Ever wonder how well something new works when it first hits the market. That's the way I felt about the Keypad Code locks. I wondered if they would hold up or I'd get locked out of the house sometime and need to crawl through a window to get in.
I must say, I did try one when they first came out. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it functioned. After about 3 or 4 years it gave out. In the meantime I used one on my garage that was higher quality and it's still going strong. Since then I have used a few various brands and have taken a liking to one in-particular. I personally liked the Kwik Set Smart Code.
There are many pros and cons to using a battery powered lockset. Here is just a few I found.
Pros
No keys required for entry
Set mulitiple or temporary codes - this works well for letting in repair man or inspectors when building
Fairly simple installation
Locks with a push of a button
Cons
Changing batteries approx. every 6 months
Latches and catches for knob and deadbolt must be precise
Cost is more than double conventional hardware
As you can see the pros far outweigh the cons, we really like ours and it eliminates hiding a key under a rock in front yard. If the batteries go dead you can still gain access with your key, so there is no worry of getting locked out.
If you can afford one, give it a shot, I think you'll like them.