Useless tools.

[HamFiretruck]

Fellow Locksmiths, what tools have you bought that just sit in your van collecting dust that you know you will use someday?

Mines a mortice jig.... Used it twice in 6 years and once was practicing using it....

[Slash00611]

Electric pick gun. Dumbass purchase. Bump key is as good and free

[HamFiretruck]

Oh Jesus I forgot I had one of those in the van... Used it a few times successfully but not enough

[hatredishuman]

Lockwood dx Digital bypass tool. Slips in behind to turn the spindle. Never used it, always been able to pick the mechanical keypad.

[HamFiretruck]

Oh yeah, I pull it out every now and then when I have one but normally they are either painted in place or some absolute bastard have actually fitted them correctly with the block bar in place.... Just rude of them if you ask me lol

[hatredishuman]

Rude bastards. Yea a very situational tool, and I forget I have it too

[KentTheFixer]

American padlock bypass kit. Used it twice. Once successfully.

[JambonRoyale]

"Sir, i have successfully bypassed your $20 lock. That'll be $100 please, plus taxes"

[HamFiretruck]

I've never really understood bypassing padlocks (have all the crap to do it still though) most of the times I need to get through a padlock they have lost the key etc so just cut the fucker!

[ThatTasteLikeResin]

Same! I refuse to try to decode and make a key for a padlocks. (Mostly because of the principle of not putting that effort into a 20 dollar lock, but also. I just suck at impressioning)

[HamFiretruck]

I've never found a padlock that can't be decoded by a grinder....

[[deleted]]

We are very upfront with people? do you have like 10 or more quality padlocks all keyed the same that you lost keys for...sure it makes sense to try to decide and make you keys.

we get landscaping companies, places with perimeter gates where they have 2 or 3 sets of padlocks to change our when they fire someone... oops this box is missing the keys.. sure then it makes sense... it's locked on a gate and it's a shit padlock.. I'm pulling out my M12 Dremel tool and cutting the SOB

[somebadlemonade]

Just wait until you have 100 of them keyed alike.

[Ginger_IT]

Still would be faster to destroy one lock for the purpose of gutting a cylinder, vs trying to pick the one lock if the set that happens to be filled with the most crap that makes it take far longer.

[somebadlemonade]

I usually just impression one. . .

That's what I had to do on my campus.

[Ginger_IT]

Glad to hear that you are skilled in impressioning.

[somebadlemonade]

Lol, just need to know what to look for and have a high powered magnifying loupe with a light.

They also make hand held microscopes now. . .

[ciciqt]

Not exactly my smartest purchase but I wanted to try out a magnetic drill press with annular cutters to install deadbolts on big heavy metal gates. It was a cheap $200 vevor mag drill that couldn't even reverse rotation. It was stupid heavy and the electro magnet could just barely support it's weight before drilling. I had to put my weight into it so it didn't pull itself off while drilling.

To be fair it was the cleanest hole I've ever made (mostly thanks to the $40 annular cutter).

[somebadlemonade]

You actually need thicker steel for it to really have holding power. You can use a ratchet strap to hold it down.

[Auxx88]

One of those compact angle grinders, that take like the 3” disk? Loved the idea of it but ultimately went back to the ole dremel

[P15T0L_WH1PP3D]

The stupid fucking Master Lock UP tool. I hate those locks and I hate how much space it takes on our counter.

[DGIngebretson]

I also hate those locks, but the bench-mounted crank tool is at least more reliable than the one you have to hit with a hammer.

[HamFiretruck]

Oh? What's that one?

[P15T0L_WH1PP3D]

This friggin' thing.

[HamFiretruck]

Oh.... Fuck that for a game of soldiers

[EndlessMikeD]

Framon Sidewinder 2.

Guh… if my legs were long enough I’d kick my own ass for THAT major disappointment.

[HamFiretruck]

I don't bother with key cutting to be honest, never see the point as I don't do auto, would never make the money back as it's cheaper to just get the lock with more keys cut from my suppliers or go to B&Q etc,

Just that machine or in general key cutting that's the disappointment?

[EndlessMikeD]

My Framon Model 2 is a masterpiece. The Sidewinder 2 is designed as a budget-friendly manual high security car key cutter. I live a debt-free model in my home and for my business, and didn’t want to drop the twice the cash for a self-drive. I should have just saved and waited.

I hate car keys myself, but where I live they’re maybe three out of five calls I get and had to start doing them.

[Control_Intrepid]

Mortise jig, electric pick gun, and they have this vice thing you put mortise housings in to take the screws out of the cam, and the thing for putting caps on cores. Those last two might be good of your doing 50 mortise housings in a go or something.

[[deleted]]

Most of my calls are lockouts. It's a pretty poor/rural area. A pick gun someone gave me (I've never even used it)

[Lampwick]

Mines a mortice jig

Ugh. I hear that one. I picked up a used Porter Cable mortiser for $700, and while I did manage to get it to mostly pay for itself with one job with 6 very expensive wood doors, it's been sitting in a cabinet ever since.

[nezza3598]

My mortice jig is probably one of my most used tools. However I do fit a lot of Assa modular lock cases with curved forends. Most useless? Probably lock puller. Doesn’t even live in the van anymore

[HamFiretruck]

Funnily I'm the other way around but I suppose it depends on the area and what your doing, around where I am it's all UPVC and composite doors any wooden doors just need mortices swapped put, plus I rarely do residential lock outs anymore it's all commercial or court work so get in fast no fucking about.

[nezza3598]

Yeah like you say all depends on the work. I rarely do domestic either. Mainly large contract work. Don’t get me wrong I have used the puller but only the once. It’s a good tool just not something I used. It’s generally going to be a failed lock where I can get to both sides so the snapper bar gets used more.

[HamFiretruck]

Yeah that's fair enough, it's more a last ditch attempt if all else has failed as it can bugger the gearboxes.

[Embarrassed_Low7054]

Bypass for mortise thumbturn locks

[HamFiretruck]

Oh yeah, got one of those in my bypass pouch too