Excellent demonstration Bill, I'm sure most of us had the general concept of how these worked, but there is nothing like a visual (up close and slow motion to boot!) to really give an even better idea of whats happening inside the key way. Thanks Bill, great work!
After some failed attempts with an electric toothbrush, and a Chinese pick gun wrapped in rubber bands. I think I should have saved some frustration and found one of these! Love the vids, love the pick!
Awesome video bill!! Just ordered a few picks from Southord to try them out! I'm buying just 3-4 picks at a time to build up a kit, sure would love that electric picker😁
Still not fixed :/ Keep up the good work it is very nice videos you make. When you have some excess time, you could try to take a look at that high pitched rattle sound. I can still clearly hear it when you speak. Not sure what makes it happen, but its only on your videos. Not on anything else i playback on my computer from youtube or other sources.
I suspect the rattle may be caused by the way audio data is being compressed, either in Bill's post-processing or in the way UA-cam stores and streams it. In other words, it might be a software problem. (The technical term is 'aliasing.')
You are comparing an economy car to a performance sports car andl like everything else you get what you pay for. The E500C (and big brother the E500XT) are nice, durable, reliable tools backed up by a solid company. For the price, the Southords are a good deal and have no true competitors. The Kronos is a professional tool, made from higher quality materials and made to a very high standard. The motor is more powerful, smoother, quieter, and it comes with rechargeable batteries. For those willing to pay a higher price for the additional quality, it is the tool of choice.
Oh, electric "Pick". With that font, I thought that was a D, rather than a P, and you had finally purchased something on the credit card that the wife approved. 🤣
Houston Speeds they are very hit and miss I had one that wired ok and one that was shit, both exactly the same product but quality control and longevity of the tool are non existent
I have the E500XT and sometimes I have to press the needle up to get it to start but it works fine. I would like to know if you've ever had that problem where you push the button and nothing happens until you press the needle up? It's did it ever since I got it about 3 weeks ago
Yes, several years ago it did that and progressively got worse. Southord has a rebuild service so I sent it in for an overhaul. I think it was around $50 and it came back like new.
Would something like this be more effective if the entire tip moved up and down horizontaly instead of pivoting? It seems to me that by having the tip traveling further near the back it will physically press the key pins up, whereas the shorter brisk bumps in the front impart the energy onto the driver pins which transfer it to the key pins (like in in billiards) but leave the keypins in place, allowing for a larger and longer air gap. The cutaway seemed to confirm this, with the pin all the way in the back seeming to just travel up and down with hardly any gap.
FWIW, I think the Southord electric pick takes some finessing, because I cannot get it to open many locks consistently besides Master locks. I have a bunch of Arrow 5-pin cylinders with no security pins that I cannot get this E500XT to open, maybe once after 5-10 minutes, at which point it would have been much easier to manually pick. I have tried adjusting the screw and changing my technique, but still can't get it to work properly. Bosnianbill's Kronos review made it seem like any simple lock would be only a few seconds of work for this kind of tool.
Nice one - Getting some use out of the high speed camera! You carry one of these rather than the Kronos - is that a preference thing, or just because you've had one for years? They both do the same job about as well as each other?
Just a "cheap" thing. I've owned the Southord for a long time and since it still works perfectly, can't justify shelling out the bucks for the Kronos. However..... when it finally craps out, I will replace it with the Kronos, no doubt.
Bosnianbill that answers the question I had. Got to replace mine as some little shit thought be would reduce my fuel consumption my lightening my payload. Electric pick and plug puller plus about £1200 of makita gear gone.
I'm sorry to hear that. If it is any consolation, this took is not effective on Abloy disc detainer locks. When you get around to replacing the old cylinder, consider one of those.
Bill, i have asked before, being that these all work on the same principle, why would a $149.USD be any different than a cheapo Chinese model and/or a viberating toothbrush- for as much as its used?? Also, what is the % of success of openings vs. "SPP" a lock ??
I'm currently in the market for an electronic pick like this. I'm not sure if I am going to get this or the Cronos? I'm thinking that the extra money might pay off in the end. I'm sure they would both be great tools but it seems like the Cronos is the far superior in quality and construction. Both are good companies. Does anyone else have both of these? Tell me some pros and cons.
I don't get it. Southord can make an electric pick gun that's sturdy enough to bash open a padlock, but they can't make top-of-keyway torsion wrenches?
