Sentry TC8-331 Safe Commercial Business Safe, 3.8 Cubic Feet, Black

The Sentry Model TC8-331 appears to be a solid product, but I ran into an annoying problem with it. When I researched it at the Sentry web site I read its manual to make sure that it could be bolted to a concrete (not wood) floor. Without bolting it down this safe is just a heavy box that could be carried away by adequately equipped thieves. Given time and some ordinary power tools I believe that I could break into it.

This product did not come with the screws and masonry anchors described in the manual, and it took the company nearly two weeks to ship them after I called. In addition, the pre-drilled holes diagramed in the product manual were not visible from the inside as shown in the figures at the bottom of page 2 of the manual. After calling the company and after a seven minute wait I was asked to put the safe on its side and look at the bottom, and in fact the holes were there although not where they are shown in the figures. Furthermore, I had to drill through the plasterboard and cloth liner on the inside. The plaster board which is a half inch thick prevented me from seeing or feeling the holes from the inside of the safe. My drill easily cut through the plasterboard, but the bit shredded the cloth liner in the bottom. This is just cosmetic, but it is irritating just the same.

Also, the instructions for accurately drilling the holes in the floor are not adequate. I had no trouble adjusting them to what needed to be done, but some purchasers might not have the experience not to mention physical strength needed to do this kind of work.

This product will do the job for which it is intended (the lock mechanism works beautifully and overall it seems solid), but the company could do a better (and in the long run less expensive) job supporting it.