Best and worst door locks for your money

by Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Image Credit: Dreamstime.com

Consumer Reports recently surveyed nearly two dozen popular locks on the market. A trio of reasonably priced locks got the “recommended buy” mark from the magazine. (However, none was stellar enough to be recommended as a “best buy.”) But the locks Consumer Reports liked include the Kwikset 980 ($30), the Baldwin Prestige 380 ($40) and the Falcon D241 ($55).

So while it’s entirely possible to pay in the triple digits for a lock — especially in the electronic lock category — the good news is you don’t have to!

Just one word of caution: You still may want to say away from really cheap locks. Among the lowest ranked door locks was the Master Lock 5261D ($13), the Gatehouse DLX71 ($12) and Kwikset 660 ($17). Yet the two lowest-ranked locks of all were both mid-market: Prime-Line Segal SE 15361 ($50) and the Weslock 671 ($30).

Read more: Best and worst door locks for your money

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How To Pick A Lock With Just A Hairpin

by Tom Hale

 

photo credit: NightHawkInLight/YouTube

We’ve all seen the movies where a lock is poked around with a hairpin and the door miraculously opens. But how realistic is this?

This tutorial video by NightHawkInLight shows how you can simply open a conventional key lock with nothing more than two hairpins. The guide uses a transparent lock in this video to demonstrate the mechanism of the lock pins and how to work around them. The video makes the task look deceptively, if not worryingly, easy. But remember: without the see-through lock, you'll essentially be doing it blindfolded, instead relying on just your ears and sense of touch.

Read more: How To Pick A Lock With Just A Hairpin

Related Article: The Forever Lock