We have Master locks that are less than four years old. They are jacketed in plastic and have a plastic cap that doesn't stay snapped over the key hole. Some work just fine, but there are some that are difficult to open, some are difficult to lock and one has been pronounced DOA by the local hardware guy.

We are thinking of purchasing different locks in the future and we are wondering if anybody out there has found a hassle free lock that stands up to dirt and water.

Just put some grease on the keyhole to keep the dirt and grime out. Usually a squirt of WD-40 loosens our locks right up, but they've only been out there 2-years so far.

One of our locals is a locksmith. He replaced our Master Locks with padlocks made from Aluminium. It is night & day, It has cut the basket moving process time in half. There is no time spent fooling with the lock. Aliminium locks cost a good bit more, but if you are the one moving the baskets they are well worth it.

WD 40 is great to clean the inside mechanism. Go with a lube for best results after cleaning. PB Blaster works good. I'm sure there are others. It is also a good idea to keep junk out of the locks in the first place. Maybe a styrofoam cup over them, at least over the empty sleeves to keep mud out.

We use WD 40 and it helps to have a pair of pliers and a small hammer. Pliers to get a stuck key out of the lock and the hammer for tapping them to get them to lock again. So far moving them hasn't been a problem, unless you forget your pliers.

We have Master locks....They are jacketed in plastic and have a plastic cap that doesn't stay snapped over the key hole.

We have the same locks.

Take some time and clean them out with WD-40 or Liquid Wrench

Then, take some gear oil and squeeze it into every opening of the lock.

We do this once a year and they open like butter.

Do it twice a year and you should never have any issues.

this did remind me to do this before the first good freeze of the year.

Oil the locks, but I would avoid using WD-40. While it may help in the short-term, the general consensus online is that it gums things up long term.

Oil the locks, but I would avoid using WD-40. While it may help in the short-term, the general consensus online is that it gums things up long term.


i would second that. the first time i cleaned all the locks at my local course, we just went the WD-40 route and they all had to be redone after a couple of good rains.

like i said, these are good locks, just show them a little TLC and give them a liberal pumping of some heavy duty gear oil. If you are really worried about it, then get a small tube of silicon grease as well and put a big dab of it on the key entry after you get done oiling the lock.

our course currently has a handfull of different style locks, several keyrings, nobody knows which key fits what... So, naturally, baskets don't get moved much. I'm hoping to mine the wealth of experience out there on weatherproof, keyed-alike locks to see who's had good/bad experiences with which manufacturers, etc. Minmizing cost is important, but having something that'll last, keep out sand & dirt, and stand up to abuse is paramount. Anyone out there have any input ??