What is the noticeable difference between the Southord E500C and the Southord E500XT? 3 weeks ago you were very happy about Kronos Electric Pick Gun. And want to buy one yourself. Why do you want both the Southord E500XT and the Kronos Electric Pick Gun in your toolbox?
Why not just buy a new Southord E500XT? KRONOS is only 3.7V as opposed to the Southord E500XT 4.5V I would like to buy an Electric Lock Pick that I can practice with. But do not want to bump any JUNK Here in Denmark I can buy the SouthOrd Electric Lock Pick Gun E500XT $ 165 And Kronos The electric pick $ 192 But I thought the batteries in the E500XT fills a lot if you need extra. I have a lot of batteries to suit Kronos :-) Is there a completely different Electric Lock Pick Gun that you would recommend to a beginner
Great video, gotta love the high speed. How are these on upside down locks? -- I watched as a local locksmith went to work on a lockout with a Kwikset knob for about 20 min, installed upside down. Trying to rake it, then pulled out a Snap gun, still took forever. The former property manager had self-installed the knob upside down in the door... Because he didn't have the tool to switch it, or sense to just use a screwdriver... 😒 And of course this was the only door not master keyed. *Edit: I pulled out the box of master keyed lock sets, and just popped a new one in. No more of that nonsense. It's bad enough when I had to go out in the middle of the night just to turn a master key for someone.
Nathan Rowlett The physics is identical, no matter the lock's orientation. Remember, you are bouncing against springs, not gravity. The lock has no idea it is mounted right side up or upside down.
That same principle would seem to imply that it can be picked by other methods upside down as well (though this tool is meant to give quick opens). I wonder what was difficult for the locksmith? (EDIT: putting something in a different-than-accustomed-to orientation can throw a person off, me included in examples that aren't lock picking-- so maybe that was it?) Not that I have any real lockpicking experience (haven't tried before short of failed attempts long ago with no understanding).
Excellent demonstration Bill, I'm sure most of us had the general concept of how these worked, but there is nothing like a visual (up close and slow motion to boot!) to really give an even better idea of whats happening inside the key way. Thanks Bill, great work!
After some failed attempts with an electric toothbrush, and a Chinese pick gun wrapped in rubber bands. I think I should have saved some frustration and found one of these! Love the vids, love the pick!
Great video Bill, excellent use of the high speed camera to demonstrate its speed
Great job Bill.
Yet another informative video, but this time with slo-mo!! I've been looking for a good gun like this and now I think I've found it. Thanks Bill :)
That slow motion was awesome! Great to see it in action. Your video's are getting pretty fancy now.👌🍺😎
I'd like to see it used in the cutaway with anti-bump pins in it.
What beautiful visuals
Great video! Love the slow mo on the sparrow's lock
like the slow motion, it shows what is happening
Very nice lesson Bill!
Awesome... l always imagined it would look like that and now you have just confirmed it. Thanks Bill
Excellent up grade to the production work. Keep up the great work !
Bright and shiny.. High tech visuals .... sound is great!
Jason Carlson, Thank you, sir! 😃
fantastic tool, great video Bill thank you
Great demo
Awesome slowmo keep up the videos good sir
The highspeed camera was a nice touch.
Awesome video bill!! Just ordered a few picks from Southord to try them out! I'm buying just 3-4 picks at a time to build up a kit, sure would love that electric picker😁
Could you persuade Hitachi to make a bogota attachment for their magic wand? Asking for a friend.
they are amazing tools when making noise is not a problem
So if I was looking at an electric pick, is the kronos worth its bigger price tag?
Informative .. as per usual . Thank You Mr B
Sweet that would look nice in my bag great stuff Bill thanks
great gun
there is some weird rattle whenever you talk since you made the soundproofing video of your lab..
ye it´s kinda anoying :(
Still not fixed :/ Keep up the good work it is very nice videos you make. When you have some excess time, you could try to take a look at that high pitched rattle sound. I can still clearly hear it when you speak. Not sure what makes it happen, but its only on your videos. Not on anything else i playback on my computer from youtube or other sources.
Emil Kristensen other than the rattle, the mic is outstanding and has a super low noise floor
I agree. However the high pitched rattle annoy me a lot.
I suspect the rattle may be caused by the way audio data is being compressed, either in Bill's post-processing or in the way UA-cam stores and streams it. In other words, it might be a software problem. (The technical term is 'aliasing.')
Were there any major differences between this one and the Multipick Kronos?
