Customer Reviews

Master Lock 5400D Select Access Key Storage Box with Set-Your-Own Combination Lock, 1-Pack

5 star:		(89)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(19)

 

 

The masterlock select access storage box is a great product. I bought one for a slightly unusual purpose, in that I took it camping. For four weeks, this box was locked onto the frame of my station wagon, right next to the exhaust pipe. During that entire time, I used it several times without any problem. For the last two weeks, I found myself making hour-long treks over dirt roads, and across river beds every other day in a vehicle that was hardly designed for the task.

When I returned to civilization, I fully expected to find the box thoroughly abused. I expected the rubber case to have been melted by the exhaust pipe. I expected mud to have gummed up the combination locks. I even imagined there might be a few dents or scratches on it from the road. None of this was the case.

While my use of the box has revealed to me that it is not water tight, and the glue used to hold the rubber casing on may be a little weakened by heat or water, the worst damage I found on it were a few small scratches on the rubber casing around the lock part, where it had been attached to the frame of my car.

Recently, I managed to get a key stuck in the device somehow. Perhaps it no longer worked right because I removed the rubber casing. Maybe the long car key I put in jammed the locking mechanism somehow, or maybe I managed to accidentally reset the combination while it was open. I suspect that I reset the combination accidentally. My one complaint with this device is how easy it is to do this. Users can easily fix this by gluing or taping the reset switch in place once you've chosen a good combination.

Since I needed the key, I decided I would have to break open the device. Those of you concerned with the security of this product will be pleased to learn how hard it was to do.

As I had gotten the rubber casing off, I already knew that there were six rivets in the back. I imagined that by drilling through these, I would be able to get the lock apart. Using a bench vice, and a power drill with a metal drill bit, it took me five minutes of serious drilling to get through these rivets. When I was done drilling, nothing happened, because the rivets were set in such a way that the drill holes had gone in crooked. I ended up pounding away at the thing with a ball-pene hammer and a cold chisel for another half hour to break the rivets on the sides all the way through. This allowed me to rip off the sides of the front panel. Once that was done, I had to beat in the back of the lock so that I could get the chisel into the top, and force the locking mechanism open. The hinge was too strong for me to break at all. Once I got it out, my key was slightly twisted. I'm not sure it will still work.

All told, it took me fifty five minutes,to break into the master lock select access storage box. Fifty five minutes, using all the tools I could think of. At a private home, with it latched to a doorknob, or in an inconvenient place, it probably would have taken much longer. I don't think there are many places where the police won't get around to a criminal before they get at your keys in one of these things. I also don't think a criminal who can get at the keys any faster would be able to use them once he got them out.

We invest in real estate and use lock boxes all of the time. This looked like a good buy. It even worked real well for a while.

Then one day it just would not open for my property manager (PM). She tried like crazy to get it open, then it finally popped open. After that it would open for ANY combination. One down...

Now I'm trying to sell my house so I put another one of these on my own house. I used this box every day to gain access to my house as it was MY key in the box. Well this one died too. I had a termite inspector coming to the house that day and he was not able to get in either. I had to climb through a window to gain entry to my house. I then removed the door knob so I could take this thing to my work bench where I was able to break into it.

That is another bad point about this lock. I hit it no more than 20 times hard with a normal hammer on the hinge at the bottom and it just opened right up.

So all around this thing is just a hunk of junk. I would avoid it.

It's definitely nice to have when it works. I won't repeat the advantages of this lockbox in my review since they are listed elsewhere. When one got used relying on it and it doesn't work all of a sudden, then the consequences can be really bad. This is what happened to me. I came home the other day and tried to get to my key. Well, the lockbox wouldn't open. I know my combination is correct, no doubt. It's easy to remember and I'm good with numbers. But the lockbox refused to open. Just picture yourself by your frontdoor trying to open your own door. Unfortunately there is no after-sale service in this case for this item. I could return it but why would I? My key is still inside and the thing costs $20. Just not worth it. Thanks a lot to the manufacturer for all the trouble they caused me.

When I bought this it worked great. I used it for bed and breakfast guests and the cleaning staff for two months. A couple of days ago I had to remove it from the gate temporarily. When I tried to set it up again, the key door wouldn't close. I think the spring inside the key area that allows the handle closure to lock got stuck when I removed it and began blocking the key door. Considering it was the very first time I had tried to take the thing off the gate and put it back, that's not very reliable. I'll be trying something else.

Ugh.

This was easy to set up. I set my combo, tried it a few times - no problems. Seemed like a good idea (i'm afraid of locking myself out.)

One day later, and the dials will barely turn. When I finally forced it into its combination, it won't open. What gives? I can hear something rattling around inside. And try as I might, I can't turn the dials any further. I expect much better from a "master" brand lock. Maybe they don't make 'em like they used too.

I would return it, but I already used nail polish to mark it to distinguish the lock. (I live in an apartment complex - was planning on putting this in our package room in case of emergencies, but a few other people have had the same idea. A spot of polish would have set it apart.)

I'm just glad I hadn't attached it to anything yet. You can only get the "arm" (the loop thingy) open and shut if you have the lock open ... so if you can't get at your keys, you also can't take the lock off of whatever you've affixed it to.

A few other commenters have noted that they can't get theirs open, either. I would recommend trying another option - there must be some other brand out there to try.


(PS - Just in case you were wondering, no, didn't forget my combo. It's the same as my voicemail code. The thing is really broken after one day.)

Not a lot can be said for this....it simply does the job.
Holds enough keys...cash.
I also have the 'other' one... permanent if screwed to a wall...without the 'attaching' hook.
This one is versatile...not permanent.
Consider for people who have disabilities...allows others to get in.
Can also be left in a mailbox..etc.

Although this Master Lock appears to be well made, after about two weeks of daily use the first digit in the combo became stripped and the lockbox would not open. Had to take the door knob off, denting it in the process. I've decided to purchase the GE/ Supra KeySafe this time. Hope others have better luck with it.

I bought this for my oceanside vacation rental last October. I placed it on a protected patio area and placed the key in it. It worked fine until last week when a guest absolutely could not get the key out. I sent my handyman over, who knew the combination. He tried it. Didn't work. Tried it again. Didn't work. Sprayed WD-40 on it. Didn't work. He never got the key out of there. Fortunately, I had a back up lock box that did work. My back up lockbox was a cheapo that had been sitting out in the tropical rain for 18 months. That had to be sprayed with WD-40, too, but it opened. I have no idea what went wrong but my guess based on previous reviews is the following: 1) it rusted, or 2) it was inadvertently reset.

This is a great realtor lockbox especially if you have larger high security keys. It is fairly hard to jam by clumsy brokers.

Its glaring fault is it is totaly NOT water resistant. In the winter expect it to be frozen solid, even if the sliding cover is up. Even in a protected area the cold can kill it. I keep deicer in the car.

It needs a detachable rubber cover for the whole lock for winter use.

Cheaper than anywhere else and no tax. You can also change the code on this lockbox. Very easy to use, high quality!