Five centimeters of metal. That is all that stands between your home and anyone who wants to come in uninvited. The door can be steel and the lock can be multi-point — but someone trying to get in quietly doesn't work on the door, he works on the cylinder. And most people never chose their cylinder: the contractor did, or the previous owner, or whichever locksmith was available that day.
After more than 25 years serving Beit Shemesh and the surrounding area, we opened a Locks & Security department with genuine Yale and Mul-T-Lock products — and since then "which cylinder do I need?" has become the most common question in the shop, especially from people who have just moved in. This guide answers it in five steps: type, size, security level, keys, and what else to check before you pay. At the end you'll find the mistakes we see every week, and prices in shekels.
Why the cylinder is the part that matters
A door lock has two parts. The lock body — the mechanism with the bolts — is the muscle: it holds the door shut. The cylinder is the brain: the part that recognises the key and decides whether to release the muscle. A violent break-in attacks the door; a quiet one — picking, bumping, drilling, snapping — attacks the cylinder, because it is the only part reachable from outside. That is why a good cylinder is the cheapest upgrade with the biggest effect on home security, and why a poor cylinder turns an excellent steel door into a suggestion.
Step 1: Which type of cylinder is in your door
- Gear cylinder. The type fitted in most Israeli multi-point steel doors (the "pladelet", Rav-Bariach and other security doors). The cylinder turns a toothed wheel that moves all the bolts together.
- Cam cylinder (Euro profile). For wooden and aluminium doors, interior doors, gates and standard cylinder locks. You can recognise it by the metal tab in the middle of the cylinder that turns with the key.
- Half cylinder. Key on one side only — for electrical cabinets, mailboxes and gates.
- With or without a thumb-turn. A thumb-turn (knob) on the inside lets you lock and unlock from inside without a key. It can be added to almost any model.
The surest way to know what you have: loosen the cylinder screw on the edge of the door, slide the cylinder out and photograph it. Not sure? Send us the photo on WhatsApp and we'll tell you within minutes.
Step 2: The size — and why you must not guess
A cylinder's size is its total length and exactly where the screw hole sits. In most Israeli steel doors it is 76 mm off-center — 33 mm on the outside and 43 mm on the inside. But there are thicker doors (81, 86, 90 mm and up) and thinner ones (66, 71). Measure from the screw hole to each end, outside and inside separately.
Rule of thumb: the cylinder should end flush with the escutcheon (the round guard plate) on the outside, and not protrude from it by more than a few millimetres. A cylinder that sticks out is a cylinder that can be gripped and snapped. If your door opens outward, has a raised escutcheon or a special handle, send a photo before ordering and we'll match the size.
Step 3: Security level — four layers worth knowing
- Drill protection. Hardened steel pins and components exactly where a drill attacks. Cheap aluminium cylinders don't have it, which is why they belong on an interior door and not the front door.
- Pick and bump protection. Technology such as telescopic pins (a pin inside a pin) and moving elements in the key, which stop the quiet tools from working. This is the core of Mul-T-Lock.
- Snap and pull resistance. A strong body, a locking bolt inside the cylinder, and an installation that doesn't protrude from the door.
- Key control. A patented key profile — no key stand can get blanks for it — and an owner card without which nobody makes copies.
How do you know what a cylinder actually has? Look for standards: SI 950 from the Standards Institution of Israel, and the European EN 1303, which grades key security and attack resistance among other things. "High Security" is not a standard but the manufacturers' name for their top tier.
Four tiers, from cheapest to maximum
- Basic — aluminium cylinder. For interior doors, storage rooms, cabinets or an inner office. Tens of shekels. Not for a front door.
- Good — Mul-T-Lock MTL400. Telescopic pins, SI 950 and EN 1303, five keys. From ₪184. For a secondary door, a rental, or the cheapest step up from a generic cylinder.
- Recommended for the front door — Mul-T-Lock MTL600. Everything in the 400, plus a moving element in the key and an owner card for copying. From ₪227. The MTL700 sits one step above it, with magnetic elements in the key.
- Maximum — Mul-T-Lock MTL800. Three patented security systems, key protected until 2039, owner card. From ₪328. For a home with valuables, a business, an insurance requirement, or anyone who has already been through a break-in.
The full differences between the three Mul-T-Lock models — technology, copying, what's in the box and who each one is for — are in our MTL800 vs MTL600 vs MTL400 comparison.
