Sir Fix-a-Lock your emergency locksmith
Working day & knight
Padlocks
Sir
FIX-A-LOCK
Telephone Day & Knight
07540 998558
01752 567222
Quality Padlocks for your peace of mind, Plymouth, Devon and Cornwall.
Padlocks are designed to protect your valuables in homes and businesses whether it is on a property or mobile, such as a luggage case or motorbike. They have many other uses such as for boats, caravans, trailers, sheds, gym lockers, tool boxes, farm machinery and garden equipment, the list is exhaustive. Padlocks come in all shapes and sizes to suit the need of the individual or an insurance company. They cost anything from a few pounds right up to many hundreds of pounds depending on the quality and application they are used for. Sir Fix-a-lock can advise for your specific requirements and supply them accordingly. We have many in stock and can make up specialist padlocks if required.
Scroll down to find out more about the ranges we supply.
Security versus Budget padlocks.
Simply put, the more you spend on a padlock, the more security you get. Budget padlocks can be opened with basic tools whereas expensive padlocks are extremely difficult or impossible to bypass. Better quality padlocks will also help to defeat attacks from bolt croppers, saws and cutting discs as well as freezing.
A padlock which locks shut when you push the shackle closed will be cheaper than a higher security padlock with ball bearing locking system which requires a key to lock it shut. Also a normal brass padlock will be cheaper than one made from high quality materials used in marine grade padlocks, which will last a lot longer and normally last longer than many cheap padlocks.
Before (left) & after – Padlock on Security Barrier – Long Shackle, Weatherproof, CEN 5 Padlock
Types of Shackle.
We sell padlocks that come with three main types of shackle which are open, closed and sliding.
Open shackle padlocks are where you see the whole of the shackle outside of the body. They come in various diameters and are made from varying materials such as normal steel, stainless steel or titalium (weatherproof) or boron and molybdenum which is extremely hard. There also varying lengths of shackle to work on various applications such as hasp and staples and chains.
Closed shackle is where the majority of the shackle is hidden by the body. This is designed to prevent attacking and mainly used with bike chains or security hasp and staples.
Sliding bar padlocks are called so because of the way a single bar slides out of the padlock body. They are mainly used on storage containers that have a protective box to hide the padlock from attack
Combination / Key / Keyless padlocks.
Padlocks can either have keys to open them or can be keyless either by electronic opening or manual combinations. There are various reasons for having each type depending on your application. For example, where you have to have multiple people using a padlock, it is sometimes advantageous to have a combination lock. You can give everyone the code so they can gain access and you can also change the code if required to save buying a new padlock.
Keys usually give better security on padlocks and you can restrict who gets keys easily. Someone can easily pass a code to a combination but it’s less easier to pass a key at times.
Weatherproof and Marine padlocks.
Normal padlocks are not usually weatherproof. The parts can rust easily and can stop the padlock opening at all. Weatherproof padlocks can stand up to most weather environments and keep you padlocks working well with good regular maintenance. Weatherproof padlocks are a must for all outdoor applications. It is important that you keep up with maintenance at regular intervals though. For padlocks in a marine environment or near coastal areas, marine grade padlocks are recommended.
They not only have marine grade exterior parts to help protect against the harsh sea areas, the internal parts are also marine grade.
Keyed Alike / Master Keyed / Restricted padlocks.
Like a house or business premises, padlocks can be Keyed to Differ (KD), so individual keys for each padlock, Keyed Alike (KA) so one key will open many padlocks. They can also be Master Keyed (MK) so individual keys open each padlock and a master key will open them all or a Grand Master Key (GMK) could open various sets of padlocks with sub MKs. The keys can also be restricted so no one can get them cut except for authorised people and only from Sir Fix-a-lock.
Insurance Grade – Central European Norm (CEN) padlocks.
Insurance companies specify padlocks by CEN grade which has a scale from 1-6 however they usually only specify from levels 3 to 6. The higher the number, the stronger the padlock is. CEN grade is the same as BS EN 12320. CEN grade padlocks will usually have a ball-bearing locking system with a key retaining feature which means the key will remain in the padlock until it is locked again. The shackle will be made of very hard materials as will the body. They are usually very high in standard for weatherproof features as well. Grades 4-6 will have protection around the key part to protect against drilling. At Sir Fix-a-lock, we usually order CEN grade padlocks in to order as these type padlocks usually have a very specific requirement for each application.
Hasp and Staple / Chains / Ground Anchors
Padlocks usually need to lock into something to keep it closed, held in place or pinned down. Sir Fix-a-lock can get in any piece of hardware required for your specific needs, whether you’re keeping shed doors closed, your prized motorbike in place or keeping your boat or trailer from being stolen. Hasp and Staples should have concealed coach bolts so they cannot be simply unscrewed. Chains should be of a decent standard to match your padlock. There’s no point having the best padlock on the market but only a simple chain attached to it. The same goes with a ground anchor, you do not want a thief pulling it from the ground and walking away with your valuables. Sir Fix-a-lock can advise, supply and install any hardware for you.
