Gibraltar Mailboxes Stanley Extra-Large Capacity Galvanized Steel Black, Post-Mount Mailbox, ST200B00

There is no plastic latch on this mailbox. The one that I just received directly from Amazon has a metal latch and a metal handle. I just checked the parts with a magnet to confirm that they are steel. So, the manufacturer must have responded to the complaints about the box having a plastic latch. The only plastic part on this mailbox that I just received today, Halloween of 2012, is the flag.This a nice mailbox and will do exactly what I want. The neat part about it is that the bottom is drilled for the bracket on my much smaller current box. Mounting should be a breeze once I have the bolts out of the old box. Although, it does have the holes around the edge, so that it can be nailed to a traditional plank section, which is itself spiked or bracketed to a post. Or, obviously other brackets can be used it with.We run a mail-order business and frequently mail & receive merchandise, so this is perfect for my size needs.The Amazon page here says the box is silver. The box the mailbox came in says its silver. However, it looks battleship grey to me, and it is not a metallic colour. This does not matter to me. I bought the "silver" one because cost was more important. I found out that I cannot install a shiny metallic roof on my house per the city code, so I imagine a non-shiny mailbox in a bland grey colour should please my neighbours immensely.As far as the construction goes, it seems to be sturdy metal and was delivered to me with no defects whatsoever. There are no dents, no flaws. As to the sturdiness, I think its fine. I delivered a lot of mail in every box on a 105 mile contract mail route with my father helping him during summers off from school. This is as good as any I ever put mail in.There are no plastic latch parts. The handle on at the top of the door is made of painted steel, the actual part of the latch that holds the door shut is located inside the door at the top, and it is made of steel. It should last for at least 20 years. I plan to spray mine with some dry, waxy teflon so it lasts long, and opens and closes well. It is designed to be adjusted with pliers. I've done that and it latches perfectly.The red flag on the side certainly is plastic. I'm not worried about that. Unless the local juvenile delinquents bash my mailbox with a baseball bat the way they did the neighbour's, it should never be an issue.I am retaining my old mailbox to reinstall if I ever move, so I can take the new one with me. There is plenty of room in the attic to store it. The advantage of having it is, that if the plastic flag on this new box ever breaks, I'll just drill out the rivets on the old box holding the corresponding part on, and put the old flag from the old box onto the new box with my pop-rivet tool. If I need to drill new holes to accomodate the old parts, fine, I'll do it. I just don't think it's that much of an issue, unless teen hoodlums bash the box in.I suspect that previous buyers of this Jumbo Size Steel Mailbox had the plastic latch design that is external as shown in the dated picture of the mailbox on the Amazon page. If so, I can see where breakage would have been an issue. My box that I just received has a steel pull loop handle on the outside. It uses for a latch an internal curved tang mounted at the top of the inside of the door. This tang moves over the rolled lip of the underside of the top of the metal body of the box and then is just past it inside the box gripping the rolled edge when the door is closed. I've adjusted to that it "opens and closes with the most delicious clicks," to quote Ian Fleming.I'm happy with what I received, and knew about the alleged issues with the box from having read the older customer review for it. As it turns out, the latch concern is non-existent as the one that I received is metal. The flag is a non-issue for me. Ordering this box saved me fuel driving to a home supply store 5 or 6 miles away to buy one. I'm not sure that my local home supply or hardware stores would have had a box like this in stock without having to order it.One last thing, this mailbox is made by Americans in the U.S.A. in Mississippi. That's wonderful and is another reason I chose to buy this mailbox over something made in a cheap labour paradise on the Pacific Rim. It's made in Mississippi, U.S.A., and my purchase of it helped our economy, and helped keep Americans working.

good product

nice and big, no dents or dings this time.

Really good quality but enormous. Double check the dimensions!

This is an excellent quality mail box, but it did require a bit of fiddling to get the door to stay closed. We love this size, as does our rural mail person. She seldom has to drive back to our house to leave parcels on the porch, as the majority will now fit in the box. At least for now, it's the best looking box on the street.

Great product

I ordered the black version of this mailbox and I am very happy with it. I know there have been many complaints about the metal being too thin but mine is reasonably sturdy. I would have to deliberately punch it or strike it fairly hard with an object in order to dent it. It appears that there might be different versions of this mailbox — some of which are made of thinner metal.Another complaint I have seen posted is that the door hinge is poorly assembled. However, the hinge on mine is well constructed and should last for many years.Minor Complaint:I have only one minor complaint and that is the paint job isn't perfect. The underside of the mailbox has some areas that were missed. Also, there is some overspray on the inside, but since the mailbox is made of galvanized metal it won't affect its longevity. I consider neither much of a problem.Hint: There are no instructions on how to connect the flag. However, it's fairly straightforward. For those who need help, I have included photos of how I attached mine. The most important points are to put the plastic washer on the outside of the mailbox and to make certain the flange on the metal flag is pointing outward to prevent it from scratching your new mailbox. I know some of you might be dismayed to see that the hinge on the flag is made of plastic, but don't let that keep you from buying this mailbox. To me, it feels like it's made out of nylon. Nylon is a very tough plastic that lasts for many years — even in harsh conditions.Additional Hint: I used a 6 x 6 x 5-1/2 foot piece of cedar for the pole. The base under the mailbox is a 2 x 12 x 21-1/2" piece of hardwood scrap that I picked up for free from a nearby construction site. If you cut 1/4" off one of the sides it will fit the bottom of the mailbox perfectly. (I used a circular saw and cut it very slowly.) I then attached the base to the pole using five, 3-1/2 screws. When you mount the mailbox to the base, be sure and leave a gap at the front end, otherwise, the lid won't completely open. I then used red roofing screws to mount the mailbox to the base. One final suggestion, to protect the wood pole and base against harsh conditions (rain, snow, dry hot weather), I treated them with linseed oil and let them sit for a few days before I put everything together.This mailbox has some ribbing in the metal, but it's mild enough that it shouldn't cause any problems if you wish to attach a vinyl address decal. I have ordered one and will provide an update in a few months on how well it has adhered to the mailbox.UPDATE: I attached an address decal to this mailbox and didn't encounter any problems. The decal looks great and has adhered well. And just in case you are wondering, yes, that is a gallon-sized plastic milk bottle inside the mailbox. As you can see, this a very large mailbox! It's perfect for USPS delivered packages that you don't want to have the mailman leave on your porch in bad weather.I purchased my mailbox from CKO Enterprises and would buy another from them should this one get damaged.