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How to set a combination padlock

Updated: October 2026

The lock is on the kitchen table, the card is still in the bag, and you would like a code the whole house can remember before anyone snaps the shackle shut. This is how to set a combination padlock from the ten amazon.co.uk listings in the [combination lock comparison](/hub/door-and-window-security/combination-lock), using the card in that pack. There is no single dial sequence that fits every model here. Peter F. matched the reset notes on those listings on 19 October 2026. This page does not describe how to recover a code you have already lost. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The lock is on the kitchen table, the card is still in the bag, and you would like a code the whole house can remember before anyone snaps the shackle shut.

Our top picks

NovLock NovLock NLCL003

Best overall

NovLock NovLock NLCL003
9.4/10about £14.99
View offer
XShield XShield 4-digit padlock

Best value

XShield XShield 4-digit padlock
9.2/10about £3.77
View offer
NovLock NovLock NLCL004

Rank 3

NovLock NovLock NLCL004
9.0/10about £9.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Open it on the code it has now
  2. 2.Three resets in this set, not one
  3. 3.Prove it, then scramble it
  4. 4.When the lock is already stuck

Open it on the code it has now

Set the lock while it is open, at a table, with the shackle free. You need the current code before a new one will store. In this set, only the FOBOZONE four-pack prints the factory code, and it prints 0000. Change that on each of the four before the lock meets a hasp, because reviews often find that one unit accepts neither the new code nor 0000. If the card shows a different start code, use the card. If the numbers look right and the shackle stays shut, the wheels are usually a fraction off the mark. Do this in daylight. The NovLock NLCL003 keeps its wheels on the bottom, and reviewers struggle with them at night.

Three resets in this set, not one

Generic guides often say to pull the shackle, twist it 90 degrees, and press. That pattern is the wrong picture for several locks here. Match the family, then follow the card. The screw family is the Squire CP40 and the orange NovLock NLCL004. Reviews describe a grub screw on the CP40 and a cross-head under a cover on the NLCL004. A glasses screwdriver is not in either box. If the driver cams out, stop. The bottom-wheel family is the NovLock NLCL003. The code lives underneath, the open is a push button, and the reset screw is tiny and easy to lose. The side-window family is the GRIFEMA, the XShield, the BeskooHome pair, and, for many buyers, the SharkByte. Line the digits up in the window. XShield reviewers often finish in under a minute.
NovLock NovLock NLCL003

Testsieger

NovLock NovLock NLCL003
9.4/10about £14.99
View offer

Prove it, then scramble it

Close the shackle on the new code, open it once, and only then take it to the hasp. Photograph the code and keep the photo off the lock. Spin each wheel away from the code after you lock. Avoid 1234 and simple repeats. If someone who knew the code moves out, set a new one while you still know the old one. Which lock is worth buying is the best combination padlock page, and the hole you should have measured is the combination padlock buying guide.

When the lock is already stuck

If the shackle is already closed and the code is gone, the card does not help. This page will not walk through feeling the wheels out. A drop of light oil is what some outdoor reviews try when numbers stick, especially on the GRIFEMA. Oil is not a promise that a seized lock will open. On a gate, cutting a trapped lock off must not scar the frame, the glass, or the uPVC. Do not lever the shackle against the door. A dead unit still on the order is a Consumer Rights Act 2015 return. Once it is seized on the timber, you want a locksmith. Whether any of these belongs outside is on the combination padlock for a shed.

Common questions

What if the code is still 0000?
On the FOBOZONE four-pack, 0000 is the printed factory code. Open each lock on 0000, set a new code from the card, and prove the new code before you close it on anything you care about. Other listings in this set do not all print 0000. If your card shows a different start code, use the card. One BeskooHome review mentioned 0000. That is one buyer's pack, not a line in the listing.
Do I need a screwdriver to set the code?
For the Squire CP40 and the orange NovLock NLCL004, reviews say yes, and the screwdriver is not in the included-components line. The NLCL003's reset screw is tiny enough that people lose it. The ViperSafe review sample also asks for a screwdriver. Side-window locks such as the XShield and the GRIFEMA are the ones buyers set without naming a tool. If the screw will not turn, stop before you strip it.
Why will it not open when the numbers look right?
The wheels are usually a hair off the index. On the BeskooHome, a dial between two figures can store the neighbour, so the code you think you set is out by one. On the GRIFEMA the mark is on the edge. On the NLCL003 the wheels face the floor, which is hard in poor light. Open it at the table, in daylight, and watch the mark rather than the centre of the digit.
Can I set a combination padlock while it is on the gate?
Set it at the table, with the shackle open, and prove one open-and-close before it meets the hasp. On a gate you are working at an odd angle, often in poor light, and a dropped reset screw is gone in the gravel. The NLCL003's bottom wheels are the clearest example. If you only discover the code is wrong after the shackle is shut on the staple, you are into a stuck lock, and the card cannot help.
What if I forget the code later?
The reset needs the current code. A forgotten code is not fixed by the screw, the side window, or the card. Keep a photo somewhere away from the lock. If the shackle is already closed, oil and patience are the limit of what reviews support, and a seized lock on a frame is a cutting job for a locksmith. Do not work through thousands of combinations on a hasp.

Related pages

Combination padlock vs keyed padlock

Combination lock

Best combination padlock: locker lock or gate hasp

Combination padlock buying guide: measure the hole

Combination padlock for a shed: open shackle limits

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings for B0DSV9C75V, B0F4886GRM, B0CF21Y5JZ, B0FLQBNYPP, B0BNPRS182, B07VK5NKLP, B0CR3963NB, B0BG8WFGT2, B0FT1VCCKQ and B0BG8VSS54. Prices stored 19 October 2026. None of those listings prints a BS EN 12320 grade or a Sold Secure mark.

  1. BSI, BS EN 12320:2021 padlocks and padlock fittings (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. Insight Security, combination or keyed padlocks (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. Insight Security, ten factors when choosing a padlock (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. Sold Secure, padlocks and fittings (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Sold Secure 2024 approved product catalogue (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. Lichfield District Council, protect your home (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Kelvedon Parish Council, garage and shed security (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Squire, CP50 combination padlock (retrieved 19 October 2026)