The Contractor Lock Set Story

[John Mercier]

To have locks mater keyed... we have to special order them.
Most want off the shelf... much less expensive.

[Descant]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

To have locks mater keyed... we have to special order them.
Most want off the shelf... much less expensive.

I'm seeing more and more keypads, especially in short term rentals where it is desirable to change the code every week, but have constant code for the realtor and the cleaning/maintenance folks. Keypad locks controlled from your phone is the future. Probably better margin for the retailer, too.

[John Mercier]

Same margins.
I get a few requests each year. Most of them are not rentals.
Mostly people that need to monitor and control access to their home from a remote location.

It is usually a purchased by homeowners that also purchase window sensors and sometimes active awning/skylight units.

That ways they can check their phone to see if they left the door unlocked and lock it, or if they left the windows unlocked or open (squirrels, chipmunks, and other pests can be a problem), and active awnings/skylights can be remotely, or even active ambient management controlled.

They usually also have other smart home features that they have added or are in the process of adding.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

To have locks mater keyed... we have to special order them.
Most want off the shelf... much less expensive.

Owning three properties, I have each property "keyed-alike". Schlage makes an excellent lock, and I key them myself.

With the correct key inserted, they disassemble easily, but the center needs a 1/2" o.d. "follower" as the key is withdrawn. A short section of ½" copper (or CPVC) pipe will work. Only because it's handy, I use a cartridge case of .243 Winchester caliber. (Whitetail).

The tumblers can be removed and re-inserted to fit your selected "master key". You can "mix-and-match" loose tumblers from the other locks. One shortcut is to grind the exposed tumblers to a smooth fit, but I don't recommend this shortcut in corrosive/salty environments.

A second shortcut is to remove the shorter tumblers completely--but no more than two. Nobody would know of these modifications unless you'd told them.

Now that I've reviewed these fixes from long ago, a default to an especially-focused Grandchild might be in order!

[John Mercier]

We have the tools and pin sets to key alike.
Keyed alike is different than a Master.
A Master works on locks where the keys are different.

So I have to request that from the vendor...