Is it safe...

[Alcan]

... to buy a home safe.

I'm looking at buying a home safe, about 1 - 2 cu. ft., will be bolted through the floor. Any suggestions, tips, horror stories? I've watched several videos of Sentry electronic locks opened with a magnet so anything with an electronic lock is a non starter. Dial combination is my preference, key override would be nice but not a deal breaker. I'd like to keep it under $750 Cdn (that's about a Starbucks latte in the U.S.). This one looks promising, no plastic parts:

https://www.homedepot.ca/product/mes...afe/1000769272

[037]

Not another "is it safe" thread...

My only advice on a safe that small is to hide it. Bolt it to the floor no matter what. But, if you can put it somewhere truly out of sight then that will go a long way.

[Alcan]

Originally Posted by 037

Not another "is it safe" thread...

Well played, Erik.

I had to go back in and edit the title.

[Burlington]

Just added a safe actually for some other things but good to now have the chance to lock up my watch if I didn’t want to wear it one day and have insurance coverage applied.

I have placed it out of sight - no need to draw intrigue unnecessarily

[pickettt]

If you bolt a 1 cubic foot safe to your floor, it won’t be safe for your back.

[stratguy]

I highly recommend AmSec (American Security).

https://www.amsecusa.com

We bought this one:

https://www.amsecusa.com/product/ul1812x/

[superdog]

I just bought a buben&zorweg. Albeit one of their models designed for more of a regular person rather than their target audience.

I do realize I paid more for the name. But the reviews are exceptional and I ordered it with 18 winders inside.

It’ll anchor to the floor. I already have another safe so this’ll be specific to watches. I would post a picture, but I’ve read here that it might be foolish.

FWIW, I’m also reinforcing my office door and of course have an alarm system. And three little noise makers. Certainly no one is sneaking in. That’s for sure. I like the multi pronged approach. But I also realize a true pro that wants in, will find a way. I simply intend to make them work for it.

I think any fire rated safe will do the trick for you. And as discussed anchor it to the floor.

[Wcdhtwn]

If you get a smaller safe like this I’d recommend finding a way to elevate it so it doesn’t require getting on the floor to open. And if you do put it on the floor get a digital combination as working the analog style will be frustrating.

This is from first hand experience... my safe is analog and on the floor and I hate having to get in it. I’m thinking of getting a shelf I can put it on, just need to figure out how to secure it, maybe into a wall stud.

Have you considered a tall safe, which are typically gun safes, but you can put anything you want in them of course. A friend has a safe from Fort Knox, it’s an excellent brand.

[pickettt]

Originally Posted by pickettt

If you bolt a 1 cubic foot safe to your floor, it won’t be safe for your back.

Originally Posted by Wcdhtwn

If you get a smaller safe like this I’d recommend finding a way to elevate it so it doesn’t require getting on the floor to open. And if you do put it on the floor get a digital combination as working the analog style will be frustrating.

This is from first hand experience... my safe is analog and on the floor and I hate having to get in it. I’m thinking of getting a shelf I can put it on, just need to figure out how to secure it, maybe into a wall stud.

This was exactly my point. It’s awkward, and I’m getting older. If you do mount it elevated, secure it to studs on two (or more) different axes.

[Blansky]

I think buying a safe has so many variables. Is it for papers, then a box at the bank is probably better. Is fire an issue or a concern, then there is the rating issues.

Is it for watches, then convenience is a concern. Is it a hassle to get to.

Is it for weapons, then there are more concerns.

Some people, me included think that hiding places for stuff is better than safes, and get a box at the bank for wills etc.

Is an alarm system better than a safe. Could a home invasion put family members at risk and someone be made to open a safe for the bad guys.

Lots to think about.

[RObinx]

Originally Posted by pickettt

If you bolt a 1 cubic foot safe to your floor, it won’t be safe for your back.

[pyrostick]

I totally agree with getting an American security safe, or something with a TL rating. It all depends on what the safe is keeping safe.

