1. Steer Clear of Sentry, Stack-on, Winchester, Cannon, and Heritage. All this product is stitch or tack welded bodies. Some of the product uses pieced together door frames. Some of this product doesn't actually under go a fire test. Some of this product will not be covered under the warranty as the manufacturer states. Some of this product doesn't use a relocker system, or UL Listed Locks. All of this product is made with one thing in mind, making the manufacturer money.
2. Dont buy a safe from Costco, Cabelas, or a Box store. If you want to buy a safe for cheap, with the only thing the retailer thinking about is making themselves money, then buy safes at Costco, Walmart, Home depot, lowes, Cabelas, etc....... If you want to buy a safe where someone will tell you about how it is made, what the security level is, what the fire protection level is, and how the warranty works, then go to a safe store. Almost everyone who chooses a safe under buys by a lot. Almost no one actually realizes what they are actually getting for their money. Cheap safes are easy to break into, will sustain a lot of internal damage in a fire, in a lot of cases lock you out of them, and are in almost every case providing you with a false sense of security. Buying from a safe professional will only benefit you. They will have the best pricing, they will have the most knowlede, they will have the best product, they will have the best customer service, they will have an installation service, and they will be the bridge between you and the manufacturer if you ever have issues with the safe, or need to take advantage of the warranty on the safe.
3. Buy once, cry once. On an industry whole, you can spend $1,200 on a brand new 60x30 size safe, and it can be pried open in most cases within minutes. It will not survive a total loss house fire in most cases. However, it will fool you into thinking it is an awesome safe. Just jumping up $400 will get you into a safe that will keep a thief out for a while with a pry tool, will do well in a total loss house fire, and will actually be an awesome safe. Cheap safes are cheap, you do get what you pay for. There is a reason why some safes cost more than others. Spend the $1,600 instead of the $1,200, or $800 or $500 and you wont ever have to spend the money again if you dont outgrow the safe.
4. Listen to the safe professional. Safes do get broken into all the time. Safes do go through house fires. Safes do get stolen all the time, and EVERYONE is at risk of these things happening to them. It is the safe professionals job to know about what they sell, and what everyone else is selling as well. You can look on the internet all you want, but spending an hour in a safe store talking to the safe people will teach you more than you can learn on the internet in any given amount of time. In a safe store you will see things on the safes, in the safes, and hear things about the safes that you will never ever see or read about on the internet.
5. Steer clear of the junk safes out there. EVERY manufacturer makes them. It does not matter who the manufacturer is, if it is under $1,600 then it is junk. It will keep a child out of it, or a quick smash and grab thief, and that is it. The only exception to this rule, is when the normally $1,600 safes go on sale.
It is the truth.
6. Layer your personal and home security. Being safe doesn't end with just owning a safe. Lights, home alarms, cameras, and guns will keep people away and save your life. A good home alarm is a bigger deterrent than a gun safe is any day.
7. If you want to know who's product to look at, start with: Liberty, Browning, Superior, Summit, Eagle Safe, Original safe, and NW Safe Elite's are all good places to start. Stick with a 60 minute or higher fire rating, bolt coverage on at least 3 sides of the door, relockers, anti drill hardplates, UL Listed Locks, and CONTINOUS welded bodies are a must.
You guys are living in a state where there is a Safe Store that has the BEST safe delivery crew, sales team, and customer service in the world.
If you have Questions ask away.
Somebody brough up that a certain manufacturer was the best bang for the buck. Ask these questions:
1. Are the Locks they use UL Listed?
2. Are the safes made in China?
3. Are the bodies continous welded? If they are, how do they know?
4. How long is the warranty on the safe?
5. How long is the warranty on the Lock? How long on Parts, and how long on Labor?
6. How many pieces of steel is the body made of?
7. What is the gauge thickness of the body?
8. Does the safe have a relocker?
9. Does the safe have an anti drill barrier in front of the lock?
10. What is the steel thickness of the internal door hardware that secures all the locking bolts?
11. Who fire tests the safe?
12. Where do they place the pyrometer probes inside the safe during the fire test?
13. Do they gradually heat up the furnace across the entire test, or do they heat it up within a certain time to get it up to temperature?
14. Do they have lifetime theft and fire coverage?
15. Does the Lock have a key backup?
