Review on Schlage FE575 PLY 626 ELA by Jeremy Stephens

I've only had my Schlage FE-595 for a few weeks but I'm very happy with it. As Fred explained in the review, the lock is very easy to install - no more difficult than a standard mechanical lock. The only part that's a bit finicky is making sure the wires are tucked away in the plastic backplate so they don't get pinched when the inner potion is screwed down. this model. All doors in our house have Schlage locks and deadbolts that have the same key. I first ordered my lock from a large hardware store so that I could change the right key. I went to the hardware department and two gentlemen who worked at the time looked at him and said they had never attempted to recode any of those locks. They said they'd leave it to Dale, who knows locks best. When I arrived later that day, I met with Dale, who was not asked to change anything. We spent about 15 minutes looking for the lock until he found it under the support desk. As it turned out, it was already recoded, so I went home to install it. After installing the lock on the door, I found that the door would not lock at all. I've removed and reinstalled it to no avail. Assuming that the gentlemen who remodeled the lock hadn't assembled it correctly, I returned to the shop while Dale worked. He opened the lock and several components fell out. Although we both laughed about it, I had to send the lock back and order a replacement. When the replacement came, I met up with Dale again and watched him rebuild. Although he knew how to change the key on the cylinder, it was clear that he didn't really understand how the mechanism worked. He tried not to break anything, although he still had to try and align some parts that seemed more reliable. When I installed a new lock at home, I discovered that this time I had a lock that was permanently encrypted or programmed with codes to unlock it. It also rattled when I shook it, which seemed like a sure sign it wasn't assembled properly. I thought this couldn't be rocket science and decided to completely disassemble and reassemble the lock. After 3 or 4 tries I still didn't have a working lock and decided to give up. As I was cleaning up and getting ready for bed I noticed a small feather on the floor and shortly thereafter I accidentally read Mark Hornig's review. Eureka - now I know what was missing and how to assemble the mechanism. Everything worked fine now, but the lock made more noise than I thought it would. I was positive that at least one component was bent by Dale's or my attempts to assemble the device. You'll note that Mark Hornig's locks were also replaced with keys, and I suspect the people who did it were only slightly smarter than those who worked on mine. I decided to order a third lock from Revain. When it arrived I disassembled the old lock to remove the cylinder. I then carefully dismantled the new lock without damaging the mechanism and replaced the cylinder. I assembled and installed a new lock; voila - works perfectly. I then returned the old lock to a network of repair shops. My conclusions are: 1) The lock itself works fine. 2) If you can use the key that comes with the lock, installation is easy. 3) If you want to change the key there is a good chance it will not be assembled properly and will either not work at all or fail in the near future if the improperly installed component comes loose. Since Schlage doesn't seem to give any instructions, here's what I learned about replacing the cylinder if you want to recode the lock: 1) Carefully remove the four torx screws while holding the lock so the front and back don't move separate. 2) Position the lock so the outside is facing up. Since the spindle protrudes below, you'll either have to work at a table or bench with a hole in it, or hold a lock on your knees with the spindle between your legs. 3) Carefully lift the outside of the lock making sure everything (including the buttons) stays down. The cylinder is the only component attached to the outside of the lock. 4) The cylinder holds a simple screw in place that can be easily removed to change the lock key. 5) After reinstalling the cylinder, carefully insert the outer part of the lock and fasten the inner part, being careful not to press any of the components. 6) Hold the two parts firmly together until the torx screws are fully tightened. Enjoy…