How to deter theft - how about this idea

[Josephm]

Hello everyone,
I am new to this forum. I am about to purchase a new JD 50hp machine and will be keeping it in a rural location. I have been going back and forth on how to secure it from theft.

I checked into insurance and it is $250/year for a 14K machine through my insurance company which seems very high (I plan on shopping around more next week).

So, I have been trying to figure out how to best secure it. I thought about all the usual ignition/starter/fuel disable schemes, until I talked a fellow at a dealer who basically blew all my theories.

He told me that a person from my home town had just had his tractor stolen with a bunch of disable stuff in place. I asked him how and he told me the thief fed it ether through the intake and got it to fire enough to get it on a trailer, while shorting from the battery to the starter terminal (bypassing any anti-theft circuits on the starter side or fuel system side).

So, after hearing this, I realized that there is no way to disable the fuel or ignition system (besides maybe taking the starter home with you). Not to mention the risks of someone just winching it up without starting it.

So, I have come up with some ideas to prevent theft. I was hoping folks could provide some feedback as to whether or not I would be wasting my time:

1.) Park it in the woods, out of sight from the road.
2.) Rig the back and front tires out to row crop width to keep it from easily being loaded on a standard lowboy trailer.
3.) I designed a bracket made out of 1/4" plate that will securely hold the front axle in place. The brackets will look like an upside down "L" and allow the tractor to be backed into place. The "L" will have another hinged "L" piece that will lock into place with a standard lock. The trick will be that the 2nd hinged piece will have a 1/4" plate protection box where the lock will be that only has a hole big enough to insert your fingers and key to unlock it and loop it in and out of the catches within that box (that way the lock is protected from bolt cutters, grinders etc). The whole assembly will be anchored in concrete that goes several feet deep. That way, the thief will basically have to bring a torch to the site to cut through the brackets (will have one on each side of the front axle between the wheel and engine).

Any opinions on my ideas?

Thanks,
Joseph

[roamerr]

If it's a NEW JD 50 hp then get insurance. Too much $$$ for the tractor to be worrying about theft. If's a used $4000 or less tractor then just disconnect the starter wire or run a heavy log chain through the wheels and steering wheel.

[Lt CHEG]

One of the dealers that I looked at recommended picking up a boot like is used for people who don't pay parking tickets and putting that on one or both of the front wheels. He told me about a customer who has several CUT's being used in his construction business and he uses this to help deter theft after one of his tractors was stolen. He hasn't had another one stolen since doing this. It isn't fool proof, but it should work reasonably well. Generally speaking all you can really hope to do is slow a thief down enough that they get caught in the act before they can finish or get them to give up and try an easier target.

[JoelD]

I've dropped this idea before and it usually goes over like a lead balloon.

Buddy had radio stolen bunch of times, taped razor blades to underside of replacement radio, found pool of blood on next attempt but radio remained.

Another option might be GPS or lojack.

If someone wants your machine bad enough, they'll get it.

NOt sure if you can find way to lock up tranny and would think if machine is large enough, trying to winch a large machine with four wheels locked up onto a trailer would be tough.
Joel

[JoelD]

Another thought would be if there is anyone anywhere near where it will be see if you can keep it at their place.

Finally, trailering may be option to provide some peace of mind.

Joel

[buck12]

I am in a similar situation in that my tractor is used at a rural property. I had intended to leave it there sometimes but to date I just trailered it even though I have insurance.

[aczlan]

Originally Posted by Josephm

2.) Rig the back and front tires out to row crop width to keep it from easily being loaded on a standard lowboy trailer.

According to what I found here the max tread width is ~76", that is not wide enough to be a big deal to get on a trailer (or a rollback)

3.) I designed a bracket made out of 1/4" plate that will securely hold the front axle in place. The brackets will look like an upside down "L" and allow the tractor to be backed into place. {snip} That way, the thief will basically have to bring a torch to the site to cut through the brackets (will have one on each side of the front axle between the wheel and engine).

That will slow someone down, but I think you would be better off getting it insured, 10 mins with a torch (with something behind it to keep from burning the tractor) or less with a 4.5" angle grinder running off of a genset or a large inverter and a trailer with a winch (or a rollback truck) and there goes your tractor.

Will it slow down joyriders and casual thieves? Yes, but if they cant move it they may settle for vandalism, such as dumping something in a tank which will cook your tractor when you go to start it


Aaron Z

[ehchvac]

I would be as worried about kids/morons dumping sand etc in the fuel or oil fill holes.
These machines are not like full size constuction equipment where all that type of stuff is lockable.
On one of the jobs I was on, kids dumped sand in an excavator engine and hydro tank, the machine ran a couple of minutes before things started to go very wrong.
The owner lost the key years ago so he never locked the fuel/oil caps.
After he had it flushed and repaired he got new locks and keys.
Another favorite up here is throwing rocks thru the glass, most all the construction machines that are left on the jobs all have removable glass shielding of some type.

[jimmyj]

Is there a freindly neighbor you can park it with?

[Mike120]

Get a cargo container and park it in there.