Customer Reviews

SentrySafe F2300 Fire-Safe Waterproof Chest with Tubular Key, 33lbs, .36 Cu. Ft., Charcoal

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

Approx. exterior measurements: 15w x 14-1/2d x 8h
(Item was bigger than I expected from online pic)

Can hold 8x11 papers without folding, just barely big enough for a 9x12 envelope.

No shipping problems, item in perfect condition.

Some similar items were listed as being made with plastic that scissors could cut through. This is not the case with this item. It appears very solid. Hinges are not visible and lock appears solid.

When I purchased this item, I was just looking for something to protect documents against fire and water damage. I wasn't counting on something that looked like a mini-safe. I am pleasantly surpised.

Beware. of this product. The hinges are made of a flimsy, unstable composite material (It looks like sawdust and glue). I have had this safe for a couple of years. I keep it on the floor because it is too heavy to leave on a table. I just use it to store papers and open it only occasionally. Recently the top right hinge disintegrated for no known reason. The bars that act as a hinge for the top cover appear to made of some composite material. One of the bars recently turned into a powder in a normal household environment. I would have thought the hinge would have been made from a stronger material such as metal. I need to replace the safe and I definitely won't buy from Sentry again. I notified their customer service but they didn't respond with an explanation as to why they used this material.

This is a very heavy chest; there are no rubber feet to prevent it from sliding off anything above floor level. It slides too easily for a heavy chest; I had to work on the floor to fill it with the contents for fear I or my pets would be injured. The safe also has no safety lock for the top when opened; watch your hands and fingers. Don't let your pets or children anywhere near this safe when the top is opened and when using it on anything other than the floor. Be very careful.

To my disappointment, this safe cannot be used to store photographs, negatives, or anything other than paper, which is the main reason I purchased it. The humidity level of the inside of this safe can get high, thus ruining photographs, negatives, stamps, etc.

Sentry told me that photographs can be stored in this safe if they are first put into an airtight container, such as Tupperware or Rubbermaid "DISHWASHER SAFE" container products ONLY to protect them from the humidity. I do not trust such plastics from melting inside over the papers and photographs if the fire lasts longer or burns hotter than the standard to which the safe was designed. (Sentry says that their media safe will protect photographs.)

Do not put anything plastic or metal in this safe. Take the plastic sleeves off any paper documents before putting them in this safe.

Sentry's Customer Service told me that the inside temperature of this safe can get up to 350 degrees Farenheit during a fire; paper burns at 451 degrees--hence the paper is supposedly protected from burning. Sentry also told me that the inside temperature of their media safe will not exceed 125 degrees Farenheit, thus protecting items that burn or melt at a lower temperature.

I gave it only three stars because of the safety issues and lack of information regarding what products it protects and doesn't protect. It may deserve five stars for actual performace during a fire providing that you only put into the safe paper products and nothing else.

The Sentry web site and Amazon web sites do not provide sufficient information to determine which safe to buy.

I believe that the Brinks products may have similar limitations.

I have just purchased this chest. The first thing I read from the packing box was this product is not intended to protect computer disks, CDs, tapes, videos. This was not mentioned at all in product description on 3 to 4 website that I checked before I decided to buy it. I was more than disappointed. I feel that the seller was evasive...

I had the same experience as another reviewer. After about two years (after the warrantee has expired) the material the hinges are made of has turned to dust, and the safe is useless. Initially Sentry Safe refused to take any responsibility, after more persistence they have agreed that they would replace it. Still it's a big heavy thing to be throwing in a landfill after two years. There is a design problem where the plastic extrusion does not correctly cover the hinge area so the concrete inner material is uncovered and soon turns to dust. I would not recommend buying this product.

Hinky open/shut mechanism. It takes persistence to get the latch to click correctly and open. If it weren't so heavy, I would've returned it long ago.

my hinge broke off also after 3 years. White powdered dust covered with a plastic tube hinge.

I bought this a few months ago but haven't had the chance to use it until now so it sat in my office not being touched for a few months.

Today is the day that I finally needed to use it and the keys were still in the lock so I go to press the button and it doesnt open. So I take the keys out and put it back in, turn it a few times... still nothing. Maybe I am not pressing the button hard enough! So I try until my fingers hurt then got a hammer to push against the button... No luck. So I get a screw driver and use the hammer and start pounding my way in... few minutes later the front part of the lock busted off and I saw the hook that stopped working, unlatched it and opened it up.

One thing I learned a while ago, if you're going to invest in something, do it the right way and buy something with quality. I have had to learn this lesson too many times and unfortunately it is still trying to stick in my head.

I needed a box for safely storing living trust papers. The pages are 8.5x11" and do best laying flat in the box. I am able to do just that with these important papers. I replaced the big plastic/paper notebook binder the document came in with 2 big binder rings. The plastic would likely melt if the box were in a fire. Then the melting material would possibly ruin the document and/or feed the flame.
The box is heavy. But I could grab it and carry it out if there is a fire in my home. The price was reasonable.

Barely ever opened and closed the box and the left lid hinge has completely and inexplicably disintegrated into a powder. This thing shouldn't be allowed to be sold.