Bolt cutters

bouicca21

I have a padlock on my garage door for which the vendors did not supply a key. Amazing number of websites tell me how to pick the lock, but i am clearly a poor pupil as I can't do it.

I could get a locksmith but neighbour pointed out that buying a pair of bolt cutters would probably be cheaper than a call out fee. The bit I need to cut looks to be about 5 mm. It's a good strong padlock. So how do I choose the right kind of tool? Bolt cutters seem to vary from about £6 on amazon to a whopping £134 at a proper tool place. Cheaper the better - as long as it does the job. I'd probably never use them again.

Any suggestions?

snowcat75

Cheep angle grinder with a slitting disc would be as cheep and better, sliting disc about 50p grinder 4" from about £15 DIY quality to £35 for a branded job.
Allow a couple of quid for some eye protection

Cheep bolt croppers are useless soft jaw although 5mm shouldn't present a problem.

TBH a normally break them with a bar and a sharp blow from a hammer the latch part always gives, takes about 2 seconds which is a sign of how much security a padlock offers.

SailorSam

A baby hacksaw that you get from the £shop would be the cheapest way to cut it off.

bouicca21

Ta. I (or rather daughter) think a hammer would prob do the job but the position means that the right blow would wreck the door too. Angle grinder? Baby hacksaw? Which would be best (and cheapest) to use, given the padlock is positioned above my head and I've never used anything like that before? I've just moved into this property and don't even have a chair to stand on to make reaching it easier. And if it useful to know, there is no electricity supply available.

cyclonebri1

SailorSam wrote: »

A baby hacksaw that you get from the £shop would be the cheapest way to cut it off.

Never going to work on a hardened hasp, it's poor advice Sam.

Everyone needs an angle grinder once in a while, you need 1 now.
£25 top whack and will last for donks. Invest chap.

societys_child

Everyone needs an angle grinder once in a while, you need 1 now.

I agree with you (I've got three) but . . .

there is no electricity supply available.

so the op would have to get some of these


Another option is a crowbar depending on how good the lock or the hasp is (or how well it's fitted.

dave030445

Hire a pair of good bolt cutter ftom your local hire shop some charge by the hour.

dave030445

SailorSam wrote: »

A baby hacksaw that you get from the £shop would be the cheapest way to cut it off.

Terrible advice a baby hacksaw from £ shop would never cut a padlock hasp or staple please OP don't go down this route your still be cutting away this time next year.

bouicca21

Er, I'm a chapess

paddyrg

+1 for renting a decent bolt cutter from a hire place - angle grinder sounds like a good idea until you factor in 1) having no power and 2) operating it above your head

snowcat75

Above your head isn't really an issue with a 4" grinder, a 5mm cut would take two ticks.

If you haven't a long extension then I would agree.

You could always make it look like there's something valuable in there locals scrotes would be in there in seconds.