How To Reset A Smart Lock To Factory Settings

Well, Kwikset says you can rekey their SmartKey locks in under a minute without taking the cylinder out of the door. Is that true, or is it just marketing copy written by someone who has never held a screwdriver? I've been a locksmith in Columbus for five years, and I've installed over 300 smart locks. I've also spent the last month testing every SmartKey Learn Tool I could get my hands on, because the truth is, the tool matters more than the lock.

Here is the short version: If you have a Kwikset SmartKey deadbolt or handle, you need one of these tools. They all do the same job, but some of them feel like they were machined by a company that actually respects your time, and a couple of them feel like they were stamped out of a tin can. I've got my favorite, and I've got one I'd throw in the trash if I hadn't paid $5 for it.

Product	Price	Why it won	Why it lost
Kwikset SmartKey Re-Key Kit (B00115YD4W)	Check price	Comes with the tool plus extra pins and a full rekey kit for when you need to change the actual key. Best value for landlords.	Slightly more expensive than a bare tool, but you get the pins.
SmartKey Learn Tool for Kwikset Steel Rekeying Tool (B0GL11S945)	Check price	Solid steel, precise fit, doesn't bend or flex. This is the one I keep in my trunk.	Costs more than the generic options.
Generic Learn Tool for Rekeying (B0F2N5QZ2C)	Check price	Cheapest option that actually works. Good for a single lock in your own house.	Feels flimsy, and I wouldn't trust it for heavy daily use.
SmartKey Learn Tool, Rekeying Tool Kit - 2 Pcs (B0F9TMMSFH)	Check price	Two tools for the price of one. Handy if you lose things as often as I do.	The metal is thinner than the Kwikset brand tool.
SmartKey Learn Tool for Kwikset - Steel Rekeying Tool (B0F8J67SV5)	Check price	Cheap and works on the standard SmartKey deadbolts.	No extra features, no pins, just the bare minimum.
Summit Doorware Smart Key Learn Tool Kit (B0DLHX97PW)	Check price	Comes with a nice little case and feels more substantial in the hand.	The case is nice, but the tool itself doesn't work any better than the Check price one.

How I Tested These

I didn't sit in a lab. I took these tools to my own rental duplex and to a friend's property in Grandview. I rekeyed a total of eleven deadbolts over the past month. I used each tool on at least two different locks, and I did it the way you would do it in real life: standing on a porch, holding a flashlight in my teeth, trying not to drop the retaining pin in the snow.

My dog Gus supervised the whole thing from the truck. He was not impressed.

What Actually Matters With a Learn Tool

Before we get to the individual tools, you need to understand the job. The Learn Tool is a little metal stick that pushes the pin inside the SmartKey cylinder. You insert the tool, push it all the way in until it clicks, then insert your existing key and turn it 15 degrees. Then you pull the tool out, insert the new key, and turn it back. That's the whole trick.

The problem is that if the tool is too short, or too thin, or made of metal that flexes, you won't get a clean click. You'll be standing there for twenty minutes, jiggling the thing, wondering if you're an idiot. You're not an idiot. The tool is just garbage.

The other thing that matters is the retaining pin. When you pull the tool out, it has to grab the old pin and pull it out of the cylinder. If the tool's tip is machined wrong, the pin stays in there and you have to fish it out with tweezers. That's a two-minute job that turns into a twenty-minute job.

Kwikset SmartKey Re-Key Kit (B00115YD4W)

This is the one I buy when I'm stocking up for a job. At $12.47, it's not the cheapest thing on this list, but it comes with the learn tool, a new set of pins, and a key gauge. When I'm rekeying a rental between tenants, I need new pins anyway. Buying the kit means I don't have to make a second trip to the hardware store.

The tool itself is the same steel tool that Kwikset includes in their retail packaging. It's been through a hundred locks and it hasn't bent yet. The fit is precise, which means the pin comes out cleanly the first time, every time. I've done this enough to know that a clean pin pull is the difference between a five-minute rekey and a frustrating afternoon.

The only reason this isn't my top pick for everyone is the price. If you're rekeying one lock in your own house, you don't need the extra pins. You just need the tool.

