Master Lock Laminated Padlock with Key, 59x40x21 mm

(For the record, don't use this lock to protect anything. I'm pretty sure only lockpicking enthusiasts buy these, but I'll add this disclaimer just in case.) I'd recommend this lock to people in one or more of the following groups: a) You're new to lockpicking and want something easy to start with b) You've tried lockpicking in the past but can't manage to open the locks you've tried c) You've opened cheap see-through locks but can't make the jump to regular ones. I was in group c when I got the lock and was completely surprised by my ability to open it in less then 30 minutes. That's the main advantage of the Master 3: It's easy to pick but still functions as a regular lock. It features four standard pins, a fairly wide keyway and a cylinder a bit when first applying tension, which can be useful to gauge how much tension is needed to apply pressure to the pins. Feedback is very noticeable, which, combined with the lack of safety pins, makes it very easy to set individual pins. If you've opened locks before, though, this one is unlikely to pose any challenge.

I bought this to practice lock picking and to this end it's a nice chunky lock with a simple 4 pin mechanism. As a lock, it's not very secure (if I can open it as a beginner then it's pretty easy!) but it's big and heavy and will resist a less delicate approach than picking, at least for a while. There's definitely better locks for the money, but for my purposes it'll do just fine. Scoring this one is tricky, as I'm very happy with my purchase. But I've decided to score the product with regard to its intended use and on that front it's not so hot, so three stars seems fair.

Does make me laugh that most reviews for this lock are based on it's ability to be picked open relatively easily not for the lock itself. Yes, I bought the lock for that very same reason. Perhaps Masterlock should think about changing this into an actual Practice lock sometime in the future. It's a good lock to practice on for beginners like me - I'll also admit that I didn't find it as easy as some people claim it to be, I've other locks that are easier to get open than this one. That said, it doesn't pose much of a challenge and I'd opened it within 10 minutes on my first go at single pin picking. It doesn't stand up to a rake pick very well either but that's not really why I get these things. I would not like to secure anything of any real value with this lock (though as we're taking about lock picking here this could be said for most pad locks) - It's true that the majority of people don't go round picking locks in the real world with any criminal intent but knowing just how easy these things are to get into is a real eye opener. So - Review is - Good lock pick practice lock. Don't secure anything worth more than the lock with it.

"1 Star" for intended use. Can be picked or raked by a total novice in literally <5 seconds, seriously... Do not use these for security. "5 stars" if you want the locks for learning how to pick a lock. "1 Star" if you have been picking locks for more then a few hours or days, because you will learn nothing new. I watched "LockPickingLawyer" on YouTube because YouTube recommended it for some reason. I had never picked a lock before. I thought i would give it a go because it seems like a useful skill to have, so i bought 4 of these locks and some picks. This is what i learned. They can be "picked", with a standard pick and pretty much any tension bar pretty easily. They can be "Raked", in literally seconds with pretty much any rake including a standard pick. The pins can be "Scraped" or "Rocked" with anything that will fit into the lock and it will open sometimes. So -PLEASE DO NOT- use these to secure anything at all, i have never picked a lock in my life, yet in my very first try, i got one open in less then 30 seconds. Some tips for lock pickers/lock sport. Use a light tension. (but enough that you can feel the pins) Use a standard pick or any rake at all. If you are going to "Rake" the lock, it's best to not use a sawing motion in and out of the lock but rather a rocking motion. A sawing motion can damage locks. Open the locks and give them a really good clean before you pick them because they are covered in stinky grease.

I love that every single review talks about how easy it is to pick rather than its utility as an actual locking mechanism. Well, I can confirm what everyone else is saying. Within 30 minutes of receiving this padlock, and having never picked a lock before in my life, I was able to single pin pick this open. I think it might have taken longer to open the packaging than to open the lock. Raking it open is even faster. I'm only giving it four stars though, because it's impossible to disassemble non-destructively. You'd need to chisel the rivets off the lock to be able to examine the core. Terrible padlock, good as baby's first lock picking trainer.

I bought this because I am learning to pick locks (which I suspect is why anyone buys them), having successfully picked the standard acrylic "trainer wheels" lock but then been stumped by a couple of random padlocks I had lying around. Within about five minutes I could rake it open reliably with my super-cheapo Bogota rake, and after about another ten I got it open for the first time using single-pin picking with a standard hook. Great confidence booster for a beginner! The feedback is quite clunky and high friction (you can feel some grinding going on when pins are binding), and the cylinder does not move around much under tension. It's easy to get a tension bar into the bottom of the keyway. I think there is plenty more to learn from this lock, even though it's been fairly easy to open. Highly recommended!

Why five stars if I am disappointed? Because after a week of daily efforts I am unable to open this lock, like apparently every lock picking apprentice (like me) VERY easily does! After opening the classic transparent padlock, then the same covered, a few cheap chinese, then an allegedly hard-to-pick Abus, I ordered this one feeling confident that I could pick it quickly. The lock feels good quality, there's a lot of feedback, I can feel the pins, the keyway is large etc. and yet I failed with every pick I have. I will keep trying of course but certainly the lock deserves 5 stars for being secure (at least from noobs!).

Ok, so let's start with why I brought it - knowing it was th laughing stock (masterlock in general it seems) of the lockpicking sport....I'm learning to pick and it's frequently touted as the go to lock for beginners (or so I thought). Do not buy this for anything other than the lightest security, and even then there are cheaper better alternatives. For picking, I would recommend you do a little digging first - while I've heard this lock be recommended multiple times, the bitting on the one I got was actually pretty extreme on pin 1 (pin 1 only needed the lightest knock to set it). Also, the lock is extremely poorly manufactured which makes feedback harder to understand. If you take a look at the likes of Reddit you'll find numerous people saying the same. Personally, I actually started on a kasp 12040 - feedback crisp, bitting easy, 4 pins and no security pins. Much nicer feedback and better for a beginner. If you do think about buying this lock for security though just be aware - I've heard it said that if lock picking lawyer sneezes, all masterlock 3s globally just....unlock.

For lockpicker's definitely a must have and a great practice lock. You can't go wrong with it! For people who need to secure their goods, I'd advice not to buy it! It's the easiest lock to pick in my collection. Takes me about 8 seconds to single pin pick or rake it and that's one of my slower days. I keep it around to feel comfortable and accomplished when I'm picking it. This is my goto padlock to pick and get some dopamine rush for the day.

item as described.

Surprisingly hard to open with lockpicks

Compré éste candado porque había escuchado que era perfecto para cerrajeros novatos, utiliza 4 pines normales, y no tiene ningún tipo de seguridad extra, esta es mí primera cerradura "de verdad", y soy capaz de abrirla en menos de 30 segundos, éste candado sólo sirve para cerrajeros novatos,o como medida "disuasoria", pero si buscáis un candado seguro y barato..., estáis pidiendo un milagro XD.

Taken for my lockpicking hobby, too easy, you can open it with any tool in 5-10 seconds net (good for beginners, not for locking anything)