Review of Harbor Freight wall safe

Very interesting, good work!

Any idea how far it protrudes from the wall and if there are other ways to disguise it? I've been thinking of something along those lines, but with a picture or mirror to hide it.

Jackie1 said:

Ok, thanks guys. That flew right over my head about doing a shim to bolt into 2 studs. Maybe Harbor freight was on to something, allow for build error.



I saw this one on Amazon that is 16" wide, and thought it was meant for 2 studs and harbor 1 stud at first :



http://www.amazon.com/16x4x22-Secur...qid=1416429292&sr=8-3&keywords=4x16+wall+safe



So, if there was error in the wall you decided to put this amazon one in, you may be in trouble?



(I'm rather go with Harbor one since they are local if there's an issue)

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The 16" measurement will be the lip at the front that covers the edges of the hole. It will be the same between the studs like the one from HF.

I have seen the same "type" safe in Long Gun form. I have been thinking about adding one in the back of my closet for the long term storage of the long guns I don't use very often. The one I saw comes in the Gray or in White, since most closet interiors are that flat white.

I have a large safe that holds most of the guns, but it's getting crowded, this would free up some space, moving the queens into their own retirement home.

Great review.

How do you disconnect the beeper? It's soldered into the board. I just stuck a heavy duty pin in the hole if the beeper real hard, pulled it out and now it's barely audible, just enough to hear your keystrokes if I listen.

coupon code 26722081 saves another $17. Shipping was 6.99 via ground to my house.

THANKS!

25% off Harbor freight coupon here:

http://static.slickdealscdn.com/attachment/2/1/0/1/4/6/3136046.attach?d=1418204910

expires 1/3/15 though.... but there are 20% off coupons that head into April.

I'm thinking about this safe for a walk in closet I have... I like it

Mike B

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showpost.php?p=15657065

Finally done. No one has put up actual install steps/photos, so I thought I would.

Images wont work. Need to sign in with calguns.

Ok, here

bainter1212 said:

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Nice of you to leave a convenient step-stool underneath so your toddler can reach it.

When I was knee high to a grasshopper, any flat surface that was in reach was just a stepping stone to my goal. Something hidden out of reach on the top shelf of the cupboard? Just climb the d@mn shelves like a ladder!

Seriously, doesn't anyone else but me remember what it was like to be a kid?

I don't think a toddler is cracking that safe.

Thanks for the info,I had to cut one out about 16 yrs ago(forgot combo)and never replaced it,this just might work depending on how far out the pad sticks out,my old one was totally flush.

Jackie1 said:

I don't think a toddler is cracking that safe.

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Never underestimate the powers of a small child. They can (& love to) hide anywhere, & they see (& seem to remember) everything.

There is a reason Pelican Products lifetime warranty lists exceptions for shark bite, bear attack and children under five!

bainter1212 said:

Or I can teach my kids not to get into things they aren't supposed to.

Worked for my parents.

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Didn't work for mine.

You'll find that some kids have MUCH more curiosity and drive to explore than others, and all the teaching in the world about what they're not "supposed" to do will be treated merely as a suggestion.

Read the autobiographies and biographies of people like Edison, Browning, Einstein, Von Braun, Armstrong, etc sometime.

I had the same situation awhile back, toddler in the house and wanting a pistol loaded and accessible in case of emergency. I bought this one from Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Paragon-7750-Electronic-Wall-Safe/dp/B0040HS3QW/ref=pd_sim_sbs_op_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0YWQ0D3NQ1APGEQK1DRT installed it between two studs behind a mirror in the bedroom. I had to shave a bit off of my studs to get it in there, what a PITA but it fits very tight. Also threw away the cheap bolts it came with and used some quality hex bolts from the hardware store.

Since the keypad does stick out I added a bit of wood to the back of the mirror frame across the top and hinged it to swing straight up. This hides the hinges to anyone under 6'5" or so and angles it down to act as more of a floor length mirror which the wife likes as a bonus. A determined thief would likely find it, but getting into it would be a bit harder than walking off with a small pistol safe like I was originally looking at.

On the Amazon safe... I found this interesting. It's the same as the harbor Freight safe it seems, see below:

I bought this safe because it was the best one for the money I found at the time. Heavy steel construction, took 1 hr and lots of drywall dust to put up. Per recommendations of other people, I bought 6 hex head screws and used drill and a socket wrench to install safe to studs. Overall, I am very happy with the quality and free shipping from Amazon. I put some electrical tape along the inside closing edge of the door. This was enough to dampen the metal on metal sound when closing. Also, as I did not want any noise when entering my code, I removed the little beeper from the circuit board. Lights still work. I was able to enter two different codes without problem. Instructions are vague how to enter codes, disregard reference to master code and user code. You have two codes, both have same functionality. One code requires xxxxA, the other is xxxxB. Hence the reason you have A and B on the keypad. Test out functionality of your codes and key operation of safe PRIOR to installing. As others have said, remove door to ease installation. if you do remove door, be careful not to lose the 2 ball bearings, which fall out when you remove the hinge pins. Ball bearings go at top/bottom of hinges, with hinge pins installed next. I noticed when the safe was locked, there was some play in the unlock handle which allowed slight movement/opening of the locking rods. I opened up the inside cover by removing the 4 screws. Yup, it was misadjusted and some of the screws were loose. Simple mechanism to adjust. Tightened up all the screws, checked for correct operation. This lock mechanism and electronic circuit is used in a number of safes, all from China.In fact, Amazon has a number of vendors who sell this exact same wall safe under different names. Want to save $30? see Harbor Freight Tools and their Bunker Hill wall safe. Look familiar? Only the names have been changed to confuse the naive.

Yeah I didn't realize HF would carry safes and thought ~$90 was a decent price at the time. A flat keypad/dial would really be nice but for the price it's workable.