Padlocks come in different sizes, with different ways to open and with different levels of security. They can be priced from just a few dollars to several hundreds of dollars. But which padlock is right for you? Over the course of 20 years as a locksmith business we definitely have an opinion on the subject.
For those just wanting our top picks, our recommended best padlocks are:
: Master Read more
Is your door not closing? Do you find you have to pull the door harder for it to latch? Or maybe lift up on the door so it latches? The problem is a misaligned strike.
When a door is closed, the bolts Read more
As a locksmith I see new home security products frequently, most of them don’t stand the test of time and fade away, but there are a few that I really like because home owners can realize their value immediately to help protect their homes and families. These products are of the DIY (Do-It-Yourself) variety and easy for most homeowners to take care of. If you do need help, your local locksmith should be more than willing to assist.
ACME Locksmith recommends the following, generally available deadbolts: Read more
Our recommended best home electronic deadbolts are:
– Best Basic Electronic Lock Solution – Most Affordable Bluetooth – Best Smart Touchscreen Deadbolt with Z-wave SupportWhat are the must-have electronic deadbolt features:
Read more
There has always been a big hole in product offerings in the safe industry–small yet secure safes. So customers with small spaces have always had to choose between size or security. It’s just plain hard to build security into a small safe and keep the price point down. Anytime someone walked into our shop and said, “I want a small safe, but it has to be fire rated and burglary rated,” I knew I was in for trouble. We didn’t have any, no one did. But there is a big demand for a small yet secure safe, especially for jewelry.
Now, we have an solution we can be proud of. The first affordable, small home safe we carry that has a 3/8 inch solid steel plate in the door, inner locking bolts, anti-punch bolt work, and more. Though small, this safe is burglary rated and is built as tough as the larger safes. The security features are incredible! Read more
New apps will send you an exact copy of a key from a photo you send them. You may say, “So what?” Check out our chat below.
Anyone can simply snap a picture of your home or business key and have it mailed directly to them. Voila! They are in your home or business. This company confirmed that they would send me a key of my girlfriends home from a picture so I could “break in” when she wasn’t home.
Here’s how it works.
Say you have your keys lying on the counter, or on your desk at work, or on a table while out at dinner.
Who ever is with you, that new date from Tinder (who you know virtually nothing about), the slightly more than jealous ex-girl/boy friend that you’re trying to be just friends with, a frenemy from work/school, or a disgruntled employee just snaps a quick photo of that key. They send it to the app and an exact copy of your key is mailed to them. BOOM! They have a key to your home or your business.
This is a gross violation of your safety! Why would they do this? Why would they risk it? They will also provide you the cuts to the key and say “take it to a locksmith to have the key made” for emergency situations.
I can tell you. WE WILL NOT BE CUTTING KEYS FROM THIS APP. I don’t know who that key is for. I can’t verify you have access rights to the property from a photo. If I cut that key, I’m putting you at risk. ACME Locksmith will not do it.
Shame on this company and other like them.
This is not the only company offering keys made from photos. These services are popping up everywhere. Here’s what you can do:
Keyless entry has made it’s why to the residential market. There are a number of good home electronic locks out there, our favorite is from Yale (shown below). The Yale lock is sleek, has a beautiful look, secure, and comes with voice guided programming instruction. It’s the deadbolt I have on my home and the one used by our locksmiths on their home. Like this lock? You can buy this Yale electronic deadbolt here.
Why would you want an electronic for your home?
I’m the first to admit it, our company can be a pain. It’s true. But this, my friends, is a good thing.
When you call us for a car unlock or a house unlock, we WILL ask you to prove that you have rights to be in the property. Is the title available and in your name? Does the registration match your drivers license? Does your drivers license show the home’s address? Etc…
If you don’t have something that confirms you have rights to the property you’re asking us to open, we’ll ask that someone that does have that right be present when we arrive on site. If that can’t be done, there’s more work to do before we will let you in….faxes, photo IDs, verification with property records…. as I said, we can be a pain when you’re asking us to unlock your home or car.
Why? Because ACME Locksmith protects your property, whether you’re a customer of ours or not. We won’t unlock a car or a home for just anyone that calls us because they could be….well….anyone.
Even with all of our caution, we can’t go far enough. We were once called out to gain access to a safe. We were told it was his father’s safe and that his dad had passed away. The son’s ID showed the address of the property where the safe was located. At that point we knew that the son lived or could access the home. But there is no way for someone to prove that something in the home was bought by them, but legally, if he has access to the home, he could gain access to the safe.
So we drilled the safe open for him. We were contacted by the police several days later. Dad had not died, he had simply cut his son off from his money. So, the son robbed him. We presented the documentation the son provided us and we were off the hook, but I’ll never forget that, and we will never gain access to a house or a car (where we can verify ownership) without authorization or legal documentation.
We also don’t accept “phone authorizations” because it can be anyone on the phone. We don’t accept email authorizations, because anyone could have sent the email. We do this for you, the property owner, to protect your property from someone trying to get into it.
Sometimes, potential customers complain about their having to provide this information before we will let them in. Sometimes they simply hangup and call someone else, we know of many companies that will let just anyone in. Yes, we lose the business, but that’s OK. Because that’s a red flag. We won’t risk your property.
But most of the time customers understand the need. They get it. We’re protecting them. We’re professionals. We’re not just a guy showing up in a t-shirt, shorts, in an unmarked vehicle to make a buck.
And that’s what the other locksmith companies, the ones that will let anyone in without requiring proof of ownership or access rights, aren’t doing for you.
This is an update of a previously posted article. We are continuing to see newest versions of locks bought at the big box stores coming with plastic parts. Remember, to be sold cheap, cheap locks need to be made cheap.
A few months back ACME Locksmith discovered that the new Schlage SecureKey lock contained plastic parts. Being a Phoenix Locksmith service, this disturbed us greatly. This lock is no longer manufactured, but that hasn’t stopped Schlage from putting plastic arts in their newer models. The locks we buy and the locks the big box stores sell have the same part number, but as you can see, they’re not made the same. Read more
