We spent a day or so trying to make sense of the numerous offerings which retailers made as far as secure metal sheds are concerned. At first it seemed that there were many different manufacturers but in the end we came to the astonishing conclusion (at least to us) that there really is only one manufacturer of secure metal garden sheds.

Different retailers market the same product under different names and descriptions, but they all lead back to one manufacturer, Asgard.

That rather limits the scope of this review! However, we wanted to offer at least one alternative so we searched for, what we considered to be, the next most secure brand of metal sheds. The choice in our opinion was easy, the company Trimetals. They claim their sheds to be strong and secure.

All our advice is totally impartial, we are not affiliated to any shed manufacturer.
All the pictures are taken by us and not copies of manufacturer’s glossy pictures.

We have viewed for ourselves, and critically evaluated, each of the sheds mentioned in this review. This article is not simply a re-hash of the manufacturer’s descriptions, it has been produced as a result of us going to display sites to see and test the sheds we have reviewed.

We believe that no other secure metal garden shed review can claim to be as impartial and also contain first hand experience of the sheds reviewed.

ASGARD

For an overview of the company Asgard, see ourtop level metal shed review page which can be foundhere. They have been in business for over forty years and the sole focus of their business is secure metal storage. Not only do they manufacture garden sheds but they are world renowned for their other secure storage products.

For the purposes of this article we examined the Centurion Metal Shed (5ft x 7ft 3in) which is shown in the picture below. Other sizes and those in the Gladiator range are all constructed in the same manner using the same locks and panel types.

There are three possible colours, green (as shown above), brown or ivory. Full retail price for the basic shed is currently £1,270 although out of season, from September to February you will likely find discounts available. Included in that price is an integral shed base.

There is an extensive range of extras including hanging hooks, shelving, ramp, wooden over-floor etc.

The initial impression from the outside is one of solidity and security. Push the panels in and there is hardly any give at all. The lock appears to be very secure. Open the door and you will see that the lock is indeed securely mounted on the door. It operates two solid poles which lock into the door fame at the top and bottom. A solid arm also comes out from the lock to secure the door onto the frame half way down.

An Asgard metal shed lock

If you compare the Asgard lock above to the lock on Trimetals sheds (see picture lower down this page) you will be astonished at the difference between the two.

Once inside the shed you can feel the solidity of the panels, they are 1.2mm thick. Unless you take a petrol or electric grinder of some sort to them, they are impenetrable. See the video below where a strong looking guy does his best to break the lock with a hammer and various implements. This video was recorded by the Loss Prevention Certificate Board in their tests on Asgard sheds.

Three more videos can be see here with the same guy trying to break into the Asgard shed. That is about as secure as a shed ever gets.

The shed is guaranteed against rust penetration for 10 years and this applies to buying the shed directly from Asgard or one of their retailers.

If you choose to buy your shed through a retailer, we would strongly recommend GBC for two prime reasons. Firstly they have these sheds on display throughout the country at 35 garden centres.

To find out the nearest display site to you, click here. When the list of display sites then appears, click on the one you want to visit and a list of sheds they have at that display site will appear. The Asgard sheds appear as “Secure Storage” and the model shown above is called Wharfedale.

The second reason is that GBC have been in the trade for many years and they only deal in the best shed brands. We can recommend them from our own personal experience.

A few more reasons to choose an Asgard metal shed include the ventilation system. There are vents not only at the front and rear but also along the top of the shed. This significantly reduces condensation, better than other manufacturers. All Gladiator and Centurion sheds come with an integral metal floor included in the base price, making the shed even more solid and secure.

