Guide
Padlocks and lock boxes
Shackle size, keyed alike, and the lock box that lets a contractor in without you being there.
4 min read · First Ave Supply, 1587 First Avenue
Picking a padlock
Two measurements decide it, and neither one is the price.
Body width is how much steel is in the lock. 1-9/16 inch is the standard building size. Narrower is for a locker or a cabinet. Wider means more to cut through.
Shackle diameter and clearance is what actually fails. A 3/16 inch shackle is a deterrent. A 5/16 or 3/8 inch shackle is a lock. Clearance is how much of the shackle sits exposed, and every extra inch is another inch for a bolt cutter to bite. Buy the shortest shackle that still fits through the hasp.
| Where it is going | What to buy |
|---|---|
| Storage cage, closet, cabinet inside the building | 1-9/16 in body, standard shackle |
| Gate, roof door, anything outdoors | Laminated or solid body, long shackle only if needed |
| Compactor room, boiler room, anything staff share | Keyed alike set |
| A chain through something | Long shackle, and mind the clearance |
| Contractor access without you there | Combination lock box |
Keyed alike is the move for a building
Keyed different means every lock has its own key, which sounds secure and in practice means a super carrying eleven keys and cutting one lock off a month because nobody can find the right one.
Keyed alike means one key opens the whole set. Buy your gate, cage, roof and compactor locks as a keyed alike set and the super carries one key. If a key walks off you replace that set, which is the same exposure you already had.
Combination or key
Combination is right where the people who need access change, or where a key will not survive. Resettable combination means you can change the code when a contractor finishes or an employee leaves, which is the whole point. Non resettable is cheaper and fine for a lock nobody ever needs to re key.
The failure mode of a combination lock outdoors in New York is winter. Dials seize. If it lives outside, buy weather rated or keep a key lock there instead.
The lock box is underrated
A combination lock box on the gate or the service door is how a plumber gets in at seven in the morning without the super meeting him. Put the unit key inside, give the contractor the code, change the code when the job ends. Portable ones hang on a knob or a railing, and there are wall mount versions for permanent placement.
This is the single most useful fifty dollars a managing agent can spend, because it converts every after hours access problem into a phone call.
Do not forget the hasp
A good padlock on a cheap hasp is a cheap lock. The hasp is the plate the lock goes through, and the screws are usually the weak point. Use a safety hasp where the screws are covered when it is closed, and use through bolts instead of wood screws wherever you can get behind it.
Sign in to your First Ave account for account pricing, including on keyed alike sets. Guests see the register price, the same as at the counter on 1st Ave.
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