Kwikset 98001-099 Signatures Ashfield SmartKey Handleset with Ashfield Interior Lever, Rustic Bronze
Reviews of Kwikset 98001-099 Signatures Ashfield SmartKey Handleset with Ashfield Interior Lever, Rustic Bronze
1.) Kwilset Rustic Bronze Handle Set
Reviewed by: M. MacDonald North Fort Myers, FL USA
Rating: 
I am very impressed with the quality of this handle set. The Smart Key feature is ingenious! Do not worry about damaging or making the handleset/lock irrepairable. The rekey sequence is very simple and very straight forward. Just read the directions. I replaced all my doors with this type of system and it took about 15 seconds to rekey each new lock.
These handlesets and locks are extremely difficult to find at you local stores now, but Amazon had all of them and at excellent pricing too.
2.) Solid Set
Reviewed by: congaboy77 OKC, OK
Rating: 
We purchased this to replace our front door knob and deadbolt. We were very pleased with the product. It assembled quickly and easily. It has good weight and feels very sturdy. We didn't have any issues following the directions and rekeying the lock. It worked the first time and has worked since then.
We have only had 2 issues. The first is that the decorative cap on the bottom indoor screw is difficult to remove. Also, the screws that hold the plates on the side of the door are a little soft. Make sure you use a properly sized phillips head screw driver so that you don't strip them.
3.) Good looks, great quality and a snap to rekey
Reviewed by: knitting ninja San Jose, CA USA
Rating: 
We are in the process of replacing all of our doors and hardware. This Kwikset turned out to be a great choice for our front door and matches our old world Mediterranean style well. The finish looks robust and the unit comes with a good warranty. The finish pieces use inset screws so nothing is visible after installation, which gives a very professional look. The unit is heavy and has a solid feel. I also rekeyed the deadbolt in less than 1 minute to match the back door - also a Kwikset. The deal here on Amazon was far superior to the local big box home improvement store (big Orange box).
4.) What a great value
Reviewed by: HMH Santa Clara, CA
Rating: 
Wow, you can really feel the quality of this lock by its weight. It is heavy. The rich bronze color compliments any door color. I had to replace the deadbolt and decided that this handle set was well worth the price. It matches beautifully so I'm not stuck with a mis-matched design on my front door. Installation was easy since the existing hole was the right size. This is the best price I have found for a door lock like this.
5.) Fantastic.! looks great, works smoothly
Reviewed by: Ferriman Family Five Westerville, Ohio USA
Rating: 
great handle set. It looks great on our door, really have no complaints. Installation was easy (took me about 30-40 minutes total, with distractions). Directions are clear. If you are putting this on a new door, the drill guide is printed on the back of the directions so there is no guessing required. The only thing to warn about is that you do have to use a specific key that is compatible with these Kwikset smartkey locks. So if you have other locks on your home, those keys will probably not work. I tried to re-key with a key from the back door, and garage door locks on my house that looked almost identical to the one that it came with, it didn't work, and I was almost not able to get it back to the original so that it would work...user error (didn't read the directions close enough)...It states right in the directions that only certain brands and types of keys will work. So read carefully and don't try it, unless you're willing to take the chances of the lock being useless!!
6.) very happy with the door knob and lock set
Reviewed by: Phillip Pickman Tijeras NM
Rating: 
We installed the door handle and deadbolt lock on the front door of our new house in about May, 2008. It's now over a year later: lock, latches work fine. Looks as good as it did when we installed it.
Re-keying was easy, to match the Kwikset locksets on our other doors.
7.) Front Door Style
Reviewed by: Twltzone Missouri
Rating: 
A great buy - same item at Big Hardware Store is well over $100! Can't wait to put it on the front door of my new home!
8.) NICE
Reviewed by: Bounthavy Mansfield, TX
Rating: 
Great handleset for the price paid. At least over $100 at local home improvement stores.
9.) Beautiful hardware with easy installation!
Reviewed by: J. McCoy Cincinnati, OH
Rating: 
This hardware has a beautiful rustic bronze finish, easy installation, and the re-keying feature makes it great to key all of the locks alike and use one key for everything. You can't beat the price either!
10.) Love it!
