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. Master Lock 5401D Select Access Wall-Mounted Key Storage Box with Set-Your-Own Combination Lock
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.
It comfortably fits at least 4 keys and a key fob (Genie intellicode); all hooked together by two interlocking key rings. What they should emphasize a bit more is the sliding cover that conceals/protects the combination dials. The dials themselves easily click into their specific values.
This is a great lock and I recommend it.
Pro's:
It is well built and sturdy.
It's sized to fit on the door jamb in between the door and storm door, so it's out of sight but easy to access.
The mechanism works well (though the controls could be a bit bigger).
Con's:
My Caution is this: when you close the lock, the combination remains there. You have to remember to scramble it. This could be an issue if you allow others to use the lock, such as friends or workers. I'll address the issue by putting a note in the box to "scramble combination after closing". Of course, this applies to similar locks but a better design would be that the door doesn't latch while the combination is set.
I bought a couple of these for my rental properties and have only used one. It is at my own house. It is well worth the price to know that I will not get locked out of my house again. Also, if I unexpectedly need to let someone in my house, I can give them the combination and then reset the lock afterwards so they cannot get in later. I chose this model, which is screwed in with the screws only accessible when it is unlocked, because I though it would be less tempting to steal than the one that loops over the door lock. This model can go anywhere and be less noticeable. Also, I did not want anyone breaking the handle off of the door to get to the lockbox.
This is most peculiar, and perhapse only related to the specific unit I have, but when the box is cold, below freezing, it cannot be opened. I verified this by putting the box in my freezer and indeed, could not open it until it warmed up. When it was cold, the lever that unlatches the door would not move despite having the correct combination. As it warmed up, one could hear a click and then the lever would work. I came to this because once I had to sit outside freezing my tush, waiting for my wife, because the darn box would not budge. A few days later the weather was warm, the box opened, and my wife began to look at me funny.
The safe mounted on the wall easily, and feels very solid and sturdy, screwed into a wall stud. I think it will stand up to any torture an intruder would give it, but opens easily enough for anyone who you want to get in.
There is no question I will use one of these at every property I ever live in or own. Once you've screwed it to the wall (preferable a stud with bigger/longer screws than those that come with it), you're set! You can be confident that your keys are safe and sound right where you need them. You can let yourself in if you lose your keys or you can give someone the combination so they can let themselves in. Then you can change the combination so those you gave the number to can't let themselves in again without your permission.
I only wish I could rate this 6 out of 5 stars. Oh well. - Wall Mounted - Lock Box - Keysafe - Home Security'
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