(30 May 2025, 14:46 )Anne Wrote: New version of the timer padlocks has been available for a while now and I've got two now so I can compare with the old ones
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_oBsc24o
As you can see in the picture the new version is a bit smaller but the weight feels the same.
The shackle is bit smaller, this includes the diameter. It went from 5mm to 4.5mm which means it should fit the holes on more of my toys now 😁
Entering the desired time is done differently now despite having the same button layout and there are still 3 emergency releases you can use. Charging is USB-C now, which is the major plus here actually. The screen is still backlit and adds a battery level indicator that was not present on the old locks.
The release mechanism feels a bit more solid now so I decided to see if it would still open if I was putting some force on it and even when pulling quite a bit harder than what I would dare to do in a self bondage scenario the release mechanism works just fine. This was a big flaw in the old locks, even a bit of force would prevent the lock from opening.
I conclude that the build quality improved quite a bit. All the locks from the previous generation that I have are now having issues and one is just broken. Even after only gentle use, as I don't want to ever risk damaging them because they are part of my release and failure means having to wait or go for the backup. From my early testing I can say they are worth upgrading to if you have the old locks like in the picture. If you have the plastic locks with a wire instead of a shackle you should throw them in the trash and get these.
I'm still going to act like they are going to fail at the worst possible moment and so should you.
Is it easy to tell old from new stock?
I'm guessing some sellers will still have the old models and if the new are better I'd rather buy one of those.
Where did you get yours?
MJ