Reviewed by: kerimoe Valdosta, GA United States
Rating: 
I selected this set because it was a good price and similar to what I wanted. Once I got it installed, I realized that I really like it. It works well and I love that it was so easy to use my current key.
11.) Good hardware, great price.
Reviewed by: Sawdust Savant Austin, TX
Rating: 
I installed this a couple days after receiving it, and it was everything I hoped. I've done plenty of doorknobs and deadbolts, and this is nothing special as far as installation. The action is very smooth and easy, and the SmartKey function worked flawlessly. I was able to re-key the deadbolt to use my existing Kwikset deadbolt key in all of 30 seconds.
At less than $60, can't beat the price.
12.) Beautiful upgrade
Reviewed by: All about Bargins Lancaster, CA
Rating: 
My husband installed this today and what a difference. Changes the appearance of the entire entry. It took a little modification to install, but nothing major. I would recommend this product.
13.) Great Deal!!!!
Reviewed by: Lisa Tucker Sarasota, FL
Rating: 
I recently had my double doors replaced so I needed to buy new hardware. I looked at all the home improvement stores and compared the prices. I needed 2 sets since I have double doors. I was able to purchase 2 sets from this seller for that same price that it would have cost for one. The shipping was free and the quality is excellent. I would not hesitate at all to purchase from this seller. Thanks for helping me save some money!
14.) BEAUTIFUL!
Reviewed by: vanessuhh Thomson, GA, US
Rating: 
We live in a 19th century house, with original door knobs (you know with the skeleton keys??) and needed to upgrade to the 21st century. This door knob is absolutely beautiful! With the antique look to it, it kept my house with its old charm with modern amenities! I LOVE it!
15.) Exactly as expected
Reviewed by: Cec Atlanta, GA USA
Rating: 
This is a high quality door handle w/a great price. Our contractor installed it easily. The rustic bronze color looks just as pictured. The ability to easily re-key the lock at some point in the future is an added benefit.
16.) IMO, the nicest looking Smartkey handleset available
Reviewed by: Jason Rodgers Las Vegas, NV USA
Rating: 
It installed easy, and the Smartkey portion is very easy to use. Of note, if you get the NON-smartkey version you CAN get that lock re-keyed for <$15 @ a locksmith.
I did not drill the hole through the front door for lower bolt attachment, b/c w/ the handleset firmly tightened it did now sway left/right w/o considerable force.
I also did not install the new deadbolt receiver plate b/c it didn't fit my stock setup. I know I don't get the highest Grade security, but the deadbolt slides all the way and provides the same level of security I had before. At some point I may bust out a chisel and take care of this, but for now I'll just enjoy my new handleset from the couch ;).
17.) Good looking
Reviewed by: B. Breckenfeld Carrollton, TX
Rating: 
A very good looking finish on this handleset and the parts are heavy and the mechanics work smoothly.
18.) Great lockset
Reviewed by: D. Ramirez Salt Lake City, Utah
Rating: 
This is a pretty good buy. The looks are spot on. This is my second one. I have had the exact same model on another exterior door in my house for over a year now and it has had no problems. The finish looks as good as the day I installed it. My only complaint about this is that the interior knob for the deadbolt has a sloppy feel to it. I guess this common among Kwikset though.
I would recommend this if you can find a good price on it.
19.) Kwikset lock set
Reviewed by: Jo
Rating: 
I was extremely pleased with the quality and heftiness of the set. It is very attractive and was easy to install. I highly recommend this product. And the price was better than anywhere else I looked.
20.) A Nice Upgrade
Reviewed by: Biologist & DJ Orange, CA United States
Rating: 
I was tired of my rinky-dink front door knob and finally jumped in with this beautiful set. My wife and I really like the rustic bronze finish as there are not many sets out there like it. It was relatively easy to install after taking out the old set. As with most things like this you may have to do a little tweaking to get it set just right, which I did. We did not drill a hole through the door for the bottom connection and it works fine. It was pricey, about $150, but I think a worthwhile investment in my home and appearance as you enter our house.
