Two tips I would add to preventing theft of a tractor: Removing a front wheel if you won't be needing the tractor anytime soon and it's in a secluded area. Second, once you park the tractor and shut it down, engage the PTO lever. The tractor won't restart even with a key.
I remember on the farm back in the 70s the key never came out of the tractor different times your neighbors knew who belonged there and who didn't and knew what everyone else's tractor looked like.
A couple of armed men broke into my cabbed tractor a couple years ago. They were picked up by a couple of trail cameras (the reason I know they were armed). Audio from from cameras revealed they planned bring back a trailer and steal it but got spooked by the neighbor's dogs barking. Instead they broke a $500 window to steal $20 worth of hand tools in the cab. I then placed 2 fuel cut off valves on it. One not too hard to find the other more difficult to find. I figured they would not think to look for a second cut off valve. I also put a GPS tracker on it (Logistimatics) and instead of connecting it to the main battery I put a second gel cell battery (hidden in the dash) to power it and use a solar charger on the roof to keep it charged. So if they think disconnecting the battery will defeat a GPS hopefully that wont work for them.
It would have been perfect when he said "the thing that is finally slowing down the theft of tractors" -and then pulls out a Dirty Harry size 44 magnum revolver.
Making it look like the tractor is being repaired, drain pan with oil in it, tire off (hide the bolts), sitting on jack stands/cribbing (hide/take the jack). Obviously that's for longer storage. Years ago 3 flatbed semi's pulled into the local JD dealer just after dark and loaded up every thing they could. They had their lights & flashers on and looked like they belonged there. They even had the flashers going on the equipment as they were being loaded. (I drove by and seen them.. never gave it a second thought). Sadly, they were never caught.
Great information Mike. I had an ATV stolen a few years ago in Texas it was recovered in Illinois about 8 months later. It had been sold at least 4 times before it was finally found. It's best to have photos of your equipment and the serial numbers.
Bobcat has required serial numbers for years to buy parts. Bought a new RK55 few weeks back. It's shuttle shift and looking to make clutch lock to prevent use. But I like your suggestion of a kill switch. Thanks for the video.
Mike you are right you cannot stop a thief, but you can slow him down. If it is too much work the lazy bastard will go look for an easies score. Please tell your neighbour he can bury bodies on my property if he runs out of room.
When I bought my new John Deere 1025r last year, I wrote the serial number down on the front of my owners manual. If it would ever get stolen, I can give the sheriff the serial number
on my tractor i wired a fuse holder into the seat pressure switch..when i park it i remove the fuse..i put it in a place that's not easy to see and most wouldn't even think to look for a fuse holder......quick ,cheap, and works well..not perfect but it is a good deterent....
Great video Mike. I have a story about tractor theft that illustrates how stupid some thieves are. 30 years ago I worked for a state highway dept that neighbors your state of Missouri. Many years prior one of our mowing tractors was stolen off the right of way. It was a 3400 Ford tractor and it was never recovered. Several years later we were contacted by the authorities in Missouri that they had recovered the tractor. It was hauled back to the highway dept district headquarters. The tractor had been repainted Ford blue from the highway orange it was painted. They had done a very good job on the paint and decals and even masked off the metal state property tag that was riveted on. The police discovered this in a unrelated search of a property. I guess the moral of the story is to take property tags off if you steal government property
Place battery on a 2x4 after removing it, that's a very old myth. I'm surprised to hear that again after all these decades. A battery in direct contact with the earth or concrete will not discharge it, or ground it.
Pit bull a mastiff and a nosey neighbor work well for a deterrent here. Drove by s&h and it looked like they were only selling zero turn mowers. Only had a couple new tractors on the lot. Strange times that are getting stranger.
Nice video- I live in the city and have acreage 30 minutes away. I have cameras everywhere. A couple years ago had trespassers on my land mushroom hunting. Sheriff was out in 30 minutes ( I texted him a photo as I called him ). They were surprised and scared at the quick response. I also have signs posted that there are cameras on the property. Also have kill switches on my tractors that you mention. Another deterrent I have have on my bobcat skid steer is no key and a touchpad code needed to start the machine.
