well I just had my stihl 044 (love that ole saw) disappear :-[ along with my tool and chain box and I'm pretty sure they were taken. was wondering how you guy and gals secure your equipment? is anyone using job boxes? thanx for the help. :)
Like this? With a forwarded shoved up against the tool shed. ;)
(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/forwarder2.jpg)
I have no security and have had no problems yet, maybe I should start locking things up. I guess I'm of the belief that locks only keep honest people out, and I need not be concerned with honest people taking anything. 8) 8) ???
just put up a "stiker" on ure truck back window as what ure a proud "WWF"menber ;D.....o well sorry for what happ to u,hope u can find who did it and punish them good >:(
I hate a thief. One that will steal another person's tools is the worse kind of all.
My truck is pilfered regularly. I have started keeping only "inexpensive" tools in the tool boxes. I lock my good stuff up inside of the cab. I can get quite a bit in there under and behind the seat. I also have a soft carry bag that I keep some of my better wrenches, meters, etc. in. I've been real lucky, so far, with my chainsaw.
I'll help you be mad. Man! that's irritating.
My reputation prevents such issues here on this farm. If I catch them around here without permission, there is one of two ways to leave. ;D By the by, where is Poverty Flats?
Well how would you like to be the logger by my place. He was out cutting timber by us and had the skidder and a dropping saw out in the woods and his truck was sitting by the road. While he was out somebody swiped his six saws out of his truck. Huskys and Stihls. Each saw $600.00 worth and up, stolen. He come back went to grab a saw an had no saws. He had to go buy all new ones.
Frank, Poverty Flats is on Cabbage Hill East of Pendlton up in the Blue Mountains. Been working the ground there for nearly thirty years and have nearly nothing to show for it other than great memories and joys of beeing in the woods!!! I feel for that logger who lost his saws.
Sunshine Land Design out of Stuart Florida was cleaning up hurricane debris last summer and had a Morbark 1300 tub grinder and a Peterbilt 99 tractor stolen from the worksite after hours. They even chartered an airplane to look for it with no luck.
They are now working in Vero Beach with a new, track mounted Morbark 6600 that they had to purchase to replace the stolen machine. Those dollars are hard to come up with.
We had someone come into the log yard and took a walking floor trailer. Insured, but the insurance company said since no tractor was in front of it, it was not insured. >:( We figure it was one of those garbage haulers out of NJ.
We also lost a loader truck in NJ woods. It was left there for several months and when they went to the job site, it was gone. Not a big loss, but still a loss.
The only theft I've ever had took place when an equipment trailer was broken into at night. 3 of my chainsaws were taken. 1 was only a month old.
The equipment trailer was 1/2 mile into the woods along a logging road. The location was a very rural area.
The very next day we were to have completed the job and moved on.
I didn't think so at first, but after time has settled in, I'm more convinced than ever that one of the co-workers did the thievery. A few years after this occured and Person X was no longer employed with this company, Person X was staying at the same motel and approached my boss at the time, hoping to sell him some items (processor bars, misc equipment) that he acquired in a "dispute" with yet another employer. Person X claims he was owed money and took the items for recompense. Person X's employer claims the guy was a thief.
I say......once a thief......always a thief.
Hoop, I agree with ya on the thief scenario because they are almost always repeat offenders and will be caught when they get careless. ;)
If I ever caught anyone steeling my stuff, they better get away from me as fast as they can because their pickup will be full of dents and busted windows when I get through.
Gotcha, Nurseb. I remember seeing the sign when I have traveled that area. A belated welcome, tot he Forum. :-[
This is a serious issue. I sell a lot of replacement equipment, mainly saws and generators, and having been victimiized myself, I feel their anger frustration and finally resignation. Unfortunately, we can only protect ourselves to a point. We can discourage the grab and run but the serious lowlife will get what he wants and do a lot of damage while at it.
One of my customers lost a brand new Vermeer chipper, had it 3 days, and the truck from in front of a customers house.
A local helicopter operator caught the kids that stole his ATV's. He tied one of the little buggers to a tree and took the other one for a helicopter ride with the door removed. Convinced the kid the return to Mother Earth would be a lot more pleasant if he returned the machines ;D. The pilot got in a heap of trouble with the police, some nonsense about forcible confinement, and Transport Canada. Almost got his operating licence suspended.