21.) My door now looks very elegant
Reviewed by: L. Knight Atlanta, GA
Rating: 
This is a very nice looking, sturdy handle set. The only reason I did not rate it a 5 was the difficulty in installing it. It would have been great to have a template to know exactly where to put the holes, espcially the one that secures the bottome of the handle.
22.) great buy
Reviewed by: DWB
Rating: 
I have seen this same one at various other places for as much as twice the price, this is a sweet deal.
23.) Great Price!!
Reviewed by: K. ahuja
Rating: 
Great Value, I love the deals I get at Amazon. They always back their products and no issues.
24.) good product - I would buy again
Reviewed by: Ram fan St. Louis
Rating: 
Pros- good hardware, solid feel, nice look.
cons- color was more brown than I expected, but it still works for my door.
Transaction was smooth.
25.) nice, but tricky
Reviewed by: Peter Bonenberger
Rating: 
The Handleset looks great, works fine now... But the information how to put it into the door misses a lot of details. I thought I am a good craftsman, but I was close to give up. After attaching, detaching, attaching a few times it finally worked, now it looks great and works well
26.) Worn out spindle and bolt mechanism
Reviewed by: Flatboat Pearl River, LA United States
Rating: 
I was really disappointed when the spindle and bolt mechanism wore out after eight years. I expected the parts that wear to be better made. I've lived in other houses where the door knobs just kept working. The inside spindle that rubbed against the door mechanism was a half cylinder that just rubbed away. Pretty brass handle lasted, but the spindle can't be repaired and the whole handle needed to be replaced. Kwikset is a division of Black and Decker and my experience it that B&D makes cheap stuff that doesn't work or breaks to easily. I would recommend Schlage or some other brand.
27.) I no longer love these locks!
Reviewed by: The Do It Yourself Virgin New Orleans, LA
Rating: 
I have replaced all of the locks in my apartment building with Smart Key locks and in one year eliminated my locksmith budget. The previous year we spent almost $700 on rekeying locks after tenants moved out or lost keys. I have not had a single problem with any of the locks and have rekeyed them myself (in under a minute) many times. They have, so far, stood up to the abuse of our tenants brilliantly.
Aside from the great re-keying Smart Key feature, these locks are the first I've encountered (and I've installed a lot of locks) that seems to be designed for a do-it-yourselfer, not a locksmith. They are very, very easy to install and take about a tenth of the time to install than the average door knob and lock set.
Aside from the great re-keying Smart Key feature, these locks are the first I've encountered (and I've installed a lot of locks) that seems to be designed for a do-it-yourselfer, not a locksmith. They are very, very easy to install and take about a tenth of the time to install than the average door knob and lock set.
Update 04-02-10
The little metal dowel that supports the thumb-latch inside the handle broke off and the thumb-latch on the lock-handle fell off! The package claims a lifetime warranty so I called KwikSet. The American customer service rep seemed rather new to the job, but he was very helpful and after putting me on hold for a moment to consult with his manager, he came back and gathered my shipping info to send me a replacement. I had to pay $5 for the shipping, but they sent me a brand new lockset exactly like the one that broke, including the deadbolt. To say I was thrilled is an understatement. These are not cheap locks, but a warranty like that certainly makes them worth the extra money and even the extra I had to kick in for shipping!
PS - It always makes my day to know that people find these reviews helpful. So, please vote (the "Was this review helpful to you: Yes or No" buttons) and leave a comment if you'd like, even if it's just to say, "Hi!" I respond to all comments so feel free to ask a question about the product. Also, when you leave a comment, I will go to your reviews and pay you the same courtesy.
Update 06-06-10
In the last three weeks, three of the four smart key deadbolt locks have "reset" themselves! For absolutely no reason they each, one by one, stopped working with the key they were set for. Luckily, I was able to get into each of the apartments through other accesses to open the doors. I replaced the first two, then bought the Kwikset 83260-001 SmartKey Cylinder Reset Cradle with the intention of resetting the now useless locks and reusing them. Well, this cradle-thing is designed for locksmiths and comes with absolutely no instructions on how to remove the inner core of the cylinder so you can put it into this tool to reset it. Another waste of money on a Kwikset product that is now useless to me.