Step 4: The keys — how many, for whom, and how they're copied
Before you buy, count how many keys the family needs. The MTL400 comes with five keys, the MTL800 with three and a card, and a Mul-T-Lock key is copied only at the company's authorized points — for the 600 and 800, only on presentation of the owner card. That is exactly what gives you control: nobody copies behind your back.
Have a front door, a storage room and a gate? You can order them keyed alike — one key that opens all of them. For a building or a business there is a master-key system: a separate key for every door, and one key that opens everything. Ask us before ordering, because this is set when the cylinder is made.
Step 5: What else to check before you pay
- The door and the lock body. An excellent cylinder in a broken mechanism or a thin wooden door is worth less than you paid for it. If the mechanism is old, squeaks or "catches", have it checked together with the cylinder.
- A top lock. On a front door, a High Security top lock such as Mul-T-Lock's Hi-Lock adds a whole layer: three more bolts into the frame and a block on the main lock's upper bolt.
- Insurance. Many home and business policies in Israel require a cylinder of a certain level or standard. Two minutes with the policy can save an argument after a break-in.
- A thumb-turn inside — not always. Very convenient, but if there is glass or a window next to the door, a hand can reach through and turn it. In that case, key on both sides.
- Who installs. Replacing a standard cylinder takes ten minutes and one screw. For a special door, or if you'd rather not deal with it, any locksmith will fit a cylinder you bought sealed.
Five mistakes we see every week
- Buying on price alone, and discovering the front-door cylinder is really a bedroom-door cylinder.
- Guessing the size. The cylinder sticks out of the door (vulnerable) or sits too deep (the key won't go in).
- Keeping the contractor's or the previous tenant's cylinder, with no idea how many keys are out there.
- Keeping the owner card on the key ring — so whoever finds the keys finds the card too.
- Replacing only after the break-in. A good cylinder costs less than the insurance deductible.
What it costs
A basic cylinder for an interior door — tens of shekels. Mul-T-Lock MTL400 from ₪184, MTL600 from ₪227 and MTL800 from ₪328 (76 mm, including VAT, September 2026). A thumb-turn or special size — a small surcharge. Self-installation — free. For what it protects, it is probably the best-spent shekel in the house.
Frequently asked questions
How often should a cylinder be replaced?
There is no expiry date, but there are four moments to replace it: when you move in, when a key is lost, after a break-in attempt, and when the key starts to "catch" or turns with difficulty — a sign of wear that usually appears after ten to fifteen years.
I lost a key — do I have to replace the cylinder?
If the key can be linked to your address (a ring with a car remote, a bag with documents, lost near the house) — yes. Even with an owner-card cylinder nobody can copy it, but the key itself still opens the door. A new cylinder costs far less than the risk.
Does an expensive cylinder really prevent break-ins?
No lock "prevents" — it makes the attempt more expensive in time, noise and tools. Burglars choose the easy door. A High Security cylinder in a sound steel door takes you off the easy-door list.
What's the difference between Yale and Mul-T-Lock?
Both brands belong to the ASSA ABLOY group. Mul-T-Lock is the Israeli specialist in cylinders and mechanical locks, made in Yavne. Yale is especially strong in smart locks, safes, padlocks and door hardware. We carry both and will happily match the right one for you.
Does a Mul-T-Lock cylinder fit every door?
Most steel doors in Israel — yes, in the 76 mm size. Wooden and aluminium doors take the cam versions. Special doors, doors that open outward and unusual sizes are matched to order.
Can I install it myself?
Yes, on most doors: one screw on the edge of the door, insert the key, turn slightly and pull the old one out; the new one goes in the same way, then tighten. The detailed walkthrough is in the comparison article, and if something doesn't go — WhatsApp us and we'll help.
The bottom line
The right type, the exact size, a security level that matches what's behind the door, and control over the keys. Those four decisions take ten minutes and affect your home for years. And if you'd like someone to make them with you — that's what we're here for.
Send us a photo of your current cylinder on WhatsApp and we'll tell you what fits, call 02-9910450, or drop into the shop at 19 Yitzhak Rabin Road, Beit Shemesh. Straight advice, genuine products, and 25 years of serving Beit Shemesh.
Shop online: MTL400 | MTL600 | MTL800 | the whole Locks & Security department
📚 Want more guides like this? Visit our Knowledge Center — tips, explanations and practical guides from 25 years of experience.