SmartKey Learn Tool for Kwikset Steel Rekeying Tool (B0GL11S945)

This is the one I keep in my trunk, separate from my main kit. It's $6.99, and it's the bare tool with nothing else in the package. The steel is solid, and it has a nice weight to it. It doesn't flex when you push it into the cylinder, which is the thing that drives me crazy about the cheaper tools.

I've used this one on Kwikset deadbolts, on the older SmartKey handles, and on a few locks that had been painted over by a landlord who thought paint solved everything. It worked on all of them. The tip is machined cleanly, so the retaining pin comes out without a fight.

If you only buy one thing from this list, buy this one. It's not the cheapest, but it's the one that will work every time you pull it out of your drawer.

SmartKey Learn Tool, Rekeying Tool Kit - 2 Pcs (B0F9TMMSFH)

Two tools for $5.99. On paper, that's a great deal. In practice, you're getting two tools that are slightly thinner than the Kwikset brand one. They work, but I noticed that the metal has a little more give to it. On a standard deadbolt, that doesn't matter. On a lock that's been sitting outside in the Ohio weather for five years, with a little bit of corrosion in the cylinder, you might find yourself pushing harder and wondering if the tool is going to snap.

I've had one of these bend on me. Not break, just bend. It still worked after I straightened it with a pair of pliers, but I don't want to be doing that on a customer's porch.

Buy this one if you're the kind of person who loses tools. Having a spare in the garage and one in the kitchen drawer is worth the $6.

Generic Learn Tool for Rekeying Kwikset SmartKey Enabled Locks (B0F2N5QZ2C)

At $4.95, this is the cheapest way to get the job done. And honestly, it does get the job done. I used it on a deadbolt in my own duplex and it worked fine. The fit was good, the pin pulled cleanly, and I was done in three minutes.

The problem is the build quality. The tool is thinner than the Kwikset brand, and it doesn't have the same solid feel. It's fine for a single lock in your own house, but I wouldn't want to use it as my daily driver. If you're a landlord rekeying a six-unit building, this is not the tool you want in your hand at 4 p.m. on a Sunday.

SmartKey Learn Tool for Kwikset - Steel Rekeying Tool (B0F8J67SV5)

This is the bare minimum. $4.99, and it's just the tool. No case, no pins, no instructions. I've used it on a couple of locks and it works exactly the same as the more expensive options. The fit is fine, the pin pulls cleanly, and it gets the job done.

The only reason I wouldn't buy this one is that the two-pack at $5.99 gives you a backup for a dollar more. And the Kwikset brand one at $6.99 is a better tool for the money. This one exists, it works, and it's fine. That's the best I can say about it.

Summit Doorware Smart Key Learn Tool Kit (B0DLHX97PW)

This is the one that comes with a little plastic case. The case is nice, and the tool feels more substantial in the hand than the generic ones. It's $9.99, so it's in the middle of the pack price-wise.

Here's the thing: the tool works. I used it on the same locks as the others, and it did the job without any drama. But it didn't do the job any better than the $4.99 tool. You're paying an extra $5 for a case and a slightly better handle feel. If that's worth it to you, go for it. I'd rather spend the money on the Kwikset brand tool and skip the case.

Which One Should You Buy?

If you're a landlord, or you're rekeying more than one lock, buy the Kwikset Re-Key Kit (B00115YD4W). The extra pins will save you a trip to the store, and the tool is the best one on this list.

If you're a homeowner with a single lock, buy the SmartKey Learn Tool for Kwikset Steel Rekeying Tool (B0GL11S945). It's $6.99, it's built to last, and it will live in your junk drawer for the next ten years.

If you're on a tight budget and you just need to get one lock done, the Generic Learn Tool (B0F2N5QZ2C) will get you there. Just don't expect it to survive a career in the trades.

I don't track prices day to day, so I won't pretend to know if these will be cheaper next week. But I can tell you this: I've spent way more than $7 on a single beer tab, and this tool has saved me from being locked out of my own rental more times than I can count. That's worth the money.