Hey there friends i am in market for a smart lock what is the best one i can buy that is easier incorporated in SmartThings (using the old app and the v2 hub still)
It is most solidly connected to the platform with the least drop outs and has the most features?
Obviously the best bang for the buck a nice balance in cost and quality
Thank you
Denis
There’s no one “best“ because different people have different needs and preferences. There are quite a few locks which work well with smartthings, so it just depends on what you are looking for. It also depends what country you are in, as the device selection does vary considerably.
The most popular US locks have probably been the Z wave models of schlage and Yale. Both are good locks with somewhat different features. August is also popular for those who want a retrofit lock which doesn’t change the exterior hardware.
Kwikset is a budget brand which is about two classes lower in quality based on standard lock ratings. (It has a lot of plastic parts where the others have metal.) but it’s definitely cheaper, and is popular for that reason with those for whom budget is a top priority.
The following discussion thread is old, but pretty much still applies. ( The topic title is a clickable link)
All of the locks on the official compatibility list are OK. Danalock tends to get lower ratings than the others, but the newer models are considerably improved over the originals.
https://www.smartthings.com/products/-/filter/categories/door-locks
So again, just depends on your own preferences. Different brands come in somewhat different colors, the Yale is probably the quietest, August has a number of features that the others generally don’t, Schlage has more colors…you just have to do some research or else give us more information about what your own preferences would be. Choice is good. 
From what I’ve read, it seems that only a few of the compatible SmartLocks can be monitored in the STHM as a door open/close sensor, is that correct?
I can’t seem to find any reference if any of the compatible lock devices run local vice cloud in SmartThings. Do any of them run local in SmartThings?
I know the August lock and the Yale by August line have a sensor, but I’m not sure how it shows up.
Most people I know use custom code to manage their locks as the standard offerings just don’t have many features so
I’m not sure what’s possible locally. Hopefully someone who knows more will chime in.
Bang for buck depends on what you consider a bang - stability, features, battery life? Few locks can provide everything. A good place to start is checking out the lock feature comparison table in the first post of this topic. Some locks have unique features, if that’s what you “need” then you’re sorted. If not then try to pick the features you want and then you can read reviews about the stability, battery life etc and prioritize.
I have had 3 Kwikset locks for many years now running @RBoy DTH and app. No issues whatsoever. The only downside to these devices is battery life.
I now it sounds kludgy but I have found 2 Alcaline and 2 Lithium batteries provides much longer life and just enough VDC to stop the warning of low battery (which is what you get from all Lithium)
Sadly, mixing alkaline and lithium batteries can lead to overheating and explosion. 
Please don’t. These warnings exist for a reason, The chemistries are different. Just because it didn’t happen yet doesn’t mean it won’t happen next time.
Different types of AA batteries are made for different purposes; mixing them reduces performance and may damage your device. Mixing two different types of AA batteries may also cause batteries to leak or rupture. Using different brands or mixing new and old batteries in one device may have the same results. Each type of battery and each brand uses different technology, capacity and voltage. Mixing will often cause batteries to become overheated. Extremely hot batteries may explode, causing damage to your equipment and endangering the user.
Yeah, bit of a dumbass, I should really know better.
I didn’t consider the equalizing voltage differential would create too much of a trickle current.
These are non-rechargable batteries so in essence I’m trying to recharge a Lithium cell.
Thanks for the wakeup.
The August door sensor shows up when it’s connected to SmartThings via their cloud integration.
Yes i am here in the US.
Right now i have RF remote controlled door lock. One of the remotes i have wired to a raspberry pi in the garage which is close to the door in a L shaped driveway and it works ok.
However we don’t use it frequently, the batteries, that have a very minimal life to begin with, they burst out often and ruin the lock… this is the second one i am using (the manufacturer replaced the first one but they did burst again and it is already sort of acting up).
My family rather use the actual keys, although i have a NFC tag next to it and a tasker app on their phone for scan to enter, i myself enter mostly though the garage, so its use is not heavy.
I am hoping to get a key that has a longer battery life and i am 100% sure that they do better than this one but also has ST status reporting lock /unlock and scheduling etc… different key codes for members would be nice as well …i have not researched smart locks much as i have been contempt with this one but i think it is time to change.
Definitely would be looking into rboy pp integrations but for now i need to narrow the search as to what brands i should be looking at and find some deals
Denis
I’ve been running the Schlage FE469FX and its been pretty amazing, battery life is around 18 months. I upgraded to the newer 469ZP model hoping for even better battery life, however for whatever reason (and I troubleshot the hell out of it) 4 brand new batteries would last me at best about 3 DAYS.
So the previous FX model I can whole heartedly recommend 100%.
Did you talk to Schlage support about it? One of my friends had that issue and it turned out it was just a defective radio constantly broadcasting and so running the battery down, so they sent a replacement.
I have the august lock pro. It connects via z-wave to the old app or the new app. With a custom dth, it can act as a contact sensor for both shm and shtm. Here is the custom dth