STOP TRACTOR THEFT???

[RoyJackson]

You can do your best, but a dedicated thief will get any tractor stored outside. You might prevent casual or opportunistic thieves though (but not vandals).
Insurance is about the only thing you can do for recouping losses. Don't assume your home owner's insurance will cover a remote site (from your primary residence). Call them and find out...get a rider or separate policy, if necessary.

 

[Rob-D]

Just to add put the pto in gear maybe the guy stealing it isn't smart enough to figure out how to start it
I wouldn't leave it on the trailer creates an easier opportunity parj the trailer in front of it to make it more trouble sum to get to tractor.

tom

Bingo!

You have to think like a criminal. Get the trailer away from the tractor. Drive it somewhere else so it's not there inviting someone to drive off with everything.
I think leaving the PTO might be a very subtle but effective and preventative method because human thinking will not see the obvious answer. A criminal will think you have some system or hidden switch to keep the tractor from walking.
Take the battery home with you also. Don't leave it there. If you have it home you can keep it up to charge also.

Like others have said, you can't stop the pro who wants it but you sure can make it tough to take. Make sure your insurance is up to date.

If you're really that worried take an integral part that someone will have to get from a dealer to start it. Two things, most people won't want it and if someone does steal it they will have to get the part and dealers can be on the look out. You can take a front tire too, sure it might be a pain to put on when you go there but at least the tractor will be there!

Get one of those steering wheel or tire locks. Criminals want to spend as little time as possible stealing anything. The longer it takes the less they want it.

Use the PTO and pull a wire off too. You can make it very tough to take.

Rob

 

[jinman]

When I first bought my place, I took my Ford Jubilee and hid it in the woods. It was buried back in some brush that nobody would look at unless they were very thorough. One time I went there and used the tractor over the weekend. When I got home, my butt was stinging. Turns out that a brown recluse had made a nest under my seat cushion and crawled out to bite me when I was using the tractor. It just goes to show you that with all the precautions, it can still bite you in the butt.:laughing: Honest folks! That's a true story. Buy insurance and sleep well, but also check your seat for spiders.:shocked:

EDIT: Oh yes! I've always wanted to do this since I had a trailer stolen. I wanted to rig a sign up under the trailer. It would hang down from the rear axle and not be readily visible unless you were following behind the trailer in a car. The sign would say, "Stolen Trailer- Call Police!" I might add my own cell phone number on the sign too. Of course, when I used the trailer, I'd have to remember to remove the sign.

 

[Boeing]

These are great ideas. Can you recommend a "dealer ordered part" that I could remove and replace fairly easily. The tractor is INSIDE a locked metal garage but is left alone for 2-3 MONTHS (on a SOLAR charger). There is no electricity so they have to use hand tools or bring a generator to help with their thievery. There are no homes within 2 miles and it is up a long wooded road hidden from sight and sound. A pair of thieves would have as long as it takes. PTO, fuel shutoff, even a little lock on the factory shutoff pull out rod might make them leave it alone.
I did call my insurance guy, he said a policy COULD be made with "declared value". I'll do that...........and cross my fingers.
Thanks Guys/B][/I][/B]

 

[Mousefield]

These are great ideas. Can you recommend a "dealer ordered part" that I could remove and replace fairly easily. The tractor is INSIDE a locked metal garage but is left alone for 2-3 MONTHS (on a SOLAR charger). There is no electricity so they have to use hand tools or bring a generator to help with their thievery. There are no homes within 2 miles and it is up a long wooded road hidden from sight and sound. A pair of thieves would have as long as it takes. PTO, fuel shutoff, even a little lock on the factory shutoff pull out rod might make them leave it alone.
I did call my insurance guy, he said a policy COULD be made with "declared value". I'll do that...........and cross my fingers.
Thanks Guys/B][/I][/B]

I added my tractor as an add on to my home insurance, other wise it was not covered. I used to sell security and cameras systems. The truth is it does not matter who you are, where you are, they will find you and your stuff. Just be somewhat proactive to make it difficult for them to steal it and get that insurance. Then have a good nights sleep. :cloud9:

 

[aczlan]

Getting in: No generator needed, just a cordless angle grinder.

