Steering locks The Test Halfords Silver

Steering locks | Car Accessories - Product Test | Auto Express
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Halfords Silver
Shield
Cosmic C482
Rotary Lock
(
./
0
1
Autolok Protector
Verdict
Rating:
Rating:
Price: £39.99
Attack time: 18 seconds
We liked the stylish, semichrome paint finish - it
meant this lock was a
Rating:
Price: £24.95
Attack time: Three
seconds
Price: £29.95
Attack time: Six seconds
You don't have to be Carol
Vorderman to work out
that £30 for six seconds of
This device has a lockable protection isn't great. This
arm which rests on top of device is larger and more
the dash or attaches to the colourful than Autlok's
Disklok wins here, but its
crown is under threat, as
the Stoplock Ultima draws
nearer. Although Metro's
offering is more vulnerable
to wheel attack, the time
taken to remove it was
virtually identical, and it
costs around £20 less.
The Stoplock Pro takes a
distant third.
Steering locks
1 Disklok
2 Metro Stoplock Ultima
Steering locks | Car Accessories - Product Test | Auto Express
really strong visual
deterrent. Unfortunately,
the Halfords flattered to
deceive, because it was
clearly a copy of the
Autolok 2000, and was
weak in all the same
places. It failed in a similar
time with hardly any noise.
However, the Silver Shield
has to be given a higher
rating, as the chain store
manages to sell this model
for nearly £20 less than
Autolok.
side of the wheel. The
packaging says it can be
fitted in seconds, but
unfortunately it was even
quicker to remove. We got
past the Cosmic without
resorting to tools.
base model (the £17.99
Original, not tested here),
and features a central
hinge, which may or may
not make fitting over
gearsticks and handbrakes
easier, depending on the
car it's used in.
Nevertheless, we had no
trouble removing it without
tools, and did so pretty
quietly, too.
Metro Stoplock
Original
Autolok 2000
Metro Stoplock
Ultima
Rating:
Rating:
Price: £57.99
Price: £59.99
Attack time: 16 seconds
Attack time: 119 seconds
Nothing new at Autolok,
which seems happy to
settle back and enjoy a
large market share. The
2000 was easy to fit,
covered the wheel centre
and makes a decent visual
deterrent, but the good
news stops there.
Although the time needed
to remove it would vary
depending on the steering
wheel - thicker multispoked rims would take
longer - our team used the
same weak spot every
time with near identical
results.
The Ultima uses the hefty
lock and arms from the
Pro, while the central
padded section inhibits
wheel centre attack. The
armoured clamp works
well, too. We defeated the
lock in 119 noisy seconds but only after some lateral
thinking from Giles,
exploiting its weak spot.
Yet while it can be
vulnerable to wheel attack,
the resistance time hands
the Ultima our
Recommended award.
Hilka Auto
Security Lock
Disklok
Rating:
Price: £26.99
Attack time: 13 seconds
The Stoplock is a big
seller, but its effectiveness
has waned over the years,
as our result shows. On
the plus side, it covers the
wheel centre, is easy to
use and suitable for most
cars. But this isn't enough,
as it's really vulnerable to
steering wheel attack.
Metro Stoplock
Pro
Rating:
Price: £39.50
Rating:
Rating:
Attack time: 47 seconds
Price: £39.50
Although the Stoplock Pro
looks very similar to the
firm's Original, it's a
meatier device, and has
been given a security
rating by independent
testing body, Thatcham.
It's pretty tough, too. The
sturdy arms were resistant
to boltcutters, and the lock
mechanism was well
armoured. However, its
weakest point was that the
steering wheel itself was
vulnerable. The eventual
removal came from a mix
of lock and wheel attack,
and we had to make plenty
of noise.
Attack time: 24 seconds
Price: £75.99
This is a better option from
Hilka than the Jumbo, as
it's a low-rent version of
the Disklok. The two-piece
device comprises a large
steel section which covers
most of the wheel, and a
handle that locks into the
top. It was simple to use
and came with a carry bag.
Although it looks tough, it
lacks strength, which
meant a quick, quiet
defeat.
Attack time: 117 seconds
The Disklok looks better in
silver than the original
yellow - at least until our
attack started. This time,
using a similar method to
last year, it took 117 quiet
seconds to defeat virtually identical to the
Stoplock Ultima. And it
should be a warning for
the 2003 champ. Still our
Best Buy as it offers total
wheel protection that the
Ultima can't - but there's
no room for complacency.
Page 2 of 3
3 Metro Stoplock Pro
Steering locks | Car Accessories - Product Test | Auto Express
Halfords High
Sentry Jumbo
Security Steering Lock SCA10
Wheel bar
Hilka Elephant
Lock
Rating:
Rating:
Rating:
Price: £9.99
Price: £9.99
Attack time: Four seconds
The Hilka is very basic,
comprising two forks
secured with a brass lock
It may be called the
Attack time: 18 seconds
on a chrome ratchet bar.
Jumbo, but this mighty
Once called the Long Arm, beast was easily defeated. This simply isn't good
this veteran is showing its It was more vulnerable to enough, and we got the
age. The device has a
wheel attack than the Hilka lock off in only four
seconds, with barely any
Thatcham rating because Elephant, as it had only
effort and in total silence.
of the tough, well designed one fork at each end and
lock. But it doesn't protect the wheel centre was
exposed. We defeated it
the wheel centre, is
vulnerable to the rim being without breaking into a
cut and the locking arms
sweat.
aren't hard enough.
Price: £44.99
Attack time: Four seconds
Easy Fit Alarm-ALock
Rating:
Price: £19.99
Attack time: Four seconds
This lock has a shock
sensor and siren, but the
box made fitting tricky. It's
powered by four AA
batteries or the cigar
lighter, but we managed to
remove it quickly and
quietly, before the
electronics had even
reacted.
Contacts
Argos (Hilka, Autolok, Metro)
0870 600 3030 www.argos.co.uk
Autolok
0161 624 8171 www.autolok.co.uk
Disklok UK
01257 795100 www.disklokuk.com
Halfords
0845 762 6625 www.halfords.com
Hilka Tools (UK) Ltd
020 8391 7570 www.hilka.co.uk
Kingavon (Cosmic, Sentry)
01473 219131 www.kingavon.co.uk
Metro Products
01488 689400www.saxonind.co.uk
MotorMania (Easy Fit, Sentry)
01332 296857www.motormania.co.uk
Page 3 of 3