Keys locked inside HF Roller cabinet- Please help!

[Amiroquai]

Hello,

I literally just accepted delivery of the 44" US General cabinet 20 minutes ago. The thing is still on the pallet.

As I unwrapped it, the set of keys ended up inside the top drawer and I was interested in testing the drawers for operation. Upon closing the top drawer, the cabinet appeared to have locked itself and now I can't open any of the drawers.

I don't understand how this cabinet could have auto locked itself but it did!

I tried fishing out the keys but the they're too fat to fit through the gap on the upper portion of the drawer.

What are my options?

 

[taco2001]

I did the same thing. You can try and call harbor freight and get them to send you a new key. I ended up just drilling out the lock and putting in new lock.

 

[Spacecataz]

If you could turn the entire chest upside down it would come out of the drawer, and slide
out the back to the floor.

 

[Hiball]

Are you sure that it's locked? Don't the HF boxes have tabs on the right hand side that you need to depress to open the drawers? What kind of tool box would lock without the key being turned?

 

[LawnBoy-5247]

Those barrel locks are very easy to pick all you need is a bic pen. Lookup some videos on YouTube they explain the process pretty well. I used the bic pen process on a toolbox that the keys had gotten lost for and it only took me 30 min or so and saved me the cost of a lock.

Sent from my LGLS991 using Tapatalk

 

[Stuart96]

Right side under the drawer is the drawer release, assuming you didn't know this, if you did that is very odd it would lock itself.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Amiroquai]

Are you sure that it's locked? Don't the HF boxes have tabs on the right hand side that you need to depress to open the drawers? What kind of tool box would lock without the key being turned?

That's exactly what I was thinking. Otherwise, I would have been more careful with the key.

Judging by the build quality of this box, if the lock was preset to the locked position, I don't see how/why it would allow the drawers to be shut and set into the locked position.

 

[Amiroquai]

Right side under the drawer is the drawer release, assuming you didn't know this, if you did that is very odd it would lock itself.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Not sure what you are referring to. I do not see any drawer release. Looked all over and under the handle tabs of all drawers, on both left and right sides.

Perhaps they changed the design?

 

[taco2001]

I don't think the 44" has the release tabs, at least mine doesn't.

You can lock the cabinet with the drawers open, then close the drawers and they will be locked. If you throw the key in, you'll be locked out (I found that out the hard way)

If it's still empty, Spacecataz's suggestion of flipping upside down is probably the easiest.

 

[TNBurban]

44" don't have the drawer release tab, at least the one I looked at in the store just this weekend didn't.

 

[jakemac]

Flip it upside down. Gravity should drop the locking bar into the unlocked position enough for you to open the drawer and fish out the key.

Pull the drawer out and remove it. Then you can roll the box back over to sort things out.
It helps to have more than one person rolling the box. You don't want to drop it on yourself.

 

[Amiroquai]

Those barrel locks are very easy to pick all you need is a bic pen. Lookup some videos on YouTube they explain the process pretty well. I used the bic pen process on a toolbox that the keys had gotten lost for and it only took me 30 min or so and saved me the cost of a lock.

Sent from my LGLS991 using Tapatalk

I'll give it a shot. Nothing to lose.

Can anyone confirm the rotational direction to get this unlocked?
http://i.imgur.com/SkFjL8d.jpg
Am I going clockwise or counter clockwise?

 

[Amiroquai]

Flip it upside down. Gravity should drop the locking bar into the unlocked position enough for you to open the drawer and fish out the key.

Pull the drawer out and remove it. Then you can roll the box back over to sort things out.
It helps to have more than one person rolling the box. You don't want to drop it on yourself.

Thanks. I'll give it a shot if the Bic lock pick trick doesn't work.

 

[Spacecataz]

Flip it upside down. Gravity should drop the locking bar into the unlocked position enough for you to open the drawer and fish out the key.

Pull the drawer out and remove it. Then you can roll the box back over to sort things out.
It helps to have more than one person rolling the box. You don't want to drop it on yourself.

How dare you take my suggestion and make it better!

 

[mailpup]

Consider calling a locksmith.

 

[Amiroquai]

Update:

I flipped the cabinet upside down and it undid the lock. I wasn't able to fish out the key from the top drawer due to overlapping and angles of metal surfaces so I had the two bottom drawers removed and flipped the cabinet back to normal orientation to let gravity do its thing. The keys were at the bottom.


THANK YOU ALL for your prompt responses and help! I already had the drill ready and would not have thought flipping the thing upside down as an alternative.

This is a nice looking sturdy cabinet and great value. It's just a shame that it has such a design flaw...

 

[Cope]

It's not a design flaw, that can happen with any tool box, and many cars.

 

[PeterT]

Just bust it open, if its HF can't be worth much of anything

 

[Richard Cranium]

Glad you got it opened.

 

[jakemac]

Gravity is your friend. (sometimes)

 

[G-ManBart]

These kind of locks can be easily picked using a piece of flat metal cut/ground into a dagger shape...literally takes just a few seconds.

 

[Spacecataz]

Just bust it open, if its HF can't be worth much of anything

well aren't you a sassy tomato

 

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

I bought a lock picking kit on Amazon and can now pick *most* locks. Drawer locks are the simplest and easiest to pick.

 

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Here:

$20 on amazon

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N0WHWQC/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[LB-1911]

Update:

I flipped the cabinet upside down and it undid the lock. I wasn't able to fish out the key from the top drawer due to overlapping and angles of metal surfaces so I had the two bottom drawers removed and flipped the cabinet back to normal orientation to let gravity do its thing. The keys were at the bottom.


THANK YOU ALL for your prompt responses and help! I already had the drill ready and would not have thought flipping the thing upside down as an alternative.

This is a nice looking sturdy cabinet and great value. It's just a shame that it has such a design flaw...

For your info re photo's & Imgur

03-28-2016

Update. I guess Imgur is dead to Garage Journal for hosting because GJ has a classified section. Not sure I understand why that matters, but here is the email thread with Imgur CS.

Guess I will have to host the photos somewhere else and rebuild my page. I didn't use Photobucket originally because I have noticed that you can click on a photo hosted there and it will take you to the person's entire album and profile, which I think some people don't realize. Anyone know a way to prevent that?


Isaac K (Imgur)
Mar 28, 12:17
Hi there Sixfeet4,

Within our TOS, we do not allow the usage of imgur as a content delivery network on any site that has a section dedicated to selling. This is considered advertising. (much like eBay is blocked as well).

I do apologize for this inconvenience. I look forward to seeing you further within the community.

Best,
Isaac K.

Mar 28, 12:11

Bummer, thanks for the reply. What do you mean by "because there is a classified section"?


Isaac K (Imgur)
Mar 28, 11:59

Hi Sixfeet4,

Thanks for writing. Unfortunately that site has been blocked from hotlinking due to multiple instances of abuse of Imgur's terms of service. The terms of service can be found at http://imgur.com/tos. We don't allow hotlinked images being used as content for other websites. Because there is a classified section, we are unable to remove the blockage.

We suggest using another site that does allow being used as a content delivery network. I apologize for the confusion. Please let me know if I can help further.

Best,
Isaac K.