By Kent · Lock Depot Staff Writer

600 pounds or 1,200: it is a size and a bracket decision

ASP makes its single-door magnetic locks in two sizes, the 600 series and the 1200 series, and the number is holding force in pounds. Most buyers ask which one is "stronger" and stop there. The better question is which one fits the door, because the two magnets are different sizes, they take different brackets, and the brackets are where a good maglock install goes wrong.

Here is what the catalog gives us for both, side by side.

• ASP-600S: 600 lbs holding force. Magnet 9-7/8 in. L x 1-11/16 in. H x 1 in. W. Armature 7-1/4 in. L x 1-7/16 in. H x 5/8 in. W. Clear anodized.
• ASP-1200S: 1,200 lbs holding force. Magnet 10-1/2 in. L x 2-7/8 in. H x 1-1/2 in. W. Armature 7-3/8 in. L x 2-3/8 in. H x 9/16 in. W. Clear anodized.

Both run on 12 or 24 VDC, switch selectable, with a draw of 400 mA at 12 VDC and 200 mA at 24 VDC as listed. Both have built-in arc suppression, instant release with no hysteresis, plated non-aluminum parts, and a mounting system that uses self-drilling TEC screws and no special tools. Both work with any access control system.

The electrical numbers are the same. Only the size and the holding force change. So the choice is not about power. It is about the opening.

What the size difference means on a door

The 1200 magnet is nearly three inches tall against the 600's one and eleven-sixteenths, and it is half an inch deeper at one and a half inches. On a narrow-stile aluminum door with a thin header, a 1200 magnet can be a tight fit or a stretch. On a heavy hollow metal door in a wide frame, the 600 can feel undersized for the traffic.

The question I ask on the phone is simple: how much metal do you have above the door, and what is the door worth? Strong magnets on a flimsy frame do not hold the door. The frame flexes, or a screw pulls. A bigger magnet needs a frame that can carry it. That is why I tell people to size the force against the door first and the budget second. Our DynaLock holding force sizing guide goes through that reasoning across a different line, and the logic carries over.

When 600 lbs is enough

A 600 pound maglock is a real lock, not a toy. It fits an interior single door where the goal is access control more than brute-force resistance: a storeroom, an office suite, an IT closet that people should not wander into. It draws the same current as the bigger magnet, so there is no saving there. The saving is in the price, about forty dollars on our site between the 600S and the 1200S in clear anodized, and in a smaller footprint on the header.

When to step up to 1,200

Go to 1,200 when the door will be pushed hard. Exterior doors, doors where people lean or lunge at the opening, and any door where a failed lock is an expensive problem all qualify. If the opening is a single door in a public corridor and someone will shoulder it every day, the extra holding force buys margin. Dark bronze is also an option in the 1200 line, listed as ASP-1200SDURO, for doors where the bright anodized look does not match the frame.

For a pair of doors you want a double door magnet instead, and our ASP double door maglock guide covers that choice.

The bracket is half the job

A single-door maglock mounts to the door header with the magnet and to the door with the armature. If the door swings in, the geometry usually works without a bracket. If the door swings out, or if the header does not give you a flat place to mount, you need a bracket. The catalog gives us three useful ones:

• ASP-AM3370: three-piece Z bracket for all 600 series single magnetic locks. For in-swinging doors. Clear anodized.
• ASP-AM6370: three-piece Z bracket for all 1200 series single magnetic locks. For in-swinging doors. Clear anodized.
• ASP-AM3330: drop down plate for a single lock. A 1/4 in. plate for the 600 lb lock, 9-7/8 in. long by 1 in. wide.

Read the catalog text carefully. The Z brackets are described for in-swinging doors. I do not have a drawing that shows a Z bracket configuration for an out-swinging door, so I will not say it works. For an outswing door, call us with the door and frame details before you order. The brackets are listed by series, 600 or 1200, so order the one that names your lock.

Installation notes from the field

1. Set the voltage switch first. Both locks are switch selectable for 12 or 24 VDC. Set it to match the supply before you power up.
2. Mount the magnet square. A magnet that sits cocked against the armature loses holding force. Dry fit with the door closed and check the contact face.
3. Use the supplied screws. The self-drilling TEC screws are what the catalog lists. Do not swap them for random sheet metal screws.
4. Plan the release. A maglock releases instantly when power is cut. That is its strength and its legal weight: a door with a maglock needs a way out that works every time. Our ASP UT-1 versus MT-1 timer guide covers the release side.

Common questions

What is the difference between the ASP 600S and 1200S?

Holding force and size. The 600S is rated 600 lbs with a magnet 9-7/8 in. by 1-11/16 in. by 1 in. The 1200S is rated 1,200 lbs with a magnet 10-1/2 in. by 2-7/8 in. by 1-1/2 in. Voltage and current are the same.

What voltage do the ASP 600S and 1200S run on?

12 or 24 VDC, switch selectable. The catalog lists 400 mA at 12 VDC and 200 mA at 24 VDC.

Do I need a bracket?

Depends on the door. The Z brackets are listed for in-swinging doors. Call us with your door swing and header details first.

Can I use these with any access control system?

The catalog says they work with any access control system.

See the full line on our ASP alarm control page, or send us a photo of the header and door and we will size the lock and bracket.