You are comparing an economy car to a performance sports car andl like everything else you get what you pay for. The E500C (and big brother the E500XT) are nice, durable, reliable tools backed up by a solid company. For the price, the Southords are a good deal and have no true competitors. The Kronos is a professional tool, made from higher quality materials and made to a very high standard. The motor is more powerful, smoother, quieter, and it comes with rechargeable batteries. For those willing to pay a higher price for the additional quality, it is the tool of choice.
It would be cool to see the Kronos in slow motion now :)
Where do you get batteries on the beach? Who sells c-cells by the sea shore?
Oh, electric "Pick". With that font, I thought that was a D, rather than a P, and you had finally purchased something on the credit card that the wife approved. 🤣
Well said, bmitch3020 !
would u do a review on a cheap Ebay electric lock pick??? or do u know if they work well??? another great video, keep it up!!!!
Houston Speeds they are very hit and miss I had one that wired ok and one that was shit, both exactly the same product but quality control and longevity of the tool are non existent
I have the E500XT and sometimes I have to press the needle up to get it to start but it works fine. I would like to know if you've ever had that problem where you push the button and nothing happens until you press the needle up? It's did it ever since I got it about 3 weeks ago
Yes, several years ago it did that and progressively got worse. Southord has a rebuild service so I sent it in for an overhaul. I think it was around $50 and it came back like new.
I contacted Southord they are sending me a prepaid postage label to send back the pick to fix. They responded fast to the email.
Very cool!
Would something like this be more effective if the entire tip moved up and down horizontaly instead of pivoting? It seems to me that by having the tip traveling further near the back it will physically press the key pins up, whereas the shorter brisk bumps in the front impart the energy onto the driver pins which transfer it to the key pins (like in in billiards) but leave the keypins in place, allowing for a larger and longer air gap. The cutaway seemed to confirm this, with the pin all the way in the back seeming to just travel up and down with hardly any gap.
build a better one and ill buy
FWIW, I think the Southord electric pick takes some finessing, because I cannot get it to open many locks consistently besides Master locks. I have a bunch of Arrow 5-pin cylinders with no security pins that I cannot get this E500XT to open, maybe once after 5-10 minutes, at which point it would have been much easier to manually pick. I have tried adjusting the screw and changing my technique, but still can't get it to work properly. Bosnianbill's Kronos review made it seem like any simple lock would be only a few seconds of work for this kind of tool.
I need one of these things
I wonder if I can do a DIY version of this with a oscillating multi tool... replicating the right amount of through might be tricky.
Lots of guys use old electric toothbrushes. In the forums, Braun seems to be the brand of choice, but I've never done it.
Awesome!!
My little metal screw on the end stripped . Does anyone know what size or who sells a replacement screw. The tiny of the two.
Wouldn't leave home without one? I guess something that big is easier to notice than the house keys.
Nice one - Getting some use out of the high speed camera! You carry one of these rather than the Kronos - is that a preference thing, or just because you've had one for years? They both do the same job about as well as each other?
Just a "cheap" thing. I've owned the Southord for a long time and since it still works perfectly, can't justify shelling out the bucks for the Kronos. However..... when it finally craps out, I will replace it with the Kronos, no doubt.
Bosnianbill that answers the question I had.
Got to replace mine as some little shit thought be would reduce my fuel consumption my lightening my payload.
Electric pick and plug puller plus about £1200 of makita gear gone.
I'm sorry to hear that. If it is any consolation, this took is not effective on Abloy disc detainer locks. When you get around to replacing the old cylinder, consider one of those.
Bosnianbill unfortunately it was a peel and steel on the side door my van in broad daylight when i popped into a shop yo get some lunch.
Perfect - thanks Bill
Do more lock humor videos please , like the master lock weakness one 😂😂😂
How does it compare with a snap gun?
Can you do the same high speed video with the bump key in action on a cut-a-way also? (Apologies if this was previously done).
Already on my "to do" list. 👌
Great slomo video!
How well do these work with top of the keyway tensioners?
Ill buy one if they come out with a version that takes 18650 batteries. Kind of a bummer that it doesnt
if you have 3d printer, adapter for 18650 is not hard to make.
Where to buy,how much coast ?
pretty awesome
Uh, I watched a certain Shawn Woods video and I felt very uneasy when I saw these "rubber washers"...
Castrating ones?
I'm not positive, but it looked like metallic dust flying off to the right. Are EPG's hard on locks then?
Yes, they are beating against those soft brass pins with a hardened steel needle at high speed.
did you really give this one away becvause you have one or is your old one slightly better?
Seems like another great option great option! Always good to have in the bag.
