Schlage F series

Have you tried to rekey their deadbolts? Remember the ones in the 80's, where the bolts had some strength. The new bolts are an airshot wtih a little tail across the top to withdraw the bolt.

I'm not pleased with thier quality. But we are going to keep seeing them, cause they are sold at the home centers.

This is the problem when decent locks cost 10 times as much as the cheapest (even though they may last 50 times longer). A cheap privacy set was fitted temorarily to a toilet door at the local church - it was shot after 12 months (fortunately at about the same time the permanent door and lock was about to be fitted).

Unfortunately part of the reason seems to be that 10 or more times of cheap locks are produced than reasonable quality locks, hence economies of manufacturing and distribution scale work against better grade locks. It is a world of difference between what is sold at a home center and an architectural hardware store. .

I wish you would have posted here about the caps. I'd woulda sent you a couple.

And yeah, they are garbage. I can't for the life of me figure out why the redesigned them. they were a fairly good lock for the money, other than the ease in bypassing them. BTW - I haven't been able to do that with the new ones.

I haven't had to rekey one yet but when I do i will tell the customer, "No guarantee", and try to sell them a Kwikset (if it's residential) or an Arrow (if it's commercial)

they were a fairly good lock for the money, other than the

I have yet to see a problem with the spring caps. I suspect a problem might lie in someone prying the caps off or too tall a pin stack.

Well at least half the knobs are installed upside-down anyway, why would it matter if a lever is sideways :)

umop-ap!sdn

:)

Would you rather have a $40 privacy set that lasts 10 years, or a $4 privacy set that you have to replace every year?

Considering that the average cost/year is the same - the difference comes in three places:

If you don't have the $40 to spend, then the $4 may be the only choice.

If you have the money for either - then the $40 choice means spending money in advance - thereby losing interest (not much these days :-) or losing value if you don't stay there for the 10 years.

If it costs anything to install the new one (even just the time to go buy another one - hope its price didn't increase - and the time to switch in the new one - hope it fits the same screw holes :-) then that could easily and quickly dominate the situation. E.g. if the cost of installation is $10, then: year accumulated cost

If you do the installation yourself, you may claim the $10 is somewhat high. If you pay for having it done, the $10 is probably very low.

The annoyance factor of having the thing break all the time!

Bottome line: I'd spring for the $40 one.

The permanent door has a $100+ privacy lock that I hope will last 40 -

The privacy lock uses an Australian Lockwood standard 'platform' lockable deadlatch (as are most other locks in the place). It has an interesting problem that a mischivouus kid can lock the inside turn-knob then slam the door, necessitating it being opened by the outside 'emergency' turn.

With regard to the slaming of the door problem, if they have used a

Paul

My thinking too. When I have time I will obtain and fit one to try it out.