Big Red CDL-3 First impression
I did have to re-mount the lock. The dial was offset and stiff in rotation. I took the lock apart and adjusted the tension washer to help with a smother rotation of the wheel pack. I remounted the dial ring and used a light machine oil to make the rotation of the dial smother.
The parts are not machined as cleanly as an S&G 6730, but for the price point it seems to be a decent lock. The anodized aluminum does look good even though that should not trump fictionality. For those that are interested the patent (US8.443,639B2) is an interesting read.
Manipulation: The lever spring is stiffer then in the S&G 6730 and the contact points were easier to feel (especially the right contact point). The dial that cam with the lock has rubber and I don't particularly like it for manipulation, but again the contact points were pretty easy to feel. Compared to the S&G 6730 I have, the CDL-3 was much quicker to manipulate. My first graph was not as straight forward as the second, but the gates were pretty easy to find. After getting the open and checking with my expert combination setter I was off by one on my second number. After playing around with the lock for a bit it looks like the tolerance is +/- 1.5.