Sounds like the pilot had the right idea, my kids would rather have him throw em out as to bring em home to me.
Frank, I believe reputation goes a long way. One day I had a guy pull in and turn around and leave. As most of my employees were nearby, I said, "Wonder what that guy wanted I'll be down here tonight with my lead gate". Lets the help know I take theft seriously. I have had several things stolen over the years. Feel most were inside jobs. I caught one employee stealing lumber, made a deal with him. He lost all wages owed, for me not prosecuting. Cops made it hard on him.
The company that had the grinder stolen got the tracked machine and it turns out that they made lemonade out of the lemon. Their efficiency went way up. My son said he read about it in Southern Lumberman.
I had a bad kid (20 something but still lives with mom) a couple blocks over steal my first tandem axle trailer for crack. >:(
My cousin had actually caught him attempting to cut the 70 grade chain a few nights earlier and had roughed 'em up a bit and admonished them that I was armed. ::)
They came back a couple nights later and I woke up when the ball "rang" home. Before they could even get back in their truck, I was out the door wearing boxers and my Blackhawk! :o
They made the mistake of turning left at the corner since I knew the house at the end of that street was vacant ;)
I put one shot through his backend low-center hoping to get the motor or his leg (he was in a van) but he got away. :(
Next day, we see his van in front of his mama's house, complete with custom ventilation. That afternoon, my cousin postively identified the guy as being the one he'd caught the first time and I gave him the thumbs-up to pursue the matter.
Austin walked right up to the guy with his hands in his pockets and demanded that he give back the trailer. I guess the thief thought he was a tough guy since he had 2 of his buddies with him and starts to take up a fighting posture like he's gonna swing at Austin. That's all Austin needed. Like lightning, his hands are out of his pockets and the guy is laying on the ground. When the guy tries to stand up but falls right back over, his buddies backed up quick ;D
Austin gets back in the truck and tosses a 3/4" sparkplug socket on the dashboard ;D ;D
The next day, the boys mother (who had enthusiastically supported my candidacy for County Commission a year earlier) calls and apologizes and says she hopes her son's broken jaw teaches him a lesson :)
Of course, we didn't get the trailer back (the thief had already smoked it) but we did get a good reputation in the neighborhood. Nobodies messed with any of my stuff since. ;)
I empty my saws of gas, they go into a well locked cabinet inside the house.
In the truck they are either secured in the cab with 5/16 grade 43+ chain or in the bed with transport chain or 12 mm cable and a cyl. lock. They pretty much never leave my sight because I work in urban areas. I chain my gas can to my truck too.
I fortunately have had nothing major stolen, that I know of. The "reputation in the area" does go a long way. I have chased down several tresspassers and one fire chief checking out our burn pit, he didn't stop to identify himself and I had to aggressively pull him over a few miles up the road. We also had one guy get, well a little confused when he was drunk or high or something. He drove off the end of a dead end street went airborn landing in a ravine that our drive is in. Not knowing where he was, he "drove" all around up here and through all the neighbors places before finally heading back out the only drive back out to the street. I had it blocked with a car. Fortunately he stopped ( i don't know what I was thinking). His first wordss from the completely smashed and oil leaking radiator overheating, late model Thunderbird, " did I kill anyone?" I didn't find out until the next morning that he had gone airborn for probably 50-60' feet and fell the 20-25' into the ravine. He's lucky he wasn't killed and I'm lucky he stopped for my "roadblock". Point is if folks think you are a little "wired" they may think twice about trying to take advantage. Unless of course they are totally insane in which case I yeild, unless my family is threatened. :-\
I have never had anything walk off at home or on the job. ;D
But i seam to have what is called a rep by the would be pillfers. Back when we first moved
to Tn. the law came by and was telling me about all the theft in the valley and to be on guard.
Now i told him not to worry because any one caught on my land would be shot and draged in the house. I would then call and have them bring the meat wagon and remove said bodys.
word travels fast and no one has bothered me. :D
My dad had trouble in the early 60s with gas stealing. His remidy was a model A magneto
hooked to 110 volts wired to the truck. ;D ;D never lost a drop of gas after that.
