Once More Time, About KEYS and LOCKS and COIN BOXES

            Take notes this time, okay? I remember one of my teachers, one day, in complete frustration, she threw her hands in the air and said, “Ya buy ‘em books, and buy ‘em books and all they do is lick the covers!”   Maybe I am getting cranky and irascible in my old age, or maybe I have just heard so many things that are correct about locks and coin boxes, and yet so much that is pure manure. So, let’s address the boxes first.

            Most machines use boxes made by either ESD, Greenwald, or Monarch.  There are some boxes made by the machine’s manufacturer, but we will come back to that.  These coin boxes are essentially the same, a galvanized steel tray, a stamped steel face, with stamped steel plate that supports the lock, stamped steel arms that lock the box into place, and some other bits and pieces that are stamped.  There may be the occasional spring and spacers here and there, too. Most of the outer steel parts are heat treated to make them tougher.  So, there is not a big difference from one to another. The appearance may vary, some may have a pyramidal appearance or a soft round bubble or some other shape, but in essence, they are all constructed the same way.

            Monarch has one box that is different, The Jewel Box. The rectangular faced box, which is common on Speed Queen, G.E., Wascomats, etc., has a face plate made of a very heavy die cast. The alloy is called Zamack 3, and this sounds like a cheap way out, but isn’t. The heavy casting is a nasty thing to try to drill.  Instead of being hardened, it is gooey to drill or cut, so clogs up the cutting edge quickly. It is about 3/8″ thick over all and can take quite a bit of damage before it yields. 

            As noted, there are machines using boxes made by the manufacturer.  Some Speed Queen, Maytag, Ipso, ADC and  others have gone this way. Some were that way, but have since be re-engineered take a standard box. If the box is secured with a shaft, either quarter turn or threaded, then the box itself can only come from that machines supplier. Generally, if the box is the same color as the machine, that is, it is not a chrome face, then this is what you have.  If you have to get into one, DO NOT mess up the box! Some of them are nearly impossible to find. We can provide the lock and shaft assemblies for these machines.

  ABOUT THE LOCKS

              The main difference among all of the boxes is in the lock that is in the box. Each of us offers several locks, and each of those locks has its advantages and disadvantages. For each of the manufacturers, each lock has a parallel product in the line of the other two. For example, Monarch has Tri-Gard, while Greenwald has the Sentinel II and ESD has the XD series.  The locks are similar, the keys are similar, but they are not the same lock.

            This also means it is a waste time to ask ESD or Greenwald for a code that belongs to Monarch. They cannot do ours, and we cannot do theirs.  So it is important to know just what key came from where. And they are not available from a Locksmith, as the blanks are not available. Remember that these are NOT the keys to your house! These are the keys to your MONEY!

            We all offer tubular locks, they may say Ace or Ace II or they may say nothing.  There are several sources that manufacturers can use  for these locks.  Advantage – they are the least expensive.  Why do you think that for many years the machines were generally delivered with this lock in place?  A disadvantage/advantage is that this is the only key that some locksmiths may be able to cut. All other keys used in laundries are proprietary to their source.

            The next are what is often referred to as the “Abloy Style,” as its function is based on that original lock design. Ours are called the Nova, Greenwald’s is the Cobra, and ESD is the XEP.  These are disc locks, relatively secure from picking, and offers the smallest hole, so it is more difficult to try to twist the lock.  They are inexpensive and work well, but the keys do wear more quickly over time, as they are thinner and pulling full coin boxes may cause them to crack faster than other keys. There have been similar keys in the past that are now obsolete. Such as KD (key devices). No KD keys are available.  You will have to replace the locks or the complete box.

            We all offer flat keys, as noted above, the Tri-Gard, the Sentinel II and the XD. These are very pick resistant locks. Not totally impregnable to attack, but still offer excellent security for a modest cost. These have oversized key bows which make withdrawing boxes a bit easier.

            Greenwald and Monarch offer Duo locks. ESD has offered them in the past but discontinued this lock several years back. It is very similar to the Tri-Gard lock above but it is a domestic item while the others are imports.

            All three offer Medeco. These are the highest security lock available. They are a domestic product. But they are also the most expensive.  Machined from solid bar stock instead of die cast like the others, and with special biaxal bitting on the keys that make them impossible to pick.  The disadvantage is that if someone messes up a lock trying to get into it then YOU have to figure out how to get it out. That is definitely not fun at all!

  Key Information

              It is amazing how many business people can be so naive about the keys to their fortunes.  They carry the keys to their coin boxes about with callous disregard for security, and suffer the consequences when they either lose their keys or have them stolen.  They fail to provide for spare keys, and then blame everyone but themselves for the  headaches and difficulties they  encounter.

   

              It is easier to get a key to your house than to a coin-operated machine.  The key path, (the grooving patterns along a key blank) for  house locks are common and unrestricted. But coin machine locks are proprietary to the original manufacture of the coin box, or the machine.  These blanks are not available to a locksmith.  It is necessary to go to the original manufacturer of the product for replacement keys or additional locks. 

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT KEYS ARE NOT CUT BY THE MANUFACTURER

              We all order our locks from our various sources, and order them with the keys. Sometimes one key each, sometimes two keys each, and sometimes in groups with extra keys for stock.  BUT none of us cuts the keys for the locks. Which means, if you call for a key that is out of stock, you may have to wait anywhere from 6 weeks to 3 or 4 MONTHS before you will see any replacement keys. The older key, the more likely this will happen.  We all order our locks in groups of 200 or maybe more.  Once that particular key code is gone, we move on to new codes.  So, if all the locks were sold with all the keys, there are none left in stock.  Or if  there were any keys left, then the number would be limited and over time that stock would exhausted. So when you call, do not expect an instant response! Be prepared to hear that you will have to wait.  THIS IS WHY IT SO IMPORTANT TO HAVE SPARE KEYS.  DO NOT WAIT UNTIL YOU HAVE BROKEN OR LOST YOUR LAST KEY. IT CAN RUIN YOUR DAY REALLY QUICKLY! YOU MUST PLAN AHEAD!

            Too often suppliers encounter the operator who calls and says, “I have a  (name brand) washer and I need a new key for the coin box.”   When asked what code on the lock or key is, there is a long pause, for they have no idea.  They have assumed that all the machines ever made by that company were keyed the same.  This is very far from the truth.  Having a record of, and protecting your key codes is as essential as guarding the keys themselves. 

            Key codes tell a manufacturer or distributor which key you require.  Most reputable suppliers make every reasonable effort to see that only authorized personnel can order replacement keys to a specific code, but the ultimate responsibility for protecting codes lies with the operator.  Some keys have the codes clearly marked on the keybow.  This is very convenient.  For you ‑ ‑ and for anyone else who picks up your keys.  Some keys are not marked at all. This is inconvenient for the operator, but is more secure, as the code is not available to unauthorized personnel.  It does make it more important to keep a record if your codes, or your need for replacements will become prohibitively expensive and time consuming.

            The laundry industry is fifty years old.  In that time there have been more than 80 million machines made.  Most required more than one lock, some as many as three or four.  Many of the products for these machines have outlasted the companies which manufactured them.  ABT and National are  examples of this.  There are a few of these  still in service, but there is no source for additional locks or keys for those products.

  IT’S UP TO YOU TO PROTECT & SECURE YOUR KEYS AND TO PLAN AHEAD!

  THESE ARE NOT JUST “KEYS”, BUT YOUR FINANCIAL EXISTENCE!