ABUS 74M/40HB75 Plastic-covered Padlock, 1/4" Shackle dia., 1 37/64" Width

Yes. The 74M/40HB75 is ordered either KA (keyed alike, so every lock in the group opens on the same key) or KD (keyed different, each with its own key). Property managers running a gate and multiple storage cages usually take KA; an apartment community issuing individual tenant locks takes KD. The lock is also rekeyable, so a locksmith can re-pin the 6-pin cylinder later if a key goes missing or you need to fold it into an existing system.

No. The 74M/40HB75 is key retaining, so the key stays captive in the cylinder until the shackle is closed and locked again. That is the behavior you want for lockout and accountability work, because a lock cannot be left hanging open with the key in someone's pocket. If you need the opposite, a non-key-retaining padlock you can pull the key from while open, the Sargent 858 and the Sargent 82-856 are non-key-retaining models.

No. The 74M/40HB75 uses a fixed 6-pin ABUS cylinder. It can be re-pinned, but it does not accept an interchangeable or removable core, so it will not fold into an IC key system. For that, look at the Sargent 60-858-2, a removable core padlock with a 2 inch stainless steel shackle. If the requirement is just a brass-body padlock on another manufacturer's keyway, the Schlage KS23D/KS23F and the Medeco 5260 are brass-body padlocks from those brands.

The ABUS 74M/40HB75 uses a 6-pin cylinder and is rekeyable, but it is a fixed-cylinder padlock. When the lock needs to take a removable core so it can be keyed into an existing master system on site, the Sargent 60-858-2 is a removable core padlock with a 2 inch stainless steel shackle. That lets a facility locksmith drop in the same core family used on the doors rather than rekeying the padlock separately.

The ABUS 74M/40HB75 is key retaining, meaning the key cannot be withdrawn while the shackle is open - useful when you want to be sure a padlock is not left hanging unlocked. The Sargent 858 is a non-key retaining padlock with a stainless steel shackle in US4 satin brass, so the key comes out with the lock open. Sargent's 758 is the key retaining counterpart in US4 satin brass if you want that behavior in a Sargent body.

The 74M/40HB75 is rated weather resistant and protects its solid brass body and steel shackle with a vinyl encasement, which also keeps the lock from marring painted gates. Where the environment is harsher - coastal, washdown, or fully exposed - the Medeco 521 G8R is a weather-tight padlock with a solid stainless steel body, supplied less the pop-out cylinder so you fit your own. The tradeoff is that the G8R needs a cylinder specified separately while the ABUS ships as a complete keyed lock.

The vinyl jacket over the brass body and steel shackle is offered in black, brown, green, orange, purple, red, white, and yellow. Mechanically they are identical. The color is a coding tool: crews use it to tell zones, trades, or departments apart at a glance, and it keeps the metal body from marking up painted gates, aluminum doors, and equipment panels. Every color is available both keyed alike and keyed different.

Yes, it is built for outdoor use. The 74M/40HB75 has a solid brass body, which does not rust, and the entire body and shackle are encased in vinyl that keeps water and grit off the metal and out of the seams. It is flagged weather resistant for that reason. Common placements are perimeter gates, meter enclosures, roof hatches, and yard storage.

Push to lock. The 74M/40HB75 is self locking, so snapping the shackle closed sets it without turning the key. On a route where someone is closing out twenty gates or cabinets, that saves the key step at every stop. Because it is also key retaining, the key only comes free once the shackle is shut, so there is no way to walk off leaving it unlocked with the key.

For a heavier shackle, the Schlage KS23D/KS23F and the Medeco 54515G both use a 5/16 inch shackle, and the Medeco 5260 goes to 7/16 inch. The 74M/40HB75 at 7 mm is a mid-duty lock, well matched to gates, cabinets, lockers, and equipment panels, but on a high-exposure perimeter where bolt cutters are the concern the thicker shackles are the ones to price out. If you want a stainless body instead of brass for a coastal or washdown site, the Medeco 521 G8R has a solid stainless steel body.

Yes, where you need access records rather than just a mechanical key. The Medeco 54515G is an electronic indoor/outdoor padlock with a 5/16 inch shackle, supplied with a cylinder, and it is non-key retaining. The ABUS 74M/40HB75 is a purely mechanical 6-pin lock that is key retaining and self locking, so it needs no batteries or programming but gives no audit trail.

The 74M/40HB75 offers 75mm of vertical shackle clearance with 19mm horizontal clearance on a 40mm wide body, so it already suits chain and thick hasp applications. If you are working the other direction and want a standard-height shackle on a brass body, the Sargent 758 is a standard padlock, and the Sargent 82-856 uses a 2 inch by 2 inch brass case with a stainless steel shackle.

The ABUS 74M/40HB75 is the one to look at for color coding: the vinyl encasement over the brass body is offered in black, brown, green, orange, purple, red, white and yellow, and each color can be ordered keyed alike or keyed different. The brass and stainless comparables such as the Sargent 758 in US4 satin brass and the Medeco 5260 in satin chrome are single-finish locks, so they do not support crew or department color separation the same way.

They are not interchangeable at the hasp. The Medeco 5260 is a 52 Series brass body padlock with a 7/16 inch shackle and M3 key technology in satin chrome, while the ABUS 74M/40HB75 is a 74 Series lock with a 7 mm shackle, a 6-pin cylinder, and a 40mm body. The larger Medeco shackle will not pass a hasp drilled for the ABUS, and the two use different key systems, so they cannot be keyed alike to each other.

It runs a precision 6-pin cylinder, not the 4- or 5-pin you find in low-end retail padlocks. More pin chambers means more key differs and more resistance to picking and key interchange, and it is what makes the lock practical to master key or key alike across a facility. It is rated for commercial use and can be re-pinned by a locksmith.