Knob vs Lever Set?

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CrashAndBurn

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#281460 19-Feb-2021 11:21

Am planning to replace a couple this weekend and was wondering what the pros and cons are with a lever vs a knob set. The current ones are knob and one of the reason I am considering a lever is because my wife sometimes have difficulty grabbing and turning it. My only concern with the lever is if normally last longer given all the force is concentrated at a point.

timmmay

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#2659532 19-Feb-2021 11:38

Are you talking about replacing a door handle?

CrashAndBurn

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#2659535 19-Feb-2021 11:42

timmmay:

Are you talking about replacing a door handle?

Not just the handle. Basically the whole set that includes a key. Looking at Bunnings they call it entrance lever or knob set if that helps.

SirHumphreyAppleby

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#2659540 19-Feb-2021 11:55

In my experience, cheap door knobs tend to tarnish long before the internals wear out. Next time, I'll opt for levers as different knob types often don't match even within the same range. E.g. wardrobe knobs may be shorter than passageway knobs, and external or privacy locks are often different on each side.

duckDecoy

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#2659541 19-Feb-2021 11:55

My lever door handle on my kitchen door has lasted 15 yrs (and counting) and my knob handle on the front door has lasted 15 yrs (and counting). So my experience is that either will be fine.

I do have a warning though, DONT go cheap. On our other door I went for an el cheapo ~$30 - $40 from Mitre10 and it was rubbish. Clearly crappy from day one, the handle had quite a bit of movement in it, and it failed pretty quickly - one of the internal bolts broke and then the button lock keep jamming and eventually an internal piece fell off somewhere and blocked the snub so it was jammed and we had to take the door hinges off to get it open again.

mdooher

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#2659660 19-Feb-2021 13:22

you can train your cat to open a lever set.. not so much with a knob.

You can also open lever with your elbow/wrist etc when carrying 4 stubbies...

Matthew

pih

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#2660418 21-Feb-2021 10:51

If you get levers, make sure you get ones where the end of the handle curves back towards the door. Less likely for clothing to catch on it when you're walking into a room

shanes

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#2660445 21-Feb-2021 12:08

I'm just going through this myself, I've been replacing old mismatched knobs with lever handles.

I spent a couple of days opening the bathroom door and hitting the end of the lever handle as I walked in, soon worked that out :)

Also don't underestimate the amount of work involved in changing the hardware, in my case the new lock required a 25mm hole, the old lock was quite a bit of a different shape, and I had to shape a plug to fill the exiting hole and redrill it, then there is all the chiseling and filling to tidy it up, including the striker plate. I've done 4 doors so far, around a day each.

For the entrance door I found a handle that looks like a lever set, but is push/pull, pretty handy when your arms are full...

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richms

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#2660517 21-Feb-2021 13:46

The annoying thing I find with levers is that they only opperate in one direction mostly. Some will let you lift as well but most seem to have a hard stop there so that the lever will sit level. If theyre low on the door that makes it annoying to use.

Richard rich.ms

Eva888

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#2660542 21-Feb-2021 15:39

Definitely lever. As you pointed out, wife oftendoesn’t have the strength and that’s something that doesn’t improve with age. Our front door has a knob and the amount of times I’ve cursed with hands full and wished I could just elbow a lever down to open instead. Replacing mine with lever is on the to do list.

CrashAndBurn

668 posts

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#2661109 22-Feb-2021 14:06

Thanks, everyone. I went with a mid-priced Schlage Lever Set as you can feel the weight difference when compared with the cheaper options.

nitro

656 posts

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#2661149 22-Feb-2021 15:26

mdooher:

you can train your cat to open a lever set.. not so much with a knob.

You can also open lever with your elbow/wrist etc when carrying 4 stubbies...

this is why it's banned in vancouver and colorado... bears can open them.