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Posted: 6/29/2011 2:21:11 PM EDT
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I'm settling on a new house next week and wanted some good "bump-proof" locks to go on all exterior doors. From what little I've read, Medeco is the best lock I can buy. They're damn pricey though, coming in at nearly $200 per set (knob lock and deadbolt). Any input on why I should pass on these or info on other good brands that are reasonably priced is appreciated. Thanks! |
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The only problem I've ever had with Medeco (apart from the difficulty in turning a key on a lathe) was a locksmith who tried selling me on cheaper locks and could not understand why I "need such an expensive lock".
There's a better made lock in Israel, name escapes me as I type this, but they are hands-down, the best you can buy CONUS. |
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I can't speak to the current state of Medeco lock security because I haven't researched the issue lately. What I do know is that they've had very serious security issues in the past and their conduct in dealing with those issues has been pathetic.
Here is a link about a security hole they knew about in their locks for thirty years that they failed to do anything to fix. Here is a video of Marc Weber Tobias bumping a Medeco lock. Here is a related article about opening Medeco locks with a plastic key. Here is an article about picking a Medeco M3 with a paperclip. Here is a really good Wired article that that talks about Tobias and Medeco locks. |
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As someone who's hobby it is to pick locks I can tell you that Medeco locks are among the best.
Your average crook with a set of picks wouldn't be able to accomplish shit. Now if he's got a workable plastic model of the key and a lot of time spent trying to pick that exact model there's a small chance he'll get it. But if you're being targeted by that kind of talent and don't have 24x7 security you're screwed anyway. The thing I like about them is their durability and reliability. Build quality is top-notch unlike the Chinese garbage flooding the market in other brands. |
| I was just looking into a similar question, and came across BiLock. They look pretty interesting to me, but I haven't seen one in person. |
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Quoted:
I can't speak to the current state of Medeco lock security because I haven't researched the issue lately. What I do know is that they've had very serious security issues in the past and their conduct in dealing with those issues has been pathetic. Here is a link about a security hole they knew about in their locks for thirty years that they failed to do anything to fix. Here is a video of Marc Weber Tobias bumping a Medeco lock. Here is a related article about opening Medeco locks with a plastic key. Here is an article about picking a Medeco M3 with a paperclip. Here is a really good Wired article that that talks about Tobias and Medeco locks. MEDECO are excellent locks. A lock defeated by the best in the business is hardly a failure, as every measure has a counter measure. In one of your links, Tobias goes on to say that he likes that Medeco is a good company and responds quickly to implement countermeasures when he (Tobias) finds methods to defeat the products. Hardly a failure to "fix", when the "fix" is praised by the lock picker. All defenses should be layered in such a way that you've made your home or business secure enough that 95% (or 99% or 99.9%) of thieves move on to easier targets. If you are the specific target and the thief has time on their side, all of your defenses will be defeated eventually. The layers simply create time delays for the thief, and a thief does not want to spend much time overcoming your defenses as that is exposure, and greater exposure creates a greater probability of being caught. As locks go, Medeco is a very good lock. |
| So you'll have to have an extra key on your keychain to get you in all the doors?? As much as I hate the thought of somebody being able to bump my doors, the reality is that they are 1000 times more likely to bust a window to break in. My advice is to get good quality locks and deadbolts on all your doors without going overboard. Shlage should be adequate, and reinforce the strike plates, hinges, and frames with long screws and maybe reinfocement plates. If someone wants in, they'll get in one way or another! |
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Quoted: So you'll have to have an extra key on your keychain to get you in all the doors?? As much as I hate the thought of somebody being able to bump my doors, the reality is that they are 1000 times more likely to bust a window to break in. My advice is to get good quality locks and deadbolts on all your doors without going overboard. Shlage should be adequate, and reinforce the strike plates, hinges, and frames with long screws and maybe reinfocement plates. If someone wants in, they'll get in one way or another! I'd definitely like a single key for all doors; you may have changed my mind there. I'm engineering my own alarm system and POE/Megapixel camera system as well (using info from The Gray Man's megathread). For the first time in my life I will have a gun safe too. I've been renting for about 4 years so a lot of this is stuff I've been wanting to do for awhile. |
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Quoted:
I was just looking into a similar question, and came across BiLock. They look pretty interesting to me, but I haven't seen one in person. I have... I redid my entire house in Bilock deadbolts. 
They also make cylinders that fit many common locks and deadbolts. Here's a Master Lock I had re-keyed with a Bilock cylinder (to match my house keys, naturally). 
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