Master lock disintegration

[Land_Owner]

My "larger than your palm" sized Master (TM) gate lock, for no apparent reason, decided to "let go" of its guts and the cylinder portion dropped to the ground yesterday leaving the bolt and its intact spring still in the chain.  I find that highly unusual for a lock that is five to six years old and does not indicate wear from corrosion or tampering.

Anyone else had Master (TM) lock failures of this type?  Are these locks were warranteed for "life"?  Apparently mine died...


Land Owner
If it was easy, anybody could do it."[/b]

[williamlayton]

Well, DO DO, I have master locks older than my kids and they still work
Guess if you make enough of anything sooner or later one will be an AWWWWWW DO DO.
Blessings

[victorcharlie]

Not to hijack the thread but I posted a link awhile back that tested the master lock myth.  Here it is:

http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot5.htm

[SAWgunner]

I personally test every Master Lock I own with a .300 Weatherby Mag. just like the old commercials....0 defects.  Hah hah hah!!! :-D

Seriously...I have Master locks that are 30-40 years old that my Grandfather bought new, and they are so reliable as to be boring...the new ones I have are the same way.  I would definitely contact Master Lock, and would suspect them to be very accomodating to prevent that from leaking out.

[Land_Owner]

victorcharlie,  I read with interest and posted to your thread on this Board about my experience and circumstance with a different Master lock.  

In this thread, my lock received what I consider to be normal outside exposure wear and tear.  Usually it just hangs there day to day, week to week, month to month, year to year without a lot of use.  Then this week and for no apparent reason it falls apart.  No shooting it, no significant corrosion (to my eye anyway), no fatigue that I can tell.  Weird.

Land Owner
If it was easy, anybody could do it."

[victorcharlie]

v
  Usually it just hangs there day to day, week to week, month to month, year to year without a lot of use.  Then this week and for no apparent reason it falls apart.  No shooting it, no significant corrosion (to my eye anyway), no fatigue that I can tell.  Weird.

Land Owner
If it was easy, anybody could do it."

You don't suppose they're making them in China now do you?

Sad, but it seems to me that almost nothing is made to last anymore.  Most stuff is made to be inexpensive, and expendable.  I really hope that this master lock is an exception rather than the rule.

There is a life time warranty.

http://www.masterlock.com/general/faqs_broken.shtml

Per their web site:

 Limited Lifetime Warranty -
All Master Lock padlocks are warranted to be free from mechanical defects for the life of the product. If a mechanical defect occurs, we will replace it free of charge. Just fill out the attached form and mail it, along with your lock to:
Master Lock Warehouse
1590 W. Calle Plata, Suite B
Mariposa Park
Nogales, AZ 85621

Note: You will need to include the key number(s) for the lock(s) you are returning on the product return form. Lock(s) received without a key number listed will not be replaced to match your existing key.

We will send you a new product. No receipt required. This warranty does not cover products which have been abused, altered, damaged, misused, cut or worn. TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, MASTER LOCK COMPANY DISCLAIMS ALL OTHER IMPLIED OR EXPRESS WARRANTIES INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND/OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: This warranty is your sole remedy and MASTER LOCK COMPANY shall not be liable for any damages, whether direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or otherwise, including lost revenues and lost profits, arising out of any theory of recovery, including statutory, contract or tort. Notwithstanding the term of any limited or implied warranty, or in the event that any limited warranty fails of its essential purpose, in no event will MASTER LOCK COMPANY's entire liability exceed the purchase price of this product. Some states and provinces do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above exclusion or limitations may not apply to you. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights that vary from state to state and province to province.

http://www.masterlock.com/general/faqs_warranty.shtml

That said, you can probably buy a new lock for a little more than the postage.

[rockbilly]

I have four gates to my palce, I always buy Master Lock Sets, five locks with one master key and individual keys for each lock. (four for the gates, one for the shed) I have never had one fail to operate as long as I keep the West Texas dust and sand out of them, but over the years, I have replaced several that were shot off.  I don't know who, or what they were shooting.  One of the locks appeares to have been shot with a small caliber gun, it was shot at an angle from the top and destroyed. :cry:

[Land_Owner]

Thanks victorcharlie.  I read the lock return form and not only do I have the key number and both original keys I also have the original receipt with cost and date of purchase (wife is a CPA and keeps EVERYTHING).  I believe I will send it back fourth class postage and see what I get in return.  I will let you know via this thread.

Land Owner
If it was easy, anybody could do it."[/b]

[DWTim]

Just thinking about this. What good is a lifetime guarantee? If they really had faith in their products, they'd offer a $100,000 insurance policy for anything stolen that was protected by their locks.

Also: Never had one fail.

[Land_Owner]

Pretty stiff "insurance policy" for a $30.00 item, don't you think?  It takes a key to open it.  It is still doing the duty for which it was purchased.  Its only "failure" was to disintegrate upon opening.  

Perhaps I failed to mention that it still locks tightly and is still in use in its former position.  Only now, when I open the lock, it come apart in two pieces.  Not what I think it should do, but still getting the job done, so to speak.

Land Owner
If it was easy, anybody could do it."[/b]

[DWTim]

Not at all, since the lock might be protecting $100,000 worth of equipment situated behind a door. Sort of like those surge protectors that come with a $10,000 insurance policy for the computer equipment that you have plugged into it.

EDIT: No, I was under the impression that it spilled its guts, so I figured it was done for.

[Land_Owner]

Master Lock has sent me a brand new No. 15 Commercial Contractor's lock to replace the one that fell apart.  I know Master Lock says that they don't assure this each and every time, but it is sure good news when the time was my time that they came through for me.

[Questor]

American brand padlocks are the best for durability and reliability in the outdoors. They are not cheap (maybe $20), but when you buy one, it's yours forever. Just give it a squirt of graphite powder once in a while to keep it working smoothly. These American padlocks are used often as locks on tractor-trailer rigs. That's how I learned about them.

[Questor]

We use a variety of Master combination lock at our shooting club. The model is such that we can get several with the same combination. This is so that when the combination is sent to members, the combination will remain the same for the whole year. These locks do not hold up very well. About 3 locks per year are required because they just don't last. These are brass locks that look pretty stout.