But not all padlocks are the same. In the Kasp range we've given each lock a Security Rating from 1-15 so that you can tell how well each lock resists attack. This rating is based on a combination of:

 

• Time - how long would it take to open the lock and therefore how likely is the thief to be caught?

• Noise - How noisy would it be to attack the lock and how much attention would that draw?

• Inconvenience - Wouldn't it be easier just to go elsewhere?

• Tools - are tools required to open the lock and how likely would they be to be incriminating. Excuse me sir, do you often walk around with a crowbar?

• Expertise - is a high level of skill and expertise required to break the lock?

 

Modern cordless tools such as hydraulic cutters, grinders and drills have all made it easier for a would-be thief to get through a lock so the security rating should always be an important consideration.

 

If you ask someone to actually consider the total value of the items they're looking to secure, or how upsetting and inconvenient it would be if they were stolen, you may well find they're willing to go that bit higher and pay more for a better level of protection.

 

Obviously there's little point in spending a fortune on a padlock for a garden gate, on the other hand there's little point in using a cheaper lock on, say, a van full of tools worth thousands. Kasp™ recommends spending between 1 and 5% of the value of the thing being secured.