Securing your tractor

[marxman]

Hey All,

Just wondering for those of you that don't have garages or locked buildings to keep your tractors in.... how do you lock them / secure them?

I realize that tractors can be a bit difficult to steal from around your property, but I have also noticed that some tractors seem to have a "universal" key.

 

[Little Red Tractor]

If you're going to be away for long periods, or if the tractor won't be used for a long time, removing the battery would be a good deterrent, though a real pain in the neck on some tractors.
A stout chain locked around a secure item like a light pole or something similar could be another option.
Blocking it in with other vehicles/equipment if it's available is also a good choice.

 

[Mechanos]

A hidden kill switch is another good deterent. Also, replacing key fuses with a blown fuse (so it looks like all fuses are present) is another good one. The more time it takes a theif to jack around with something, the more likely they are to give up on it and move on.

 

[zlock24]

One thing we do if we have to leave equipment on a job over night is get a heavy duty bike lock and put it threw a slot in the rim and wrap it around the frame making it impossible for the wheels to even turn

 

[foggy1111]

I've considered taking the front wheel / tire off my tractor when I store it for the winter. Take the wheel to a different location. It would be hard to move or load the tractor without the wheel.

 

[mikehaugen]

My tractor is either in the garage or in the back yard, and either way I don't ever take the key out. Weird I guess, someday it may come to bite me in the butt. There is almost always someone home and you can definitely hear the tractor, and it's not like they are going to make a fast get-away. I have been thinking about changing my ways a little lately though especially after reading some of the stories on here.

come to think of it, the keys are in my truck most of the time as well. hmm...

 

[nue2farm]

I lived here for two years before I made a door for the barn walk in. Started hearing of some minor things coming up missing. that's when I built the door. Jusy lucky I guess before that.

 

[DAY]

In the days when the JEEP was still the Army vehicle of choice, it didn't even have a key. To disable it, one just took the rotor out of the distributor.
Of course, anyone who needed a ride, also had a rotor in their pocket. . .

 

[brin]

I've considered taking the front wheel / tire off my tractor when I store it for the winter. Take the wheel to a different location. It would be hard to move or load the tractor without the wheel.

foggy...looks like your tractor has an FEL ...so that would mean that you taking the front wheel off would not deter the theft..they would simply lower the FEL and back it on the trailer..

 

[whiskywizard]

Before anybody gets overly confident in the protection provided by a lock and chain, my Dewalt 18V portable cutoff wheel will go through a chain or lock in less than a minute. Lighter chain and locks take less than 20 seconds.

I don't have first-hand knowledge but it seems to me that the methods that delay the thief are best. Hidden kill switches, battery removed, front wheel removed, park it in behind something else. They all will delay the scumbag longer than a lock and chain will.

Observant neighbours work well - this I know for a fact.

 

[k0ua]

A lot of padlocks are easily opened with nothing more than the blow from a hammer in the right place. They show shooting master padlocks with a .44 magnum, and they do not open.. but one little lick with a hammer in the right place..... let alone with the proliferation of 18V cordless tools as was pointed out.. yep locks and chains are not much good. Might keep a child from messing with it but not a thief.

James K0UA

 

[JRobyn]

I just buy some insurance.

 

[coolconnection]

They stole my tractor with a disconnected battery and a 3/8 inch tempered log chain wrapped around and through it. They used a cutting torch to cut the chain. The location it was in they must have used some type of hoist maybe like on a brick or block delivery truck and lifted it up and took it (had it chained to a utility pole on a hill). Never saw it again. Thank god for insurance.

 

[duke7595]

Whiskywiz.

I have to agree a lock and chain to a determined thief is nothing,
Remember, most all thief's want things as quite as possible while, them scum
steal your property.

Also remember tractors are valuable and very easy to sell, so the thief will do his homework in certain areas he chooses. They read the for sale section and target those tractors, and scout out the area. They usually strike between the early morning hours between 2am and 3am, these times are when most people are in deep sleep.
The thief's will always try to move the tractor with out starting it, to get it as far from the residence as possible where they load it in a closed van ect.

These thief's work as teams for the most part, and are very good at their trade. Believe it or not once they enter your property they will have your tractor moved and loaded in less then 10 minutes or less, usually less.

Remember, if you are selling a tractor, by all means be on your toes, this is when you are most vulnerable. Also the guy who looked at your tractor that morning could be the same guy stealing your tractor that night.

The best deterrent we have found is a free roaming dog who barks, thief's
hate dogs and will usually pass when one is on the job.

The main point is to use common sense, the more difficult you make it for the thief,the more likely he will pass .

This Information I have given, comes from many years of experience dealing with scum bag thief's, I am retired law enforcement and have heard from the mouths of these thief's the things I told you.