I can't remember if I heard this in a movie or if I was told this by some girls dad when I was a kid. "I have 50 acres and a shovel......don't forget it."
I would treat a theif the same as someone who woudl hurt my kids. Nobody messes with my stuff or my family and gets away with it. I may go down, but not without some more fight.
Theives......the worst sort of low life.
Doc
A few years ago a friend of mine was doing some field line work on a septic system. One mourning low and behold his backhoe was out of gas, yes gas, we're poor. Any way next door is a grandmother with a house full of 20 year old grandsons with cars and no jobs. So at the end of the day we decided to turn off the fuel and sweeten the gas. It was almost worth the frustration they caused watching them siphon gas out of one car into the next as they quite running. Through the course of a week they went through four cars. We finally went by then and quite publicly took the gas tank off and washed it out before we loaded and left.
As for my equipment , I try and keep everything locked and out of site. I find a lock not only keeps an honest man honest but also keeps a lazy crook lazy. And keeping it out of site, cuts down on those spur of the moment thefts. How many times would you not have thought about BUYING a pack of gum at the check out register if it was not there for you to see , and think about, and think about , while you are waiting to check out? ;)
The right reputation for no nonsense never hurts either. ;D
Just a word of caution: A neighbor fired on and hit a car fleeing his property. Turned out to be a couple of lovers looking for some privicy. It cost him some tens of thousands of dollars to get the thing settled.
I don't own a gun, but I do own a shovel..........
If I catch em stealing from me.....well......hmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Doc
Some years back a misguided youth decided he wanted my ATV more than I did.
When I spotted it heading down the lane with him on it, I opened the door and ask him to please bring it back.
Somehow my 85 lb. Black Lab misunderstood what I said, she thought I said "Go gettem' girl". ::)
The young lad decided he would give it back, but he left it at the end of the lane and ran home. ;D
The police found him a little while later.
He was easy to spot, he was laying flat on his stomach in the ER gettin' his backside stitched closed. :D
That was the last thing that tried to leave home without me. 8)
Murf.....you almost needed my shovel......GOOD DOG!
Give'er a biscuit for me.
A man has to have a good knife and a good dawg.
Doc
Doc, thanks, she was a good ole gal, she earned her keep & then some, but unfortunately she's in doggie heaven now.
The shovel is far too much work, it requires me to run too fast.
Murf, did you scold that dog with a pork chop? ;D
Had some people of religeous faith come to driveway a few years ago, wanted to come in and talk, told em to come on and walked in the house, had already seen that my old mountain cur did not like them. They opened door, he tried to get in, they left, gave him a good scolding with a slice of bologna.
They still harass the neighbors but not me.
I have had that dog for eleven years, only time ever tried to bite except for kids, thinks he has to protect all of them, oh and the meter reader, if my wife is home alone, won't let him out of the truck, he says if no one home doesn't have a bit of problem
You know I took a concealed hand gun course a few years ago and basically the lawyer that spoke told us that if they were stealing your four wheeler under the carport ,but weren't harming you. You couldn't physically bother them. And it sounds crazy, but you know its not. If a crook gets injured while stealing you stuff he may sue. He may win. I hope this isn't getting to far off track, but does anyone else see where its almost a crime to protect what you have worked to get, by honest means I might add? smiley_crying
You are correct in most cases. One can't use any "deadly force" unless one's life is is in immanent danger and one is not able to "run away" from the perpetrator. ;)
Which is exactly why "Sorry Officer, I don''t know how the dog got out of the house." works so DanG well. :D
In all seriousness, well OK, as serious as we get around here anyways, even a big guy may decide he's gonna try his luck at wrestling you for the gun, or returning fire even if they're armed too, but there is a special kind of fear in every person's heart for a set of fangs shining in the moonlight scant inches away from their, err, well , manhood..... ;)
Even my 25 pound little buddy, Deputy Dog, has scared more than his fair share of people.
