Residential & Commercial Security - Locks, Keys & Dead Bolts - kwikset powerbolt 1000

is this lock a good deadbolt. in my area we cannot have a key operated deadbolt due to fire regs, so i thought this was a good choice. however anyone have any opinions as far as reliablitity etc....

Where I live, Kwickset and Schlage are the two popular brands that are carried by most local vendors. Kwickset has a decent low budget product, but my personal preference would be the Schlage brand if they have an or/equal device. The Schlage tolerances are a lot tighter than the Kwickset. The close tolerance makes the lock a heck of a lot harder to pick or otherwise jimmy. If the price is just a few bucks more the value will be with Schlage. I like to keep all of the door locks the same brand so that you can rekey them to a single key if thats what you like. I hate having 3 or 4 keys for the home when you can get by with one.

Sorry no experience with that one myself. FWIW, it apparently received a Consumer's Digest Best Buy, a publication I am not familiar with.

is this lock a good deadbolt. in my area we cannot have a key operated deadbolt due to fire regs, so i thought this was a good choice. however anyone have any opinions as far as reliablitity etc....

Hi Tundraotto,

Is that the Kwikset deadbolt that is battery operated and operates remotely as well? If it is, I can only make a few suggestions to help keep it going for a long while. First of all, make sure the deadbolt is not exposed to the weather. I have installed them on outer gates, and they don't like moisture too much.

Secondly, I would recommend changing the battery often. This will help ensure it works when you need it to.

And thirdly, do not forget to keep the bolt lubricated. Anything will work on this part, even axle grease if needed. But I recommend something like 3-in-1 oil, or some other type of oil, or light grease. Keeping this as free moving as possible is going to be an important key to the longevity of this lock.

I hope this helps.

cuedude

Kwiksets Powerbolt used to be Weisers PowerBolt. They are somewhat o.k. for residential use. But as Cuedude stated. Try to keep it out of the weather. I know from past installations. In the winter time the batteries die quickly and the mechanics are "Stiff". Plus I they have a keyed cylinder anyways, for override. If you can't have key activated deadbolts. You might want to also consider and mechanical pushbutton deadbolt. Unican makes the 7000 series. Just have to drill a few more holes.

IMHO....this product is "garbage"

This lock is a good idea, but don't waste your money. I bought one a couple weeks ago, installed it and did not notice until I was finished that keys were not included in the package (poor quality control). In theory you may need keys if you batteries wear out or the lock malfunctions for some reason.

I uninstalled the lock and took it back to hardware store for exchange. Before leaving the hardware store with the second lock, I checked to see that everything was included in the packaging.

After installing the second lock, it worked great! For about a week. The batteries are held in place with a spounge inside the cover. It doesnt work well and the batteries have to be pushed back in place daily now. They work themselves loose simply by closing a door a few times. Poor engineering.

If you buy this product, don't forget your key, you will need it. That defeats the purpose, doesn't it?

Hi swfla,

Sorry for your bad experience. I too was not impressed with the lock. I've only installed one of these, and as mentioned in my prior post, it was in a gate in a fence. (The owner is a Quadraplegic, and needs the remote feature). The one thing I learned when I ordered it, is that they are no longer produced. This was my first indication of a 'not so hot' product. However, as stated, the concept is super.

There are several options for you. First of all being the unican 7000 mentioned earlier. The lock is made by a company called Kaba Ilco, and is very reliable. It is push button operated, and is also stylish. (As an aside here, another style I'm most familiar with is the 1000 model. I have installed hundreds of these, with great success, even in the weather. Both models have the same 'code bar' inside. They don't like Hurricanes though. Salt is the only thing I've seen hurt a Unican.)

Another option, if $$$ is not the object, is a Trilogy T-2, made by AlarmLock. Again, very dependable. Just make sure you purchase the 'outdoor' version. This lock is electronic, and offers a ton of features. Some you don't need in your application. Both the Unican and the Trilogy are easily installed, and programed with a combination code.

I hope your experience with the Kwikset lock hasn't been unlivable. What ever comes of this it can only improve, right?
Thanks for the update.

cuedude

Sorry to hear about your woes and I hate to say this...but I told you so!

Electronic digital locks are inproving in quality all the time but so far there are no inexpensive ones that come up to par in my opinion for the residential market.

You cannot beat the old mechanical digital locks like the one Cuedude mentions (Unican Simplex) but I used to work for Unican and spent numerous times repairing or replacing the combination mechanisms due to design problems.

You can purchase other mechanical digital locks that will stand the test of time but all locks require regular servicing to maintain their health.

There are numerous ones that i could recommend to look at but i presume you are more price motivated here. The better quality mechanical digitals go for around $200 - $350...similar prices can be found for some electronic stuff but as i said previously the quality is questionable.

If you want more information on some of my recommendations please ask.

Thanks for any and all help. I have moved in with my parents to take care of them and I am renting my place as a vacation rental. I would like to purchase a lock with a combination keypad and key backup. I had found this site doing a search for the Weiser Powerbolt 1000, but after reading about that lock, it sounds like a poor choice. I am hoping that you guys can recommend something that is good quality and hopefully not $400-500?

Thanks a lot, Bob

Hi Bob,
You might look into the Master Nightwatch Combination Deadbolt or the Codelocks range of pushbutton locks.

All are competitively priced and suitable for your described application.

They are mechanical and not electronic and provide for key override facility.

I installed a Schlage BE365KL the other day, which is Schlage's new keypad deadbolt with key override. It retrofitted in place of a Kwikset deadbolt very easily. It looks quite presentable and the MSRP is <$200.00 available at Lowes or HD.

Certainly an option to consider.