Battery Disconnect Switch

[Brazos]

I have a Kubota tractor and zero turn mower. Here recently the land around me was sold and is a new housing development. Where I was once secure in the middle of nowhere where I am now dealing with houses being built along my fence lines. I am worried my tractor or mower will be stolen. I would like to prevent that or at least slow the stealing process down. I was thinking some sort of battery disconnect. I see some on Amazon with a remote key chain type deal. That would be ideal as long as that cheap chinese crap doesn‘t set my tractor on fire. Anyone have any ideas on the best way to achieve what I am trying to do?

 

[DustyRusty]

Get a secure building and a good insurance policy.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I have a Kubota tractor and zero turn mower. Here recently the land around me was sold and is a new housing development. Where I was once secure in the middle of nowhere where I am now dealing with houses being built along my fence lines. I am worried my tractor or mower will be stolen. I would like to prevent that or at least slow the stealing process down. I was thinking some sort of battery disconnect. I see some on Amazon with a remote key chain type deal. That would be ideal as long as that cheap chinese crap doesn‘t set my tractor on fire. Anyone have any ideas on the best way to achieve what I am trying to do?

Yea disconnect switches sound good in theory, but any good thief is going to know how to bypass it in quicker time that it takes for you to set it everytime.
Build a good storage shed!
And put a camera and alarm on it if you want to know if someone is messing around with it.

 

[jyoutz]

Yea disconnect switches sound good in theory, but any good thief is going to know how to bypass it in quicker time that it takes for you to set it everytime.
Build a good storage shed!
And put a camera and alarm on it if you want to know if someone is messing around with it.

With the modern tractors with ECU I would also be leery of a battery disconnect switch frying electronics during the connect/disconnect process. I bought one of those simple blade battery disconnect switches, but decided not to install it for that reason.

 

[6869704x4]

How about a shutoff valve for the fuel.

 

[The Evil Twin]

I like the fuel valve idea more than a battery switch. You can get an electric one or mechanical.

 

[mcmxi]

With the modern tractors with ECU I would also be leery of a battery disconnect switch frying electronics during the connect/disconnect process. I bought one of those simple blade battery disconnect switches, but decided not to install it for that reason.

Why? Does the ECU know the difference between connecting a terminal on the battery compared to disconnecting the battery via a switch?

The 200hp Yamaha engine on my boat has an ECU and I have a battery switch at the helm ... no problems there at all. Last summer I upgraded the single battery system to a dual battery system and had to upgrade from a single battery switch to a dual battery/combination switch. Blue Sea Systems is well known and highly regarded for battery switches.

https://www.bluesea.com/products/category/11/37/Manual_Battery_Switches/m-Series

 

[mikester]

Real serious thieves show up with a flat bed truck and winch your machine onto their deck in about a minute. No messing around with trying to start and drive your machine away which takes longer and is noisier.

DustyRusty is right on with out-of-sight and out-of-mind is your best security.

If it makes you feel better buy some security cameras so you can watch blurry cam video of your equipment going to a new home.

 

[William1]

....and hide an airtag on it.

 

[arml]

I use battery disconnect switches on all my tractors, not for theft but, for mouse protection. They like to chew and, I don't want a fire. Doubt they will deter theft like others have said.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

airtags are a joke..unless you've got dozens of Apple devices withing 150' of the tag.....
yes, I KNOW 'what's inside' and how they work. Love how anyone with one can access YOUR phone.....

 

[jyoutz]

Why? Does the ECU know the difference between connecting a terminal on the battery compared to disconnecting the battery via a switch?

The 200hp Yamaha engine on my boat has an ECU and I have a battery switch at the helm ... no problems there at all. Last summer I upgraded the single battery system to a dual battery system and had to upgrade from a single battery switch to a dual battery/combination switch. Blue Sea Systems is well known and highly regarded for battery switches.

https://www.bluesea.com/products/category/11/37/Manual_Battery_Switches/m-Series

Good to know

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

On your L I would pull fuse 7 through 10 and store away from machine. (going from memory plse check OP manual for exact ones)

chances of a thief being able to find the fuse box AND determine these fuses were pulled AND have spare ones in their pocket likely means they would have to steal a 3,000 brick


cheers

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Why? Does the ECU know the difference between connecting a terminal on the battery compared to disconnecting the battery via a switch?

The 200hp Yamaha engine on my boat has an ECU and I have a battery switch at the helm ... no problems there at all. Last summer I upgraded the single battery system to a dual battery system and had to upgrade from a single battery switch to a dual battery/combination switch. Blue Sea Systems is well known and highly regarded for battery switches.

https://www.bluesea.com/products/category/11/37/Manual_Battery_Switches/m-Series

Sadly there are quite a bit of Kubota ECM's that do not like the spike or voltage drop of disconnecting the battery and have been known to fry them.
I think any of the newer ECM's they have fixxed that issue, but I wouldn't want to risk it.

 

[The Evil Twin]

airtags are a joke..unless you've got dozens of Apple devices withing 150' of the tag.....
yes, I KNOW 'what's inside' and how they work. Love how anyone with one can access YOUR phone.....

It only needs one phone near it.
The down side to the tags is they will alert the thief that an unknown Air Tag is following them (provided the theif has an iPhone and has set it up correctly)
We have tested these theories with my kid and wife's car. With only my phone in the car and no one else on the side of a country road, they located me. It was off by 120' probably because it was 4g service there. In town it is near spot on.
I also then placed an unknown to them tag in the trunk. They got an alert that an unknown tag was following them.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

off by 120' is due to being airtag, has nothing to do with cell service.
Airtags are a form of 'BLE' (Bluetooth Low power).The best BLE can due is about 150',unless you play 'tricks'.
Grand daughter and wife were pizzed when Apple airtags couldn't find Cloudy, her cat ( less than 100' away'. I bought the Tractrive, true GPS collar.

 

[number two]

Land mines?

 

[Old Machinist]

I have the entrance to my property gated and cameras pointed two different angles at the gates that record to the cloud. I have other cameras in my barn and at the front porch and rear patio. Then a few around the property. I mostly just like looking at the wildlife recordings but if anyone steals anything I will most likely have a recording of it.

 

[jyoutz]

Sadly there are quite a bit of Kubota ECM's that do not like the spike or voltage drop of disconnecting the battery and have been known to fry them.
I think any of the newer ECM's they have fixxed that issue, but I wouldn't want to risk it.

So what’s the safe way of replacing the battery? And what’s the definition of “newer “?

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Switch the PTO to "On".

It stumps "tractor owners" for days usually.


Edit: Or let my grandson play on it for an hour. But then you will need a PhD in "Kubota wiring" to figure out the proper sequence to start it.