Puck Locks Exposed: Unveiling the Best and Worst!
Puck Locks are a great invention that generally provides better security than a standard padlock. This is because the locking pin is hidden inside the body of the lock. But this also makes puck locks not as versatile as a good padlock.
Puck locks are best used for mounting on flat surfaces, van and trailer doors, gates, and other mountings where there is a flat surface to protect the back of the lock.
When installed correctly puck locks provide a very high level of security.
Please Note: There are many puck locks on the market with major security flaws. You can see some of the ones that have these flaws below.
Quick Guide to Puck Locks
- Find a Good Puck Lock With No Security Flaws
This might seem obvious but there are many puck locks for sale and many of the top-selling locks have terrible security flaws that allow a thief to open them without a key just as fast as if they had one. You can see some of the puck locks with security flaws to avoid here. - Mounting Security
Like any lock, they are only as strong as what you attach them to, so buying a good hasp with a shroud to stop the lock being twisted off, or adding a spinner to the outside of the lock is highly advised.
We have much more information on when to use puck locks and how to choose the best ones later in this article.
Best Puck Locks
There are many puck locks out there from dozens of companies and they all look very similar to each other. Many of them have similar claims about their security and features but there are many that hide terrible design flaws and security problems, you can see some of the puck locks to avoid here.
This list of puck locks are the ones that have been tested, proven, and rated to be secure so you can trust that these are all good quality and will keep your valuables safe!
Paclock: UCS-9S
The cone shape of the front face of this lock is what makes this one of the most drill-resistant puck locks on the market. The body of this lock is 304 stainless steel and this combined with the shape of the front of the lock makes it extremely hard to drill.
The overall construction of this lock is great and the interchangeable lock cylinder makes this a very versatile and great puck lock to use. especially when combined with the paclock hasp, this is a force to be reckoned with for any would-be thief.
The only real downside to this lock is that it is not the cheapest option as the price of the lock itself is more than most other lock and hasp combinations from other companies. But this one has the security to back it up.
The Good
- Best anti-drill protection
- Stainless steel construction
- Weather resistant
- User-changeable lock core for re-keying
- Adequate pick resistance
The Bad
- Price
- Heavy at 2.2/b or 1kg
Specifications
| Lock Core | Paclock interchangeable core |
| Features | Anti-drill, Weather Resistant |
| Construction | 304 Stainless Steel |
Ratings
*Paid Links
Paclock: UCS-7A
The standard offering from Paclock covers all bases well while keeping the budget under control. The normal lock has an aluminum body and a flat front face. So this one is technically more susceptible to drilling attaches than the lock above but saves you some money.
Overall Paclocks products are well designed and thought out. You can tell that the company cares about producing good quality, easy-to-use, and long-lasting products. This carries through to all their products that avoid the pitfalls that so many other lock manufacturers fall into.
The Good
- Interchangeable keys
- Great standard puck lock
- Lightweight aluminium construction
- Great mounting options with the Paclock hasp
The Bad
- Still not a very cheap lock
Specifications
| Lock Core | Paclock interchangeable core |
| Features | Anti-drill, Weather Resistant |
| Construction | Stainless Steel |
Ratings
*Paid Links
Slick Lock: AL-PL-1
If you are mounting a puck lock without a hasp that will protect the lock from being twisted then we recommend that you get a Slick Lock with the spinner attached.
The basic Slick lock is also not a bad option for a puck lock as it is well-built, and doesn’t have any known security flaws. But where it really shines is when it has the spinner added. This increases the security of the lock significantly by stopping the lock from being broken off the hasp.
Slick Lock has created a pretty nice, no-bolt, series of hasps for many different vehicles to go with their puck locks. The only problem with these is that they can quite easily be cut with a hacksaw behind the lock. This is why we only recommend their puck locks and spinners and not their hasps.
That being said you can also purchase the spinner separately and add it to any lock you already have.
