June 30, 2008
Cheap Safe vs a REAL Burglar Fire Safe
What you see is what you get when you buy a cheap safe from the “big box stores”. Many people think, “a safe is a safe” and all that matters is the size. They don’t know the difference between a cheap safe and a real safe that has good burglary and fire protection. They end up storing items of high value in a box that barely qualifies as a safe. When thinking about buying any safe, the question is “how much can I afford to lose?” Cheap safes have a high risk of loss and don’t offer much protection.
The safes you find in the “big box stores” are usually thin walled 30 minute or 1 hour fire safes. They were never engineered for burglar resistance and they do not have thick enough steel to ward off a burglar. The locks are usually cheap Korean or Chinese imports and they do not have an Underwriters Laboratory rating. Not only do they have thin metal and inferior locks, but they also have small ¼” bolts that will not hold up in the event of a burglar trying to break into it with a crowbar or pry bar. These safes are a waste of money and will not offer the theft protection required.
A “REAL” burglar fire safe has many features to protect from both burglaries and fires that a cheap safe does not offer. The statistics show that you are more then likely to have a fire then a burglary, but even so, you will want to protect your valuables from both. A good burglar fire safe will have at least a one hour fire rating or better. You will find that the minimum burglar standard is B/C rated and that the steel is at least ¼” on the body and a ½ inch on the door plus additional 10 or 12 gauge metal layers. The best burglar fire safes are TL-15 or TL-30 rated and this would be the rating to look for if you have high valuable items that you need to store. There is also a manganese hard plate behind the lock to prevent drilling which is not available on the cheap safes. The bolts should be at least 3/4” diameter or better instead of the ¼” bolts found on the cheap “big box store” safes. The lock should be at least a Group II Underwriters Laboratory approved lock.
If you’re on a budget and can’t afford the expensive burglar fire safes, there are safes made that are affordable. Depending on how large of interior is required, the Mutual Rhino series is reasonable and will offer the protection needed. It also comes in many sizes. If you want the BEST protection then anything TL-15 or TL-30 rated is what you should be looking for. These are High Security Burglar Fire Safes and even though they are more expensive, they offer the best protection.
So the question still is, “how much can I afford to lose?” These “REAL” burglar fire safes will store high end valuables far better than the cheap “big box store” safes and provide you with peace of mind when you are gone or on vacation for weeks at a time.
