Customer Reviews

OnGuard Brute LS 5000 Bike U-Lock

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

 

 

After getting a bike stolen, I started looking for some decent U-locks. Since I sometimes lock up two mountain bikes at a time, I needed one with a long shackle. The two best on the market are the Kryptonite New York LS, and the OnGuard Brute LS. The Brute is considerably cheaper, so I decided on the Brute.

As other reviewers have noted, the new, improved version I received differs from the photos on Amazon. I also noticed that the packaging markets this lock to motorcycle/scooter users, not to bicycle users. As a result, no bicycle frame mount was included. I've read reports of OnGuard's bike mount being flimsy and quickly breaking, so the lack of their mount is no big loss. I have a few TwoFish LockBlocks and BikeBlocks that I can use instead, and they are very durable solid rubber mounts.

OnGuard sure likes to give you plenty of extra keys. There is one rather large lighted key and four spares. The lighted key seems more of a gimmick, so I just carry one of the smaller spares on my keyring. Even that was a bit bulky so I cut the key's head down to a small arrowhead shape, following the molded lines in the plastic. Even if you somehow lose all five keys, you're still not out of luck. If you register the lock with OnGuard, you can always order more keys in the future.

The anti-theft insurance offer sounds like a good idea, but if you read all the fine print you'll discover there are enough loopholes to get OnGuard out of paying for most anything. No matter, I didn't buy it for its insurance policy, I bought it for its theft deterrence ability.

The lock itself is very hefty, weighing over five pounds. The shackle is 16.8mm thick, slightly better than the old version's (and Krypto's NY-LS) 16mm shackle. I had an old KryptoSTD lock and I could slightly bend the shackle because it was not hardened steel. I could not bend the Brute's hardened shackle AT ALL. Anyone who tries to cut this with a hacksaw or bolt cutters would get exhausted and give up. It may not stop a determined thief with an angle grinder (no lock can), but it will at least put up a good fight.

My $500 bike just got stolen with this (and another) lock on it. You may be wondering why it got 5 stars. Because they ripped the lock clean through the metal bike rack it was locked to, and I'm assuming the lock is still on the bike. I guess you can't ask for much more on the lock end. I'm pretty pissed at the apartment complex for the crappy racks, though.

First off - as others have mentioned, the picture is wrong; it looks like all the other modern OnGuard locks.

Anyway: this thing is pretty darned solid, and I will explain soon how I now know that. The lock itself is heavy and solid, and the locking mechanism works pretty well overall, especially if you keep it lubricated. The main problem with the length/size of this lock is the fact that it becomes harder to find a place to mount it, especially on a full-suspension bike like mine. I chose to strap it to the front fork, which I think led to its ultimate demise.

Now, for the good and bad of why I know this thing is, in fact, a brute. After using this lock for ~2 years, and having it take a tumble from it's mount a number of times at high speed, the lock finally gave up the ghost (while it was locked to something no less) The key simply would not turn the cylinder, and the whole thing looked like it was coming apart (did I mention the multiple 20+ MPH tumbles it took?) Anyway, I was lucky enough to run in to a work crew on campus, who had all manner of cutting tools. The sawzall took all of a nick out of the metal in ~2 minutes of cutting. Thankfully, an oxyacetylene cutting torch was in there arsenal, and even that took a little bit to set my bike free.

So, do I recommend this? Yes. It is solid, and you need a **** torch to get it off. I would recommend though that you take better care of it than I did. So, 4 out of 5 stars for truly being a brute. Minus 1 for failing on me (though admittedly due to my own abuse of it)

First thing I noticed was the Amazon picture of the Brute 5000 model isn't right; it really looks like a longer version of the 5001 STD model. It has the rotating dust key cover which is handy to keep out rain and dust from the keyhole. The parts fit like it's well-made. It has the four bolt lock with the M-key cylinder with the Bump-Blok feature to protect against physical attacks. The long shackle is good for on large pipe bike racks. No mounting bracket was included. The anti-theft program coverage of $1251 comes with a catch: you have to pay for it like insurance($1 for one year, $5 for two years, and $15 for three years). You have 15 days to send in your money. Except for the questionable insurance, I felt this lock was solid. Keep it lightly oiled and your bike will be safe with this lock.

