Customer Reviews

Wordlock 5-Dial Padlock

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

I previously owned a Master-Lock version of this "spelling lock" that offered four-letter combinations, so I bought this five-letter lock assuming two things: that the letter-dials could be removed and rearranged to suit my preference, and that all the letters of the alphabet were represented at least once.

I was mistaken.

Here, in order, are the letters available to the user on each dial from left to right:

Dial 1:
A, L, S, W, B, P, F, M, D, T
Dial 2:
A, P, O, R, I, L, C, E, T, N
Dial 3:
A, N, U, T, O, S, E, R, I, L
Dial 4:
A, O, S, K, N, R, T, E, L, D
Dial 5:
E, R, L, S, N, T, H, Y, D, BLANK

You must spell your word on the fixed dials without rearranging them, and you will have to choose a word that does not end in a vowel, as so many common words and names do. You may also notice that the letters G, J, Q, V, X, and Z are missing entirely, so if your preferred code-word contains one of these, you will be out of luck.

With the Master-Lock version, not only can you rearrange the dials for more variety, but you can also switch out the dials from different Master-Locks to spell a unique word that would not otherwise be possible, such as X-RAY or L33T.

I have no complaints about the WordLock's security--the whole lock has a heavy, sturdy feel to it, and the method of resetting the code-word via a dial on the side is as easy if not easier than the Master-Lock's method of snapping off the right side of the casing. But you will most likely have to resort to your third or fourth choice, as I have, before you find a word that will work with limited selection of letters.

I bought this lock for my kid -- he loves this lock
with its real words and he can change the combination
easily any time.

My neighbor's kid had a Masterlock. His dad and I
tried to program it -- you have to pull it apart --
you end up with a bunch of wheels and then you
have to re-assemble it carefully like a jeweler
or a . . . locksmith? And then you end
up with something unmemorable, like a "L35K".

Both locks seem sturdy, both made of hardened steel,
so for us it came down to how easy it was to choose
your own real words with Wordlock.

Why did we have to wait until the 21st century to
get this? Where's my jet car?

You are at the gym and you are trying to remember which locker was yours. Easier with these color coded padlocks which come in silver, pink, red or black.

Then comes remembering what the number series was for this particular lock. Now it is a lot easier because Art Fry who invented the beloved post it notes was the judge in a contest looking for the next new invention. Todd Basche was a winner and had come up with another clever timesaver: wordlocks.

These word-powered locks are bright and colorful and easy to see from a distance. They are also a welcome relief to those of us who are password challenged from trying to remember odd numeric combinations. You can set them to any five-letter combination (real word or not)

Also, if the kids all want their own lock, it is easy to color code which lock belongs to whom without any squabbles.

One reviewer seems to like the Master Lock version better and, of course, I agree that there are always personal preferences and possibly tighter and more stringent security environments where a Master Lock might be necessary. But in my gym and in other similar situations, it has not been a problem. In fact, most children prefer the ease of the word locks and to me that is the innovative part. It seems that Master Lock is also offering their own version of this creative concept. I am wondering who came first: Todd Basche and Wordlock or Master Lock's version? In any case, the ease of use and your lock situation should determine what you feel comfortable in using. The Wordlock is made of hardened steel shackle for strength and security standard in WLPLS. It may feel lighter; but I always prefer items that are lighter yet still durable, sturdy and secure.

I like both Wordlock's products very much as well as Master Lock. The consumer should decide which lock would service them best.

The ease of use and your lock situation should determine what you feel comfortable in using.

Bentley/2007

Wordlock 5 Letter Padlock, Pink #WLPLS-PK

Wordlock 5 Letter Padlock, Silver #WLPLS-SL

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!

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.

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.

The thing that initially attracted me to the padlock was the ability to change the combination with ease (which it does quite well). I just recently got a second locker at the gym and buying two of these and syncing the combos seemed like a better route than keeping track of two different combinations. Plus if I ever need to get a third padlock I can adjust the new one.

What I liked:
-The ease at which the combination can be changed, it literally takes seconds.
-This is the first padlock I've had with letters, it makes a lot easier to remember a combo when it is assigned to a word or mnemonic device.

What I didn't like:
-The letters are very large, it would not be difficult for someone several feet away to read your combo if you're not trying to obscure it.
-The padlock cannot be closed if the combo isn't put it. I've gotten used to this, but it is annoying and means your combo has to be on display longer than necessary.
-This is larger than a traditional padlock. If you're using a locker with an externally mounted latch, this won't be a problem. However, if you are using a locker with a recessed latch, it can be difficult to get the padlock exactly where it needs to go with ease. It definitely fits, but it took me a couple weeks to be able to do it on the first try without looking.

I would probably buy this padlock again just to be able to have the same style of lock with a matching combo. However, if this was my first time buying I would probably look a little further.

What a big disappointment. When I first saw this lock, I was very excited and thought it was a great idea (why didn't I think of that?!). But I was quickly disppointed. The different "wheels" are hard to turn, sometimes scarily so. (I envisioned being locked out of my own things at the gym, stranded by my crappy lock.) The wheels are likely so hard to turn because they are made of cheap plastic. Also, the possible word/alphabet combinations are more limited that I would have thought. I ended up returning this (something I do rarely).

I bought this lock more as a curiosity but when I started to use I got hooked. This is one terrific product. You simply pick a word that is available on the dial and lock it in. Much better than trying to remember some obscure number that makes no sense.

Picked up the Wordlock PL-002-RD 5-Dial Padlock, Red to use at my local YMCA locker room. I had four requirements: inexpensive, no key, easy to set-up and a color that was easily identifiable on a bank of lockers. This lock did the trick!

SET-UP:
The directions in the package are clear. Six steps (3 really) that allow you to set-up your unique 4 or 5 letter combination.

The lock comes set to "words" which is the starting point. From there you get a coin (I used a penny) to twist the 0 to 'reset' on the left side of the lock. Pick a new word from the enclosed suggested list or make your own; write it down so you don't forget. There is no master 'reset' word. Once you've dialed in your new word you simply use the coin to twist from reset to '0' and you're good to go with your lock set to your unique word.

The lock can be reset to a new word again by simply following those steps with your word as the starting point instead of the original 'words'.

If you're worried about someone being able to reset your lock, remember that they have to know your combination first to have that as a starting point. Always twist your dial to mix up the word after you lock it to make that impossible - without a whole lot of time spent anyway!

PRICE:
At under ten, this is a good option for those of us who remember words easier than numbers and who don't like to carry a key. I don't think I'd want to use it to secure a trailer to a hitch - it's a fairly lightweight use lock, but for lockers at the gym or at school, it's perfect.

COLOR:
This red is more of a burgundy red than the candy apple color in the stock photo. I like it. It's easy to see - unless the lockers are red, in which case I'd probably choose another color. They come in several different ones.

A comment about the dial itself. Some letters are raised and some are flush. The letters are all upper-case and white on a black background. I think they would be easy to see for most users. The combination is read between two raised bumps next to the 'wordlock' logo imprinted on the body of the lock.

Overall I'm pleased with my purchase and would recommend this lock for anyone who has a need for an easy to use, quickly customizable security device for a tool shed at home or lockers at school, the gym or work.