I was a cop for 29 years. Retired and got a tractor. This is a great video. If a tractor set up like this got stolen, my first question would be "Who knew about this setup?" This is a great way to prevent tractor theft.
My tractor was stolen, police officer said many thieves make the mistake of thinking it can't be traced like a vehicle or ATV because they have no titles or license plates. They are wrong. We got the serial #'s for the tractor, loader, and backhoe, and the officer entered it into the national stolen vehicle system. Officer said they recover a fair amount of tractors, skid steers & equipment this way. Thieves offer them for sale, many potential buyers want proof they own the equipment, bill of sale etc. They don't have it, potential buyers get suspicious and calls law enforcement, giving them suspects contact info, phone #, address, etc. Officer said many thieves are not aware that serial numbers on stolen equipment can be entered as stolen & hopefully recovered.
Today GPS units are so affordable (100$ a year) I would put a unit on my tractor. as soon as the unit is triggered it will text the owner that the tractor has been powered up. Now these units can act passively meaning that the unit will act like a alarm system and kill the tractor, or the owner can send a text message to the tractor and kill the unit himself. Very easy to install and easy to operate. Great video Mike!
The units themselves can be had for about 40$. The installation can be as easy as two wires. Of course the more option you want to access the more wires you will need to connect.I have found the accuracy to be with in 10 feet. I think you can see your tractor from that far away. here is a link for you to check out if you are interested. amzn.to/1G1Mldc
I was also looking into this. There are these disconnect switches for a few dollars. Probably going to get that and when picking up my new tractor getting it directly installed. Other options is to put a broken fuse in (Better than taking the fuse out as it is obvious then that something is missing). Also thinking to put a regular steering wheel lock from a car into the tractor. The one that goes through the spokes of the tractor steering wheel. And finally, if you don't use the tractor for a longer time, just take the battery out. Thieves most of the time don't carry batteries.
they may not a VIN but do have serial numbers that are unique to the machine. if yours is stolen report it to your dealer and see if it can be flagged in their systems. if some ever requests parts or has service by a dealer in the future it will come across stolen.
Absolutely. Great advice. Our dealership once broke up a theft ring by reporting to the sheriff a suspicious character trying to sell a tractor to us. We provided the serial number, and they found that the tractor, along with two others, had been stolen in Tennessee.
I asked my dealer about this. They said they had never heard of it. But I have discovered since buying my tractor, the dealer I used (Southern Indiana Equipment) is extremely incompetent and they would have to pay me to every go in there again.
You would think with the cost of a tractor, they would have a vin number...hell ATV's have vin numbers for crying out loud, who's dumb idea was it not to do this on a tractor? ATV's have titles too, someone really dropped the ball on the tractor industry. I really wonder how many used tractors for sale are really stolen or had been stolen at some point and sold several times :(.
I'm gonna install a kill switch on my JD 3038E compact tractor. But I want to find a place to mount it where a thief could not access the back of the switch to jumper across it. I can put it in the electrical panel where the other switches are but would have to pull the steering wheel and take the console apart which I'd rather not do. So, will keep looking for another mounting location. AM also gonna look if anyone sells a key switch that is not accessible from the back.
I have seen some used car lots let air out of car tires for the same reason. But, I guess if you have an air compressor near a tractor the thieves would steal it instead of a tractor with flat tires.
"The Club" was proven to be easy to beat and you don't see them being advertised any more. . The boot is rather expensive. . Putting the tractor up on blocks would work if it wasn't so inconvenient. . Parking in a way that makes it hard to yank out with a chain and disabling the ignition as best you can is the best you can do without making your life hard.
@@fhuber7507 Also, if you can park the tractor in poor lighting conditions it could make finding the switch a lot harder as well. Perhaps installing the switch near a grease fitting so it isn't obvious that you are turning the switch on as you grease it up might be a good strategy.
Regarding the boot, check out the RUclips channel “TheLockPickingLawyer” I own one and, after I saw the video, I tried it. I had never picked a lock before in my life. Now, I can open the lock faster picking it then using the key.
While that is a great idea, the individual just gave them the location of the "kill switch". Also, I think it would be a better idea to *remove* the key, and have it on a ring where only the owner knows. Tractor theft has been going on for decades, which is sad.
Easily bypassed with a screwdriver across the starter solenoid! Better to take the rotor in the distributor cap out n use that as your key! Who carries a rotor cap around? Lol
You gotta wonder why...he just made some parts business for your local dealer. I hope he's not thinking of coming back later and stealing the tractor. When I worked at the dealership we wired the keys around the steering wheels so they couldn't be removed without a pair of tin snips. Before we did that, at one of our stores, some jerk came through and stole all the keys from all of the tractors.
I was a cop for 29 years. Retired and got a tractor. This is a great video. If a tractor set up like this got stolen, my first question would be "Who knew about this setup?" This is a great way to prevent tractor theft.
You pack an extreme amount applicable information in less than 10 minutes consistently. Your knowledge and communication skills are superior to many!
Great tip, Mike. You are providing tractor owners with tons of valuable information. Thanks!
My tractor was stolen, police officer said many thieves make the mistake of thinking it can't be traced like a vehicle or ATV because they have no titles or license plates. They are wrong. We got the serial #'s for the tractor, loader, and backhoe, and the officer entered it into the national stolen vehicle system. Officer said they recover a fair amount of tractors, skid steers & equipment this way. Thieves offer them for sale, many potential buyers want proof they own the equipment, bill of sale etc. They don't have it, potential buyers get suspicious and calls law enforcement, giving them suspects contact info, phone #, address, etc. Officer said many thieves are not aware that serial numbers on stolen equipment can be entered as stolen & hopefully recovered.