I had a policeman stop by to warn me about some break-ins in the area, he startled the dog who was sleeping, by the time I got him under control and apologized to the police officer, he just laughed and said he pitied the poor guy who tried getting into my house without an invitation. :o
Where I live (North Memphis), the boundaries between "nice" neighborhoods and the "hood" are sometimes blurred. Just now as I am typing (7 pm), someone just popped off a whole clip of 9mm a couple blocks away--probably gang or drug related. The police and our DA are very sympathetic to handgun permittees. The DA has a pretty flexible definition of "justifiable defense" and many police officers keep confiscated, numberless guns in their trunk to assist in justification ;)
You know it is bad when the criminal is left with recourse to sue the owner cause he got hurt trying to do something illegal to start with. That really gets my goat.
I don't own a gun. I don't hunt, so I don't need a gun. I can do enough damage with my hands if need be to make anyone wish they had not messed with my stuff.......but it ain't worth getting shot over.......so am I not going to try to severly injure the fella before he gets the chance? You bet your sweet (*&^ I am! I am gonna pound him fo rall he is worth, and he best hope I didn't make it to the anything sharp before I got to him.
I work hard for waht I have. I, like many of you I am sure, have just what I need and some of what I woudl like to have....not much more. I will defend my family first and foremost, but I will nto hesitate to defend what I ahve worked so hard to acquire. Sue me, or put me in jail........might make for a good soapbox.
Doc
> He was easy to spot, he was laying flat on his stomach in the ER gettin' his backside
Be funny to take a picture of that and put it on telephone poles around the house :-D
Hands and sharp objects will only go so far with a criminal armed with a semi-automatic 20+ feet from you vs. a Remington 870 with buckshot and sabot slugs.
I think a dog is one of the best self-defense weapons. People might have some doubts and feel bold about trying to break into a house or steal something even with you there. Everyone knows even a beagle will defend his house without cause and when you get up into the 100 pound class of dog very few people are stupid enough to attempt anything.
Those two pre-teen girls kidnapped from their homes (Fl and IA) by rapists and killed, would probably be alive today even if all they had for a dog as a 40 pound terrier.
Rebo, that's cause
Quotea 40 pound terrier
thinks they're in
Quotethe 100 pound class of dog
.
:D :D :D :D :D
Here, the federales take a real dim view of anyone with a gun, especially law abiding citizens. A guy walked into a Harley shop and murdered his ex wife who was employed there. The police were more interested in how he obtained a stolen restricted weapon than in what he used it for. I don't own a gun and have no desire to.
Murf, aint that the truth! :D
we never had any saws stolen or anything knock on wood. but this summer it was the weekend and we closed everything up and backed over the drag chians so no one wood take em. it was a holiday and the person livin beside our landing was ahving a party. when we cam eback monday mornin we went to change the oil in the loader and went for the keys for the locks and they were gone. :o so to get the lock off we tryed to cut it off with a file and it wouldnt even touch it. so we had to get a chisel and a BIG HAMMER ;D we busted it off and a long time of tryin this and that. it was no big deal but it made me mad that we wasted all that time gettin that lock off my pap sed "thats a good lock" :D were not sure if so one took it or if they fell out but they werent anywhere that they woodve fallen to so we think we no were they went :-X
I had a logger that was working one of my jobs call me one morning that his cable skidder was gone from the site and couldn't be found. That seemed unusual as we have had some vandalized, but never stolen. After some investigation by the county sheriff, the skidder was seen by a local resident being trucked on a lowboy down a county road in the middle of the night.
Further investigation found that the skidder was removed by and in the possession of the "Repro - Man". :'( Needless to say, we had to find another logger to finish the job. ::)
A portable electric fence unit wired to anything metal will give a good fright to anyone who touches it. Not deadly but 5500 volts is sure scary iif you're not expecting it. I know, I wear shorts most of the year and stepping over my fences gives me the odd boot on the inner thigh. I should know better at my age but I'm a very slow learner. >:( >:( >:( >:(
A word of advice, DONT forget to switch it off before moving your gear. :D :D :D
Ernie
Do they call that "legal" stealing? ;)
I'd think the 'stealers' or Repro Men would at least notify the sherriff before doing their work. Sounds mighty risky and dangerous, but apparently sanctified by the law (sherriff).
I think in Wisconsin, one cannot even ask an individual to bring his collateral in when defaulting on a loan. I recall being on a Credit Union Board, and one could only pick up a vehicle if the keys were voluntarily handed over. Must not be that way in some states.
