How to Choose a Combination Padlock You Will Not Get Locked Out Of
A padlock is only as good as the weakest thing it touches, so start with where it lives. A lock left out in weather needs a body and shackle that shrug off rust, while a gym locker just needs something you will not lose the key to. The specs that matter are body width, which tells you how much metal is protecting the mechanism, and shackle diameter and clearance, which decide what the lock will actually fit through.
The other real decision is how it is keyed. Keyed different means every lock carries its own key, which is fine until you are standing at a gate with a fistful of them. Keyed alike lets one key run a whole group, which is convenient right up until that key goes missing. Combination locks trade the key problem for a memory problem. None of these is wrong; they just fail in different ways, and it is worth picking the failure you can live with.
Master Lock Combination Dial Padlock, Black, Body Width: 1-7/8" (48mm), Shackle Length: 3/4" (19mm), Shackle Width: 13/16" (21mm), Shackle Diameter: 9/32" (7mm)
This is Master Lock's take on a combination padlock, in a black finish. It comes a combination that needs no key.
On paper it gives body width 1-7/8" (48mm); shackle length 3/4" (19mm); shackle width 13/16" (21mm). With no key to lose you also have no key to fall back on, so commit the code to memory before you rely on it.
Master Lock Combination Brass Padlock Resettable, Set-Your-Own 4-Digit, Display Pack, Body Width: 2" (51mm), Shackle Length: 1" (25mm), Shackle Width: 1" (25mm), Shackle Diameter: 5/16" (8mm)
From Master Lock, this is a combination padlock in a brass finish. This one is a combination that needs no key.
On paper it gives body width 2" (51mm); shackle length 1" (25mm); shackle width 1" (25mm). With no key to lose you also have no key to fall back on, so commit the code to memory before you rely on it.
Master Lock Combination Brass Padlock Resettable, Body Width: 2" (51mm), Shackle Length: 1" (25mm), Shackle Width: 1" (25mm), Shackle Diameter: 5/16" (8mm)
This is Master Lock's take on a combination padlock, wearing a brass finish. It comes a combination that needs no key.
The feed lists body width 2" (51mm); shackle length 1" (25mm); shackle width 1" (25mm). With no key to lose you also have no key to fall back on, so commit the code to memory before you rely on it.
Master Lock Combination Brass Padlock Resettable Word, Body Width: 2" (51mm), Shackle Length: 1" (25mm), Shackle Width: 1" (25mm), Shackle Diameter: 5/16" (8mm)
From Master Lock, this is a combination padlock wearing a brass finish. It comes a combination that needs no key.
On paper it gives body width 2" (51mm); shackle length 1" (25mm); shackle width 1" (25mm). With no key to lose you also have no key to fall back on, so commit the code to memory before you rely on it.
Master Lock Combination Brass Padlock Resettable, Body Width: 2" (51mm), Shackle Length: 2-1/4" (57mm), Shackle Width: 1" (25mm), Shackle Diameter: 5/16" (8mm)-175DLHWD
Master Lock offers this as a combination padlock, in a brass finish. It comes a combination that needs no key.
It measures 2" in the dimension the feed calls out. With no key to lose you also have no key to fall back on, so commit the code to memory before you rely on it.
Master Lock Combination Brass Padlock Resettable, Body Width: 2" (51mm), Shackle Length: 2-1/4" (57mm), Shackle Width: 1" (25mm), Shackle Diameter: 5/16" (8mm)-175LH-D
This is Master Lock's take on a combination padlock, in a brass finish. This one is a combination that needs no key.
On paper it gives body width 2" (51mm); shackle length 2-1/4" (57mm); shackle width 1" (25mm). With no key to lose you also have no key to fall back on, so commit the code to memory before you rely on it.
Choosing well
If you take one thing from this, match the lock to the job and the shackle to the hasp or hardware it has to pass through. Measure before you buy, because a padlock that will not close around your chain is just a paperweight. Any of the picks above will do honest work once it is sized right.
At a glance: how these compare
| Product | Brand | Finish | Type | Key detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Master Lock Combination Dial Padlock, Black, Body Width: 1-7/8" (48mm), Shackle Length: 3/4" (19mm), Shackle Width: 13/16" (21mm), Shackle Diameter: 9/32" (7mm) | Master Lock | Black | combination | Body Width 1-7/8" (48mm) |
| Master Lock Combination Brass Padlock Resettable, Set-Your-Own 4-Digit, Display Pack, Body Width: 2" (51mm), Shackle Length: 1" (25mm), Shackle Width: 1" (25mm), Shackle Diameter: 5/16" (8mm) | Master Lock | Brass | set-your-own combination | Body Width 2" (51mm) |
| Master Lock Combination Brass Padlock Resettable, Body Width: 2" (51mm), Shackle Length: 1" (25mm), Shackle Width: 1" (25mm), Shackle Diameter: 5/16" (8mm) | Master Lock | Brass | combination | Body Width 2" (51mm) |
| Master Lock Combination Brass Padlock Resettable Word, Body Width: 2" (51mm), Shackle Length: 1" (25mm), Shackle Width: 1" (25mm), Shackle Diameter: 5/16" (8mm) | Master Lock | Brass | combination | Body Width 2" (51mm) |
| Master Lock Combination Brass Padlock Resettable, Body Width: 2" (51mm), Shackle Length: 2-1/4" (57mm), Shackle Width: 1" (25mm), Shackle Diameter: 5/16" (8mm)-175DLHWD | Master Lock | Brass | combination | 2" |
| Master Lock Combination Brass Padlock Resettable, Body Width: 2" (51mm), Shackle Length: 2-1/4" (57mm), Shackle Width: 1" (25mm), Shackle Diameter: 5/16" (8mm)-175LH-D | Master Lock | Brass | combination | Body Width 2" (51mm) |
Finishes and details above come from the current product listings. No pricing is shown here because feed prices go stale fast; check the retailer for the latest.
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