Best In Shop: Triton Plus
Posted by Ryan Barbin, AKS on Oct 20th 2026
One Tool to Rule Them All
The list keeps going.
Most tools earn their place in the shop by doing one thing exceptionally well. The Triton Plus makes a different argument: What if one machine could earn its place by doing almost everything?
One machine. One footprint. A staggering number of capabilities—and a tool designed to keep finding ways to make itself useful long after the first key is cut.
The old saying goes, “You get what you pay for.” With plenty of specialized key machines on the market, the right choice ultimately comes down to the work you do, the capabilities you need, and the budget you have to work with.
But for a well-rounded locksmith taking on a wide variety of jobs, the better investment may be the machine that can do the work of several.
At A Glance
Starting Price: $4,495
Ultimate Edition: $5,995
Best For: Automotive locksmiths and full-service security professionals
Skill Level: Beginner to Advanced
Best Fit: Mobile and Shop
Applications: Automotive · Residential · Commercial · Motorcycle
Biggest Strength: An enormous range of cutting capabilities in a single machine
Biggest Limitation: Higher initial investment than more specialized machines
The Triton Plus is sold in different editions based on what you need.
Current pricing from American Key Supply:
The Ultimate is the true all-in-one configuration: automotive, commercial, residential, plus engraving, with all of the jaws/accessories included.
“It’s fast, compact, and easy to use. It doesn’t require tons of expensive upgrades. It has the best support, the lowest repair rate, and features no other machine has.” —Cary Stevens, American Key Supply
However, that doesn’t mean you have to buy everything right out of the gate. Ask a car enthusiast, drummer, photographer, or videographer—we rarely start with the dream setup. We start with what we need and build from there. The Triton can work much the same way. Start with the configuration that makes sense for the work you do today, then add jaws, cutters, engraving capabilities, and accessories as your business—and the jobs coming through the door—give you a reason to.
This is why AKS offers a variety of bundle options with different accessories at different price points—to help you find the right starting point without burning a hole in your pocket.
You don’t necessarily need to invest in everything you might need tomorrow. Sometimes the smarter investment is buying what can make you money today, with the ability to grow into what you’ll need tomorrow.
The WHY
With more capabilities comes the capacity to accept more jobs—and with over 20 different features, the Triton unlocks the ability to handle a wide variety of jobs.
“The reason it’s my favorite is it just cuts more key types than any other, right out of the box. If the Triton can’t cut it, nobody can.” —Cary Stevens, American Key Supply
This versatility also means consolidation—less equipment, less shop/van space, and less upkeep and maintenance. You don’t need to have a whole showroom of tools and gadgets. You really only need the RIGHT tools that allow you to get the most out of them.
Aside from the many, multi-purpose features of the Triton Plus machine, it also is easier to learn and harder to screw up.
“When trainees are given a choice of machines, they naturally gravitate toward the Triton because its consistent, intuitive menus guide them through the process and catch setup mistakes before they happen. For example, if the next key requires a 1.5 mm cutter but the previous job used a 2.0 mm cutter, the Triton stops the operator and requires them to acknowledge the cutter change before proceeding.” —Rob Reynolds, Pop-A-Lock
With its guided processes, cutter-change warnings, and easy-to-follow navigation, the Triton Plus isn’t just convenient—it’s a smart training tool with an easy learning curve and fewer opportunities for operator error.
The Triton features a built-in 7-inch touchscreen, an integrated automotive key-code database, a comprehensive commercial and residential key database, and free lifetime software updates. It’s also backed by a 3-year warranty and stateside technical support.
The free Triton mobile companion app takes things a step further, allowing users to decode keys using their phone’s camera, remotely control and monitor the machine, access the key-code database away from the Triton, and even upload images for engraving. It also allows you to save customer and key-cutting records, giving you the ability to reference previous jobs and cutting information when a customer returns.
An Investment That Evolves
Unlike most other machines, development of the Triton continues well after the machine reaches the market. Designing and improving key machines isn’t simply one product category among many for the team behind the Triton—it’s their focus. New features, capabilities, and improvements continue to be developed and delivered through software updates.
Some of those improvements come directly from the people using it. Lock Labs regularly submits requests based on real-world locksmith experience—from workflow improvements to entirely new features—and those requests have made their way into future updates.
Just as importantly, those improvements haven’t meant continually paying to keep the machine current. Software improvements to the Triton have been provided at no additional charge, adding another layer of value to its free lifetime software updates.
The Triton you buy today isn’t necessarily the same Triton you’ll be using several years from now. The hardware stays on your bench, but what it can do can continue to grow.
The HOW
For automotive work, that can start as simply as searching by vehicle. The Triton can also search by keyway or IC card number, and its integrated automotive key-code database allows most automotive keys to be cut directly by code without having to reference another code source.
Having the original key opens up another route. The Triton can decode a key, trace and duplicate unknown keyways, or compensate for wear on known keyways to bring an old key back toward its original specifications. For jobs outside the existing database, users can even create custom key profiles by entering their own space and depth information.
Imagine a customer walks in with a worn key and no code. Instead of that being the end of the road, the Triton can trace the existing key, identify the known keyway, account for wear, and cut back toward the original specifications.
“My team has used multiple automatic electronic key cutting machines; however, the Triton is widely trusted and preferred by my team of locksmiths. My team raves to me that the cuts are clean and accurate. They also brag about the user prompts and friendliness to the user.”
—Mark Apodaca, Auto Unlock
Much of the Triton’s versatility comes down to interchangeable jaws, cutters, and decoders. Different setups allow the same machine to move between high-security automotive, single-sided, tubular, tibbe, dimple, engraving, and even flip-blade creation. Which of those capabilities you have out of the box depends on the Triton Plus edition and accessories you purchase.
The Bottom Line
At $4,495 to start, the Triton Plus isn’t an impulse purchase—and it shouldn’t be treated like one.
If your business only cuts a narrow range of keys and you already have a machine that handles those jobs reliably, buying a Triton simply because it can do more may not make financial sense.
However, that’s not really who this machine is built for.
For the locksmith looking to expand their capabilities, consolidate multiple machines, train employees more easily, or simply say “yes” to a wider variety of jobs, the equation starts to change.
A $4,495 machine is expensive when it sits on a bench. It’s considerably less expensive when it’s working.
“I went from selling it at AKS to using it every day as a locksmith—and I still stand by this product 100%.” —Tyler Anzalone, Advanced Auto Key LLC
That’s ultimately the question worth asking with any professional tool: not “How much does it cost?” but “What can I do with it once I own it?”
With the Triton Plus, there are an awful lot of answers to that question. You get what you pay for—and while the price of admission may be higher than some alternatives, what you’re paying for is versatility. The ability to do more, take on more, and potentially earn more with a single machine.
For the right locksmith, that doesn’t make the Triton Plus an expensive tool—it makes it a smart investment.
—Ryan Barbin, AKS
