HES has been the industry leader in electric strikes since they invented the first one back in 1935. If you have been in the locksmith or door hardware business for any length of time, you know HES is the name that comes up first when someone says "electric strike." There is a reason for that — they build them right, they back them up, and their engineering has set the standard that everyone else tries to match.
Now part of ASSA ABLOY, HES manufactures every electric strike in Phoenix, Arizona. That matters because it means consistent quality control, fast turnaround, and a company that actually answers the phone when you call tech support. After 40 years in this trade, I can tell you that not every manufacturer can say that.
Lock Depot sells brand new HES products with the full manufacturer warranty. We stock the full HES line and ship fast. If you need help picking the right strike for your door, call us at 877-365-5625. We have real locksmiths on the phone, not order takers.
HES makes 15 distinct series of electric strikes. Each one is engineered for a specific door condition, lock type, or installation requirement. The chart below breaks down what makes each series different so you can zero in on the right one for your job.
| Series | Mount | Holding Force | Fire Rated | Mode | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1006 | Cut In | 3,000 lbs | Yes | FS / FS (separate SKUs) | Most commercial doors |
| 1500 | Cut In | 1,500 lbs | Yes | Field Selectable | Low current / PoE |
| 1600 | Cut In | 1,500 lbs | Yes | Field Selectable | Mortise + cylindrical, low current |
| 4500 | Cut In | 3,000 lbs | Yes | Field Selectable | Heavy duty, field selectable |
| 5000 | Cut In | 1,500 lbs | No | Field Selectable | Outdoor / burglary rated |
| 5200 | Cut In | 1,500 lbs | No | Field Selectable | Horizontal adjustable keeper |
| 7000 | Cut In | — | No | Field Selectable | Preloaded doors |
| 7501 | Cut In | — | No | Field Selectable | Preloaded, solenoid-driven |
| 8000 | Concealed | 1,500 lbs | No | Field Selectable | Clean look, hidden in frame |
| 8300 | Concealed | — | Yes | Field Selectable | Concealed + fire rated, cylindrical |
| 8500 | Concealed | — | Yes | Field Selectable | Concealed + fire rated, mortise |
| 9400 | Surface Mount | 1,500 lbs | No | Field Selectable | Slim line, no cutting |
| 9500 | Surface Mount | 1,500 lbs | Yes | Field Selectable | Surface mount + fire rated |
| 9600 | Surface Mount | 2,000 lbs | No | Field Selectable | Windstorm rated |
| 9700 | Surface Mount | 2,000 lbs | Yes | Field Selectable | Fire + windstorm, SecureBolt/SquareBolt |
Choosing the right HES strike comes down to four questions: What kind of lock is on the door? Does the frame allow cutting? Is the opening fire rated? And is there any preload or wind pressure on the door? Once you answer those, the right series usually picks itself.
The HES 1006 is the workhorse of the line and the most widely installed electric strike in the commercial market. At 3,000 lbs of holding force with a 3-hour fire rating, it handles just about any standard interior commercial door. One thing to know: the 1006 comes in separate fail secure and fail safe models. The standard 1006 is fail secure. If you need fail safe, you order the 1006-F. They are not field selectable — you pick one or the other at time of purchase. That has been true since this strike was introduced and it catches people off guard sometimes.
The 1500 and 1600 series were designed for the modern access control world where everyone wants to run everything over PoE. These strikes draw just 0.12 amps at 24VDC — that is incredibly low. The 1500 is for cylindrical locks, the 1600 handles both cylindrical and mortise. Both are fire rated, field selectable, and cut-in mount. If your access control panel is PoE powered and you need to run a strike off that same circuit, this is your answer.
Shop HES 1500 Series | Shop HES 1600 Series
Think of the 4500 as the 1006 with field selectable mode. Same 3,000 lb holding force, same fire rating, same cut-in mount — but you can switch between fail safe and fail secure in the field without replacing the unit. That flexibility is worth its weight in gold on jobs where the spec might change or where you are doing a retrofit and are not 100 percent sure what mode the customer needs until the door is open.
The 5000 is the one you reach for when the strike is going on an exterior door or somewhere security is the top priority. It is burglary rated and designed to handle the elements. Not fire rated, so it is typically used on perimeter doors that are not in a fire-rated assembly. Field selectable, 1,500 lb holding force, and built like a tank.
The 5200 has a horizontally adjustable keeper that gives you play when the latch and strike do not line up perfectly. If you have worked on enough doors, you know that "perfectly aligned" is more of a theory than a reality. The 5200 lets you compensate without shimming or grinding. Field selectable, 1,500 lbs, cut-in mount.
A preloaded door is one where lateral pressure — from wind, warping, or building settling — pushes the latch against the strike before you even try to open it. Standard electric strikes struggle with this because the solenoid cannot retract the keeper against that force. The 7000 and 7501 are engineered specifically for this condition. The 7501 uses a solenoid-driven keeper mechanism that handles heavy preload situations where the 7000 cannot quite get there.
