Security & Theft Security Question

[Trev]

Re: Reminds me of a skiing story

You guys are all experts next to me! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I got off the T-bar (the thing you sit your butt on as it drags you up the mountain), after falling off it many times and being pulled up with my arms wrapped around it, finally managed to get back in position... but nobody had warned me that once you ski away from this thing it's going to come swinging back and clobber you in the back of the head! Sigh. So I get off, try to look cool, and then SMACK! I'm flat on my face wondering what happened. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I won't keep taking this off-topic any further.. but there are a lot of other stories from this (my one and only) day of skiing. Like ending up wrapped around the *one* tree on the slope.. or like thinking I was doing pretty good and waving to some girls.. at which point I somehow started doing cartwheels down the rest of the slope.. or... well, you get the idea! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[MossRoad]

I use to leave my IH2500b out at our property. I would remove the battery and, since it was a gas engine, I'd remove the rotor from under the distributor cap. That's a hard one to troubleshoot and if they did manage to figure out why it wasn't firing, how many people carry a rotor for a IH2500b /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Disconnecting safety switches is a quick and sneaky way, too.

I also was fortunate enough to have a neighbor across the street that would keep an eye on it. Although one time she called the police to report that the headlights were on in the middle of the night. I couldn't figure out how, since I had removed the battery and had it at my house. I talked to the police and they confirmed that the headlights were on when they drove by. I went out there the next day and there was no battery in it and the headlights were off. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

What I think happened was someone was trying to steal it, ran away when the police showed up and came back and got their battery after they couldn't start it /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[icat]

Re: Reminds me of a skiing story

There are no small hills at Taos! Especially the one you see when you drive up! Yikes! Great skiing though. I think they have a tractor or two (feble attempt to stay on topic). They probably have an alarm (second feble attempt to stay on topic). /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[frank_f15]

make sure it is insured, park it out of sight,take all precautions that are resonable, and u should be fine. remember tho, that if THEY REALLY WANT IT, nothing short of sitting on it with a 12 ga. will deter them.

 

[F350Lawman]

I just act like a lunatic while I am out working with the tractor, I am pretty sure it's working I get funny looks from passing cars on the road in front of my house all the time!

Gun on side lots of cursing and talking to myself...I must be a good actor or???......nah, I'm OK.

I still think they'll go after someone elses tractor /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif Hope this works as well when it's my daughters time to start dating!

 

[bgott]

The trick I use on a gas engine is to swap the coil wire with one of the plug wires on the distributor cap. When they try to start it it fires once every other revolution when the rotor lines up the cylinder the coil wire is on and the center tower. It won't start but it'll give a good healthy chug.They'll grind the battery down thinking it's just one or two more turns before it starts. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Soundguy]

Like the other guys said.. it was talked about before, and short of an armed guard.. tere is nothing you can do to 'lock it in place' that you could remove/undo in reasonable time that someone else can't undo one night.

Chainns are no good.. bolt cutters get them.. if not bolt cutters.. torches pretty much cut everything.

Tractor electronics are pretty basic... not much you can do that a set of jumper wires won't undo.

Something like removing a rear wheel would slow em down.. and you too.

Park it at a trusted neighbors house.. have good ins.. or park it in some other structure.

One thing we do with heavy equipment at const sites, is park the most theft prone stuff up against a tree or something, and then use another piece of equipment to place some large object.. say.. a stack of pipes.. or pallet of blocks in front of it.. in effect pinning it in.. etc...

Still no guarantees. Since I've worked there the last 12 years, we've had a dozer and dump truck stolen from jobsites.. etc... theves can get it if they have time...

Soundguy

 

[RonR]

See guys, I weren\'t so stupid after all!

You use a big honkin' crane or some TEREX earthmover to put two immovable objects on either end of your CUT!

I was on the right path, just didn't elaborate enough!

Have a great weekend.
Ron

 

[AndyM]

Re: See guys, I weren\'t so stupid after all!

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( ( You use a big honkin' crane or some TEREX earthmover to put two immovable objects on either end of your CUT! ) )</font>

If you use the TEREX machine to put immovable objects in front of and behind your tractor, what do you put around your TEREX to keep it from being stolen?


As a side note, I used to work in the TEREX plant, after it closed when it was being leased as warehouse space. My goodness, that's a big building! There are some spots where there are literally tire tracks in the concrete from all the weight being driven over it for years!

 

[MossRoad]

<font color="blue"> They'll grind the battery down thinking it's just one or two more turns before it starts. </font>

Pure genius /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[stvman]

How about this note tacked to the steering wheel.

TO ALL WOULDBE THEIVES!!! Being more than a little paranoid I have installed no less than three lojack devices on this tractor as well as four hidden cameras placed strategicly around this property. A sattelite uplink has more than likely sent my home computer some nice 8x10 glossy's of you admiring this fine piece of equiptment. I will also remind you that you are on PRIVATE! property please leave now and I will assume you are just a friendly admirer. Thanks

 

[stvman]

Another suggestion. How about on the hood you stencil...

Property of Saprono Brothers Construction /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

The advice you've gotten here is pretty good. The one thing I'll try to reiterate is that if someone decides they really want to get your particular piece of equipment, it's only a matter of time before they do. I've done more than my share of repossessions over the years and there's truly very little difference between that and stealing so far as the technical aspects are concerned if it's repossession by "self help" (a legal term for going and getting it without benefit of court order).

Keeping it out of sight is probably the best idea. The toughest part of getting one is finding it. The same goes for an outright theft. No one's going to go door-to-door looking for one to steal. If you leave yours out where it's visible from the road, you've just piqued someone's attention. When you're not using it, park it behind the barn instead of out front.

As far as lighting goes, I find it a lot tougher to go somewhere which requires ME to be the one holding the light looking around than one that provides it for me. I know this seems counter intuitive, but that's my experience. I'm always appreciative of a nicely lit area in which to work, even when my work is taking someone's vehicle. I don't have to hold a light, fumble with keys or equipment or risk something as simple as tripping over something.

I did something a bit different for security on one property I had where the garage blocked all of the storage pen from view from the house. I used the typical motion detector lights with a bit of a twist. I wired them to also activate a line I wired to an old radio in the house so when the motion detector was activated so was the radio which alerted me to somone being where they didn't belong.

It worked well enough that I caught more than one potential thief or vandal INSIDE the fenced area in the years I lived there. Unfortunately, the only thing for which the police could arrest them was trespassing. At least it was something, though.

 

[tld]

Let's not forget a locking gas cap, if you can get one, to prevent kids from stuffing things in the gas tank.

 

[BWS]

pull the main fuse,turn the gas off,hood lock would work,set parking brake,engage the pto[then it wont start],hmm guesse a tuff chain or you could pull a tire??where would you unhook a saftey switch??lojack device would be nice..bws

 

[Henro]

Just to add one more worry...

If you make it too hard to steal they may just smash it up a bit and leave it for you to find badly damaged later.

Last year when I was shopping for my first tractor, there was this badly damaged tractor sitting in the back...I asked the dealer what the story was on that...he said sometried to steal it and when they couldn't they simply trashed it and left...

Sad but true... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[Bodie]

Guys thanks for all the suggestions. I had a great weekend working on my tractor (save for a few minor problems ie hydraulic and coolant leaks) but it made it through the weekend without being stolen. Only two more weeks until we move in and then I will have my Rottie chained to the seat, lots of insurance, and my new Browning within easy reach!