A padlock is a smart investment that can protect your business’s property from theft and vandalism. Statistics show over nine in 10 businesses incur losses associated with property theft. Fortunately, you can safeguard your business’s property from both theft and vandalism using a padlock. Here are five things to consider when choosing a padlock for your business.
#1) Pins
How many pins does the padlock have? Generally speaking, the more pins a padlock has, the better. A pin is a vertical column that acts as a tumbler. Each pin must be raised to a specific height for the padlock to open. When you insert a key into a padlock, the pins will rise. Therefore, a padlock with 10 pins is harder to pick than a padlock with just two or three pins.
#2) Material
Padlocks are made of different materials. Some of the most common materials include brass- and steel-laminated zinc. They aren’t made of a single layer of metal. Rather, laminated padlocks are made of multiple layers of metal. Both brass- and steel-laminated zinc padlocks are resistant to strong, durable and resistant to corrosion.
#3) Strike Resistance
You should also consider strike resistance when choosing a padlock. Strike resistance refers to a padlock’s ability to absorb and withstand forceful blows without breaking. If a padlock offers little or no strike resistance, it may fail to secure your business’s property. Fortunately, many padlocks are designed with a high level of strike resistance. As shown in the photo above, these padlocks have rubber panels to protect against strikes. When struck, the rubber panels will absorb the blow so that the underlying metal isn’t stressed.
#4) Shackle
Don’t forget to consider the shackle when choosing a padlock. All padlocks have a shackle. Also known as a shank it’s the U-shaped metal bar that runs over the top of the body. A padlock is only as secure as its shackle. If the shackle is thin or otherwise weak, the padlock won’t offer a high level of security. Therefore, you should choose a padlock with a strong, heavy-duty shackle.
#5) Keyed Alike
If you’re planning to buy multiple padlocks for your business, you should consider getting them keyed alike. Keyed alike means that a single master key will work all the keypads. In other words, you won’t have to keep a separate key for each padlock. Whether you buy two padlocks or 20 padlocks, you can have a single master key that works for them all.
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