Re keying question

I need to have some locks rekeyed in my house, and I was thinking about going with Medeco high security locks. Does anyone know how much it costs to get a lock keyed?

The price will depend on where you live and how many locks your having mastered...

You probably cannot have just any old lock keyed to a medeco. And even if the locksmith can put a medico cylinder in your Kwikset grade 3 residential lock, what's the point?

Crooks trying to break into Fort Knox use lock picking techniques. People trying to sneak into a political headquarters to steal secrets may be lock pickers. People who want to get into your house while you are away just kick the door, or pry the latch with a screwdriver.

Save your money. I am guessing a medeco cylinder + labor would be $50. A good Schlage heavy duty lockset...$100 to $250, plus the keying charges.

You are much better served to buy a top quality lockset, strikes installed with 3 in screws. If you are concerned about breakins, have the door jamb replaced with a much stronger one.

The security that Medeco, or schlage Primus and Everest keying gets you is NOT mechanical strength. It is security of the keying system. The blanks are controlled. Much less likely that unauthorized persons could end up with a copy of your key. Applications are businesses, where certain folks have keys to whatever, and the company needs to be sure that John Doe cannot have a copy made for use at a later date after he is fired. In appartments, they want tennants to have pool key, laundry key, etc but do not want all their relatives to have copies of that as well.

Physical security is just better locks and jambs.

Then there is lock-bumping, and Kwikset Smart Key. Another day for that discussion! Google

Depending on where you shop, they may 'include' the keying in the 'regular' price. And, if you can wait, and one of their cylinders will fit into your lock, it shouldn't cost any more, since they can order them alike. Changing the cylinder once you get them can be easy or hard, depending on the brand of handle.

Medco cylinders use angled bottom pins...when you insert the key, they not only move up and down, but have to rotate to allow the cylinder to turn. I asked our locksmith at work about them, and he said in several classes, they were the only ones (presented to them anyway) that they could not pick, nor use a wax impression to copy. If you look at the key, the cuts are not aligned straight across, they're offset, which means few places can cut a key (if allowed and they can get a blank). Depending on the security level (for copying keys) you request, if you don't have the credit card like card they give you with the new keys, no credible locksmith will make a new one for you. Given that they are hard to come by, that is more secure, but as mentioned, making the door itself and the jam resistant to physical attack is far more important. A wood frame and/or door needs a lot of work to prevent it from being forced, and no lock will prevent that from happening. it's only if they are trying to be discrete that it helps. A medco cylinder is really hard to pick.

Around here its about $75 a lock plus labor.

I have a total of 4 (Schlage) locks that need to be keyed to one master key, 2 door knobs, and 2 deadbolts. I am just looking to have a locksmith come in and rekey the cylinders to medeco, I want to keep the locks as-is. My main concern is lock bumping, plus I want to have "do not copy" keys. As for the strike plate issue, the doors has a full length strike plate with abour 20 3" screws, so it would be difficult to kick in the door with out some kind of tool. Thanks

You'd first have to talk to a locksmith or Medeco directly to find out if Medeco actually makes cylinders that would fit. Then decide on the security level you want (there is more than one). It would probably be easiest to have them order them from the factory all keyed alike. Substituting the Medeco cylinders for what you have maybe something you could do yourself, and you could save yourself some money if you make an apppointment and take them to the shop rather than paying for the trip to the house. You have to take the handle off to install the new cylinder anyway.

We had a lot of key blanks but no Medeco blanks. We also didn't have a machine to cut them.

If you can delay the burglar one minute he will go to the next house unless he specifically wants your stuff.

Just to clarify...replacing a different company's cylinder into your existing lock may or may not work...it depends on the model and whether Medeco felt like making a cylinder that works. It is not the same as using your existing cylinders and having the locksmith just rekey them to all work with the same key...the Medeco key won't fit in the hole, nor would it work with that cylinder. And, there is more than one Medeco blank. They come in 5-pin and 7-pin versions, and probably more, not counting the keyway version. this is why it requires replacement of the cylinder. I've only dealt with this a few times, so there's probably more to it than that as well. BTW, I have Medeco deadbolts on my home. Still operate as new after nearly 30-years.

Generally, taking the whole cylinder out of a lockset is pretty simple IF you have the key that fits it. Then, if the new one will fit the hole, and is the proper length, inserting the new cylinder in the hole is equally simple. Taking multiple keyed cylinders and making them all work from the same key is tougher with Medeco, and is easiest if you just have them order them direct with the number of factory cut keys you want in the security level your want. Be prepared to wait if you need additional keys down the road, if it is at all possible...depending on the security level, they may not make any more, regardless of how much you plead. Then, it's new cylinders (if you still have a key so you can get them out!).

I bought Medecos and it's a bit of a pain in the arse because getting new keys will be complicated years down the road, especially if the locksmith you bought the locks from goes out of business. Consequently I havd decided to buy lots of spare keys now, just in case I rent the place or lose the ones I have.

If I had my time again, I would have just gone with an ordinary lock.

Forget Medeco. Trust me on this.

Ian...just so you can relax and not worry...send me one of those keys and I will hold it for you in case you lose the other ones you have...

key

should he also give you his address in case you decide that being honest is not a good career?

Ian, send me your address and I won't tell Cass, lol. I promise.

Cass, send me one of those keys, I like to be a keyholder.

Who gets the key and who gets the address and what addresses should I send the key and the address to?

Send it to hj and he can make copies for every one and forward them...then there will always be someone who will be able to help you when you lose yours...

You might want to consider car keys, too... just incase.

Send the car keys to cass and he will make copies for us all.

Ian , are you out getting the duplicate keys made? Oh, by the way, we will hold onto safe keys too for you, just in case.

How did you know I have a safe?