Today GPS units are so affordable (100$ a year) I would put a unit on my tractor. as soon as the unit is triggered it will text the owner that the tractor has been powered up. Now these units can act passively meaning that the unit will act like a alarm system and kill the tractor, or the owner can send a text message to the tractor and kill the unit himself. Very easy to install and easy to operate. Great video Mike!
The Plow Guys Outstanding idea. I know rental yards are using those devices, I had no idea they were that cheap.
The units themselves can be had for about 40$. The installation can be as easy as two wires. Of course the more option you want to access the more wires you will need to connect.I have found the accuracy to be with in 10 feet. I think you can see your tractor from that far away. here is a link for you to check out if you are interested. amzn.to/1G1Mldc
I was also looking into this. There are these disconnect switches for a few dollars. Probably going to get that and when picking up my new tractor getting it directly installed. Other options is to put a broken fuse in (Better than taking the fuse out as it is obvious then that something is missing). Also thinking to put a regular steering wheel lock from a car into the tractor. The one that goes through the spokes of the tractor steering wheel. And finally, if you don't use the tractor for a longer time, just take the battery out. Thieves most of the time don't carry batteries.
2 more suggestions. Replace the main fuse with a blown/dummy/disabled fuse of the same rating. And a remote possibly locking fuel shutoff.
they may not a VIN but do have serial numbers that are unique to the machine. if yours is stolen report it to your dealer and see if it can be flagged in their systems. if some ever requests parts or has service by a dealer in the future it will come across stolen.
Absolutely. Great advice. Our dealership once broke up a theft ring by reporting to the sheriff a suspicious character trying to sell a tractor to us. We provided the serial number, and they found that the tractor, along with two others, had been stolen in Tennessee.
I asked my dealer about this. They said they had never heard of it. But I have discovered since buying my tractor, the dealer I used (Southern Indiana Equipment) is extremely incompetent and they would have to pay me to every go in there again.
I had hidden kill switches on all of my Jeeps. Never thought about my tractor. Thanks.
Great idea. Thanks for sharing.
I had tractor stolen that wasnt running. They came and pulled it out with another tractor
I give an 'E' for effort and 'C' for creativity, but if it deters thieves from stealing, how do you save it from the elements outside?
GREAT TIP
You would think with the cost of a tractor, they would have a vin number...hell ATV's have vin numbers for crying out loud, who's dumb idea was it not to do this on a tractor? ATV's have titles too, someone really dropped the ball on the tractor industry.
I really wonder how many used tractors for sale are really stolen or had been stolen at some point and sold several times :(.
I'm gonna install a kill switch on my JD 3038E compact tractor. But I want to find a place to mount it where a thief could not access the back of the switch to jumper across it. I can put it in the electrical panel where the other switches are but would have to pull the steering wheel and take the console apart which I'd rather not do. So, will keep looking for another mounting location. AM also gonna look if anyone sells a key switch that is not accessible from the back.
So how do I put a kill switch
if you are going away take the front wheels off
now that's a good idea or remove the steering wheel
I have seen some used car lots let air out of car tires for the same reason. But, I guess if you have an air compressor near a tractor the thieves would steal it instead of a tractor with flat tires.
An EASIER way is to put a Kill Switch on your (+) Solenoid Wire. Easy + Quick and under 15 Minutes!
That is just what they did...
How about a Club on yhe steering wheel or a tire boot on the front tires?
"The Club" was proven to be easy to beat and you don't see them being advertised any more.
.
The boot is rather expensive.
.
Putting the tractor up on blocks would work if it wasn't so inconvenient.
.
Parking in a way that makes it hard to yank out with a chain and disabling the ignition as best you can is the best you can do without making your life hard.
@@fhuber7507 Also, if you can park the tractor in poor lighting conditions it could make finding the switch a lot harder as well. Perhaps installing the switch near a grease fitting so it isn't obvious that you are turning the switch on as you grease it up might be a good strategy.
Regarding the boot, check out the RUclips channel “TheLockPickingLawyer” I own one and, after I saw the video, I tried it. I had never picked a lock before in my life. Now, I can open the lock faster picking it then using the key.
thieves like you.because you just told them where and what to look for.best security is to install this and keep it to yourself,don't advertise.
*This is to TEACH People how to do it, IDIOT! Well, I can tell you are an idiot by your writings anyway! LMFAO* 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Great idea . . . thanks!
While that is a great idea, the individual just gave them the location of the "kill switch". Also, I think it would be a better idea to *remove* the key, and have it on a ring where only the owner knows. Tractor theft has been going on for decades, which is sad.
Hidden switches.
That is step 1.
.
DON'T SHOW WHERE YOUR FRIEND PUT HIS KILL SWITCH!
And you can get an aftermarket ignition switch that does not use the same key as every other tractor of that brand.
They are about $20.
Easily bypassed with a screwdriver across the starter solenoid! Better to take the rotor in the distributor cap out n use that as your key! Who carries a rotor cap around? Lol
Just take the battery out. Simple.
SHE might try to steal it Too
Some sneaky booger stole the key out of my tractor in the barn at the end of driveway!
You gotta wonder why...he just made some parts business for your local dealer. I hope he's not thinking of coming back later and stealing the tractor. When I worked at the dealership we wired the keys around the steering wheels so they couldn't be removed without a pair of tin snips. Before we did that, at one of our stores, some jerk came through and stole all the keys from all of the tractors.
yeah, pretty bad