Besides the DOG I recommend the front tire be removed if you are not going to be home for an extended time . The hidden kill switch will thwart amateurs
but as I pointed out not a well set up ring working a area .

If you don't have a barn or shed, keep your tractor where you can see it from
the house, preferably under or near a pole light in the open , thief's don't like stealing in the open. If you have a set up where the tractor can be blocked in
by another vehicle all the better.

Again these tips come straight from the mouths if the thief's who are part of a well run ring.

 

[StanR]

Hopefully my Kubota insurance is good.

 

[foggy1111]

foggy...looks like your tractor has an FEL ...so that would mean that you taking the front wheel off would not deter the theft..they would simply lower the FEL and back it on the trailer..

Yeah.....maybe so. But the crook would have to be a pretty fair operator to get my tractor turned around in the snow and load it with a wheel / tire missing. And if my snow blade is on.....they would not stand a chance. I know I would have a heckofa time getting it done....without getting hurt. :laughing:

 

[DKCDKC]

I'm a mile off the highway - gravel drive through the woods. Thieves would have a heck of a time finding me, and three dogs and my shotgun to deal with if they're that persistent.

I am vulnerable next to the highway, though. Once had a nice tube metal gate there, with hardened steel chains through it around the post - which was sunk in concrete. Thieves swiped it Dec. 22 a year ago. Cut through the chain with a battery tool. I guess somebody wanted it for a gift or something. Future gates will be cheap wood worth nothing.

 

[Looking4new]

To deter thieves in my opinion and location a dog and a shotgun and a reputation for being nasty works best.
The thieves don't know if you are going to use the shotgun or even if you have one.

 

[aczlan]

Before anybody gets overly confident in the protection provided by a lock and chain, my Dewalt 18V portable cutoff wheel will go through a chain or lock in less than a minute. Lighter chain and locks take less than 20 seconds.

Exactly. Not much short of someone standing guard will stop a thief with a 18v cutoff saw or a portable torch and a rollback or a trailer with a winch.
Parking in a container? 18v cutoff saw or a portable torch
Chain/Cable to secure it? 18v cutoff saw or a portable torch

I don't have first-hand knowledge but it seems to me that the methods that delay the thief are best. Hidden kill switches, battery removed, front wheel removed, park it in behind something else. They all will delay the scumbag longer than a lock and chain will.

Switch on the starter wire? Screwdriver
Battery Cutoff? Jumper Cables
Missing tire? Wooden wedge in the front axle pivot
Loader down? Ratchet strap or come-along to lift it up and off you go

Make it hard enough to steal and they will punch a hole in your fuel tank to drain the diesel (makes sense to ruin a $200 fuel tank to steal $30 in fuel doesn't it?)

Observant neighbours work well - this I know for a fact.

The only good protection is vigilance and insurance.

Aaron Z

 

[taborekle]

Have to second duke's suggestion of a dog. We have a dog and have not been robbed in 15 years, despite having the nicest looking house in the area. Other houses in the area have been robbed. 2 houses up it doesn't hurt that our neighbor is the sheriff of the county, and of course once he got a few threats he got himself a dog. Of course a dog is a major investment in your time and energy and should not be taken lightly, but they can be very usefull.

Larry

Whiskywiz.

I have to agree a lock and chain to a determined thief is nothing,
Remember, most all thief's want things as quite as possible while, them scum
steal your property.

Also remember tractors are valuable and very easy to sell, so the thief will do his homework in certain areas he chooses. They read the for sale section and target those tractors, and scout out the area. They usually strike between the early morning hours between 2am and 3am, these times are when most people are in deep sleep.
The thief's will always try to move the tractor with out starting it, to get it as far from the residence as possible where they load it in a closed van ect.

These thief's work as teams for the most part, and are very good at their trade. Believe it or not once they enter your property they will have your tractor moved and loaded in less then 10 minutes or less, usually less.

Remember, if you are selling a tractor, by all means be on your toes, this is when you are most vulnerable. Also the guy who looked at your tractor that morning could be the same guy stealing your tractor that night.

The best deterrent we have found is a free roaming dog who barks, thief's
hate dogs and will usually pass when one is on the job.

The main point is to use common sense, the more difficult you make it for the thief,the more likely he will pass .

This Information I have given, comes from many years of experience dealing with scum bag thief's, I am retired law enforcement and have heard from the mouths of these thief's the things I told you.

Besides the DOG I recommend the front tire be removed if you are not going to be home for an extended time . The hidden kill switch will thwart amateurs
but as I pointed out not a well set up ring working a area .

If you don't have a barn or shed, keep your tractor where you can see it from
the house, preferably under or near a pole light in the open , thief's don't like stealing in the open. If you have a set up where the tractor can be blocked in
by another vehicle all the better.

Again these tips come straight from the mouths if the thief's who are part of a well run ring.