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On occasion, I like to test my skills on opening Master 1500 combination padlocks. The other day, I purchased a lock packaged in a clear blister pack at Home Depot, and I carefully removed the sticker from the rear of the lock without looking at the combination. My goal was to open this lock as seen on many YouTube videos. I prefer the method were you hold adequate shackle tension, while turning the dial clockwise to find a consistent stopping point to determine the first number in the combination. This particular lock has a lot more friction contacting the third tumbler; certainly more than I have been accustom to. So, even with less shackle tension this made finding the first number in combination more difficult. Once the stopping point is found, you are supposed to add "five" to get the true number. Old news...right? Then, a serious of back and forth tests are to be made to get the second number in the combination, beginning at two numbers greater than the first number in the combination. And yes, the third number is found by finding the infamous "anomaly".

My lock kept stopping at "30" as I applied shackle tension and after rotating the dial clockwise. This would translate into "35" as the first number in the combination. So, after opening many newer Master 1500 padlocks in the past, why didn't my lock open using the previously described method? I felt very confident that the third number was "2". This meant that "35" had to be wrong, but what about the consistent stopping of the dial at "30"?

I had to come up with one possibility that would explain my problem. What if "30" is the first number in the combination, even though the lock never consistently stopped at "25" (nothing like "30")?

This was the solution, and contradicts what has been explained time after time on YouTube.

Combination of my lock is: "30-32-2". The back of the lock is numbered: "3117M"

That seems like too much.

Learned the hard way. Partner forgot keys, general manager (in fab shop) grabbed my hammer and a plate of steel ...
WHhack! locked popped off then he grabbed tools we needed and popped the shackle back into the body. No apparent damage. After seeing this, never felt the need to learn combo locks, most are easily removed in this fashion.

But, seriously great to hear you got it open.