Big lock, heavy duty but also very heavy .Have mine bungeed to my rear rack wouldnt want to carry it on my person.Long enough to lock two bikes together gave you plenty of keys.

I bought this lock based on a review I'd read elsewhere saying it took over 3 hours to break through, and since I just bought a new bike, an expensive bike... I didn't want to take aaaaany chances of it getting stolen. The GOOD part about this lock is it IS wicked strong, durable, seems it'd be a pain-in-the-behind to cut so I feel thieves would be deterred. The BAD parts are: 1. the base part only fits one way onto the U-bar (so use something to identify how it lines up!)... 2. the base part is hard to get back onto the U-bar, it's finicky, to say the least... and 3. it's wicked heavy!!! Don't expect to hang this on your handlebar and go for a ride. I have to carry it in a backpack, and after about 20 mins I start to feel it. :-( *I'm only 5'4" and 106lbs.

-Picked up the box so elegantly placed on my doorstep by FedEx and first noticed the hefty weight to the box. Then I remembered I haven't been to the gym lately. But then everyone else says it's heavy so that made me feel better.

-I did a genuine 'lol' when I took this bad-mama-jama out of the box. Laughing to myself as I clipped it free from it's cardboard display... I certainly have an intimidating lock here. I started wondering if I even needed it to actually work; the looks alone would be enough I imagined to make would-be bike thieves say "the heck with that" Or maybe just think I've mistakenly grabbed the lock for my brief-case full of cash. (which I don't have) This thing is just the tops though. I can't wait to have someone just try to steal the bike. I'll be more concerned with what I lock my bike to, than what might happen to the lock itself!

-I did lube this monster up with some bike chain lube as I thought it was more fitting than wd-40 that would dry up faster than some quality chain lube. Turned the key a bunch of times to really work it in, and I feel it works very smoothly as far as locking and unlocking goes.

-And a side note, I think they updated the picture as people were saying it didn't match. The packaging stated "Brute LS 5000" so I know I got the right one, and it looks exactly like the picture.. although it doesn't do the lock justice, it looks ruthlessly over the top in person.

I love this lock. Sure its a bit heavier than others, but its a whole lot stronger than any lock I've ever owned. Overall it is very well built. It comes with plenty of extra keys. It also has a nice rubber coating so you don't scratch your bike. Best of all, it is very long so I have no problem locking up my front wheel, my frame, and my back wheel to a 4" diameter pole outside of my work.

I read that this was an overkill but I have seen many chain and cable locks cut with bolt cutters. I use my bike to commute to work in center city Philly so it is important to me that it be there when I get off work. So far I have no complaints.

Yeah, it's heavy, definitely a clunker. I agree that it's too unwieldy to attach to the frame while riding, but not because it's too heavy - because it's big, long, and in the way! But it's no problem to transport it if you have a backpack or saddlebags, etc., to stash it in. (I carry it in my backpack, and don't really feel the extra weight.) I love the long length (be aware that this model has the longer U, and is not the "standard"-length one!), because it fits around objects other than bike racks, which makes it totally worth it to me. I'll say that my keys sometimes do stick a little bit, but it hasn't actually malfunctioned yet. As long as it prevents my bike from getting stolen, I am happy with it!! Supposed to be a really solid lock.

I bought this unit for its extra strength (advertised anyway), and lower price vs. the competition. I ride a nice bike and need to keep it safe on a college campus in Cambridge, so i need a lock that will hold up to some abuse should someone try to steal it. So far it has functioned perfectly, locking and unlocking are both easy. I'm able to lock the bike and both wheels to a post -- it's big enough for that. It's heavy, yes, but i put it in my knapsack which is already heavy and it works out fine.