The Good
- The spinner addition from slick locks is the best part
- Good build quality
- No known security flaws
The Bad
- Not as secure as some others on this list
Specifications
| Lock Core | Paclock interchangeable core |
| Features | Anti-drill, Weather Resistant |
| Construction | Stainless Steel |
Ratings
*Paid Links
Mul-t-lock: TR 100
For the very best pick resistance, this is the puck lock to get. Mul-t-locks are known for having great pick resistance and the TR 100 does not disappoint. With its Interactive+ lock core, this one gets the highest pick rating by the lockpicking community with a black belt ranking.
The body and locking pin are made of hardened steel meaning that this is one tough beast and should put up with punishment from drill attacks and almost anything else you could throw at it.
All around this is one of the best puck locks on the market, build quality and security are all top-notch, the only issue is the price as you could buy several of the other locks for the price of one of these. That being said if you want the best of the best then is the puck lock to get.
Finally, this puck lock is compatible with most hasps and accessories meant for most puck locks like the Masterlock hasp we have below.
The Good
- Hardened steel body
- Best pick resistance
- Top-of-the-line hockey puck lock
The Bad
- Very Expensive
Specifications
| Lock Core | Mul-t-lock Pin-in-Pin Core |
| Features | Anti-drill, Weather Resistant |
| Construction | Hardened Steel |
Ratings
*Paid Links
Puck Lock Hasps and Spinners
We recommend you buy a spinner or a hasp with a shroud to protect your puck lock from the most common type of attack, twisting the lock off with a large wrench.
Puck locks are very durable and provide a great level of security but then need to be paired with good quality mounting equipment or they can still be defeated easily.
Paclock: PL810 Hasp
When combined with one of the Paclock puck locks this hasp is one of the best on the market. It is very sturdy and has a great coating that will make it last a long time.
You can even tell the extra thought that went into this one as the lock can be bolted into the hasp meaning that you don’t have to remove it to open the hasp.
It also has a really nice thick shroud around the puck lock to stop it from being twisted off a big wrench or pried off with a crowbar.
The Good
- Good Price
- 3-layer weather coating
- Mounting holes to attach the puck lock to the hasp
The Bad
- Requires bolting directly through the door
Specifications
| Features | Weather Resistant |
| Construction | Stainless Steel |
Ratings
*Paid Links
WAR-LOK: PH-10
If you are after a simple hasp that is strong, well-priced, and will do the job then look no further.
while it doesn’t have some of the features of the other hasps if you just want a basic strong hasp then this is a great one to go with.
It is made from solid steel and is zinc coated to make it last in the weather. It will do the job and if you are on a budget this now is perfect.
The Good
- Cheap
The Bad
- Requires bolting directly through the door
- Not as high quality as others
- Weather coating is not as good as others
Specifications
| Features | Weather Resistant |
| Construction | Steel |
Ratings
*Paid Links
Slick Lock: Spinner 360
This spinner can be purchased to fit almost any puck lock that you can get your hands on, just make sure you get the right size. With this installed, it significantly increases the security of the lock by stopping one of the most common ways these locks are defeated.
The Good
- Can be added to most puck locks
- Comes in different sizes
- Protects from a common attack on puck locks
- Provides more weather protection for the lock
The Bad
- Additional cost to the lock
Specifications
| Features | Weather Resistant |
| Construction | Aluminium |
Ratings
*Paid Links
Puck Locks vs Padlocks?
So puck locks are different from Padlocks that much is obvious but when is it good to use one over the other? What makes one better or worse than the other in certain situations?
We will answer those questions and more here.
When is it best to use a Puck Lock
Puck locks are designed to be used in situations where the lock has a flat surface to be mounted on. Van doors, trailer doors, gates, barn or shed doors, and any other situation where there are doors that close flush.
In this situation, they are superior to a padlock because they protect the locking pin of the padlock in the body of the lock. This makes the lock extremely hard to remove from the surface it’s mounted on to open the door it is securing.
Benefits of Puck Locks
The main benefit of a puck lock is that the shackle, the locking part of the lock, the shackle, is hidden away inside the large metal body of the lock. This makes it significantly harder to cut or break the lock.