Keeping someone out/keeping the tractor there:
Starting with a shipping container or garage is a good start, but here are some ideas of simple ways to make the tractor not work:
1. If the seat switch keeps the starter from running, disconnect it and use a jumper wire if needed to make it seem that there isn't anyone in the seat
2. If you have a "kill rod", adjust the length so that it cannot be moved to "run" mode. If you have a electric kill switch, unplug it and hide the ends of the wires.
3. Turn the PTO on.
4. Install a inline fuel shutoff
5. Remove the front tires and take them with you. Leave a block of wood under the front end.
6. Install a locking fuel cap to keep people from dumping something into the fuel
7. Park so that someone cannot pull directly in front of or behind the tractor
8. Mix the loader control lines (if you have a loader) so that it cannot be lifted, then bolt a 4x4 to the floor just inside the door
9. Make a list of what you did to disable the tractor and how to make it work again.

Now, all this will keep the casual "borrower" or the teenage joyriders out, but if someone comes with a tilt bed truck or trailer and a winch, they can just pull the tractor up onto it and take the tractor apart in peace somewhere behind closed doors.

Identifying the thief:
Hide a couple of infrared game cameras inside and outside of the garage, then one or two on the trail back out. Then you can have pictures of them and their vehicle.

Trailer:
1. Take off the wheels and set it on blocks
2. Install a coupler lock

Aaron Z

 

[buck12]

I had a dump trailer stolen and it was loaded with trash - they took the trash also ( at least they did save me the dump fee) . Trailer was 600 ft, in behind locked fence yard. They drove through the gate, ruined the fence and made off with the trailer. Insurance bought me a bran spankin new one 100%.

So don't lose sleep because sleep is more valuable that equipment.

A friend cleaned up the junk around the house and loaded it on his trailer on a Saturday planning to go to the dump during the week. When he came home from church the next day a thief had loaded his ATV on the trailer and taken both. He said not only did they steal his trailer and ATV but left the trash scattered all over his yard.

 

[corey9212]

I recently became a victim of a break and entry while I was out camping, all my equipment was stored in my garage locked and the main door has a monitored alarm on it. When I got home the window was smashed (they smashed it to unlock the window and crawl in) then opened the vehicle doors and stole my ATV, took my buggy for a joyride and also took my tractor for a joyride (burning half a tank of fuel) wich means they were there for a while. Plus in the end they trashed my garage. Unfortunately my home owners insurance didn't cover any of it cause "if it has a motor it needs it's own insurance" so make sure you know what is and isn't covered and get what isn't covered full coverage. If they are determined they will get it.

 

[rd_macgregor]

If you haven't already done so, it is also a good idea to put a gate or chain across the entrance/access to the property. A lot of thievery is semi-opportunistic in the sense that somebody doing recreational ATVing,dirt biking or back-road cruising in their 4X4 heads up a dirt lane to "see where it goes" and notes an unattended, thievable item...then comes back later to steal it.
Many of these folks won't head up a locked/gated lane...not because they respect the chain, but because it is too much trouble to cut or go around it.
Having said all that, in a lot of places it just isn't feasible to block off access; its too easy to drive around a blocked entrance point.
BOB

 

[Dr_Zinj]

Speaking from a military background; there is no way you can ever stop a theif, only slow them down. Locks, bars, spikes, cut outs, fences, chains, etc only make it harder for the theif. Hopefully too hard to make it profitable to hit you, so they go somewhere else instead.

Make sure you have copies of your serial numbers. Engine block numbers are also handy, in case they chop it up and sell parts.

You can also have Lo-Jack installed on your tractor. Not nearly as many places to hide it, but it can be done.

Finally, insurance. And having a Lo-Jack system on it should reduce your premiums too.