I tried calling Kwikset but their customer service is closed on Sundays, so for now I'm out three(!!!!) deadbolts and am quite unhappy about it. I changed the number of stars I gave it from 5 to 2.
28.) Strikeplate won't close door tight
Reviewed by: W. Hannah Ridgecrest, CA USA
Rating: 
I thought it was great until I shut the door. The Strikeplate will not close the door tightly, it leaves a gap so that wind whistles in for the last 2 months and up goes my heating bill. I called the company and they said maybe if I fill the hole with wood putty, then drill a new hole in the jam, it may work. Right. I bought this to look better than what I had, not to look like the "whodats".
29.) WARNING! Cannot Be Repaired!
Reviewed by: The More I Know, The Less Angry I Am Nevada
Rating: 
While the idea of being able to rekey this bolt sounds like a good thing, it leaves consumer in the precarious position of being an expert locksmith - or else! If you mess up the re-keying or if any of your keys accidentally dislodge the tumblers, the lock is broken and cannot be fixed or re-keyed, even by a professional.
I purchased this set and installed the deadbolt. The first re-key did not go smoothly, but I was able to get the second key to work a few times. Someone else used a copied key that happened to be a little worn in some spots. This caused the tumblers to dislodge and the key got stuck. Locksmith had to come and take the whole deadbolt apart. Mechanism does not allow you to repair the dislodged tumblers.
Manufacturer warranty does NOT cover it if re-keying is messed up or if your key caused tumblers to dislodge. At least I still got to use the entry handle, but then that's one expensive entry handle as I had to replace the bolt with a regular non Smart Key version!
30.) Avoid buying Kwikset SmartKey products or you will be locked of your own house.
Reviewed by: Travis Bird
Rating: 
I have experienced TWO failures with these locks. The first was within 2 days of installation into a side garage that I had no other entry into (had not yet programmed the garage door opener) and had to kick in the door which caused damage to the frame of my door.
Then several months later, my front door lock fails, the key will not open the dead bolt. We might have used a key to enter this door maybe 15 times before failure.
If you search you will find several people having the same issue. If the tumbler locks you out you then have to find an alternate entry into your house which may require a break in or call a locksmith and pay them $200 bucks to DRILL your lock.
Check out other unhappy customers that have been locked out of their house using the "SmartKey" locks.
[...] . Scroll down and you'll see a constant stream of lock tumbler failures. You'll also see that the replacement tumbler also suffers the same issue.
This is a frequent failure, I'm out over $300 bucks to replace all of the locks with ones that hopefully will not fail.
Features of Kwikset 98001-099 Signatures Ashfield SmartKey Handleset with Ashfield Interior Lever, Rustic Bronze
Kwikset 98001-099 Rustic Bronze Smartkey; Ashfield; Handleset With Ashfield; LeverKwikset 98001-099 Rustic Bronze Smartkey; Ashfield; Handleset With Ashfield; Lever Features:; Signature Series handleset; The detailed styling of the Ashfield; handleset brings together time-honored country traditions; Ashfield; lever makes a stylish design statement; SmartKey; cylinder features include Bumpguard; protection, drill resistance, rekeyable lock, locking bar, racks, and pins are made out of stainless steel for increased strength and durability; Lifetime mechanical warranty; 10 year finish warranty; 1 year electronic warranty; A156.5 Grade 1 security; Anti-pick 6 pin system; Adjustable to 2-3/8" or 2-3/4" backset deadbolt
1.) A decorative option for exterior doors requiring keyed locking, usually installed on front entry doors. Features SmartKey customized security with bump guard protection;
2.) Easy to install; adjustable latch fits 1-3/8" to 1-3/4" thick doors and 2-3/8" or 2-3/4” backsets. Latch includes interchangeable round, square and drive-in face plates for any door prep.;
3.) ANSI Grade 1 high residential security. Single cylinder deadbolt features a high security 5-pin cylinder and a 1-Inch throw deadbolt with a hardened steel insert to prevent saw attacks;
4.) Anti-tarnish and mechanical lifetime warranty;
5.) Rustic bronze - deep bronze coloring paired with warm bronze highlights;
Package Height x Length x Width: 21.5 in. x 21.5 in. x 8.3 in.
Package Weight: 8.6 lbs.
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