Used to dispatch for sherriff dept, repo men don't have to let anyone know in Ky.
Other side of same coin, one repo man came to the sherriff complaing that a man pulled a gun and threatened to shoot him. Turns out the man heard a noise in his driveway and found mr. repo hotwiring the car. Sherriff told him he was lucky to be alive, "shut the door when you leave."
Not that the sherriff didn't care, repo man was on the shady side and so was the company he worked for, always not enough evidence.
It depends on the state. In MA you are "suppose" to contact the local law enforcement about cars. I do not know if Chapter 93 consumer protection laws would apply to commercial equipment. In a smaller community a repo man might have to worry about Constable Uncle Bob telling nephew Johnny Come Lately that his stuff was about to be repo.
My finacees father worked as a repo man for a bit, just driving the cars to the impound. Up here you're only allowed to take it if the person says its ok. Most had not made payments in almost a year and have been phoned twice telling them it will be repo'd.
If the person said no, they left and came back later with the police. If the car was on public property, it was no problem. They grabbed it with the wheel lift and go after calling police to report it repo'd.
Ya gotta feel for some of the guys, one truck they repo'd was at a dock and the fellow was on a trawler due back in a few days.
Similar rules over here in Ontario. We used to rent out part of our yard to a friend who runs a towing co. for a repo. yard. They had too many people coming to their 'regular' yard to re-repossess their vehicles in the middle of the night so they wanted someplace 'off the radar' to stash them.
They told me there was a sort of pecking order to the rules. They couldn't force their way onto the property, if the gate was locked, or the garage door was closed, tough luck unless somebody was co-operative with the hook-em' up guy.
However, if somebody drove by and accidentally pushed his own remote control gadget, and the door mysteriously opened then it was fair game. ;)
Since possession is 9/10ths of the law, the about-to-be-former owner was only entitled to get the vehicle back after paying up what is owning here, and since most contracts here say falling behind means the whole amount is due immediately, few got their wheels back.
The saddest stuff I heard about is the people signing 30% car loans in this day of 6% loans being normal and 0% loans on new stuff. Some people bought 5 yo Cavaliers at inflated prices plus took the 30% loan. No wonder they could pay it off.
When they went to repo, people have dragged them out in the woods, stripped them for parts, taken the engines out etc. They laugh at the repo guys saying ha ha I got ya! Too bad whatever isn't recovered at auction sticks to their name ;D If they'd have looked after it and returned it in good shape aat least a bunch of the loan would be paid off :-\
slowzuki :D we get a bunch of that down here. peaple get their tax checks go to one of them shylocks
i mean used car lots the tote the note. give said check to them pay 50 to 75 dollors a week for a 10 yr old car or truck. live in public housing draw a state check for their kids and knowing all along they'll
lose the car because they cant make the payments.
Now i know it's not the fault of the car lot ;D. It's the people stupid enough to do it.
Not sure if they are 'stupid' or not. :)
Maybe we are 'stupid' for providing the 'trough' for them to belly up to, and live off someone else (not my way of living, but some don't mind at all). :)
Not saying that this 'trough' isn't helping out in some places.
:D beenthere could very well be the case ;D
We recently had four RCMP officers killed not far from here. They were going in to support the repo man who was dealing with a known troublemaker. The goof set them up before sticking the gun in his own mouth.
I repo'ed for a few years. You never knew what to expect so I made it a point to try and be up front. You know, knock on doors that sort of thing. Some people, a small percentage, were having hard times. Most were just riding for free. The finance companies normally don't want the car, they want the money, so normally a talk with them can work out an extension. Often, I would get an order and I would know the person because I had repoed so many from them already. A few never made more than the down payment.
We notified the police dept. Most states don't require it, but it helps with relations to keep them from doing a lot of paper work for nothing. Louisiana requires you to get signed permission from the financee. While most states just state that you are not allowed to commit a breach of the piece. In other words if the owner tells you to get off his property, you have to leave or you would be tresspassing. You just come back later. If the gate or chain is locked you can't cut it, so on. Please don't let anyone chain a dog to a car. Most companies use self-loading wheel lifts now. One poor driver(I say poor because he was truly sick over this) drug a dog to death before he realized it was chained to the car. He didn't go more than a mile, but thats all it took.