Product Description

5 Dial Padlock Black, Uses words not numbers

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4594 in Home Improvement
• Color: Black
• Brand: Wordlock
• Model: PL-004-BK
• Dimensions: 1.75" h x 4.00" w x 6.00" l, 4.00 pounds

Features

• makes up to 100,000 word and letter combinations
• resettable, never forget your combination lock
• Easy to set, never forget
• Hardened steel shackle for strength and security, for Indoor or outdoor use
• Patented technology offers highest level of personal security

Customer Reviews

Multiple-dial locks are easy to open
Contrary to what other reviewers have said, multiple-dial locks that use words instead of numbers have been around for centuries, but those had bodies made of brass and iron, not plastic and pot metal. You could not change the combinations on those ancient locks so easily, but unfortunately, Master did nothing to make this new one any harder to open by a bad guy. (Do a search on Google or Wikipedia for "multiple-dial locks" and see what I mean.) It would have cost them nothing when they designed it to have added some false gates or make the tumblers with jagged edges to bind when pressure was applied to them, but they didn't do that.

That said, this one has more tumblers than most of them that will make a thief spend (slightly) more time when trying to manipulate it open, so I gave it an extra star. It also has a very wide shackle opening, so it could be useful in some low-security situations where smaller locks just won't fit.

If you want a changeable combination padlock that can't be opened except by people who know how to reach inside it with special tools, get a Sesamee brand padlock with at least 4 dials. It uses an indirect mechanism that is hard to decode.

A lock that uses letters is more convenient, but "convenient" doesn't generally mean "secure." It would be even more convenient to use no lock at all, but that's even less secure!

OK, what was that combination?
Imagine that it's raining or snowing, and you're trying to remember that simple combination for that lock, the one that you thought that you would never forget... but you did. Did this ever happen to you? If so, you're not alone, as it happens frequently.

There's a simple solution to this dilemma, and it's the Wordlock PL-004-BK 5-Dial Padlock, which you can see here in black, and my personal favorite for my supplementary bike lock. It's also available in red, silver or pink, if you like your padlock security to be more colorful.

This is a very unusual product that is not only very handy, but quite functional as well. Products like this are surprising in that the idea behind them is so simple that you're left scratching your head and wondering why no one thought of it before.

Wordlock is an innovative company that makes a variety of combination locks, and where these are different from others is that you can set your own combination using words, and not often confusing number combinations. This lock features 100,000 word and letter combinations set by its five rings which each contain ten letters. Not every combination will yield a practical English language word, so it's estimated to be able to use about 1000 real 'dictionary' words as combinations. This may seem to be insecure compared to the 100,000 possible combinations in a comparable five-ring numerical combination locks, but that takes us back to the situation when you're trying to remember that numeric combination under adverse conditions.

Also be aware that many profane or swear words are impossible, as the 4th ring is missing the letters K, D and R. That makes many four-letter words impossible to spell correctly, but one can have fun trying. The 5th ring has one 'blank' that make sit possible to come up with a practical four or five letter combination.

The clearly illustrated instruction sheet is well written, and the directions are side to side bilingual in both English and Spanish. In addition, if you have anyone in your family who is studying Spanish, at any level, then there's a Spanish language version that may be a perfect gift for them. My son is currently studying Spanish as part of his school curriculum, and the minute he spotted this new lock, he knew exactly what his combination was going to be. Not only is it a very secure padlock, with a hardened steel shackle for strength and security, it has four or five word/letter combinations... in Spanish, adding an interesting additional layer of security to an already robust lock.

There's a final bilingual precaution in the direction which notes: "El candado WORDLOCK solo se puede abrir con su combinacion. Para garantizar el maximo de seguridad, no existe una combinacion maestra." This means: "The WORDLOCK padlock can only be opened with your combination. To ensure maximum security there is no master combination." Obviously it's a good idea to write your word down and put it in a safe place, which is also suggested by the instructions.

This clever and innovative product is available in the following variations:

* Wordlock PL-031-SL 5-Letter Combination Spanish Language Padlock, Silver

* Wordlock PL-028-BK 5-Letter Combination Spanish Language Padlock, Black

* Wordlock PL-030-RD 5-Letter Combination Spanish Language Padlock, Red

* Wordlock PL-029-PK 5-Letter Combination Spanish Language Padlock, Pink

Wordlock offers a very straightforward limited lifetime guarantee on their products, stating that they warrant that the lock will remain operational during normal use for as long as you own the lock. It does exclude the inability to open your lock as a result of your loss of the combination, so be sure to note it somewhere. They also have online support by e-mail through their Website.

Whether you prefer your security in Spanish or in English, these are all excellent products that will withstand a lot of use. The Spanish version would make an excellent gift for any student studying the language or for a native speaker. As noted earlier, these will leave you wondering why no one thought of them before.

Good product, easy to use
I'm not at all mechanically inclined; but this was really easy to set my own choice of combination; and I could use a word of my choice, not a series of meaningless numbers. It's easy to set, easy to use, and works smoothly. I use it at the gym every day. Highly recommended.