Lockfast AL-KO/Albe Hitchlock
Guide price £49.95
Tel 01493 751620
Web www.brecklandtrading.co.uk
Sold Secure-approved? No
Fits when hitched? No
Time withstood attack Three minutes 12 seconds
Strengths Highly visible, with a strong lock
Weaknesses Some parts had already started to corrode
Verdict Due to its design, this highly visible product was trickier to fit than some of its rivals, although good clear instructions and few parts meant that fitting was still quick and uncomplicated. The lock adequately protects the hitch gear, and withstood a noisy attack for over three minutes. Disappointingly, though, this product had already begun to corrode when we got it.
Rating ***

Milenco AL-KO/Albe Hitchlock
Guide price £59
Tel 01908 220102
Web www.milenco.co.uk
Sold Secure-approved? No
Fits when hitched? Yes
Time withstood attack Two minutes 29 seconds
Strengths Highly visible and made from strong metal
Weaknesses Exposed lock
Verdict This product was quick to fit, although the instructions could have been made clearer with the inclusion of diagrams. Once fitted, it sat snugly on the hitch gear, covering every element of the hitch. We would, however, have liked to have seen more protection of the lock itself, which is on the top of the housing. We used a noisy attack and breached this model in less than three minutes: hopefully this would still be sufficient time to alert any passers-by.
Rating **

V-tronix Caravan and Trailer lock
Guide price £22.94 Tel 01590 671144
Sold Secure-approved? No
Fits when hitched? No
Time withstood attack 53 seconds
Strengths Easy to fit
Weaknesses Not very visible
Verdict This is a relatively new product on the hitchlock market, and there are some elements of it that we really liked. It is such a new product that it won’t be a known quantity to a thief, which will make it that bit harder to breach. Also, it was easy to fit thanks to clear instructions that include photographs (although diagrams would make matters even easier). However, the fact remains that it was still breached in less than a minute, and it can’t be used while hitched.
Rating **

Milenco Lightweight Hitchlock
Guide price £34.99 Tel 01908 220102
Web www.milenco.com
Sold Secure-approved? No
Fits when hitched? No
Time withstood attack Nine seconds
Strengths Highly visible
Weaknesses Tricky to fit. Weak metal
Verdict This product is simple to fit: two parts clamp onto the hitch head. Sadly, it was also simple to remove: a mere nine-second quiet attack breached it. The adage that you get what you pay for doesn’t hold true here. You’d expect much more protection at this price. We could perhaps have seen some virtue in it if it could be used while hitched, but that’s not the case. Its only strength seemed to be its high visibility, since it is painted bright yellow.
Rating *

Keep-it AL-KO/Albe Hitchlock
Guide price £55 Tel 0870 444 2820
Web www.keep-it.co.uk
Sold Secure-approved? No
Fits when hitched? Yes
Time withstood attack Four minutes 15 seconds
Strengths Highly visible
Weaknesses Poor hitch gear protection
Verdict Comprising just two parts, this small but visible bright yellow lock is an absolute cinch to fit, but not at all easy to remove. It initially withstood our quiet method of attack, forcing us to resort to an extremely vigorous and noisy attack – this is a tough little nut to crack. However, while we were very impressed, we would have preferred to see more protection of the van’s hitch handle.
Rating ****

AL-KO AKS 2000
Guide price £65 Tel 01926 818542
Web www.al-ko.co.uk
Sold Secure-approved? Yes: Gold
Fits when hitched? Yes
Time withstood attack Two minutes 58 seconds
Strengths Lock is maker’s own design
Weaknesses Not very visible
Verdict This lock is designed by the maker of the product it is meant to be used with. The instructions are unclear, but it’s just a matter of realising that the metal cap sits on top the hitch head, and a key locks it into place. It fits well to the hitch gear, but didn’t protect the hitch head properly, and was breached quietly in less than three minutes. Rating
Rating ***

Bulldog AKS 1300/2004 Hitchlock
Guide price £63 Tel 01952 728171
Web www.bulldogsecure.com
Sold Secure-approved? Yes: Gold
Fits when hitched? Yes
Time withstood attack Over five minutes
Strengths Enclosed, tough steel unit
Weaknesses We couldn’t fit the visible rubber cap
Verdict The attack needed to breach this lock could wake the dead. It’s essentially a super-tough steel box: all the locks are encased and there are no obvious access points. It’s also easy and quick to fit. The only problem was that the red rubber cap (supplied for extra visibility) wouldn’t fit.
Rating *****

Stronghold AKS 2004 Hitchlock
Guide price £59 Tel 0871 282 8384
Web www.stronghold-security.com
Sold Secure-approved? Yes: Silver
Fits when hitched? Yes
Time withstood attack Four minutes 31 seconds
Strengths Highly visible with a simple design
Weaknesses Weak metal
Verdict This lock was easy to fit thanks to the clear instructions. The multi-barrelled Abus lock is very secure but care should be taken not to false-latch it. We breached the steel case with a noisy attack, but the lock clung to the hitch head for quite some time.
Rating ****

Bulldog WW100 Winterhoff Hitchlock
Guide price £63 Tel 01952 728171
Web www.bulldogsecure.com
Sold Secure-approved? Yes: Silver
Fits when hitched? Yes
Time withstood attack One minute 21 seconds
Strengths Highly visible
Weaknesses Poor defence.
Verdict This lock was breached in a fast, quiet attack, and it offers little protection to the hitch head It has four parts, but they are simple to fit and the instructions are easy to follow. It’s a visible product, but best suited to quick stops, although a special bolt has to be fixed to the hitch head before use.
Rating **

Milenco Winterhoff Hitchlock
Guide price £64 Tel 01908 220102
Web www.milenco.com
Sold Secure-approved? No
Fits when hitched? Yes
Time withstood attack Two minutes 48 seconds
Strengths Highly visible and easy to fit
Weaknesses Ill-fitting parts
Verdict This lock was easy enough for us to fit, but a first-timer might struggle since its instructions don’t come with diagrams. However, its bright yellow colouring really makes it stand out. It withstood a noisy attack for an average amount of time.
Rating **

BPW Robstop WS3000
Guide price £87.90
Tel 0116 281 6100
Web www.bpw.co.uk
Sold Secure-approved? No
Fits when hitched? Yes
Time withstood attack More than five minutes
Strengths Made from strong metal
Weakness Could be more visible
Verdict Clear instructions make this first-rate lock easy to fit, but the hitch head needs a part fitted to it before use. It clings tightly (so there’s no room to get between the lock and the hitch head) and withstood a noisy five-minute attack. Its also very compact.
Rating *****

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