What type of lock should I buy?

[Smokin Moose]

A man once said, you're only as strong as your weakest link. When designing a grow box/room we sometimes forget about the security aspect of what were doing. We get so involved in the safety of our plants, we sometimes forgot about our safety. Inside these rooms and box's we have a great secret that few people know about, and we want to keep it that way.

A lot of people don't use locks on there grow box/room. The main reason for this lack of security is that the people assume that while they're away no one will go through their things. Now, humans are naturally curious. If your landlord, roommate, mate, etc., sees a box with cords coming from it in your home, there suspicion will be peaked.

Whether you know it or not someone is going to try and take a look in that box/room. However we can keep these curious people out, and our freedom with just a few extra bucks worth of equipment. LOCKS are a forgotten piece of security that we need to revive. The main reason for having a lock on your grow room is not for the reasons you can think of, but for the ones you cant.

Now, most people will suggest going with a standard 1-1/8" Chrome Drawer and Cabinet Lock. As you can see by the PIC below they are cheap (4-5 bucks), but are easy to pick. Any 13 year old or nosey landlord can pick them with ease.

It is for this reason that I suggest going with a reliable padlock.

Type's of Padlocks (Basic Security)

Warded Locks

- Warded Mechanism Resists Jamming
- Steel Shackle for Cut Resistance
- Designed for Basic Security Applications

Dial Combination Locks

- Keyless Convenience, 3 Digit Combination
- Hardened Steel Shackles for Cut Resistance
- Stainless Steel Case for Weatherability

Solid Brass Locks

- Combination and Pin Tumbler Mechanisms Available
- Steel and Hardened Steel Shackles Available
- Solid Brass Body Resists Rusting

Solid Brass Locks

- Combination and Pin Tumbler Mechanisms Available
- Steel and Hardened Steel Shackles Available
- Solid Brass Body Resists Rusting

Types of Padlocks (High Security)

Laminated Pin Tumbler Locks

- 4 Spring Loaded "Pins" for Increased Pick Resistance
- "Keyed Alike" Locks for One Key Convenience
- Hardened Steel Shackles Resist Cutting and Prying
- Shrouded Shackles Available for Increased Cut and Pry Resistance
- Long Shackles Available to Cover All Applications
- Body Sizes Available: 1" to 2-1/8"
- Plated and Covered Body Styles Available for Weatherability

Types of Padlocks (Professional Security)

Solid Body Steel Locks

- Rekeyable for Flexible Security
- 5-Pin Key Cylinder for Maximum Pick Resistance
- Boron Steel Shackles for Added Cut and Pry Resistance
- Long Shackles Available for Larger Applications
- Stainless Steel for Maximum Weatherability

These locks will cost you between 15 and 30 USD depending on the lock. It may seem like a lot more to pay compared to a simple cabinet lock, but when your away from your home no price is to large for a piece of mind.

 

[TheWeedian]

Hi, I am going to take this thread greatly into consideration for my first grow box. a 2.5 x 2 x 6 box because thats what i can fit in my bedroom. I will have speakers in the front and the lock in the back facing the wall so it wont look suspicious having a large lock on my speaker cab. Im looking for a lock that can be used for a door, im guessing a padlock would work, but I dont want one that is very large. I like cam locks but those are mainly used for drawers and such. I need one that would work stealthily for a back door to my little grow box. Also i love your first quote "as a man once said, you're only as strong as your weakest link" reps.

 

[TorturedSoul]

I always went by the "get the best lock you can afford, BUT there's no point in buying a lock that is more secure than the rest of your grow room / cabinet / house" rule, lol. For example, there's not much point in putting a $180 lock on the door to a grow room if the wall beside the door it is installed on is nothing more than standard drywall, since someone can kick right through it - or if that door is a cheap hollow-core interior door. The same would probably be true if the door uses standard type hinges and it opens out into the hallway, because a person can just pop the hinge pins right up out of the hinges in seconds.

Grow cabinets have a special consideration - if it'll fit through your doorway, then the thief could simply carry it away and break into it at his/her leisure, lol. For such cabinets, I'd suggest bolting it to the floor (from inside the box), using good hardware and large fender washers, with double nuts. Or use decent-sized lag screws and screw the box into the floor joists (again, from inside).

But the best way to secure your grow is the #1 common sense rule of growing cannabis: Do not tell anyone that you are growing.