That cheap padlock on my shed froze solid in 20 degree weather

I bought a $5 padlock from the hardware store last month for my backyard shed. Two days ago the temperature dropped to 20 degrees and the lock completely seized up. I tried wiggling the key, spraying WD-40, and even tapping it with a hammer but nothing worked. Turns out cheap locks use low-grade metal that contracts in the cold and traps moisture inside. I ended up having to cut the shackle with bolt cutters just to get my lawnmower out. Has anyone else found a budget lock that actually handles winter weather without freezing?

2 comments

2 Comments

wren2179d ago

Cheap locks use low-grade metal that contracts in the cold" - that's exactly the problem I ran into with the same kind of lock last winter. You want something with a brass body and a stainless steel shackle, brass doesn't contract as much and won't trap moisture the same way cheap pot metal does. Master Lock makes a decent one for around 10-12 bucks that has survived three Midwest winters without freezing on me.

aaronf406d ago

So did you REALLY need to learn that lesson the HARD way like I did? I had a cheap lock freeze SOLID on my shed door last January and ended up having to cut it off with an angle grinder at 6 AM while my neighbor was probably wondering if I was a serial killer. That Master Lock you mentioned has been sitting on my gate for two years now through rain and snow and the thing STILL opens smoother than my car door in winter.