Security & Theft Theft prevention for tractor?

Soundguy · Jan 30, 2005

That's a hard one and has been over here before.
pretty much if someone wants your property bad enough.. they will get it. whether you are living there or not.

Chains and cables are not a deterent except to honest people. A oxy/acet rig will make short work of just about anything you can strap the tractor down with in a few minutes flat. Disabling the tractor via battery or wheels just means they need a rollback trailer.

Out of site/out of mind will help.. that storage container seems to be a decent idea.. as someone would need a specific roll back truck to lift it.

Got any neighbors nerby you could park it at?

Soundguy

mark777 · Jan 30, 2005

Here, it is a big problem. Had a person interested in getting some paint work done to his newer CUT JD attachments. FEL and BB to match.

Older, single widowed gentleman loaded his tractor on his trailer and then went to get his truck inspected. Gone for about an hour. Came back to hook up and trailer and tractor gone. Off his own property.

Week later the trailer was located in Brownsville and the official police report indicated tractor was most probably across the border into Mexico. Evidently, it's happening all the time, and it's much easier to go south with anything then to come the opposite direction.

Trailer was equipped with tongue lock, but not much of a deterrent.

Good luck, Mark

Mith · Jan 30, 2005

might be worth having some sort of shed/container near the front of your property. lock it up real tight with your less expensive tools like shovel, fork, drills ect. if thieves come they will spend time braking in to it to find tools of little value
meanwhile your tractor is tucked up in its own container out of sight at the top of your property or near you neighbours
the thieves will think all you have is the stuff in your first shed/container and never find your tractor

Indydirtfarmer · Jan 30, 2005

A loaded shotgun, a reputation for FIRING it (in the general direction of would-be thieves /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif) and a big ol' snarling dawg work wonders. Our area is strating to "develope". most of my nieghbors are reporting crimes on a regular basis. I leave my shop unlocked most of the time. .....The dog needs to eat too! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

CajunRider · Jan 30, 2005

A reputation for "firing"? Guess I won't have any problem with that. I do plenty of target practice. I used to be member of USPSA, just don't have the time to go to those shooting matches any more. One of the thing I plan to do with my tractor is to build an outdoor personal firing range.

BTW a reputation as a shooter is a double-edge sword. Some time the buglars go there to get your guns! Better have a good safe.

WhiteRock · Jan 30, 2005

A oxy/acet rig will make short work of just about anything you can strap the tractor down with in a few minutes flat. 

Except when your locking system is set up next to a fuel tank, then it will make an oxy/acet operator's work short.

JimR · Jan 30, 2005

( A oxy/acet rig will make short work of just about anything you can strap the tractor down with in a few minutes flat. 

Except when your locking system is set up next to a fuel tank, then it will make an oxy/acet operator's work short. )

Only for the squeamish. I'd cut a lock off near a diesel tank anyday of the week. I heliarced an aluminum diesel tank half full of diesel fuel on a tractor trailer rig that had a crack in it once.

Cliff_Johns · Jan 30, 2005

I wonder if you coud take a photo of the area without the tractor there, then have the photo image painted on the front of the shed. Of course, it might be hard to find the next time you there and you'd need change the painting each season.

Or you could paint the tractor to look like a cow. Of course a hunter would probably shoot it thinking it was a llama.

Cliff

California · Jan 31, 2005

Countermeasures should be based on a realistic appraisal of which risks you face.

I decided there was not much risk anyone would steal my elderly Yanmar. The chain shown here should be enough to stop unauthorized use.

heatwole · Jan 31, 2005

I'm just finishing the building process for our new home (hope to have the certificate of occupancy on Friday). I rented a storage container for my tools and tractor that worked our great. I would keep all my smaller tools in the loader. Just backed my tractor out of the container and drove to the building site saving me many trips back and forth and kept my tractor secure. End of the day, I loaded up the small tools and pull into the container, locked the door and went home.

Have fun building. I thank God that I am almost done and can quit working 18 hours a day 7 days a week.