Shop HES 7000 Series | Shop HES 7501 Series
The 8000 series concealed strikes install completely hidden inside the door frame. From the outside, you cannot tell there is an electric strike there at all. The 8000 is the base concealed model — 1,500 lbs, field selectable, not fire rated. The 8300 adds a fire rating and is designed for cylindrical locks. The 8500 adds a fire rating and is designed for mortise locks. On high-end commercial or institutional jobs where aesthetics matter, concealed strikes are the way to go.
Shop HES 8000 Series | Shop HES 8300 Series | Shop HES 8500 Series
The 9000 series are surface mount strikes — they bolt onto the face of the frame instead of cutting into it. This is a lifesaver on hollow metal frames that cannot be modified, concrete or masonry openings, or retrofit jobs where you do not want to (or cannot) cut the frame.
The 9400 is the slim-line model at 1,500 lbs. The 9500 adds a fire rating. The 9600 bumps up to 2,000 lbs of holding force with a windstorm rating for coastal and high-wind areas. And the 9700 goes all the way — 2,000 lbs, fire rated AND windstorm rated, specifically designed for Corbin Russwin SecureBolt and Yale SquareBolt locksets. If you are working in Florida, the Gulf Coast, or anywhere hurricanes are a concern, the 9600 and 9700 should be at the top of your list.
Shop HES 9400 | Shop HES 9500 | Shop HES 9600 | Shop HES 9700
Every HES electric strike needs the correct faceplate to work with your specific lockset. The faceplate is what the latch actually contacts, and the wrong one means the strike will not function properly — or at all. HES uses letter codes for their faceplates: A, T, H, K, AD, AM, and others. The letter tells you the shape, radius, and which lock brands it fits. When you order a complete kit (the "C" suffix like 1006C or 4500C), the faceplate is included. If you order just the body, you need to select the right faceplate separately.
Fail Secure means the strike stays locked when power is cut. The door remains secure during a power outage. This is what you want on most perimeter doors, server rooms, and anywhere security is the priority even without power.
Fail Safe means the strike unlocks when power is cut. The door can be opened freely during a power outage. This is required by fire code on certain egress paths where people must be able to exit even if the building loses power.
Field Selectable means you can switch between fail safe and fail secure on site by moving a jumper or DIP switch. Most HES strikes are field selectable. The main exception is the 1006 — you have to order either the 1006 (fail secure) or the 1006-F (fail safe) and you cannot change it later.
Cut In is the traditional method — you cut a pocket into the door frame and the strike sits inside it. This gives the cleanest look and the most secure installation, but it requires frame modification. Most HES strikes (1006, 1500, 1600, 4500, 5000, 5200, 7000, 7501) are cut-in.
Concealed strikes (8000, 8300, 8500) also go inside the frame but are completely hidden. The frame looks untouched from the outside. These require specific frame preparation during construction or renovation.
Surface Mount strikes (9400, 9500, 9600, 9700) attach to the face of the frame. No cutting required. These are the go-to for retrofit jobs, hollow metal frames that cannot be modified, or masonry openings.
Most HES strikes are dual voltage — 12VDC and 24VDC, selectable in the field. The 1500 and 1600 series are specifically designed for ultra-low current draw at 24VDC (0.12 amps), making them ideal for PoE-powered access control systems.
Yes, but only certain series carry a fire rating. The 1006, 1500, 1600, 4500, 8300, 8500, 9500, and 9700 are all 3-hour fire rated and UL listed for fire doors. Always verify the specific model is listed for your assembly — the fire rating applies to the strike, but the complete assembly (door, frame, hardware) must be listed as well.
Both have 3,000 lbs of holding force and are fire rated. The key difference is mode selection. The 1006 is either fail secure OR fail safe — you order one or the other and cannot change it. The 4500 is field selectable, so you can switch between modes on site. If there is any chance the mode requirement might change, go with the 4500.
For rim panic devices, you typically need a surface mount strike from the 9000 series. The 9600 and 9700 are the most popular choices for rim exit devices because of their high holding force and the fact that they mount on the surface without frame modification.
The 1500 and 1600 series were specifically designed for PoE applications. They draw just 0.12 amps at 24VDC, which is low enough to run on a PoE-powered access control panel without a separate power supply. Other HES series draw more current and typically require a dedicated power supply.
The "C" stands for Complete Kit. When you order a 1006C-630, for example, you get the strike body plus a faceplate. If you order just the 1006-630, you get the body only and need to order the faceplate separately. For most jobs, ordering the complete kit is the way to go unless you already know you need a specific faceplate that is different from the standard one included.
The faceplate depends on your lock brand and type. HES publishes a cross-reference guide that matches lock manufacturers to faceplate options. If you are not sure, call us at 877-365-5625 and tell us the lock brand, model, and door prep — we will get you the right faceplate.
Need help choosing the right HES electric strike? Lock Depot has real locksmiths on staff with over 40 years of experience. Call us at 877-365-5625 or shop the full HES line above. We are an your source for genuine HES products with full manufacturer warranty. We ship fast.