Harbor Freight Bunker Hill Safes

[Tororider]

Anyone have one or seen one, I have only seen the pictures online? Wondering if they are worth the purchase or pieces of junk.

 

[2manyrocks]

I haven't seen that safe, but there is a video on youtube somewhere of two guys with long handled pry bars breaking into what appears to be a rather stout looking safe in about one minute. I think it was posted by some company that sells them and is trying to get people to pay the extra bucks to get theirs instead of getting something at the local box store.

 

[CurlyDave]

I saw two in the Harbor Freight store in Medford.

I didn't look at them very closely, but I am going back by there next week & if they still have them on display I will look them over. Probably Thurs or Fri.

 

[Tororider]

Thanks Curly, I appreciate any input I can get.

 

[Skyco]

I haven't seen that safe, but there is a video on youtube somewhere of two guys with long handled pry bars breaking into what appears to be a rather stout looking safe in about one minute. I think it was posted by some company that sells them and is trying to get people to pay the extra bucks to get theirs instead of getting something at the local box store.

The key thing I noticed in that video is they got the safe on it's back to be able to use their body weight to pry it open. Bolting your safe down good in a corner would make it much more difficult to get into.

 

[Turbys_1700]

My grandparents who are deceased had a safe in their house to keep copies of deeds and valuables. This was a rather small safe that could be kept hidden and out of sight in a closet. My grandfather had placed this safe in a closet and had bolted it to the floor. After their passing my parents and I went down to their house in order to get the safe and bring it up to our house. That thing was a bugger to get out. Papaw had nailed tin to the underside of the floor joist located under the bolts holding the safe. Took a good two hours to get that sucker out.

 

[NY_Yankees_Fan]

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Sign Up For Harbor Freight Offers

 

[2manyrocks]

Yes, they got the safe on its side and then got it open. I don't think the video shows what would happen if they got one of the safes this guy is trying to sell on its side, too, and then tried to pry it open.

It does appear to make a difference whether the safe is secured to something secure and it also makes a difference whether you've got anything laying around the house they can use to open your safe.

 

[jocww]

they are junk. I have a cannon safe while alot more its alot safer. The harbor freight ones are good to keep kids out of your guns but thats about it.

 

[Dargo]

Two of my 4 safes have 8 1 1/2" locking bars that secure all sides and the corners. You wouldn't be able to pry them open. They also have a 'glass re-locker'. I haven't seen it in action, but apparently they have a small glass plate inside the door that breaks if the safe is jarred very hard and it prevents those locking bolts from retracting if someone is a lock pick. I guess I would have to contact the company if that glass gets broken. I don't know how to open it then.

I've found that good, secure, safes with decent fire ratings and good security are relatively expensive. I've seen some really junk safes at my local Rural King. They used to sell some high end stuff but obviously quit carrying the likes in lieu of carrying junk. Their safes they stock now aren't much better than a heavy duty file cabinet with a combination lock on them. I've not seen HF safes.

 

[forgeblast]

They are not fire safes, and when you compare them to the higher end fire/water proof stack on safes there is no comparison.

 

[Podunkadunk]

As Dargo or one of the others said, if you're trying to keep children out of your weapons cache, it'll serve the purpose.

But if you are looking for peace of mind when you leave the house, that they'll be there when you get back, not so much.

You get what you pay for in the world of safes.

Podunk

 

[CurlyDave]

I looked at one of these today, live & in person, at a HF store.

That's the good part, the bad part is that it was closed & locked and they had lost the key, so only from the outside.

It looks OK, but when I shook it, there was a tinny, rattling sound from the locking bars. It seems to be a very light duty gun safe. If it were bolted down, it would provide some security, but not against a determined intruder with time.

There are 4 things it would be good for:

1. Keep the kids and casual intruders out. For instance you go on vacation and ask the neighbors to come in and look around every once in a while.

2. Some states (CA for example) require firearms to be locked up in a safe of a certain quality. This might be "good enough".

3. Prove to an insurance company that you did take reasonable steps to secure your firearms in the event they are stolen.

Do not underestimate the value of this. I have a safe, and I have also have additional firearms coverage on my insurance policy.

4. Put a few clunkers in the HF safe and conceal your good stuff really well.

 

[MrMikeG]

Total crap. Just whack the top of the plastic digital keypad lock while you turn the tumbler any one of those safes which uses this lock will open. Almost all of their safes use this lock, BTW. I even tried this technique with mine and it worked. I was stunned.

Hey, Don't take my word on it. See the YouTube video "How to open a safe with a potato" for further detail. The guys opens these safes with a beercan, lighter, of course a potato and even a card.

What a shame that folks are flocking to HF to buy this crap. You might as well 'lock your stuff up' in a paper grocery bag.

 

[beersngars]

I have a very large Browning and 2 mid sized Liberty's. All are rated as fire resistant, the Browning a longer period. As far as breaking in to a gun safe, the front door is not the answear. The sides and back are just sheet metal and would be the weakest spots. I would guess you could be in a safe with just an abrasive wheel in a few minutes.

IMO gun safes are to keep folks honest and a bit of help in the event of a fire.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

I have a very large Browning and 2 mid sized Liberty's. All are rated as fire resistant, the Browning a longer period. As far as breaking in to a gun safe, the front door is not the answear. The sides and back are just sheet metal and would be the weakest spots. I would guess you could be in a safe with just an abrasive wheel in a few minutes.

IMO gun safes are to keep folks honest and a bit of help in the event of a fire.

I've got a Fort Knox gun safe that weighs around 1400 lbs and I don't much believe that you could get into it with no abrasive wheel in a few minutes, but I could be wrong, if that were the case crooks everywhere would show up with a grinder with an abrasive wheel and clean your safe out in a matter of minutes, I hope your wrong and I am right on this.

 

[beersngars]

I've got a Fort Knox gun safe that weighs around 1400 lbs and I don't much believe that you could get into it with no abrasive wheel in a few minutes, but I could be wrong, if that were the case crooks everywhere would show up with a grinder with an abrasive wheel and clean your safe out in a matter of minutes, I hope your wrong and I am right on this.

I would like to think you are right too....but the sides back and bottom are just sheet metal. My Browning is about the same weight wise as yours. Of course it needed to be bolted to the floor. I was amazed how easy it was to drill the holes. Not knocking the safes, just saying a crook would more than likely go thru the sides rather than trying to pry open the door.

 

[MotorSeven]

I just bought the Cannon 24 gun safe at Tractor Supply. It is not a top of the line safe, but on sale for $650, it wasn't terrible either. I did bolt it to the floor, & I think it will keep the knuckleheads out.....but a "pro"...no way.

RD