Customer Reviews

First Alert 3040DF Digital Security Box, Black/Silver

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I'm not exactly sure what this box is supposed to protect against, but whatever it is, it doesn't do it very well.

The top and sides of the box feels somewhat sturdy, but the bottom feels like it's made of sheet metal. Anyone who's ever worked with sheet metal knows how trivial it is to cut, bend, or punch a whole in. Further, there's a very noticeable "give" in the bottom of the box, so it feels like I could have actually pushed it in and detached it if I accidentally stepped on it. Needless to say, getting into the box once one has possession of it almost a given for anyone who's at all determined.

The cable also offers very little protection. The cable is thinner than a bicycle-lock cable, and the loop on the end of it is half as thick as the cable itself. If you cut the loop, the entire cable becomes unfastened to whatever it was secured to so, essentially, the cable is only as thick as it's weakest part (the loop.) The loop is maybe a quarter inch thick, so you can get through it with a pair of good wire-cutters, which any thief worth the name should have with him.

On the plus side, the convenience of having the security coded lock is nice. I haven't had any problems with it.

I'd imagine that this box would prevent a smash-and-grab type of theft. It may also be useful if you wanted to secure something in your office cube from a sticky-fingered contractor or cleaning staff, or some other very casual thief. Maybe it's good for keeping things out of childrens hands.

I would not recommend it for your car. I would hope a car safe would take at least 10 minutes for a thief to get out, and this doesn't meet that criteria.

This product is useful if you need to leave your laptop or other valuables locked in your car while you're on the move. The lock is a 15mm (9/16 in) wide by 1mm thick metal bolt that latches shut when you turn the lock wheel on the top of the box. The lock can't be cut from the outside of the box, but there is room to insert a screwdriver between the lid and the box. I have not attempted to pry open the box by force but I can comfortably insert a 3/16 in flat head screwdriver about 9/16 in under the lid.

The locking cable is 4.5mm thick but the loop section is only 3mm. Since the cable is only as strong as its weakest section, the cable is effectively 3mm thick.

The electronic lock has a five-digit keypad with key override. A four-digit code gives you a mere 625 combinations, but after three unsuccessful attempts the box will not accept further tries for four minutes (you can still use the key during this period).

In summary, I'm not sure how resistant this box is to an attempted break in, but it will certainly stop an unequipped or opportunistic thief from simply walking away with your valuables. I would recommend it for mobile security, but for home use I recommend paying for something more substantial. It is light enough to carry to and from your car. If you don't need a box this large, the Honeywell Digital Locking Steel Box #3035D is a smaller version of this product and is significantly cheaper.

I had this item given to me, so I shouldn't complain -- but I will.

It's a nice looking box, but I wonder where the "security" bit comes in. The sidewalls may be sturdy, but it has a thin welded base and is only fire retardant at best. Don't be fooled by the "Honeywell" imprimatur. In today's world many trusted brand names can be "borrowed" for a fee (like "Singer" and "Raleigh" (cycles)). There ought to be a law against this practice. The "Honeywell" on this pretty box is used under licence by the real manufacturer, a company called Sisco, and the item is made in China.

So, two stars: one because I got it gratis; one because it's not very secure at all.

THE BOX IS ROOMY AND SECURE ENOUGH FOR GENERAL APPLICATIONS. THE ANCHOR FOR THE CABLE END IN THE BOX IS PLASTIC, WITH SOME EFFORT YOU COULD PROBABLY YANK IT OUT. THIS BOX WILL DEFINITELY DISCOURAGE, IF NOT PREVENT, A THEFT. THE DEFINITE KEY TO USING THIS IS MAKE IT HARD TO FIND. THE ELECTRONIC KEYPAD, OF COURSE, RUNS ON BATTERIES. THIS MAKES THE BACKUP KEY CRITICAL WHEN THE BATTERIES DIE. THE GOOD PRICE AND FREE SHIPPING IS WHAT MADE THIS BOX A GOOD BUY. IT IS DEFINITELY BETTER THAN NOTHING.

This thin metal box might prevent snatch-and-go theft, but anyone with five minutes to spare can easily crack it open or just carry it away.

THE KEYPAD LOCK: The keypad lock only has six buttons, numbers 1-5 and a star (*) button, so you have a tight limit of easily guessable combination choices. You can have a combination of up to 4 numbers, with a star always required on the end of the number combination.

The lockbox also comes with two keys for the manual lock that overrides the keypad in case you forget your combination or the 4 AA batteries in the keypad die. I attached one of keys to a keyring on my belt and the plastic head of the key broke off when I leaned on it.

The average man could probably pry this lockbox open with his bare hands. The locking mechanism is a small cheap plastic box screwed to the lid of the lockbox. I'm talking about the gray square on the lid, you can see it in the picture of this product. Even when the the lockbox is locked, you can still lift the lid about two centimeters. A screwdriver or any thin strong object could easily pop the lid open.

THE CABLE: The security cable is as big around as a pencil. Wire cutters might cut it. The cable attaches to a hole in the side of the lockbox, held in place by a flimsy plastic connector. The connector is loose and you can jiggle the attached security cable. I'm confident that I could jerk the lockbox off the cable with little effort.

THE WALLS: The lockbox has thin but rigid steel walls. The lid and sides have uniform thickness, but the bottom of the lockbox can be popped in and out like sheet metal.

I would recommend that you use additional security if you store anything valuable in the Honeywell 3040D Large Security Box. I keep my laptop in it, so I wrap lockbox in bike chains and chain it to the frame of a metal dresser drawer so that the drawer won't fully open until you remove the padlocks.

THe button keypad works part of the time. The key entry works rarely in a timely manner. I have been locked out of this box so many times, it is a crying shame! I initially bragged on this unit but can no longer.

Save your money, frustration, loss of time and potential income if your goods are inaccessible.

I bought this safe specifically because it has a combination lock along with a backup key. I don't want to have to carry the key along with me all the time to access the safe.

And yet, I do; because the combination lock failed to unlock the safe after about the first week or so. I reset the combination many times. it is the right combination and the light even flashes , but the lock does not undo.

Meanwhile it would be easy to pry into and it is rather cumbersome for the backseat. I suggest you look elsewhere.

Was looking to replace my 14-yr old's TOY ATM bank ... needed something bigger, easier to open (prefer keypad instead of rotating-comination-lock), and not childish-looking. This fit the bill perfectly. It's not Fort Knox, but certainly tough enough to lock up his cash, ipad, and other small valuables. I like having the back-up key, in case he ever forgets the code he set up, or if the key-pad-battery dies. Only small neg is that the keypad numbers only go to 5, so he couldn't pick the code he really wanted. But that's minor, he still loves it.

After just a few weeks of use, the lock on this safe broke. Basically, you didn't have to enter a code or use a key to open it... just turn the dial and it would open. Hardly a product that protects the contents.

This safe is very functional for my purposes, however it came with the package punctured and damaged. The Safe has a small dent on it from the puncture and it has a larger dent on the side of it as well. It is still very functional and the damages do not warrant the hassle of repackaging, returning it, and waiting for refund or replacement, imo. The product is sound...shipping and handling was the issue. If I had the time, my druthers would be to return it for a non-damaged unit.