Unexpected Padlock Failure

[Jadit]

I have this 4 number combination lock that feels a little stiff sometimes. Mainly right after its locked and you try to roll the numbers, they may seem stuck. Pushing the metal hook in and shaking a little to ensure it has enough slack to move, makes numbers roll smoothly. Still it doesn't seem scary enough to throw away, it's been like that since purchase.

[westward_bound]

A drop of WD-40 ever so often will work wonders for any lock.
I have some on outside sheds etc. and they last for years

Never use WD-40 on anything you want to keep lubricated long-term. WD-40 is a penetrating ( ) oil, this means it's designed to drive out other lubricants, etc. Trust me, I'm a mechanic and I know what horrible things happen if you shoot that stuff into a car door lock.

Instead,hoppe's makes a gun oil that is not only specifically designed to lubricate precision mechanisms (such as locks), but will prevent corrosion as well. Someone already suggested powdered graphite; and, while this is very good for keeping things from sticking, won't prevent rust. Your best bet for taking care of your locks is either gun oil or, if you live in an area with restrictive gun laws, 3 in 1 makes an excellent electric motor oil that will work almost as well, and can be found at hardware stores.

For anything as important as a SB lock, you should take as much care as possible. Ideally, get some high-quality gun oil, smear a thin film on the key, and operate the lock a few times. Then, put 1 drop on the hasp itself and open/close the lock a few more times. This takes some time, but you should do this each and every time you put the lock away, just to try and prevent any disasters from occurring. tripinthehead has the right idea with replacing locks every six months or so, but a low viscosity oil is in many regards superior to powdered graphite. Both will work, but corrosion is a major cause of failure in precision mechanisms, and oil will help prevent this.

Just some suggestions, but please take care of your equipment.

[SubDenise]

I have used Master brand number 3 padlocks for several decades without failure, And also consider American padlocks
very high quality. But then again, I always have a set of bolt cutters in the house for emergencies like that!

[jtalh2003]

use 2 padlocks locked on to each other and have 2 keys on your release

[SteelMan]

Whenever I chain myself up to something immobile, I always use dual padlocks in series, largely thanks to this post. If one lock happens to fail, then getting free is a non-issue. In fact, one keyed lock and one combination lock seem to work quite well in tandem. When it is dark, the numbers on a combination lock cannot be read. (Although if you are like I am, and can read the numbers very easily in low light, then a bit of black paint is helpful in ensuring that combination locks stay closed in darkness.) The sun serves as a great backup release in case the key release or the keyed lock fail.