They are also perfect for vehicles because they tend to rattle and move less because of how they are attached to the surface of the door.
Drawbacks of Puck Locks
They are much less versatile than a padlock. By moving the shackle inside the lock they are no good for use with chains or any other application where they are not mounted on a flat surface.
Choosing a Puck Lock
Now that we know where puck locks are most effective along with the benefits and drawbacks of the locks we can move on to what we need to look for to find a good one.
What to look for
- High-security locking core
- Strong construction materials like stainless steel or hardened steel
What to Avoid
- Tubular locking cores
- Unknown brand names
- Budget price locks
- Any lock with a zinc construction
– Dimensions and Compatibility
One of the first factors you should consider is the compatibility and any limits you have for the lock.
- Does it need to be of a certain size?
- Is the weight of the lock important?
- Do you have an existing hasp you need a puck lock to fit?
Answering these questions will help you narrow down the size of the lock you need and the type of hasp or locking point you will need.
– Cost
The importance of the price will be different for everyone but it comes down to what you are protecting and the budget you have available.
– Features
There are not that many features that puck locks come with as they are quite basic items, but there are some that you should think about.
Lock Cylinder
The cylinder is the part of the lock that is picked or drilled. Look for a lock with a high-security cylinder, such as a disc detainer.
Weather resistance
If you will be using the lock outdoors, it is important to choose one that is weather resistant.
– Durability and Materials
The material of the lock is extremely important not just for its weatherproofing and environmental durability, but also it’s resistance to drilling and breaking attacks.
– Puck Lock Security
It all comes down to the security. This is the most important factor and all other points contribute to this.
Ratings
While having a security rating from an independent rating agency is not essential it does give a lock a lot more credibility.
There are many different ratings and you can find some more information on them here.
Security Flaws
There are a large number of puck locks on the market with security flaws that make them effectively useless as security devices so make sure you steer clear of these. We have a number of these locks listed below so you can avoid them.
- Comb picking is where a comb pick can push all the pins in the locking core up into the lock above the “sheer line” allowing the lock to be opened like the key has been inserted.
- Raking is where the lock can be opened easily with just some basic lockpicking tools and a couple of seconds to pick the lock with little skill.
- Drilling the fast of the lock to access the internals is another way of attacking these locks and is very effective on some models of lock.
The above security flaws exist on many of the hockey puck locks on the market now so we advise being very vigilant.
Worst Puck Locks – DO NOT BUY THESE
Puck locks can all look the same on the surface. But beauty is skin deep as the saying goes and there are some that have terrible security flaws.
Some of the security flaws are so bad that it would be the same as if any thief simply had a key to the lock…
Masterlock Puck Lock
The LockPickingLawyer has mentioned the defects in this lock many times on his channel and Masterlock has not updated the design of this lock in years.
The exploit of this lock really is inexcusable because it is such a glaring flaw in the design that leaves people’s property so openly exposed that this really needs to be resolved.
American Lock Puck Lock
The LockPickingLawyer has mentioned the defects in this lock many times on his channel and Masterlock has not updated the design of this lock in years.
The exploit of this lock really is inexcusable because it is such a glaring flaw in the design that leaves people’s property so openly exposed that this really needs to be resolved.
Trimax Puck Lock
Three is a charm as they say and this one is no different. Just like the locks above the same design flaw carries over to this lock that can be opened by a rake as fast as you can open the lock with a key.
NU-SET Puck Lock
While this is slightly better than the locks above this not by much, this lock has such loose tolerances on the locking core that it can be raked open in seconds.
Summary
Unfortunately, the security industry is flooded with low-quality, poorly designed and built locks that don’t even stand up to the basic claims of their security.
These days locks are recommended simply because they are “top sellers” not because they are good quality locks. This is doubly bad because this is a feedback loop that once a lock becomes a good seller it will just stay there even if it is a terrible lock with low security and this is the case for many locks on the market these days.
Thankfully there are good options and they are getting some more popularity over time but this is an uphill battle. This is exactly the purpose of this article and we hope that you found a lock that meets your needs and also gives you the level of security that you expect.
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