A summary of the key features of this shed are:

• Ridge (apex) height 6’8” / 203cm
• Eaves height 6’2” / 188cm
• Size 5’ x 7’3” (152cm x 221cm)
• Metal base included
• Weight – a massive 255kg / 40 stone 2lb
• 10 year warranty
• Panel thickness 1.2mm
• Five point locking system
• Anti-pick and very securely mounted lock
• Double doors standard
• Installation service – Yes

Company address: 1392 Leeds Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD3 7AE

Contact Number: 08456 580 730

Website: http://www.asgardsss.co.uk

TRIMETALS

Trimetals have been in businessfor just over a massive 50 years, that in itself is a recommendation for their products. As well as a range of metal garden sheds they sell a large range of storage solutions not only in the UK, but around the world. For an overview of the company, see our top level review of metal shedshere.

For the purposes of this article we examined the Premium Apex Metal Shed (5ft 9in x 5ft 9in) which is shown in the picture below. Other sizes are all constructed in the same manner the same locks and panel types. They have a cheaper Titan range but they cannot really be classified as properly secure sheds.

There appears to be only one colour, green (as shown above). Full retail price for the basic shed is currently £1,534 although out of season, from September to February you will likely find discounts available. An integral base is not included in the price but is available as an optional extra.

Trimetals are the only metal sheds which are endorsed by the Royal Horticultural Society, see here for more details.

There is an extensive range of extras including hanging hooks, shelving, ramp, wooden over-floor etc.

The overall impression from the outside is of a strong shed with a pleasing overlapped appearance to the main panels. The hasp and staple lock appears to be more of an after thought – it would give a minimum of protection and could be levered off with a large strong screwdriver very easily in a few seconds.

The main lock appears OK from the outside but open up the door and it is clear that it’s nowhere near as secure as the Asgard lock. Grab hold of the locking mechanism from the inside and it doesn’t feel secure. The locking rods mechanism is secured in place by a small pin which is clearly already showing signs of rusting in the show site example we examined. See the picture below.

To be clear though, this two point locking mechanism is far more secure than most cheaper competitors, but it just isn’t up to the best standards.

A Trimetals metal shed lock

Trimetals don’t quote the thickness of the panels they use, they simply say for the cheaper Titan range that the steel is “up to 50 per cent thicker than the metal used for most comparable garden sheds”. They then go on to say about the Premium range that the panels are “even thicker material than our standard sheds”. GBC, who retail these sheds say that Premium Apex panels are “40% thicker steel than our Titan range”.

So, based on an industry standard of about 0.25mm thick panels, we have estimated that the panels must be
somewhere in the region of .55mm thick. Like the lock, far more secure compared to the cheaper competitors but, nowhere near the Asgard thickness of 1.2mm.

The shed is guaranteed against rust penetration for 25 years and this applies to buying the shed directly from Trimetals or one of their retailers.

If you choose to buy your shed through a retailer, we would strongly recommend GBC for two prime reasons. Firstly they have these sheds on display throughout the country at 35 garden centres.

To find out the nearest display site to you click here. When the list of display sites then appears, click on the one you want to visit and a list of sheds they have at that display site will appear.

The second reason is that GBC have been in the trade for many years and they only deal in the best shed brands. We can recommend them from our own personal experience.

A summary of the key features of this shed are:

• Ridge (apex) height 6’10” 208.5cm
• Eaves height not given by the manufacturer
• Size 5’9” x 5’9” 176cm x 176cm
• Metal base not included
• Weight -not found, estimated at 135kg / 21 stone 3lb
• 25 year warranty
• Panel thickness not found, estimated at 0.53cm
• Two point locking system
• Door lock – efficiency not known
• Double doors – no, optional extra
• Installation service – No

Company address: Trimetals Limited, Sunrise Park, Blandford, Dorset DT11 8ST

Contact Number: 01258 459441

Website: Click here

CONCLUSIONS
There really is no competition here, the Asgard metal shed wins by a huge margin if you want a secure garden shed and it is far cheaper compared to the Trimetals shed.

One additional aspect however which must be considered is appearances. To our eyes, the Trimetals shed is better looking compared to Asgard shed. That opinion is, however, subjective. The choice of functionality over superficial looks is up to you.

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