I have replaced all of the locks in my apartment building with Smart Key locks and in one year eliminated my locksmith budget. The previous year we spent almost $700 on rekeying locks after tenants moved out or lost keys. I have not had a single problem with any of the locks and have rekeyed them myself (in under a minute) many times. They have, so far, stood up to the abuse of our tenants brilliantly.
Aside from the great re-keying Smart Key feature, these locks are the first I've encountered (and I've installed a lot of locks) that seems to be designed for a do-it-yourselfer, not a locksmith. They are very, very easy to install and take about a tenth of the time to install than the average door knob and lock set.
Aside from the great re-keying Smart Key feature, these locks are the first I've encountered (and I've installed a lot of locks) that seems to be designed for a do-it-yourselfer, not a locksmith. They are very, very easy to install and take about a tenth of the time to install than the average door knob and lock set.
Update 04-02-10
The little metal dowel that supports the thumb-latch inside the handle broke off and the thumb-latch on the lock-handle fell off! The package claims a lifetime warranty so I called KwikSet. The American customer service rep seemed rather new to the job, but he was very helpful and after putting me on hold for a moment to consult with his manager, he came back and gathered my shipping info to send me a replacement. I had to pay $5 for the shipping, but they sent me a brand new lockset exactly like the one that broke, including the deadbolt. To say I was thrilled is an understatement. These are not cheap locks, but a warranty like that certainly makes them worth the extra money and even the extra I had to kick in for shipping!
PS - It always makes my day to know that people find these reviews helpful. So, please vote (the "Was this review helpful to you: Yes or No" buttons) and leave a comment if you'd like, even if it's just to say, "Hi!" I respond to all comments so feel free to ask a question about the product. Also, when you leave a comment, I will go to your reviews and pay you the same courtesy.
Update 06-06-10
In the last three weeks, three of the four smart key deadbolt locks have "reset" themselves! For absolutely no reason they each, one by one, stopped working with the key they were set for. Luckily, I was able to get into each of the apartments through other accesses to open the doors. I replaced the first two, then bought the Kwikset 83260-001 SmartKey Cylinder Reset Cradle with the intention of resetting the now useless locks and reusing them. Well, this cradle-thing is designed for locksmiths and comes with absolutely no instructions on how to remove the inner core of the cylinder so you can put it into this tool to reset it. Another waste of money on a Kwikset product that is now useless to me.
I tried calling Kwikset but their customer service is closed on Sundays, so for now I'm out three(!!!!) deadbolts and am quite unhappy about it. I changed the number of stars I gave it from 5 to 2. Kwikset 800ADH ADL 501 SMT CP Ashfield Single Cylinder Handleset with Ashfield Lever Featuring SmartKey, Rustic Bronze
I was tired of my rinky-dink front door knob and finally jumped in with this beautiful set. My wife and I really like the rustic bronze finish as there are not many sets out there like it. It was relatively easy to install after taking out the old set. As with most things like this you may have to do a little tweaking to get it set just right, which I did. We did not drill a hole through the door for the bottom connection and it works fine. It was pricey, about $150, but I think a worthwhile investment in my home and appearance as you enter our house.
I am very impressed with the quality of this handle set. The Smart Key feature is ingenious! Do not worry about damaging or making the handleset/lock irrepairable. The rekey sequence is very simple and very straight forward. Just read the directions. I replaced all my doors with this type of system and it took about 15 seconds to rekey each new lock.
These handlesets and locks are extremely difficult to find at you local stores now, but Amazon had all of them and at excellent pricing too.
While the idea of being able to rekey this bolt sounds like a good thing, it leaves consumer in the precarious position of being an expert locksmith - or else! If you mess up the re-keying or if any of your keys accidentally dislodge the tumblers, the lock is broken and cannot be fixed or re-keyed, even by a professional.
I purchased this set and installed the deadbolt. The first re-key did not go smoothly, but I was able to get the second key to work a few times. Someone else used a copied key that happened to be a little worn in some spots. This caused the tumblers to dislodge and the key got stuck. Locksmith had to come and take the whole deadbolt apart. Mechanism does not allow you to repair the dislodged tumblers.
Manufacturer warranty does NOT cover it if re-keying is messed up or if your key caused tumblers to dislodge. At least I still got to use the entry handle, but then that's one expensive entry handle as I had to replace the bolt with a regular non Smart Key version!
I was really disappointed when the spindle and bolt mechanism wore out after eight years. I expected the parts that wear to be better made. I've lived in other houses where the door knobs just kept working. The inside spindle that rubbed against the door mechanism was a half cylinder that just rubbed away. Pretty brass handle lasted, but the spindle can't be repaired and the whole handle needed to be replaced. Kwikset is a division of Black and Decker and my experience it that B&D makes cheap stuff that doesn't work or breaks to easily. I would recommend Schlage or some other brand. - Smartkey - Handlesets - Front Door - Door Handles'
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