Love it. When I lived in seattle and parked my car I would always open hood and take the coil wire with me. obviously for older gas powered tractors this is a huge deterrent. Additionally my new bobcat ct2540 fully insured for $24/mo!
One of the first things I did was get insurance on my tractor. It costs like 10 bucks a month but it covers 100% of the replacement cost, Mine also covers if it burns down aswell.
I put a quick disconnect on my steering wheel.The wheel is not on the tractor when I park it,anymore.Also you can you a cell phone tracker hidden aboard.
worried alot about this when we lived off property and had $100K worth of equipment with no one around now that we live 100 yds from the tractor and equipment we have two watch guards, Mr Smith and Mr Wesson, to prevent tractor theft
Does anybody know of a good gps to put on a tractor I’m trying to find one the you can hook to a tractor battery not one that you have to take off and recharge the gps battery
Always amazed me a very large dealer with several stores and millions in equipment that had several thefts won't pay for a 10 buck a hour security guard for nights and weekends when closed.
Common key story. . . I have a New Holland (obviously Ford related) tractor that I bought new around 2010. One day, while we had borrowed my in-laws Expedition because one of our cars was in for repair, I did some bushogging on the tractor. At the end of the day I went to return the Expedition, but could not find the keys. I looked everywhere but finally spotted them hanging from my tractor's ignition. I had inadvertently put the Expedition key in the tractor and it had worked perfectly fine. . .
Great stuff on Protection of your hard working Girl. I remember back in the 70s, International dozers/Loaders (125s) had a battery disconnect switch under a LOCK box. It had padlock holes through it. And the Dash panel had a pull down heavy plate with a padlock ring to lock up. TWO anti theft systems. I also remember heavy steel plates we installed over all windows on cabs of Excavators. The Doors were pretty heavy duty that could be Locked up. I like what let's just look at what JD construction Equipment does now. You have a button KEY/ start code you can set (your own code) remember seeing at Con-Exp Con-Agg in Las Vegas when (Komatsu) first came out with a Remote TRACKER. Not just for the location of the machine but for company or Maintenance operations to monitor how long the machine was ideal for running,ect, the young guys at the booth were more than happy to show me one big very expensive Dozer in southern States that was in transit between Jobs. They showed me Right where Dozer was on there big Display ( GPS map) ( Komatsu) had a whole division just working on the ( GPS) locator of any Equipment that a customer wanted on their Equipment. At that show (Komatsu) was the only one with a booth for that NEW feature, that I saw at the show. I know it's a pain in the butt to do. But if a tractor is left for winter say. How about just blocking up front, remove the front Tires. They recommend a Boat insurance company will tell you to do that with your Sitting boat trailer.
Thanks for the tips. One of your suggestions is to remove the battery. In newer tractors with all the electronic/computer run systems is to a good idea to remove the battery for an extended period of time?
back in the 1980s I had a security company, we often were hired to install magnetic probs where a piece of equipment was stored...if move this would be detected by the probe which was connected to turn on video recorders and alert the owners... and this was over forty years ago Today these probs are commonly used to open automatic gates systems
On February 1, 2020 my Kubota L2501DT was stolen from Little River, SC and it is reported stolen to Horry County police, SC sure like to find it love my tractor. Have great day be safe.
I will put Satellite tracking on it with device concealment plus alarm on storage barn with sensors. If you are not going to use it for a while put thick chains on lock into concrete on floor. cCTv in home helps too.
Some years ago I was doing a firewood job. I took my Kubota loader over and was loading my trailer taking it home and coming back. When we got back there was a flat top tow truck back there winching my Kubota. We called the Police and they arrested him and impounded his truck. I guess they were watching him anyway. If I'd been a half hour later I'd lost my Loader.
I pull my aux starting relay. Nobody would find where it was supposed to be and if they did I doubt they would have a New Holland relay in their pocket!
@@PatrickKQ4HBD What does that do? Can't you just lift the front axle with a small, portable $20 bottle jack and straighten them? Maybe on bigger machines there is a steering lock. Mine doesn't have one.
I had a Ravelco Anti Theft Device put on my Kubota L3901. Grey plug that you take with you when the tractor is not in use. Tractor won't start or run without it.
