Mark your tractor and implements...

[mattwithcats]

Please take the time to mark your tractor, implements, and / or trailers with an identifying mark,
Like your last name, with a die stamp or engraving tool...

Many of the keys are generic, one fits another, or can be easily bypassed...
Attachments and trailers are not titled in many states...

I just helped retrieve a trailer that was swiped, and taken to another state, where it did not have to be titled...
Police identified it by the name on the frame...

Scotland Yard does this for free in the U.K., farm theft is almost unknown...

 

[skeets]

If we were allowed to shoot them,, it would almost unheard of here too

 

[rjcorazza]

I used to stamp my name and license number on equipment, and your post reminds me that I should go over my new stuff and stamp them also.
I had a conversation with a rental company last year about a guy that rented, then stole a skid steer from them. The police here apparently will not even investigate theft of rented equipment, and it was totally up to the rental company to locate and retrieve the stolen machinery. He went on to say that in Maryland the crime was not even classified as theft. I didn't confirm this, but he seemed pretty knowledgeable about it.

 

[Creature Meadow]

Good info, I generally put JJ on my things even hand tools and take a pic of it never thought about doing it to my implements.

I will though in a place hard to see should it go missing and is located I could look and be miles away and tell a officer where the JJ was stamped written.

Thanks I must get to work.

 

[jryser]

Will be doing that when my L3560 FEL, bushhog, and disc arrive!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Vacula]

Depending on how clean the thief washes and repaints an item, my implements and tractors can be traced to me through DNA. I bleed on most things I work on! It's just natural!

 

[Kubota_Man]

Great idea.

If we were allowed to shoot them,, it would almost unheard of here too

Agreed

 

[bxray]

Depending on how clean the thief washes and repaints an item, my implements and tractors can be traced to me through DNA. I bleed on most things I work on! It's just natural!

So it is id'd by blood, sweat and tears!

Ray

 

[Josef]

If we were allowed to shoot them,, it would almost unheard of here too

I asked a local deputy if I caught someone breaking in or making off with something of mine and I shot him and fed him to my pigs, would anybody miss him, deputy said probably not.

 

[Vacula]

Mostly blood, then tears and hair fibers too!

 

[ipz2222]

That's why everyone should have a pond and an alligator. Shoot the thieve, then toss him to the gator.

 

[Ike]

When you mark it make sure that you have paperwork to back it up in case it goes to court. My cousin had a 30 foot gooseneck trailer stolen a few years ago. Their first trip they took the 5 wheel which he left hooked to the trailer. He found this and he had welded his name on the bottom of the plate and he had bent the release lever for a clearance issue. A couple weeks later they came back and hooked up the trailer and found he had chained 2 if the the rims to the frame. They unhooked it and came back with bolt cutters and stole it this time. Someone seen the trailer and called him about it and the sheriff and him went to the house where the trailer was at. The cop looked in the back of the persons truck and there was his hitch. The trailer had his name welded inside the beam on the back. It went to court and even with all this done he had to get all the paperwork for the trailer to prove it was his. Now here is the funny part. The guy that stole it lived about 15 miles away and he was on aan electronic tether from his earlier theif. All he got for the trailer was 6 months buy got 2 years for breaking probation .My cousin said that when he left the court he felt like he was the one that stole the trailer they way they treated him

 

[lugbolt]

When you mark it make sure that you have paperwork to back it up in case it goes to court. My cousin had a 30 foot gooseneck trailer stolen a few years ago. Their first trip they took the 5 wheel which he left hooked to the trailer. He found this and he had welded his name on the bottom of the plate and he had bent the release lever for a clearance issue. A couple weeks later they came back and hooked up the trailer and found he had chained 2 if the the rims to the frame. They unhooked it and came back with bolt cutters and stole it this time. Someone seen the trailer and called him about it and the sheriff and him went to the house where the trailer was at. The cop looked in the back of the persons truck and there was his hitch. The trailer had his name welded inside the beam on the back. It went to court and even with all this done he had to get all the paperwork for the trailer to prove it was his. Now here is the funny part. The guy that stole it lived about 15 miles away and he was on aan electronic tether from his earlier theif. All he got for the trailer was 6 months buy got 2 years for breaking probation .My cousin said that when he left the court he felt like he was the one that stole the trailer they way they treated him

I have heard of MANY times when a theft victim was the one being criminalized, and I personally believe the laws should be changed. If someone does something illegal and gets a slap on the hand, they'll be right back at it in no time. That's one reason I'd just as soon do my own investigating and/or penalizing, because the law just doesn't work in a lot of cases.

 

[D2Cat]

When I build something, especially, I find a place to insert a business card.

I had a ROPS removed from a Grasshopper Zero Turn. I used it to fab up a rear bumper for the Polaris Ranger. I inserted a card before welding up the ends. If ever needed I could cut the end off to prove my case.

 

[L.C. Gray]

While I have seen the weld your name in the frame work, its not the best answer. A friend recovered a stolen dune buggy because he was able to prove his case because he had me weld his name onto the underside of the frame while we were building it. It only helps if you can find where it is and it hasn't been removed by then

The best answer is insurance. You can cover an entire list of equipment on your place for lots less than you think. That way its covered for fire, theft, storm, flood or accident whether its on your place or not. I cover 2 tractors, loader, 0-turn, equipment trailer, welding rig and my UTV on a farm policy that works out to less than $50 ea/yr. The insurance is going to pay whether they find it as a smoking lump or never find it at all.

 

[OrangeColoredTractor]

Dont overlook LoJack also. Most thieves are unaware and then cops activate it and it sends out its distress signal taking law to the equipment. They make LoJack for heavy equipment.