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Old 09-07-2009, 07:28 AM
 
Location: AL for now
360 posts, read 1,527,928 times
Reputation: 454

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We paid about $80 for locksmith house call to rekey 4 deadbolts.
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Old 11-24-2009, 08:39 PM
 
26 posts, read 268,098 times
Reputation: 48
As a locksmith, I know that folks go to the big box stores to get their security. Yes, it's cheap, but so are the locks. I inspect the locks and the doors the locks are attached to, and the frames that the doors are attached to. I don't forget the strikes, either. Most locksmiths charge a service call fee and an hourly fee. I always get the "How much" questions, and I have to answer with "how many". Most folks count the doors but sometimes there are more than one lock on the door. That one scammer that charged $500 made his hit quick and easy, because the buyer did not do their homework. If you are going to scan thru the yellow pages or the internet, beware of the scammers. They have AAAA in the name, they quote $29 lockouts, and they rip you off. Check out your local locksmith before making a decision. Make sure they are at the address listed. Legitimate mobile locksmiths (like me) use their home address, but the wife doesn't like people coming to the house at all hours for a key. If the 'locksmith' pulls up in an unmarked van, don't let him in. Beware of the scammer locksmiths.
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Old 11-27-2009, 02:34 PM
 
851 posts, read 3,616,174 times
Reputation: 455
Why bother? Just buy some new locks and replace them. Later, if you move, just put old locks back on. BTW, almost every lock from Lowes and Home Depot is junk, mostly for decoration purpose if that.
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Old 11-30-2009, 01:02 PM
 
286 posts, read 1,363,200 times
Reputation: 152
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheStupid View Post
Why bother? Just buy some new locks and replace them. Later, if you move, just put old locks back on. BTW, almost every lock from Lowes and Home Depot is junk, mostly for decoration purpose if that.
Well thank god I got mine at Menards then! LOL
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Old 04-13-2010, 11:10 AM
 
4 posts, read 31,049 times
Reputation: 13
I just re-keyed my house for $1.80 for all six locks. I went to a mom and pop hardware store that not only sold me the pins needed for $1.80, but lent me the cylinder removal tool and the plug follower and walked me through a practice lock. They also gave me an old key from their collection of keys so that I had something to key to rather than try and find someone with a code cutter to cut a key from scratch (most locksmiths don't bother with an expensive code cutter and simply use a key duplicator and a collection of keys from the locks that they buy so it's hard to find one that can cut from code never mind one who will actually sell you a key without you paying them to install or re-key a lock). I wouldn't replace the house locks with ones from Lowes or Home Depot, the ones that came with the house are 6 pin and both Lowes and Home Depot only stocked the 5 pin version plus the big box vendors do the Walmart thing of selling cheaper versions negotiated just for them. I did discover that the builder had keyed the locks such that there could be up to 32 different keys that would open them, had replaced all the anti-pick spool top driver pins with easy to pick regular pins and left one pin position completely empty in half the locks. Obviously the locksmith they used intentionally pocketed all the security components of the locks and would charge a fee to "improve" the security. No wonder residential locks have such a bad reputation, it's not security if the locksmith doesn't install the security features. To get all the master keying pins out, I had to remove the top where the springs and top pins are rather than just retain them with the plug follower. I'll be seeing if the mom and pop store will sell me some anti-pick top pins and some springs to fix what the builders left out.
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Old 04-13-2010, 11:28 AM
 
Location: Las Vegas
930 posts, read 1,809,794 times
Reputation: 701
we had 4 exterior entry deadbolt locks rekeyed when we moved for $114 from locksmith who came to house.
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Old 04-13-2010, 11:38 AM
 
Location: Columbia, California
6,664 posts, read 30,498,023 times
Reputation: 5177
Quote:
Originally Posted by jwhou View Post
,,,,, I did discover that the builder had keyed the locks such that there could be up to 32 different keys that would open them, had replaced all the anti-pick spool top driver pins with easy to pick regular pins and left one pin position completely empty in half the locks. Obviously the locksmith they used intentionally pocketed all the security components of the locks and would charge a fee to "improve" the security. ,,,,.
It was not the builders, they were manufactured that way. I have rekeyed brand new locks and there would be only 5 of the 6. When the house is turned over there is no secret handshake or conspiracy to extort more money. The keys are handed over and the contractor just wants to pack up and move to the next job.

The new locks today are the same quality as the ones I was installing in the 70's, more choices for sure. I stick with the name brands of Kwikset and Schlage, but there are other brands equal.

Even if there are only 5 pins used there is much more than 32 combinations for possible keys. Hundreds of possibles.
And there is no pick proof pins. There are construction pins that break away the first time the home owner key is used. When the houses are built we have a master key that works in all the homes, once the house is ready to turn over, one person will walk thru and turn the permanent key in each lock to disable the master.
The only time a locksmith would be called is if the homeowner calls them later.
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Old 04-14-2010, 10:08 AM
 
1,474 posts, read 4,973,271 times
Reputation: 557
I bought the SmartKey locks which enables me to buy new keys and make it work for the locks myself. Thats one less thing to worry about if someone lost a key, have security issues or when selling the house
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Old 04-17-2010, 11:56 PM
 
5,697 posts, read 19,070,484 times
Reputation: 8693
I used to work for a company that merchandised locks at Lowe's. The stores I worked at charged 5 dollars per lock. When I moved into my house, I have 4 doors and I wanted them all to have the same key. I got a good deal because I had a locksmith come out and rekey all the door knobs and deadbolts for 50 dollars.
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Old 07-25-2010, 09:01 PM
 
2 posts, read 22,807 times
Reputation: 10
Lowe's charges $5 to rekey a lock but only a lock you are going to buy...once it leaves the store they are not allowed to touch it.
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