Once again, Tractor Mike.....great info and advice. Going to take measures soon as I move my tractor from a locked and alarmed suburban shelter to a more rural setting. Btw...a 12 gage with "00" buckshot is a great deterent.
Trust your neighbor?#@ I had a farm a hundred plus miles from home. Tractor was being used while I was gone, talked to my honest insurance agent living 1/4 mile away. finally caught the thief. Yep, my oh so honest neighbor!! Beware, use tracking and camera option if possible. Maybe a grizzly bear in the shop, lol
Tractor Mike is there a way to chain/padlock a riding mower so someone can’t roll it away? I ordered a riding mower and I want to somehow secure it when it gets here as I have to store it outside
Keep your tractors parked inside. If that's not possible, park them in areas where they're hard to see from the nearest public road. If they can be seen, then park them where they'll be hard to get to. Thieves want to pick the easiest target. Make yours the most difficult/risky target so they pick someone else's farm to rob. It's kind of like the old story; "two guys are being chased by a grizzly bear. The first guy says we'll never outrun the bear. The second guy says I don't have to. I just need to outrun you".
I bought a stollen kioti tractor. Asked sherrif first. Took my nieghbor with me to get his oppion. A month later my nieghbor came over to see what the serial nimber was. His accountants wife just texted him to be on the look out for their tracor, it was stolen. Took about a year but i got my money back!!
I park with the attachments down. I guess I figure it’s better for the suspension to be unloaded and the hydraulics to be unpressurized but now it’s also an anchor on the front and back
I am a new tractor owner. I am storing my tractor on my property 20 miles away from where I live and only go out there to bush hog every few months. I have a GPS on the tractor per your advice, but I am having a problem finding a company that will insure my tractor in the Florida Panhandle. Any advice on a company that will insure this 40 HP tractor and implements? Also, I am looking for a trailer to haul my 40 HP tractor with a front bucket and a bush hog. Do I need a dual axle trailer?
Try Farm Bureau Insurance. Yes, you'll need dual axles unless you can find a heavy trailer with a 10,000 lb. or so axle under it and I've not heard of anyone making something like that.
Adding two more, assuming you live near the tractor. Have a dog. Our dog alerts us when someone comes around. And the other? Exercise your 2nd amendment right. Oh, about the GPS device statement, they’re pricey up front and each month. Tip: hide an Apple air tag on your tractor. Then all you need is someone with an iPhone to get within a few hundred feet of the tractor and you will get a ping sent to you. They are small. No monthly fee.
Battery kill switch and flip the fuel cutoff to off while it's outside, usually store it out of sight. Any recommended gps tracker? that might be neat to see how far I mow, rake, bale, plow....lol
Might as well get a cheap Android phone and the cheapest cell service you can. Turn volume off. Turn on tracking... Wire a USB charger in and even if the thieves disconnect the battery from the tractor, the phone can track for 2 or 3 days. GPS trackers need a service plan for you to find them...
Guys with power pole installation boom trucks can install power pole anchors and using 3/4" grade 125 chain with square wire will really slow thieves down. Even when parked in a field. Just dont hit your anchor with a dozer or grader blade. You wont be happy.
The freaking safety switches on my last tractor were always on the fritz. Just engage every lever that triggers one they’ll be there a while until they swear up and down and give up. Seriously though I’ve wondered if sticking an AirTag somewhere hidden would be worthwhile and cheaper than gps. Not as accurate but a lot cheaper if it would work.
@@WYO_Cowboy_Joe it's a $29 little disk made by Apple that provides location within 6' anywhere in the world, whenever ANYONE'S iPhone gets within range of it. The phones owner never even know that it passed the data back to the cloud servers. $100 for a 4-pack.
Lockable master battery disconnect switch. Morse cable operated battery master disconnect switches are available. Fuel shut off valves, Hidden GPS tracker. Somebody stole my friends car with GPS. Cops had the thief on the hood in 5 minutes.
I haven't been able to find the place where you said that I can find my serial number on my tractor. I've got a Kubota M 5400. I bought it 6 years ago and still haven't found it.
I installed a generic replacement car ignition switch like those from 1950s (in the dash, not steering column) Not the one key fits all for the brand. Hiding a GPS locator can be difficult. Not many places that you can't look within 5 minutes.
