One key fits all?

[pat32rf]

Could you imagine a highway job with two dozen pcs of equipment spread out over 5 miles of construction site at 6AM Monday morning if each key was different? Most operators around here have their own keys-a Case,a Cat,a JDetc. Most equipment has a padlock hasp on the cab or on the master switch(hidden behind a panel) if it has no cab. These hasps are for the $20 company padlocks and only get used after hours. In our small town it is normal for the local operators to borrow a nearby sitting unit (if they are on good terms with the owner) in a pinch but this is preceeded by a phone call for the OK (if the owner can be reached. )
Years back I did some night time surveilance work for a company in the Toronto area. Took 10minutes for a float to park near a Case 580 loader/hoe, the driver got out, built a ramp, loaded and left. Police caught him when he pulled into a truck stop 40 miles away to install tie down chains. The company had been losing a unit/month for 8months......

 

[oscer]

I worked at a IH dealership back in the late 70s you only needed 3 keys,if my memory serves me,to start any IH on the lot.

 

[MikeD74T]

Equipment key sets on EBAY start at about $10.

 

[Deadman]

Just so you all know, John Deere Lawn Mower Keys worked perfectely in all 80's and 90's Polaris and Arctic Cat snowmobiles!

Funny, but TRUE!

 

[SunnyDaye]

Just so you all know, John Deere Lawn Mower Keys worked perfectely in all 80's and 90's Polaris and Arctic Cat snowmobiles!

Funny, but TRUE!

Hey, I just bought my wife a new Kawasaki Mule Trans 4x4 and the next day I jumped in it and took off! When I got back to the cabin, she wanted to know how I did that with her keys? I looked down and there was the John Deere key sticking in the ignition!!

True, but not Funny!

 

[slaveToHorses]

just my dumb luck but all my Deeres are from different eras/types
so they all take different keys
At one time they all shared keys but no longer.
My salesman said he could fix that really easy!

 

[oscer]

I wanted to move my daughter's Dodge spirit the other day but had no key so just out of curiosity I grabbed the empty ignition switch and started it right up,my lucky day I guess.

 

[ArkLaTexSam]

Having one key fits all sure beats having to purchase a new ignition switch if u loose your keys. Lost my key to the polaris sportsman 4x4 one time and the only option was to buy a new $200 ignition which came with it's own set of keys.

 

[sandman2234]

Keys for T/T's must be able to be keyed alike as I have worked for two different companies that one key would fit all of their trucks. I was in Fargo, ND and a driver locked his keys in the truck. I noticed the paint scheme was identical to the last company I worked for, so asked him if he had purchased the truck from the bankruptcy auction. He said he purchased it from a truck dealer. I went and scrounged thru the box of spare keys in my sidebox and found an old key to the truck I drove for them. Fit right in, opened the door and he was not happy. He wanted me to give him that key right then, as he must have been "HIS". I tried to explain to him that only one key fit all of those trucks, and if he wanted all the keys that fit his truck, he would be busy the rest of his life searching for them. Told him and the policeman that he called trying to force me to give up the key, that the best thing he could do was change the locks because that key was mine and I was keeping it.
All I was trying to do was help the guy and ended up getting the police called on me. Guess it takes all kinds to make this world go round.
David from jax

 

[hudlow]

So what's the easiest, cheapest, most convenient, least time consuming way to disable my tractor to be sure that some joker with a JD key in his pocket can't drive it away?



hud