Would rechargeable cells work well since they only output 1.2v vs 1.5v alkaline? Have you tried them?
May I ask why you stick to your "old" Southord EPG and not to something new like the new Southord or the Kronos that uses 18650 cells?
Money. Not enough of it...😝
Anyone know how this compares to the kronos one?
Bill, i have asked before, being that these all work on the same principle, why would a $149.USD be any different than a cheapo Chinese model and/or a viberating toothbrush- for as much as its used??
Also, what is the % of success of openings vs. "SPP" a lock ??
ua-cam.com/video/6eRuq0yg0no/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/CEdJH2tBDfo/v-deo.html
James Thiemann in essence a Ferrari works the same as Ford fiesta but there is no comparison in performance.
I'm currently in the market for an electronic pick like this. I'm not sure if I am going to get this or the Cronos? I'm thinking that the extra money might pay off in the end. I'm sure they would both be great tools but it seems like the Cronos is the far superior in quality and construction. Both are good companies. Does anyone else have both of these? Tell me some pros and cons.
Donde la en cuentro desde colombia gracias
So the extra air gap picks the lock?......lol jk great review Bill this was really cool
Can't wait to win that lol
Yip sound is off at the end of each word
How can I stay legal when picking locks is this easy!!?
lol the end of the video "i love it...but im giving it away!" yea. that dont sound quite right 😛
I know... but I refuse to keep stuff that I buy for reviews.
I don't get it. Southord can make an electric pick gun that's sturdy enough to bash open a padlock, but they can't make top-of-keyway torsion wrenches?
Dave H this ^^ totally
What is the noticeable difference between the Southord E500C and the Southord E500XT?
3 weeks ago you were very happy about Kronos Electric Pick Gun.
And want to buy one yourself.
Why do you want both the Southord E500XT and the Kronos Electric Pick Gun in your toolbox?
The Southord is 10 years old and will eventually wear out. When it does, I'll need to replace it and the Kronos is high on my wish list.
Why not just buy a new Southord E500XT?
KRONOS is only 3.7V as opposed to the Southord E500XT 4.5V
I would like to buy an Electric Lock Pick that I can practice with. But do not want to bump any JUNK
Here in Denmark I can buy the SouthOrd Electric Lock Pick Gun E500XT $ 165
And Kronos The electric pick $ 192
But I thought the batteries in the E500XT fills a lot if you need extra.
I have a lot of batteries to suit Kronos :-)
Is there a completely different Electric Lock Pick Gun that you would recommend to a beginner
No, these are the two market leaders. Since you are in Denmark, be sure to calculate shipping costs into your decision.
To be honest with you I will trade my Southord E500XT for a vorax lock pick set
Great video, gotta love the high speed.
How are these on upside down locks? -- I watched as a local locksmith went to work on a lockout with a Kwikset knob for about 20 min, installed upside down. Trying to rake it, then pulled out a Snap gun, still took forever. The former property manager had self-installed the knob upside down in the door... Because he didn't have the tool to switch it, or sense to just use a screwdriver... 😒 And of course this was the only door not master keyed. *Edit: I pulled out the box of master keyed lock sets, and just popped a new one in. No more of that nonsense. It's bad enough when I had to go out in the middle of the night just to turn a master key for someone.
Nathan Rowlett The physics is identical, no matter the lock's orientation. Remember, you are bouncing against springs, not gravity. The lock has no idea it is mounted right side up or upside down.
Beautiful, thank you!
That same principle would seem to imply that it can be picked by other methods upside down as well (though this tool is meant to give quick opens). I wonder what was difficult for the locksmith? (EDIT: putting something in a different-than-accustomed-to orientation can throw a person off, me included in examples that aren't lock picking-- so maybe that was it?) Not that I have any real lockpicking experience (haven't tried before short of failed attempts long ago with no understanding).
interesting...
Which one do you prefer Bill between the Southord or the Kronos electric picks?
Well, I've used my Southord for years but when it wears out I'm going to try the Kronos.
Sound is fixed! No chirp! Yay!!
its not fixed. Its still really noticable.
But it sounds more like a rattle now.
The chirp is gone.
Can you legally travel by air with that thing? I would assume that authorities might not like “burglary devices” entering their country.
Tex Patriot being with the government sent to train people I think he would have the paperwork where required.
Audio 5/10
I signed up but I put the user as my sign in user name superbob389
Bill good sound quality no artifacts
Kronos is better!
are you sure? why exactly?