We’ve had electronic deadbolts for a few years now and it’s so nice to not have to remember to take the key on dog-walks or to go check the mail or to walk around the block (and especially for my wife who appreciates any opportunity to rail against the Pants Industrial Complex discriminating against women when it comes to pockets). Once a year or so, a low-battery condition will cause one of our locks to make an annoying rrrrr-rrrrr-rrrrr-rrrrr sound forever (until I replace the batteries) which seems like it could have been handled differently in design (e.g., try running the motor a few times with low battery and then switch to a “hey, low battery here!” beep every minute or something), but at least now I know how to fix that rrrrr-rrrrr situation. All of which is to say if this works for your situation, it’s a helpful device to have. And pretty easy to install. Directions are good, a gazillion videos online in case you are allergic to written instructions.
I have a pair of these (in shiny brass color to match my door knob sets). Had them for I dont know how many years, at least five or maybe 9-10 years. My experience with batteries is slightly different that andymand. Sometimes I don’t get the door closed all the way, and when the deadbolt runs in to the door instead of the hole, it gives a warning alarm and keeps trying, giving that whir-whir sound. And that seems to jam the gears enough that it won’t push the bolt until I clear it, by manual open + electronic re-lock (pressing the middle (padlock) button), to move the gears. The 9v battery does wear out, and the red-LED on the inside begins flashing unti replaced or completely dead. Takes a decent amount of time (weeks) to require replacing from first warning. It does NOT lose set combos when replacing batt, or if it completely dies. I increase battery life by manually bolting the lock with door open when I’m just going in n out for a quicky, to eliminate the time on timer and number of motor activations. I can get 1-2 years of battery life.
One of the preferences that can be set is to auto-lock after 30 seconds, I wish the time could be set longer, but I use this feature on the front door and disabled it on the laundry-garage door.
Several combinations can be set and I have at least three for family members, so they can be changed if a kid shares theirs, without impacting adults, and so if a kid forgets a combo, they can be shared another over the phone. And I have a preset giveaway combo for emergencies (ex paramedics) - THAT one has saved my life (and my door) - heart attack home alone…
I like the 6-digit combo, perfect size, but I wish it permitted a 6-10 digit range, to confuse strangers. I prefer this deadbolt over “smart” models - I don’t need a phone, I don’t need internet access, I don’t pay for a cloud service, I don’t worry about a cloud service going bankrupt, I don’t wonder how secure a fingerprint might be (2-points of uniqueness or 50?).
So, I came to this page 'cause I was thinking about getting a spare, in case mine breaks or dies, but, alas, wrong color … back to my wish list. These locks work well for me.
If you have Vivint or another alarm company that uses Z wave this deadbolt is compatible with your system. I’m tempted to get a couple for my doors that don’t have one. Especially since I’ve had a hard time finding them.
My experience with the batteries is different because my Vivint app lets me know when they’re running low.