I just got an AMSEC TL 15 safe. Weighs 3300 pounds, so definetly not easy to hide, but the knowledge that I have a really secure fire resistant box is awesome.

I will say, not all electric locks are made the same. Good ones are rated higher than almost any dial lock. A key back up is almost always going to be your weakest link.

Good luck on the search!

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[214270Explorer]

Any safe you get, regardless of size, should be considered to become a "bolted-downer" just for additional theft resistance.

[Headshrinker]

My best advice is to put the safe in a place where it will not be found by thieves.

[airchitect]

I hate to say it but safes are definitely a “get what you pay for” kind of item. Base your purchase on the value of what you’ll keep in it. If you can’t/can’t afford to easily replace it (ie heirlooms or a 10k watch) then save a bit more and pop on a Gardall or American Security

[dddrees]

Do some research and have some idea what your looking for and looking at. The word safe is most definitely misused by a number of manufacturers. You know it aint no safe if you bought it at Costco.

https://gunsafereviewsguy.com/articl...ft-protection/

[77T]

If your stuff to be protected will fit into a small 1-2 cubic feet safe, then get a good one of those and do a bundle with a tall, cheap one.

Bolt the tall cheap one to the floor and a wall. It is the honey pot to stall the thief. Let him attack it with whatever he can bring or find around your garage. Inside will be cheap bargain store trinkets. All the time, the alarm system is blaring, police alerted and his 30 minutes is up.

The good small safe should be in a more hidden space - perhaps behind a false wall in a broom closet or pantry. It would likely be missed unless the thief has inside info.

Just my 2¢




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Texas4ever]

I have a big 1200lbs safe bolted down in my garage...I also live in a gated community and have an alarm system.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[dddrees]

Originally Posted by Texas4ever

I have a big 1200lbs safe bolted down in my garage...I also live in a gated community and have an alarm system.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I can almost guarantee you that because it's only 1200lbs and not more like 3300lbs or more it's not TL rated. If you knew that when getting it and what that means and your satisfied with it then that's fine. At 1200lbs that's probably more like 10 or 11 gauge steel.

[1Zach1]

I have a TL-30×6 safe that holds our stuff.

[m j b]

Originally Posted by superdog

But I also realize a true pro that wants in, will find a way. I simply intend to make them work for it.

That's kind of my thinking. I have a safe, bolted into the floor (on top of, not in) which is just an old fashioned dial, nothing electronic. I count on it being hidden as more of a deterrent than the safe itself.

I also recently bought a wall safe, which is bolted into the wall. It's got a key, an electronic keypad and fingerprint reader. It's not going to stop any pro, but it's mostly there to keep the cleaning people honest and to give the wife a sense of security. My watches are all insured, so really the only hardship I'd have if they were to be stolen is that some of them (think Rolex) may be difficult to replace quickly, or for what I originally paid. I don't feel like paying extreme premiums to insure them at MSRP or market prices (whichever is higher). Odds are, I'll be fine.

Most burglars (as I understand it) don't want to spend any more time in a house than they have to, so they're unlikely to spend hours trying to get into a safe. You just want to discourage them enough to go elsewhere. I do this by taping a key to the safe and labeling it "neighbor's house".

j/k. LOL

[m j b]

I just realized that an enterprising thief could read my post and if they're real smart, could figure out my name and address. So let me add that on top of the attack cat that prowls the house, we have a house alarm and several retired neighbors who are always outside and very nosy when they see someone unfamiliar.

And the guy across the street who works from home.

I won't even mention the surveillance cameras and the retired FBI agent who rents out my attic room and has perpetual insomnia.

[Brew]

There's a crazy man who works in the basement of my home, accompanied by a big dog (used to be 3) and some fish. The guy rarely leaves, as his friends all laugh at his watches and the big dog has some serious separation issues. He has a small safe, but sometimes he forgets where he put it, if he remembers to use it in the first place . . . .