Tool Rekeyable Locks
There
are a number of new design lock cylinders in the marketplace today that can be
rekeyed with relative ease if you have the rekeying tool and a set of new keys.
All
of these cylinders have a mechanism that has multiple component tumblers and
typically a sidebar is also involved. The
sidebar mechanism almost always makes a lock harder if not impossible to pick.
If you lose all of the keys or get locked out, destruction of the
cylinder may be the only solution to get you in or to change the keys.
Most
of them have a similar method of operation, turn the key 90° or 180°, insert a
tool, remove old key insert new key, remove tool turn back and remove new key.
Old keys won’t work any more. In
most cases you can obtain a new set of keys to change the combination to from
your local locksmith. They are
typically called precuts and are typically the same price as a code cut key.
Some
of these cylinders use restricted keys that can’t be duplicated even by a
local locksmith. It is important to
know the features of this type of lock before you buy one so investigate before
investing. Below is an alphabetical
listing of some available today.
Lynx™
from Brinks (The
Lynx requires a special key instead of a tool)
Recodable
from Master Lock
SmartKey™
from Kwikset/Weiser
U-Change® from Secuirty Solutions
Schlage Lock Co also had a lock in this category that used a special key instead of a tool. Known as Secure-Key, production was halted and the product no longer offered for sale after January 1, 2012.
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