walmart kryptonites
 

are the walmart kryptonites any good? i saw today the had them for under 20 bucks, plus they had on guard locks for $15 to $20. yes, i know the on guards are not terribly well regarded, but the prices are very tempting. they also have the heavy on guard chain for about $40. this lock is like $86 at rei.
i know you get what you pay for, but what do you all think?

thanks, mike

was it this lock?
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...ct_id=10370936

i wouldn't pay 20bucks for that. its a good walmart lock, but a bad bike lock. to be honest your better off buying the top of the line lock Fahgettaboudit for 65 bucks on ebay(or a newyork series). what cost more 65 dollar lock or a whole new bike? really you should use two 2locks or ulock with a chain, but even that is cheaper than any new bike and most bikes on craigs list. and think of the peice of mind you buy, just 45 dollars more such a better lock and it only weights ~2pounds more. not a big deal.

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-YORK-KRYPTON...3D10%26ps%3D63

I have an onguard, this one I believe http://www.onguardlock.com/?page_id=329 and I'm not too happy with it. The lock seems to work alright, occasionally it gets jammed, but with a little jimmying and patience it can easily be fixed. My real qualm is with the lock mount. The mounting bracket lost a chip of plastic after 2 months, and now my lock is quite loose in the bracket. The metal component of the mounting system on the u lock has to be tightened with a multi tool every once in awhile (I learned that when mine fell off). I'm considering writing a letter of complaint to the company when my mounting bracket breaks. And fwiw, the mount is on my seat post because of my bike geometry. I've only had 2 heel ejects with the set up so far.

All in all if I were in your shoes, I'd spring for one of the better kryptonite locks. I can't speak for the quality of the walmart ones though.

you shouldnt even use those mounting brackets to begin with -- they always suck, they always rattle, and they could cause you to wreck if the lock every comes free. just put the lock in your rack, bag, or under your belt. if your lock is gunked up and not working well, spray some lock-ease in there.

should read the fine print on krypto locks.
lots of paper work and time restrictions applied to the bike and lock.

Yep, I would like to hear from one person who has every been the recipient of a bike replacement under Kryptonite's warranty. I have never heard of it paying out. There always seems to be something the victim didn't do that keeps them from making a claim. I'd be happy to be proved wrong on this, though.

I would say as a secondary lock, yes that would be a good idea for the price. But i wouldn't make this your primary lock.

After the first bit broke off my onguard mounting bracket, I just got rid of it and put the lock in the pannier. The U conveniently fits perfectly in an external mesh pouch.

I think I'll probably get a new (higher end) lock next year. When I bought the onguard, the lock quality:bike value ratio was right, but I got a new bike this year, and really should up the lock quality to go with it.

I got no complaints with my onguard bulldog mini tc. It was only $20, half the weight of the kryptonites, and it's great for my little errands. It is not significantly weaker than a krypto; I'm pretty sure it'll still take power tools to defeat. Too small for leverage attacks. I did a lot of research on this and a while back that alanbikehouston guy gave it the thumbs up, and he seemed to know his ish. To me a krypto mini is not worth >3x as much. If I was locking my surly steamroller up all day everyday or something, I would however use a big ol' krypto chain or at least get a 2nd U.

As for the onguard keyhole I did read them being a little fishy for some people but you've just gotta be sure you don't turn the key until it's 100% inserted and the crossbar fully pressed in. If there's resistance, don't turn; pretty simple. Also I might get some graphite lock lube as a preventative, can't hurt.

I bought a Kryptonite Mini U for $45 on sale. It seems like a small price to pay for the piece of mind and added security over most cheaper locks. In addition, I don't shop at Wally World...

Good luck!