"Robert Green" wrote in message
...
I've got a padlock that's been outside too long. The key won't turn
(although after copious amounts of WD40 it does, finally, enter the lock)
and it's in a rather hard to reach spot. I'm heading off to Harbor
Freight
this weekend, so I was thinking that the best way to remove the lock would
be to buy an angle grinder and the appropriate cutoff wheels.

Go to the hock shop and look for a Makita or Dewalt or other major brand.
Buy by color brightness. The more crisp and new the color, the better
shape. Also look at where the cord enters the body for a nice looking cord.
Don't buy anything with a cracked protector there, as that is an indicator
of age. You should be able to get one for what you will pay for a HF brand,
and have one that will last longer. The cutoff grinder will find countless
other uses, might as well get a stringer brush and cup knot variety, too.
(Caution $20 per item)

I cut off a ton of these when I had my welding business. I had about six
storage places that would call, and I'd pop by and for $20 pop it off. Paid
for lunch for me and my helper. I used an electric Makita 4" grinder. Then
I bought the largest pair of bolt cutters I have ever seen, got it at a
police evidence auction. They are four feet long. Damn near a two man
operation, but it shortened a five minute job to a fifteen second job. The
"hockey puck" locks were the same, and I used a Makita die tool with 14k rpm
very thin disc. Not much room to get in there the way they have those
configured.

As for weatherproofing, I can't offer much there except to protect the lock,
maybe make a little cover out of sheet metal. For a new one, I'd shop for
some brand name that has some weather resistant features. Tying a plastic
zip lock on there with a rubber band might help, but then it tends to
condense and rust.

Good luck.

Steve