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Security from Thieves


PGL

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I have a 620 AC and an old Belarus 250 tractor in a remote location where they are on their own during the week. I've been trying to think of ways to safeguard them from someone with a trailer. If I chain them to a tree, either the chain could be cut or the tree cut with a chain saw. But at least it would slow them down. Either could be started without the need for a key, and loaded under their own power. Removal of the rotor might help, until they come back with their own. When I get a shed finished it will be more difficult, but not impossible, if someone has the time and inclination. I wasn't worried about the cottae itself so much, but now the tractors are an added attraction. Maybe i'm just paranoid. Have any of you come up with protective measures that work? Pits with spikes, electric fences, guards with shotguns, or???
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Short of a mote(sp) with draw bridge I would say remove the tires and put them in the cottage along with the batteries.
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As an ex-law officer,i have to warn you against anything that resembles a "booby trap",,you could wind up in a lot more trouble than the thieves.
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Park the 620 behind the Belarus. Nobody should much mess with it. If they don't come snooping around they won't see the 620. Or park it at my house, I'll be glad to keep an eye on it dureing your downtime.
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Here's a couple that work on cars: 1. Replace coil wire with length of rubber hose. 2. Fuel shut off valve. 3. Quick-release steering wheel. Then there are the old stand-by's: 1. Motion sensor flood lights. 2. Large dog. Chows reportedly can't be lured by food. 3. Discarded mannequin, dressed in hunting clothes, holding (toy?) shotgun/rifle. Never tried this one, but it might work from a distance and isn't a "booby trap". As the saying goes "locks only stop an honest man," so in the end if someone really wants your equipment bad enough, they'll find a way to get it. The ticket is to make your stuff a "tough target" so the theives will look for easier pickings. That being said, I think a building would be your best deterrant, since what the eyes can't see, the heart can't yearn for. Good luck. Brian
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Hmm, I'll have to put that one to the test. I never actually used the rubber hose method, a buddy swore by it though. I myself used to remove the rotor, then re-install the distributor cap. How about fabricating a "boot" similar to what is used on cars by the police when cars are parked illegally? Shouldn't be too hard, perhaps a round steel plate held in place with the wheel mounting nuts and a removable steel bar fastened to it with a hefty lock? What I'm picturing is the device used on cars modified for use on tractors. Would such a device work? If someone's going to take the time and effort of cutting down a tree with a chainsaw to steal the tractor, I'm wondering if anything will dissuade the would-be thieves.
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Take off all Tires Get very large tarp Fold tarp in half, but large enough to completely cover tractor. Put tarp over tractor and bricks on it to hold it in place. Put dead skunk on top of tarp in seat location This should do it.
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Thanks for the suggestions. Mick, I was kidding about the spikes etc. but the warning is well taken. Dave, I left the 620 last weekend with a tarp over it parked up to a hill with the Belarus behind it. Steve, you take the left turn about a mile from the main road, drive in about two miles, turn right before you reach the bridge, turn right again about 200 feet and then go down the drive about 700 feet. Dave, I may try a few of those ideas, but I'm using solar power and don't want to leave the power on during the week so the batteries will charge up and if I leave a dog up at the cabin I'd have to stay to feed it. The boot sounds promising, but if I have to remove the wheel bolts to install it, I might as well take off the wheel and take it inside as suggested. Boney, I doubr I would use the tractor much as long as my sense of smell remains intact, and I'm not particularly keen on killing the skunk or placing and removing it regularly, but I'd be willing to pay you a fee for the job. The quickest and easiest to do and undo for use seem to be removal of the rotor, a wheel and/or the steering wheel, plus a chain and lock for good measure. Of course, some people might like a challenge to overcome.
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Put a hotwire to the frame so te entire tractor is hot. Don't forget to shut it off before you touch it. And don't worry about that booby trap thing--you have a right to protect your property. That's for your attorney to worry about. Good luck.
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G'day, I had a problem once with a petrol powered roller, it was stored in the yard at a students accomodation campus,and they used to ride it round at night time, tried chaining it up, but some of the students were apprentice locksmiths, and they would pick the lock and move it, and chain it up again just to prove a point,so i got an old spark plug and welded a piece of 1/2" rod to it, wound the piston all the way down, and trimmed the rod till it was just right, and the next day i found they had broken the pull cord, it was an old type where you wrapped the cord around the pulley,but they left it alone after that, might work for you, anyone attempting to start the machine will assume it is siezed.
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Neil56: What a creative idea! I never would have thought of that, but it's really clever. I may need to use that in the future.... G'day youself! Peter
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Hi , if you remove the positive battery cable or remove the cable from ground and store it out of sight wouldnt that deter them it can't be jumped, or add a kill switch to the circuit.
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A non-working plug would stop the 620 from starting for a while, although the batttery would probably be run down. The old Belarus is a diesel, however, and the fuel is gravity fed. Once it gets running, the only way to stop it is to cut off the fuel flow, usually by moving down the throttle. It's easy to just put juice across the starter terminal and ground to get it running - or use a jumper to the solenoid. No need for a key or spark. However, it might be possible to block open the compression relief valve, which might not be immediately evident to the unaware. As long as that valve is open, it won't start but will turn over well - you then close it while turning to increase the compression enough to fire it up.
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