Security & Theft JD or other THEFT = N O T!!!!

[rekees]

hmmmmm...isn't the whole point of having a key to control access? If all John Deere keys are the same why not just have a start button?!

Chuck in IN

 

[Bird]

A couple of years ago, a neighbor left his tractor in the field and went out of town for a week and someone tried to steal it. They drove it about a quarter mile and rammed a heavy iron gate with it, but then abandoned it when the gate didn't break open (probably just kids - vandals - instead of actually trying to get away with it). I had a key to the gate but didn't have a key for the tractor - an old Oliver, so I just used my fingernail clippers for a key and drove the tractor back to where it belonged. And while I'm not sure, I think Kubota keys are the same way; one size fits all.

Bird

 

[bpence]

I put a heavy duty toggle switch into the main wire coming into the ignition switch. It simply cuts off all power the ignition switch would normally control. To get to it you have to open the hood, know where to reach up into the dash, and then flip the toggle. You can't see the switch or the splice into the wire from the outside, even with the hood raised. It's not a hi-tech super secure solution, but I sleep a little better at night when I have to leave the tractor outdoors or at a neighbor's place.

Bob Pence

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I looped a heavy cable around my wheel and looped the other end around the main hydraulic line that supplies the tractor. It is well hidden. If the tractor is moved without removing this cable there is going to be an awful mess and no hydraulic pressure. This will hopefully make the tractor impossible to move as any movement of the hydraulic levers will let the implements down to the ground with no way to raise them.
Just don't forget and drive off without removing the cable or you will be sorry.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Yes Bob, I agree. KISS... Keep it simple. Wire a "kill" switch in-line with the ignition, up under the dash.

If somebody really wants it bad, they'll pull up with a flat bed, cut your chains or steel cables and haul it away in a few minutes.

You can add a simple "auto" alarm and "auto" remote starter kit for under $80.

My friend points his remote control from his living room window, starts his Zetor in the outside shed... by the time, he has his coat on and walks outside over to the tractor, it's warmed up ready to go. He boards his tractor, points his other "remote" control at his home built underground "wood" boiler and hydraulic arms lift open the top of his furnace so he can dump a "cord" of wood into the furnace... but that's another story.../w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[dmccarty]

Bob,

How easy is the switch to install? I wired up 55w work lights to the tractor. So I THINK I could wire the toggle. But I don't wanna mess up my tractor. Its getting SOOOOO much work done!

Where did you get the switch? Radio Shack?

Earlier in this thread when the Vandal package was mentioned, I started thinking of a cutoff switch inside the locked engine compartment.

The vandal package and the switch seems like a good combination as long as JD is not over charging. Guess I need to email my dealer....

Later....
Dan McCarty

 

[mbjacobs]

When I got my tractor a year ago I went to my Texas Farmers agent for insurance. Texas FARMERS doesn't sell tractor insurance! My agent found another company that would insure my tractor for $400 a year. Since I needed insurance I paid the $400 but this year I went shopping. Farm Bureau sold me the same protection for $83 a year, Germania quoted $86. You just have to find an insurance company that's used to dealing with Ag equipment.

Maury Jacobs

 

[jfakerj]

Chuck

I just got some spare keys for my JD from a guy who told me that there are only 3 different keys for most of the tractors(JD, Cat, Hitachi, etc). The key that I'm using now is Hitachi and is exactly the same as the JD key. Basicly, if you carry one of each of the three different keys one of them should fit no matter what tractor. They must all buy their lock sets from the same company and that company must only make three different locks.

Jerry

 

[Bird]

Maury, it does seem odd, doesn't it. In 1995, my insurance agent insured my B7100 for $100 with Farmers Insurance Group and a year later I got a letter than they would not be renewing the policy. My agent said they had new management and decided losses were too high on farm equipment and quit insuring ANY farm equipment, and he had lots of mad farmers to try to find insurance for. Seems to me they should have at least changed their name./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

Bird

 

[bpence]

It's just a heavy duty toggle switch I picked up at the local auto parts store. Nothing fancy at all. On my little B7100 I had to pull the battery in order to get up under the dash, but not difficult at all. I did have to splice the main wire coming in with a connector and length of wire, but again, not hard. I used velcro to stick the toggle to a flat part of the inside of the dash where I could get my hand in. About as simple as I could come up with. It's nothing more than a basic kill switch, but you have to know it's there to be able to start the tractor.

Bob Pence