Without thinking, you lock the door on your car, but you left the keys. While you may know that you can call a locksmith services, you may not understand the process involved.

With getting keys, you can choose to either do a key clone, or you can choose to do a key cut at the locksmith. Let’s highlight the differences so that you can decide for yourself how to proceed with getting new keys.

Cutting Keys: How They Do It

A process undertaken at the locksmith, they do this to produce the keys from scratch. When the locksmith reproduces the key in this way, it doesn’t use the transponder data.

That means that they have to reprogram the key so that it works with the computer system of your car. In some cases, the locksmith cuts the key to match a key that already exists.

They might complete it to match the lock. Through the process, they will create a key that can match the lock that already exists. The local locksmith Philadelphia could create the key to make a new locking mechanism.

Key Cloning: How They Do It

In the event that you locked yourself out of your car, key cloning will be out of the question. You have to have the original to do a cloning. Key cloning takes the original key and uses the data embedded in the transponder.

This creates a key that will replicate the original. They create this key in such a way that your car can’t tell the difference between the two.

Key Cutting vs. Key Cloning: What’s the Difference?

The future will most likely see more widespread use of key cutting in vehicles because of how certain technology doesn’t handle key cloning as well. In particular, those cars that use ID46 technology, which most vehicles nowadays use, won’t take as well to key cloning. If you’d like to learn more, please visit our Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, locksmith.

At Star Locksmith Philadelphia, we can help you to get another key, or we can help with other locksmithing services. Hopefully this has shed some light on the differences between key cutting and key cloning, and it helps you to decide which one will be the most appropriate for you.

How to Decide

Provided you have the luxury of deciding whether you want to do key cutting or key cloning, you have a few factors that play a role, such as:

  • Cost
  • Security Camera
  • Versatility

Locksmith Cost

First, let’s have a look at cost. Key cloning doesn’t take as much time or effort, and because of that, it costs less than key cutting. Key cutting gets more complicated, and the locksmith service may have to cut the key using multiple machines. Because of the extra labor involved it usually costs more.

Home Security

Let’s say that you had your key lost or stolen. That makes cloning a poor choice because of how it doesn’t remake the key, and someone else could still enter the car. You may find it more advantageous to cut a key in this case while replacing the locks on the car.

Versatility

In general, key cutting has the advantage because of how you can cut the key whether you have the original or not. You might get away with a clone in cases where you have access to the original, but key cutting offers more versatility.

For lost or stolen keys, you won’t have a choice but to opt in for key cutting because you can’t clone keys the other way.

Pros of Cloning

  • Quick and easy
  • Cost effective
  • Clone keys from anywhere

Cons of Cloning

  • Difficult to clone keys with newer cars
  • Can’t clone lost or stolen keys
  • No remote central locking

Pros of Key Cutting

  • Don’t need the original
  • Better security than cloning
  • Great option when replacing locks
  • Better future than key cloning
  • Works better on newer vehicles

Cons of Key Cutting

  • Costs more than cloning
  • Takes more time and labor

Locksmith Near Me

Star Locksmith Philadelphia advises against trying to change the locks by yourself, especially if you have zero training and aren’t a qualified expert.

You need to hire a professional locksmith company because they have all the necessary equipment to manage a wide range of locks. Additionally, a professional locksmith ensures to carry out the installation in the safest way possible.

If you try to carry out the installation by yourself, you might end up doing it wrong, thus making your home more vulnerable than it was. By searching for a locksmith near me, you will be able to enjoy professional installation services.

Local Locksmith Philadelphia

No one can ever accurately predict with certainty when the skills of a capable, honest local locksmith in the Greater Philadelphia Area will become necessary. Lost keys, stolen keys, and broken keys cause problems for residents of this area on a sporadic basis.

If you happen to find yourself in an emergency lockout situation and wondering: “How can I find a skilled local locksmith near me?”, you’ll want to consider these useful tips:

While you cannot determine in advance the situations in which you might find yourself heading online to search for “locksmith Philadelphia“, you do possess the ability to foresee this type of situation. Every day in this dynamic city, a certain percentage of residents discover they need locksmith assistance- urgently!

Lost Car Keys? Your Keys Are Locked In Your Car?

Missing or lost car keys pose a more common problem than many people appreciate. Nearly every day in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a driver misplaces a set of car keys.

What should you do if you find yourself in this emergency situation? Who should you call? Star Locksmith Philadelphia offers a fast, affordable solution to the all-too common problem of a car lockout. Dial (215)488-1184 to obtain rapid assistance from a courteous, licensed local locksmith!

Best Car Keys Replacement Services in Philadelphia

How much it costs to replace car keys will vary based on the type of key. Basic keys may cost $50, but for an advanced key fob, people have paid as much as $500.

At Star Locksmith, we provide some of the best key replacement services in Philadelphia. Rather than head down to a car dealership, people choose the locksmith because of its convenience and expertise.

Car dealerships serve multiple purposes, but they don’t have a specialization in locks or keys. That means that it takes longer to replace keys.