Price to cut a key?

[rockfan4]

OK, so I'm old and out of touch.
Had a spare key cut for the 944 a couple years ago, I don't think it was more than $5 (generic blank).
The wife just got a new (to her) car that has a reverse cut key (GM)
The local locksmith first wanted to sell me a whole remote, but I already have a second remote, just need the blade. He didn't have any blank blades in stock, and said it was $29.99 to cut it. Just wondering what it costs in your area and if there's a cheaper solution.

I have no issues following the instructions to pair the new remote to the car, did that with two other cars previously.

[flatbutt]

Just did that with my Ducati and needed a transponder key...$70!

[Tobra]

$30 to cut a key is way out of line, find a different lock smith

[wswartzwel]

The guy I use will come to my shop, cut the blank I provide, and program the chip for $40. I can't see how he can make a service call that cheap.

[rnln]

If it's a simple blank, $29 is way too expensive. If I remember right, Homedepot, or maybe lowes, cut it for free. Blank is $5 or $10 bucks.

Originally Posted by rockfan4

OK, so I'm old and out of touch.
Had a spare key cut for the 944 a couple years ago, I don't think it was more than $5 (generic blank).
The wife just got a new (to her) car that has a reverse cut key (GM)
The local locksmith first wanted to sell me a whole remote, but I already have a second remote, just need the blade. He didn't have any blank blades in stock, and said it was $29.99 to cut it. Just wondering what it costs in your area and if there's a cheaper solution.

I have no issues following the instructions to pair the new remote to the car, did that with two other cars previously.

[drkshdw]

I needed a key cut for my DD a few months ago and no locksmith would touch it because it was a worn key. Said they couldn't guarantee it to work and wouldn't take the chance.

Got a hardware store to cut the key but they couldn't make a key that worked after 3 tries.

Finally took my Dremel to a $3 key blank from HD. In 5 minutes I had a key cut, with wear cut into it, that worked and has worked perfectly since. From now on, I will only cut my own keys.

[rockfan4]

It's one of those with the groove cut in the key, backwards of a normal key.
I wouldn't think it would be any more difficult to cut, just a different tool. The chip is in the remote, don't need that.

The local Menards has an automated key cutting machine but it's only for house keys and padlock keys.

[Baz]

Walmart has a laser cut machine. They may not have your blank. But if you bring one in along with your key, they may be able to make a duplicate. I did for my 914. Cost was about $2.

[rockfan4]

By the way, this is the "good" locksmith in town - this is the yelp review of the other guy in town. I've been in his shop twice and he's an ass, I won't go back again.

If I could give this guy less stars I would. Came in one day for a spare car key, he charged me $75 and said "I'm 99% sure it will work but no guarantees." He said if it didn't work, he would get another one that would AT NO ADDITIONAL COST. When the $75 key didn't work, he made another one but then said he would not give me back the original key OR the new one that works unless I give him $100 "for his troubles" !!! I argued that he said there would be no additional cost and I wasn't happy with paying, but I didn't have much of a choice as I NEED a car key! When I got there he told me there are 2 new keys he made that both work (he went to my house and tried them in my car-without my permission) but "for the problems I gave him" he only gave me one of the keys-but I still had to pay $100. If you want to spend $175, deal with the rudest old man and walk out with only one key when you paid for 3, go to Bob's Lock & Safe

[Tobra]

Maybe you need to go to the next town over

[vonsmog]

I just had 5 keys made today for three of my Mercedes. I provided three of the blanks and they provided the other two. Price was $16 for all five.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by rockfan4

OK, so I'm old and out of touch.
Had a spare key cut for the 944 a couple years ago, I don't think it was more than $5 (generic blank).
The wife just got a new (to her) car that has a reverse cut key (GM)
The local locksmith first wanted to sell me a whole remote, but I already have a second remote, just need the blade. He didn't have any blank blades in stock, and said it was $29.99 to cut it. Just wondering what it costs in your area and if there's a cheaper solution.

I have no issues following the instructions to pair the new remote to the car, did that with two other cars previously.

Newer cars won't be cheap, but a 944 isn't newer. I would think you could get a key cut for no more than $5, but then getting the blank will be more, but no idea how much. It isn't a Chevy afterall.

Originally Posted by vonsmog

I just had 5 keys made today for three of my Mercedes. I provided three of the blanks and they provided the other two. Price was $16 for all five.

Wow, amazing. How new/old are your Mercs? I'm guessing they are more ordinary keys, not anything new and fancy.

[DanielDudley]

I'm the kind of guy who won't be happy having just one key. If getting a key made today costs 30 bucks, I would probably have already done it. I figure my time making a few extra trips or calling all over for a week and then taking at least an hour to try again just isn't worth it.

Don't get me wrong. I won't necessarily be happy about it, but I will be done with it. As opposed to being unhappy about it and still having to take care of it.

I have had four 928s. It's a four sided cut, and very few places can cut them outside of a dealer. 29 bucks sounds pretty good if you have ever lost one of those. It is amazing how many 928s change hands with only one key, and the admonishment ''Don't lose it!''. The same guy who wouldn't buy a new key probably also didn't spring for new plug wires because they were ''too expensive.''. Well they are.

[rockfan4]

Originally Posted by Tobra

Maybe you need to go to the next town over

That's what I'm trying to figure out.
I would have paid the $30 if the guy I went to had blanks, but I wasn't going to buy another remote and pay $30 to have it cut.
I talked to my neighbor last night. He had a second key cut for his Ducati a couple years ago, of course neither shop in town had blanks, so he went to the dealer in Rochester and ordered two blanks, but they couldn't cut them at the dealer. He first went to the guy with the bad Yelp review above, and he wanted $40 to cut the key and couldn't guarantee that the key would work. Said he needed to charge that much because he had to replace the cutter after every 3 keys. He went to the other guy and he didn't have the machine to do reverse keys yet, but would have it in a week. He finally cut the key for $15, but I guess his price has gone up.

My 2002 SAAB had a reverse cut key, that was 16 years ago. You'd think the machines would be common by now. I haven't checked Home Depot or Ace yet, but I'm going to guess they only have a cutter for conventional keys.

[rockfan4]

well, I'm an idiot.
I found a guy to cut the key blank for $25, but now I have another issue.

Not only does the car learn the remote, but the remote also learns the car, so once you pair a remote with a car, you can't pair it with another without a Tech II. So I'm left with 3 choices -

1 - reflash the remote back to new, there's a guy who will do it on eBay for $35, plus the cost to send him the remote.

2 - Go to the dealer, have them hook up the Tech II, and re-pair the car with the existing remote and the new remote - $$$ - need to check on this.

3 - Buy an unlocked remote off eBay, there's one seller who will even cut the blank from either your code or a picture of your existing key, all in about $40. - I should have just done this in the first place.

So there's no cheap way to add another key to a modern car.

[id10t]

And some people wonder why I like Free software and do not like proprietary restrictions for anything unless totally unavoidable.

Sad thing is that while I know there is a market, and I know people that have the skills to start filling it, copyright law prevents research in the area, much less actually selling a solution. Thanks DMCA.

[marthacarll]

I did mine from locksmith new york and it cost $67 worth for it.

[marthacarll]

I did mine from locksmith new york and it cost $67 worth for it.