There are currently three brands to choose from: Schlage, Kwikset and Yale.
Schlage
Adv:
Cheapest, longest battery life, greatest experience with vera interface, Requires master code to manually set pins
Disadv:
No motor-driven deadbolt for remote locking/unlocking, hard to find keys at night, some people have a little difficulty learning how to use lock
Kwikset
Adv:
Motor-driven deadbolt for remote locking/unlocking, SmartKey cylinders which simplifies rekeying and a stainless steel side locking bar to protect against lock bumping.
Disadv: More expensive, No master code required and can be reprogrammed by anyone manually, hard to see keypad at night, short battery life.
Yale
Adv:Motor-driven deadbolt for remote locking/unlocking, one model has keypad that can illuminate upon proper touch, Requires master code to manually set pins.
Disadv: Very short battery life (one forum member reported 5 sets of batteries/mo!!), some models hard to find keys at night
Has the Kwikset firmware been changed to require a master code to reset lock pins or codes manuallly yet?
Has changing the test loop setting from “1” to “0” allowed batteries to last longer in the Yale locks?
My renters frequently leave my doors unlocked so I would love to replace my Schlage locks with a model with a motor-driven deadbolt for remote locking/unlocking. However, the battery life and master code issues are very important and can’t be ignored. (My front door has a pull handle and the Schlage lever lock won’t easily fit there.)
I would add this: I have a scalage deadbolt and am very disappointed with it. It works fine and I knew it didn’t have a motorized deadbolt, but for the price I got it at I thought I would be ok with that – I will be replacing it with a motorized version (probably a Yale based on looks).
I’ve commented on the Yale touch-screen lock battery life before and said the battery life does seem to drain at a quicker rate than advertised. However, the battery run-down rate seems to have slowed in the past few months. I’m still on my original set of batteries, and mine is at 78%. My Yale lock auto locks/unlocks maybe 2-3 times a week (given that it’s not our primary method of entrance). I’ve had the lock since early fall.
This is my first foray into z-wave equipment, so the Yale lock is the only lock I have, but I’m very happy with it. I am fortunate to not have any of the issues that others have described, and it just works for me. I have a ton of GE switches, outlet adapters, motion detectors, and the Trane thermostat, but the Yale touch-screen lock is my favorite z-wave device.
I have quite a few locks over here, both Schlage and Kwikset.
Here are my thoughts about them:
Schlage has significantly better build quality. Commercial grade components, with no obvious cut corners. The only real downside with Schlage is their deadbolt, which is not motorized. Obviously that’s not an issue with their lever lock. The current low price of the locks is also a big plus.
Kwikset’s locks were built more for the normal consumer. The build quality is much lower, and the way the z-wave module and battery packs are installed is sub par. The deadbolt’s extension is also not as long as I would like to see. That being said, the deadbolt is motorized, which is a very good thing as compared to Schlage’s deadbolt. The overall “style” of the Kwikset locks is also a bit nicer (in my opinion), but again, I think the build quality isn’t as good.
I don’t own any Yale locks, so I can’t comment on those.
Personally, if I was to invest in more locks for my home or office, and was looking for a lever lock, I would pick Schlage, hands down. For a deadbolt, I think Kwikset wins with the motorized bolt.
I’ve only been using z-wave for a couple weeks now and bought a schlage lever and a yale touch z-wave deadbolt. I like the schlage however the instructions for installation was hard to understand (instead of telling you what to do they put pictures to explain). Yale had an easy install however after only having it for two weeks the batteries are down to 81%. I think the yale dies faster since because of the touchscreen (similar to an iphone and when you use it in video mode it goes really fast). I be interested to know if the yale button version lasts longer than the touchscreen one.
Are there any good options for EU z-wave locks? All I have seen so far are what appear to be US deadbolt and lever locks fitted with an EU z-wave chip, and a unit designed to be fitted over an existing cilinder, which is nice if it weren’t for the outlandish price tag of €300+ for just the lock, keypad not included.
I’m still looking for something that’ll work with an existing EU 30/30 cylinder (I have a single key for all locks in my house, so I’d like to reuse the cylinder). I’ve searched for motorised non z-wave locks as well (with the aim of driving the lock with a generic z-wave relay), but they are all aimed at the fancy high tech office market and carry a matching outrageous price tag.
Been using Kwikset for six months. No complaints. If you’re concerned about somebody inside the house manually programming, you can actually set an alert within Vera to send you a message if that occurs.
To add: No mention of the higher cost of the Yale, but it’s quite a bit more expensive on Amazon: +$55 (button-pad) and +$85 (touchscreen) compared to the Kwikset…
I’m about to pull the trigger on a Kwikset deadbolt for my home front door, to go with my just purchased MCV2 from ‘Amazon Warehouses’; my decision is based mostly on the observation of more common programming difficulties reported here with the Yale vs. Kwikset. I think the new non-rectangular Kwikset is better looking, too.
i have a new front door newly installed cherry mahogany with bright brass holding the glass together, therefore i replaced my deadbolt zwave kwikset satin nickel with a new kwikset polished brass that i bought from amazon for $178. i have no use for the satin nickel kwikset that i bought from zwave products.com for $224 on october 12, 2010; i am planning to sell it either here, in amazon or ebay. i have not decided my selling price yet.
I have a Yale push button deadbolt and have installed 3 others in the last couple months. So far I love them. 4 months in on one of them, lots of use (daily) and still 95% battery. Really easy set up and installation.
Guys, new question about Schlage and other manufactures.
Which lock sets are directly compatible with Z-Wave and don’t require Nexia’s bridge?
I am thinking about replacing my exterior lock set with a Schlage FE599 set. Is this directly compatible with my VERA 3?
Thank for your help…
From reading the forums before buying I concluded that of the three brands, all three work, perhaps with some different pros and cons. Ultimately I put it to my wife for aesthetic choice. She went with the Yale, and loves it (keeps locking herself out so she can type in the code again!).
The Yale locks are a breeze to physically install, the instructions are good, the push buttons glow nicely at night when pressed, and the audible feedback is helpful. No comments on battery life yet, too early to tell. But it doesn’t matter to me, I have a draw full of rechargeable AA batteries! I’m paying pennies per year for power
