Helpful Tips

Nov

2019

Locksmith Lingo

In this YouTube video, Lock It Up Inc.'s owner Brian Kessler gets you familiar with some of the terms you may hear your locksmith use.

Jun

2019

Choose your locksmith carefully.

In this video blog, Lock It Up owner Brian Kessler tells you why you need to choose your locksmith carefully, and why you should always choose one before you need one.

Oct

2018

Car keys, locks, and remotes. How do they work?

Sep

2017

Locksmith Scammers - Part 1

Locksmith Scammers...they are out there. Learn more!

Aug

2017

Can we program keys bought online?

This is a question we get frequently! Check out this video to find out the answer.

Jul

2015

This is an interesting question. Basically, a code key is a key that is cut to exact factory specifications. It is made fresh and not duplicated from an existing key. Why is this important? There are many reasons and I’ll outline some for you.

All locks have different tolerances in their mechanical make-up. That means that some locks will operate with a badly cut or badly worn keys and some locks won’t operate if the key is only a few thousandths off in the cut depth or spacing. For example, Kwikset locks are quite sloppy. You can usually get a Kwikset lock to work even with a really poorly cut or worn key. High security keys such as Medeco, will NOT work if the key is mis-cut by even a very small margin.

Jul

2015

Can I get keys and remotes from eBay?

I am often called about cutting and programming keys and remotes purchased from online sources. For this article I will just use the term “keys”, but remotes have the same issues. People often don’t like the response given when asked. There are many, many key sellers online and they are not all created equal. The old adage that “If it sounds too good to be true…” is the best advice I can give you.

Many times the keys sold online are much cheaper than those sold by locksmiths and the dealer. There a few reasons for this. Many of these keys are produced by Chinese companies and are very inexpensive. The problems are quality and reliability. The Chinese are known for copying just about everything out there. There are mixed results when it comes the quality of the products. Many of these keys are made from inferior products. Over time, sometimes a very short time, the plastics will break, the metal in the keys can be too brittle, even the transponder chips have been known to fail.

Jul

2014

The Dealer Said They Are The Only Ones Who Can Make My Key!

I am often told by people I come in contact with, that the dealer says that only the dealer can make them an extra key. Well I hate to say it, but that is just simply not always true. I am not a car dealer, so I can't tell you all there is to know about selling cars. The dealer is not a locksmith, so there is no way for them to know exactly what a locksmith is capable of doing when it comes to keys and remotes.

There are some vehicles that we locksmiths cannot currently duplicate or replace, but not many. And all it takes is a phone call to see if we can do it and get a price. If you get a cheaper price from the dealer, please let us know and give us the opportunity to meet or beat it if we can. It's not always possible to beat them, but we will always be honest with you, and are happy to look into it.

Dec

2012

I Need a Safe!

So you need a safe huh? What is the first step? Where do you look? How much does one cost? What kind do I need? What size should I buy?

All of these are good questions, and questions that you need to answer before you buy anything. Not all safes are created equal and not all safes do the same job. Most people start out asking a friend who owns a safe and progress to the internet from there. There is so much information available that it can be overwhelming. I am going to try to give you some information and take away part of the mystery for you.

Mar

2012

What's in it for me?

Have you ever had to have a locksmith come out to rekey your home or make a car key after you lost yours at the lake? Many of us have, in fact these are two of the most common services that we provide.

Quite often it seems that the caller gets a case of sticker shock when they ask for a quote. We often hear that the dealer is cheaper or the caller wants to bring the item into the shop. I'd like to take the opportunity to talk about both scenarios.