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Changeable key locks

PostPosted: Sun Apr 07, 2019 1:25 am
by MartinHewitt
I do have one question from you guys from the US. Here in Germany, probably even whole Europe practically nobody knows that there are changeable key locks. I have seen locks on ebay with one key where the seller wrote that the locks were replace because one key has been lost. So the change function seems to be pretty useless here.

How is it in the US? UL437 requires that a lock is changeable. Do people really know about this and use this function?

Re: Changeable key locks

PostPosted: Sun Apr 07, 2019 3:58 am
by femurat
In Italian vending machines we have rielda locks. Key changeable in seconds.

Cheers :)

Re: Changeable key locks

PostPosted: Sun Apr 07, 2019 4:09 am
by MartinHewitt
So people in Italy are because of these vending machine locks more aware of changeable key locks in safes?

Re: Changeable key locks

PostPosted: Sun Apr 07, 2019 5:42 am
by femurat
Sorry, I didn't get you were referring to safes.

Re: Changeable key locks

PostPosted: Sun Apr 07, 2019 6:05 am
by SafecrackinSammmy
UL437 Changeable key safe locks in the US are much more rare than in your neck of the woods. Most that are here I would bet are because they were already installed on an imported higher end safe.

The safe customer would probably have no idea that the safe key lock is changeable. Since they are rare, most locksmiths/safe techs here would be somewhat unfamiliar with the change process or have the change tools.

A new set of keys would be another issue as they are different from keys a shop would normally stock and the key machines if needed are expensive and rarely used. That means it comes down to a tech ordering a new set of keys from a safe lock distributor. In most cases, they probably just order a new lock with keys so they can just swap out the old lock and dont have to deal with the change process.

Re: Changeable key locks

PostPosted: Sun Apr 07, 2019 8:40 am
by MartinHewitt
femurat wrote:Sorry, I didn't get you were referring to safes.

Sorry for the confusion.

Thanks, Sammy.

Re: Changeable key locks

PostPosted: Sun Apr 07, 2019 1:54 pm
by Jaakko Fagerlund
We run into Mauers, Rosengrens and LaGard 2200's quite often and it is an easy sell to a customer to pick the lock, reprogram it to new keys and done. No need to buy expensive new lock.

Re: Changeable key locks

PostPosted: Mon Apr 08, 2019 3:12 pm
by safecracker33
On the very old key changeables, ones that spring to mind versions by Ratner, Tann, Chatwood and Hobbs spring to mind. more recent ones like Kromer convar and Stuv versions and then the stuff we see nowadays like Mauer, fas, lagard, I like the key changeable locks, there are some nice clever designs.