Master Lock 5401D Select Access Wall-Mounted Key Storage Box with Set-Your-Own Combination Lock
by Master Lock
|
List Price: Our Price: $19.21 You Save: $14.66 (43%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Tools See more product details |
|---|
Tools and Hardware Reviews of Master Lock 5401D Select Access Wall-Mounted Key Storage Box with Set-Your-Own Combination Lock
Customer Review: Better safe than sorry!
Summary: 5 Stars
Unbelievably, during my 19 years of homeownership, the way I've kept a spare key outside the house is by putting it inside a fake rock (from Brookstone) designed to hold a key. Not real safe, huh? My wife finally convinced me that we should get something a bit more secure than a plastic rock with a sliding cover underneath it to hold our spare key. After doing a bit of research and poking around on Amazon, I came across this Master Lock key storage box. It looked like exactly what we needed. (I had considered one other product on Amazon, made by GE, but was totally put off by the fact that even if someone didn't know your exact combination, they could still open the box. The device would open as long as someone entered the right numbers in your code, regardless of the order. Example: If your code was 4231, if someone entered 1234, the box would open. That seems wack.) The Master Lock box was simple to install. I just used the four screws that came with it to mount it to the side of my garage. It took about 5 minutes. Then I set my combination, put the spare key in the box, and locked it up. Voila! My wife and I now feel much safer about the location of our spare key. And it's nice to be able to change the combination anytime we want. Another truly great aspect of this product is the sliding protective cover that protects the number wheels (or whatever you call them). The cover keeps the numbers protected from the elements. Also, the box seems very strong and secure. I would highly recommened it to anyone. In fact, I'm going to buy another one for my brother-in-law to install at his cottage. A great product at a great price.Customer Review: DO NOT BUY!!!!
Summary: 1 Stars
You will probably do the same thing that I did and ignore this review because there are so many other positive reviews. I had this stupid thing for less than a month- it was working perfectly and then today it would not open. I did not forget my combination, it is just stuck and will not open. I called customer service where I was directed to a very rude, obnoxious girl who kept asking me condescending questions like, "Well, do you have any friends that have tools?" WTF?! Umm, yes, I own tools and I know others who own tools- how do I get this thing open? Then she asked me if I would like to be sent another lock because it was probably a "manufacture defect." Idon't want another one of these stupid locks, what I would like is to be able to open this one up. She said that I should try taking it to a locksmith. I told her that they should reimburse me for having to pay for the locksmith. They would not agree to this, which I think is ridiculous. All I can say is, don't but this lock!
UPDATE: Instead of paying to take this thing to a locksmith, I decided to pull out a flathead screwdriver and a hammer and see if I could get it open. Took me about 15 minutes to open despite the fact that I am not especially stong and I really have no knowledge of opening locks. If you are in the same predicament that I was in, simply use a large flathead and hammer the top backside area out until you have a nice size hole. There is a metal lever near the top. Simply push on the metal lever and it will easily open. Don't buy this hunk of junk.
Customer Review: Almost perfect, definintely better than the GE/Supra
Summary: 4 Stars
Pro's: Ease of installation, roomy interior, styling, slide-up cover for the combination dial, number of possible combinations, ease of setting combination, less expensive than GE/Supra.
Con's: (All minor) No hook or clip to hold keys, dial numbers are hard to see in dark, maybe too easy to reset combo.
Unknown's: Durability in exposed area over time.
I purchased two of these for a sports facility to replace GE/Supras which had quit working (and had to break in to them - not easy, but doable).
They are far roomier, better looking and have many more effective combinations than the GE (the GE allows any sequence of numbers: 1-2-3-4 = 4-3-2-1 = 3-2-1-4, etc). I hope the dial mechanism plus the cover on the Master Lock will prevent that problem, and comparing the cases, I don't know how I'll break into these if I have to!
The con's are minor - with no hook, the keys fall to the bottom. I have 5 keys on one (could fit more), and it is sometimes difficult to close the latch (I was hard-pressed to even put 5 keys on the GE). If the dials had the numbers painted in black, it would be easier to see them in poorer lighting (similar for the GE if you don't have the button positions memorized). The setting process is almost too easy - someone could try to be clever and could easily reset the box (same for the GE).
I'll deal with the con's, and will have to wait to see the durability, but so far, I am very happy with the switch to the Master Lock product.
Customer Review: I now own 3 of these
Summary: 5 Stars
I own 3 of these little combination lock safes. They are rather thick metal, so breaking into them would be extremely difficult. Not to mention, they are fairly small, so getting leverage would be difficult. Even if you could get them off the wall, you still have to find a way to crack it open to get at the contents. I would think a pretty hefty sledgehammer would be needed or some sort of high power saw/drill. Thiefs are looking for easy targets and this is not easy at all.
I have one outside my house with my house key in it, one in my office with the key to my finacial files, and one next to my large safe in the bedroom closet with the key to the larger safe. If you ever watch the show, "To Catch A Thief", you'd know that if someone breaks into your house, they're more interested in your checkbook, financial records, social security number, and other personal information than they are in your TV or DVD player. I've got all my personal financial information in a locked file cabinet. The biggest mistake people make is leaving the key in a rather easy to find place. So, I got one of these to put my file cabinet key in. This is so quick to access when you have the proper access code and it is so small that it can be mounted almost anywhere. I have mine mounted underneath my desk.
Bottom line: Great little safe for many uses.
Customer Review: Poorly designed
Summary: 2 Stars
I don't know who's writing all the positive reviews, but I don't think they've actually used this product. I agree that it seems well built and reasonably secure, but it has two very serious flaws:
1. There's no place to hang a key inside, and that makes it difficult to close the door. This box is designed to be installed vertically on a wall or door (in the same orientation as shown in the photo above). The door hinges from the bottom, so when you drop keys into it they naturally drop to the bottom. The compartment isn't wide enough for the key to lay flat at the bottom, so that makes it virtually impossible to close the door unless find a way to hold the key upright as you carefully close the door. This problem wouldn't happen if they'd just add a small hook inside to hold the key. I ended up using the top mounting screw as a key hook, but that means the box isn't mounted as securely as it could be.
2. There's no way to clear the combination while the door is open, so you either have to immediately put the key back and relock the box, or leave the combination exposed to whoever might come by. This is very poor practice from a security perspective, and could have been easily prevented with a better lock design.