The Best Heavy Duty Padlock - 2022
We looked at the top 8 and dug through the reviews from 14 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best .
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Our Picks For The Top
Short ShackleThe ABUS Stainless Steel Padlock is a highly secure style of lock that will give you the greatest peace of mind when you lock up your valuables.
No-Spring DesignThe FJM Security Chrome Padlock is ideal for outdoor use in areas with salt and moisture.
Good ValueThe Schlage Solid Steel Padlock, 2-Pack boasts a hardened solid steel padlock body (63.5 millimeter) with a 2 1/2-inch Molybdenum shackle for increase
Long ShackleThe Master Lock Shackle Padlock is a great option when you need a lock with a longer-than-normal reach.
Why we recommend these ?
Products Considered
Products Analyzed
Expert Reviews Included
User Opinions Analyzed
Our experts reviewed the top 8 and also dug through the reviews from 14 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best of the best .
DWYM is your trusted roduct review source. Our team reviews thousands of product reviews from the trusted top experts and combines them into one easy-to-understand score. Learn more.
The Best Overall
ABUS Stainless Steel Padlock
Our Take
We like how short the shackle is on the ABUS Stainless Steel Padlock as it makes this style of lock much harder for a casual thief to break into. The lack of springs in this design further enhance the security of the lock by removing the ability for someone to drill into it and release the locking mechanism.
What other experts liked
What other experts didn't like
The Best Bang For Your Buck
Master Lock Shackle Padlock
Our Take
The long shackle on the Master Lock Shackle Padlock makes this product ideal for scenarios that require the padlock to have a longer reach, often the case when you want to lock a large chain around a gate or some similar application. The durable materials used also add to the security of this Master Lock Shackle Padlock.
What other experts liked
Our Findings
ABUS Stainless Steel Padlock
What We Liked: We like how short the shackle is on the ABUS Stainless Steel Padlock as it makes this style of lock much harder for a casual thief to break into. The lack of springs in this design further enhance the security of the lock by removing the ability for someone to drill into it and release the locking mechanism.
FJM Security Chrome Padlock
What We Liked: The design of the FJM Security Chrome Padlock removes the use of a spring, which is a weak point in some styles of padlocks. This security is matched by chrome-plated metal that withstands outdoor elements very well.
Schlage Solid Steel Padlock, 2-Pack
What We Liked: The Schlage Solid Steel Padlock, 2-Pack boasts a hardened solid steel padlock body (63.5 millimeter) with a 2 1/2-inch Molybdenum shackle for increased security.
Master Lock Shackle Padlock
What We Liked: The long shackle on the Master Lock Shackle Padlock makes this product ideal for scenarios that require the padlock to have a longer reach, often the case when you want to lock a large chain around a gate or some similar application. The durable materials used also add to the security of this Master Lock Shackle Padlock.
Kwikset SmartKey Padlock
What We Liked: The ability to rekey the Kwikset SmartKey Padlock to work with a typical house key makes this lock very convenient to use since you don’t need to keep track of a separate key for it. The ball-bearings on the inside also make it impervious to pry or hammer attacks.
Crystal Vision Alarm Padlock
What We Liked: The 130db alarm on the Crystal Vision Alarm Padlock is sure to scare away any potential thieves as it blares a loud alarm if they attempt to break into it. The lock is weatherproof and made from heavy-duty materials to ensure an added level of security.
Our Expert Consultant
Home Improvement Expert
Vicki Liston writes, produces, and narrates “On The Fly…DIY,” an award-winning home improvement and DIY show of unique project tutorials for the casual DIY’er.
Home improvement and all things DIY have been Liston’s passion since she bought her first house in 2007 and she started making video blogs in 2014. She’s performed hundreds of DIY projects, from small ones to major, wall-smashing renovations and can teach you how to make a trendy DIY barn door for cheap. The proceeds earned from “On The Fly…DIY” are donated to no-kill animal shelters and rescue organizations. You can find her show on Prime Video.
Our Buying Guide
Padlocks are the first line of defense between your valuable items and a pair of curious or devious hands that you might not want touching your goods. Padlocks are made of many types of metals, but generally, a carbide or alloy steel lock is the most durable metal and should be something you want to make sure you get in order to maximize the security you’re receiving.
Padlocks come in a wide range of sizes, from tiny locks designed to secure your luggage while you travel to heavy-duty locks that are used to secure doors or fences that might need a beefier padlock.
“With regards to heavy-duty padlocks, think ‘bigger is better,’ says Vicki Liston, writer, producer, and narrator of “On The Fly…DIY,” an award-winning home improvement and DIY show of unique project tutorials for the casual DIY’er. “The same goes for the number of pins. The more pins in a lock, the harder it is to pick so a six-pin model will be more secure than its five-pin counterpart.”
One feature that some padlocks have is a freely rotating shackle that removes typical weak spots found in spring-loaded padlocks, which are susceptible to being drilled into as a means of breaking the lock. The models with the freely rotating shackle will still need to be made from high strength steel and sometimes they come in coatings like chrome that help them resist outdoor and marine environments.
If the ultimate security of your padlock is the highest priority to you, look for heavy-duty models that will get you into a territory that makes them much harder for a thief to break. New technology in battery-power has introduced a difficult challenge for padlocks because thieves can be armed with rotary cutting tools that operate with a small battery, allowing them to have a pocket-sized tool that can cut through a lot of metals. This means that the weakest spot in many padlocks is simply the thinnest section of the lock, which is the shackle part that actually goes through the hardware that it is locking to. This can be combatted by using a round padlock that has a very small exposed shackle part that is mostly covered by the body of the padlock and also the hardware it’s attached to. These round padlocks are one of the most secure padlocks due to this design feature, assuming they are made with high-strength metals. An added benefit to the round padlock is that it can eliminate the use of internal springs, meaning a drill won’t be effective at breaking the lock by itself.
If you’re looking for even more security, you would want to find a lock that can’t be bumped open.
“Bumping is not only an effective break-in method for door locks — it can work on padlocks as well,” says Liston. “Bumping requires a special key and a mallet which ‘bumps’ the inner pins to realign to the special key’s shape and thus, unlocks with ease.”
DWYM Fun Fact
Padlocks are an old technology that dates back to the Roman era as early as 500BC. The metallurgy has improved greatly since those times, but the use of a lock to keep thieves away from your valuable items is an impressively old tradition.
The Tips and Advice
- Choose a padlock that is the right size for your needs. A longer shackle is necessary in some cases when you need to span a couple of inches. A shorter shackle is harder to break open, though, so if you can fit a lock with a shorter shackle you will enhance the security of the lock.
- If your lock will be outdoors, focus on materials that withstand the elements.
- If you are attaching the lock to a chain, get the chain as taut as possible so there is no unnecessary slack. Slack in the chain makes it easier to manipulate and lessens the security.
- Padlocks can have combinations or physical keys. Combination locks are handy when there are multiple people who need to use the lock since keys can be easily misplaced.
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