Mesa Safe Electronic Burglary and Fire Safe – MBF3820E

Mesa Safe Company Model MBF3820E Burglary and Fire Safe with Electronic Lock

Mesa Safe Company has been around for 40 years and is one of the top manufacturers of budget to high ticket security safes. They have gained a reputation for creating quality fire safes, gun safes and burglar safes to sell at very competitive prices.

This particular Mesa fire safe is another example of the company’s attention to quality. The MBF3820E offers 2 hour fire protection, tough steel construction, electronic locking, heavy duty hinges, tough steel dead bolts, lots of interior space and many more features.

Features and Design

This Mesa fire safe is from the MBF burglary and fire safe series and has a unique design and features that focus on high security and better fire proofing. It is designed to protect all your valuable possessions against both theft and any fire emergency. Just by looking at the exterior of the safe you can see straight off that this is a quality build and is as heavy as it looks…which I think is a good thing.

It weighs around 300lbs, so yes it is a pain getting a heavy safe into your home on delivery but once it is in there you can rest assured no one will ever walk away with the thing. A burglar may try to tip it but even that will take a lot of muscle and a fair bit of time.

The exterior measures at 40″ x 22″ x 22″ and the interior is huge at 36 1⁄2″ x 19″ x 16″ and has 6.4 Cubic feet of fully upholstered storage space. It has 2 high strength adjustable and removable shelves and a couple of nice features I will mention below. So do not expect the interior to be filled with tiny pockets and secret drawers because it has none of these.

What you get is a huge bit of storage space and 2 tough shelves held up by metal pegs, similar to most shelving units. This is actually a good thing because you have the option to add extras if you wish…but for many all they want is a big, secure bit of storage space for storing valuable items in a secure manner.

Having said that you will get a couple of very useful interior features that I think really make a difference. The interior outlet strip includes 3 factory fitted electrical sockets and 2 USB Ports. Almost as a bonus the power source cord has also been included.

This fireproof safe has also been developed for high security with burglary features that include an all-steel construction. The all-steel construction ensures durability, strength and long-term use however some people may think the construction and thickness of steel is somewhat on the thin side. Bear in mind steel is a very tough material so even if it is not super thick it will still take a skilled burglar a long time and a lot of hard work to break into it.

The steel construction does consist of 1 ¾” thick steel plating, lined with fire-resistant material so it certainly isn’t “thin”. This is not a super high end fire safe, (many of which can cost up to $5000), and Mesa are not trying to disguise it as one. It IS specially made to improve security and has been tested to do just that but the best thing about this safe is the fact that you get such a tough burglar proof safe for such a low price!

If you are worried that by some miracle someone will be able to steal the whole safe then rest assured you can tackle that issue by securing the Mesa Safe Company MBF3820E to the floor. At the bottom of the safe there are 4 pre-drilled anchor holes allowing you to bolt the safe down permanently for additional security.

Security

This is one of the Mesa MBF electronic fire safes so the locking mechanism is controlled by a digital keypad. The battery-operated electronic lock has a number of impressive features of its own including a drill resistant hard-plate and a keypad lockout feature.

The drill resistant hard-plate speaks for itself; basically this will prevent anyone from drilling through the keypad to get to the electronics inside. It is a punch-activated re-locking system that will auto lock the safe if an attempt to punch into the keypad occurs.

The keypad lockout penalty is a fantastic feature that locks the safe automatically once multiple combinations have been entered incorrectly. This prevents any unauthorized user, such as a thief, from attempting to enter more combinations. As a user you have nothing to worry about because you can easily change your personal code.

The electronic keypad is battery operated, 9V Battery is not included. The safe comes with an override key just in case the battery dies before you get to change it. You just remove the keypad face and insert the key. You have to use the key first to set the keypad up with your own code.

Electronic Keypad Features

Two Code Capacity

• 1. User 1 Code: Factory Set
• 2. User 2 Code: Factory Set

Lock-Out Penalty

• 3. Five Beeps Lockout Penalty
• 4. If three invalid codes are entered in a row, the keypad will shut down for a period of fifteen (15) minutes.
• 5. During this shut down period the keypad will not accept any codes.

Two User Codes

• 6. Two User Codes can be programmed up to eight (8) digits long.
• 7. Please change both codes immediately for your safety.

The live locking bolts are one-inch in diameter and slide into the steel body of the safe to secure. This burglar safe also has heavy duty steel hinges and tough steel dead bolts that add extra strength to the door in case someone tries to pry the door open. However, removing the door with force will take a lot of work and a lot of time from even the most skilled thief.

The door itself is 4 ½” thick solid steel lined with fire-resistant material and heat-activated seal. This is also a fire resistant safe that includes a 2-hour fire rating that has been tested in temperatures of up to 1830 ° Fahrenheit. It can withstand extreme heat temperatures while keeping your contents safe during the specified time limit.

Things to consider

As a reviewer I have been trying to find something bad to say about this safe to keep things objective but I just could not find a thing that would put me off buying.
Mesa really did a fantastic job of building a quality safe that not only focuses on the burglar safe aspect but also adds 2-hour fireproofing into the mix. The Mesa MBF series in general are quality safes at low prices and this particular fire safe proves that you can get an all in one package at low prices.

What is great about the MBF3820E is that it is first and foremost a tough burglar proof safe that has quality fireproofing. It is perfect for anyone looking for a big safe for storing a lot of stuff because this has a ton of storage space.

All manner of valuables can be stored and protected from fire including important documents, passports, cash, birth certificates, jewelry, deeds, data storage, media and other irreplaceable records. I will mention that if you do decide to store documents and media invest a bit extra to get a quality safe dehumidifier too. These prevent moisture getting into you r items and are well worth the extra few bucks. Comes with a 1 year limited parts and labor warranty.

PROS:

• Competitive price.
• A good heavy weight.
• Very tough steel construction.
• Is a combination of burglar safe and fire safe.
• Very spacious interior.
• Fantastic security features.
• Fireproof for up to 2-hours

CONS:

• Its heavy weight may be a negative for some people.

You can download the Mesa Safe Company lock and safe PDF manual HERE

You can download the Mesa Safe Company operating PDF manual HERE