I need to buy a real safe as the value of my collection is climbing and I've only got one of those lousy Sentry safes that destroy coins. I've spent some time reading through the multiple threads on the topic. Having researched some models, it looks like the price approximately doubles to jump from an RSC safe to a TL-15, with an additional 1x jump to go to TL-30x6. So, what level of protection do folks think is necessary? I'm in a relatively safe neighborhood with a security system, the safe concealed / disguised in an interior closet, and my police response time is under 10 minutes. That suggests to me that a TL-15 should be more than sufficient. The next question is, these safes are incredibly heavy. How do they move these things without destroying people's homes? [Anticipating shrieks of horror when my wife sees the delivery truck pull up to the house].
Yes very heavy - my friend got one recently and it took 6 people to carry it in. plus he reinforced his floor as his house is built over just a crawl space - no basement. He also built a wooden pad out of 2X6's for the safe to stand on with a rubber pad between the pad and the floor instead of placing directly on the actual wood flooring.
You may want to double check the terms of delivery. Some carriers will only deliver to your doorstep, some will deliver to a first floor only and might have to remove the entry doors. But before you even think of buying make sure you know where to place it and if you need extra support beneath the floor or if you even have access to the floor underneath. They should put movers blankets down as they go along so as not to dent or scratch flooring. Some movers are really good at their jobs, others are just bouncers from the local night club.
Yes - good point. Lot of the retailers just have a "curbside" delivery service then you have to do the rest! So make sure you have a plan. Maybe hire professional movers? Like Tommy said, don't hire a bunch of bouncers who actually care about your woodwork!
The safest safe is a safe that can not be found. If you want to save money, buy a safe that is fire rated and place it in a hidden location. Keep your sentry safe in an easy to find location, fill it with sand or some other heavy material. While the thief spends time on your decoy, they are not spending time finding the hidden safe. http://www.globalindustrial.com/p/s...gxIL4VcddZvEgfrOG0owhcVofNCl9yPBNoaAvHS8P8HAQ
I just recently purchased a large safe approx. 600lbs. I used 1 inch wooden dowels, laid the safe on top of them and rolled it right to it's permanent location moving the dowels back in front as I progressed. Single level home of course and tile floors.
I see that Mesa sells TL-15 rated safes and they appear to look pretty good as far as being able/unable to crack them. I'm not sure about 350 degree fire rating as I'm not familiar with a good fire rating. Seems kind of low to me as some fires can be a whole lot hotter than this. If you are confident in the safety of your home fire wise maybe this is the route to go. A whole lot would depend upon the reaction time for the fire dept. to arrive as to how long any safe could hold up in intense heat.
A safe’s first line of defense will be its ability to deter a thief from wasting time on it in lieu of going for other things that are more easily stolen. Most burglaries are smash and grab operations lasting only a few minutes. If your typical burglar has to spend more than a few minutes messing with it, they will move on to other things. If you have an alarm with monitoring, this will usually hasten their endeavor even more. Keep in mind that TL ratings are given in minutes for the time tools are actually in contact with the safe. Not the total time it takes to break into the safe. These times are also based on the skill level of actually safe crackers. Your run-of-the-mill burglar will likely need a significant amount of time to bust into a TL-15, if he’s able to do so at all. I would say that a TL-15 or higher would be for something where you are protecting against a deliberate attack on the safe. The burglar is there for the purpose of gaining access to the safe and has appropriate tools. That means they likely know its there and maybe even what’s inside.
You might want to also add a camera surveillance system for your house. I just bought a 8 camera system from Costco and had my handyman install it. You can install the cameras any where you like, inside and/or outside. Costco also sells a 12 camera system.
Speedbump, to be clear, you're suggesting that unless I fear a professional attack with ample time, i need not invest in even a TL-15? Even in the event of a clean getaway by the bad guys, I have Hugh Wood insurance. While the claims process would undoubtedly be brutal, I should be made mostly hole in the unlikely event.
I have cameras already. Houston has a lot of break-ins unfortunately. I had a coworker have his house broken into four times. Only thing that stopped it was a camera system.
I have one of my cameras aimed at my mailbox and I see when my coins have been delivered and the time they got there and if anybody is tampering with my mail I see that too.
This ultimately depends on what you are trying to protect. I am going to presume it’s not a huge amount considering it currently fits into a fire chest… but for all I know, it could be a 100oz bar of gold or nuclear launch codes… Only you know what it is, and it should stay that way. A TL-15 is a substantial box. Even the small ones can weigh more than gun safes 3x their size. A UL rated RSC is technically a “TL-5” if I recall correctly. Why they just don’t call it that, I’m not sure. If your primary concern is simple burglaries, then a RSC or similar will likely suffice. Again, you are only trying to deter them for the short period of time they are going to be in your home. A monitored alarm system will force them out within a few minutes. If you hide it well, they may never find it anyways. Master bedroom closet is not a good place by the way… RSC or those "B" and "C" rated safes can be easily breached by someone that knows what they are doing and has modest tools available to them. If you fear a thief may come prepared with tools like metal-cutting equipment and pry bars, then consider a higher security TL rated safe. Also, be sure to get something that will fit your needs looking forward. Its going to be a sizable investment no matter what. Make it count. Consider both size and level of security. If in the future you think you might have $100K+ (arbitrary number) of stuff to protect in one place, then definitely consider one of those TL rated safes now.
