found my advice useful
  • Locknut
    Locknut Posts: 436 Forumite
    Muckybutt it very much depends on what make the store have on. the ones shown in the op's post and the like can be opened in seconds without a combo.
    its not a case of pushing buttons randomly but thats all I will say on an open forum.
  • muckybutt
    muckybutt Posts: 3,761 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    The ones we use are codelocks.com or borglocks.com
    You may click thanks if you found my advice useful
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 350.7K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 453.4K Spending & Discounts
  • 243.7K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 598.5K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 176.8K Life & Family
  • 256.9K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.