Hi Fellas,
Maybe I am too paranoid but have you ever been concerned about leaving a highly portable , $10K investment out in the woods overnight. I currently use a heavy chain around a tree and through the frame of the motor but I am well aware of how vunerable this is to bolt cutters. Some thoughts are:
--12' of hardened square link chain
-- drill holes in the alum rails and lock the rail and end frames with a high quality, hardened motorcycle wheel lock.
-- insurance
Your thoughts or experience appreciated.
Tim
There's probably somebody cutting your chain right now as we speak. :D
Just kidding...your mill is probably safer where it is right now than at lot of mills that are parked in the back yard. :)
Is it insured?
i think vandalism is a larger concern when a mill is left out in the woods.
I made a new hitch for mine, that has a receiver tube. I put a ring in this to tow the mill. when the mill is parked, I remove the ring.
My mill seldom leaves the premise. I do have a security cable looped through one of the holes in the wheel and around the springs/axle. I'll probably hook onto the mill one day and forget to take it off.
Plans are to cut the tongue off and make it like a receiver hitch. That way I can take the tongue with me and leave the mill. Just haven't got roundtoit.
Where you leave your mill should be a decision based on the risk and if you can be comfortable with that decision.
I would do something,just to slow them down some. I use to park my tractor here before we built,in a locked shed. I run a metal rod through the dip stick too and put a lock on the diesel fill cap too. This way I would see something wrong.
There is absolutely nothing paranoid about protecting a $10000 investment. I would chain it, cable it whatever it takes..
Its really sad but these days if it aint bolted down it will likely disappear. I wish I at least had fond memories of the days when you could leave something and not have to worry about it disappearing, unfortunately that's before my time.
Take one or both wheels off and take them with you? You're not paranoid, theft if getting out of hand nationwide. I'll spare you all my rant on this topic.
We've got Forestry Forum members who have had their sawmills stolen, even out of gated and locked buildings.
If you feel it is questionable, take the mill home with you at the end of the day!
I am starting a road side saw job tomorrow that will be at least two days and because of where it is, my mill will be resting in my yard again tomorrow night.
My sawmill sleeps on the job well over 50% of the time. So far, no problems. I would hate to even have to think about breaking it down and towing it home every work night.
Either theft or vandalism would be a real heart breaker as well as other stuff that is unprintable.
I have been on dozens of portable jobs, and every one gets me thinking when I lay my head down. Locks are for honest people, I always thought if I made it too hard It would just pith them off and they would vandalize the engine. I have been blessed, no issues to date. I have always pulled the wheels, and have had it on the jack stands. anyone that motivated, well have at it. I have pulled the fuel tank, and left the oil fill with a tear away, just to know if it has been tampered with, so N0 you are not paranoid, these things happen, it is just too bad we can't catch them in the act. Or maybe it is a good thing, no need to make the local news.
I really try hard to be nice to everyone, but one thing I can't stand is a thief. And to think 20 years ago we used to leave the doors unlocked and the shed door open. Spiteful, low down DanG people would just as soon destroy your property if they can't steal it. Their idea is if they can't have it, neither can you. So, if it has any value to you, lock it up. Better to be safe than sorry.
would there be such a thing as placing a tracking device on it ?something you could charge up during the day while youre working then placing it on the mill in some obscure place when you get there in the morn . great, if the mill would happen to not be there, you could track it I"m just thinking dont even know if there is such a thing
just as I posted I thought of my neigbors coonhound, gps system, they can not only tell where there at but also wher they were BUT they are limited in range that would look funny a sawmill with a dogcollar :D :D
You can actually purchase magnetic GPS trackers for about $1000 online. You then secret it on the mill and change the batteries every few weeks or when you are on a job site. The only problem is I don't know how accurate they are, if its a monthly service, or if they need to face the sky for satellite reception.
For less than $1k, you can buy an iPad and just leave it with the mill. Then locate it with the GPS as we read about on another thread here today by Bandmill Bandit.
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,53586.msg878419.html#msg878419
Cheaper and the thieves may just take the iPad and leave the mill alone. ::)
In the meantime, can keep records, etc. on the iPad, take pics, use the internet, and a few other things. (Just can't take it home with you. :) )
Just a thought.
And for the earlier post
QuoteTheir idea is if they can't have it, neither can you
I'll bet dollars to donuts that I am sure which party they vote for in the next election.
I wish I could say theft only happens to those with bad karma
that just aint true
the last 10 years have seen me go from not locking anything
to parking the truck and trailer cross the drive so no entry
Quote from: donny hochstetler on August 17, 2012, 10:58:45 PM
would there be such a thing as placing a tracking device on it ?something you could charge up during the day while youre working then placing it on the mill in some obscure place when you get there in the morn . great, if the mill would happen to not be there, you could track it I"m just thinking dont even know if there is such a thing
I have a concession trailer that I rent for events. I have a gps mounted on the roof which is hooked into the hot wire from the towing vehicle. When the plug is connected it lights up. It's very inexpensive, little less than $300 and $20/mo maint. I figure it's worth every penny just to be capable of knowing where my trailer is going. I'll send you a link if you like.
Yep, you just have to love technology, this sounds like the plan to me!
I used to work for a company that tracked down all the vehicules with GPS. Etienne would wake up for his work day, go down to the work site, leave the car there, then go to the pub walking. ;D But the GPS part worked lovely. Don't know about the price tho.
One thing that we do in france, lift the expensive equipement with the crane. Gets a bit hard for thieves to get to it. Another company i like is churchwood in uk, who makes the van vault. Good product. You have to work hard to open one of thoses toolboxes. They're locked by "master" discs locks embeded in the toolbox construction. On some sawmills, you could remove the head and put it in the back of the pickup. But not WM. Another idea, for the woods only, camoflage tarp could be handy.
A zoomback might be all you need, or a cell phone trail cam.
I've never used either one. I saw somewhere that the average
person is videoed 30+ per day.. what a world we live in
I would say it depends where you park it,probibly the best deterant is to take one wheel off and somehow chain or lock the hub.Its good form on your fuel,engine, and hydraulic to make a small mark in back and before you start up check it to see if its been tampered with. Frank C.
Thanks for the replies. If there is a solution it may be in a combination of :
luck
insurance (not sure how to get it )
locking up the machinery with various high quality locks (kryptonite chain)
A Lucas or Peterson mill presents unique problems as it can be taken apart and basically carried or wheeled away.
Surveillance devices like game camera's (all have motion detection and some have ability to send email) below are some ideas I have thought about:
Trail Camera solutions for security monitoring I have looked at:
#1) this phone enabled camera $350 and get a cellular contract, not sure what the minum requirement is for said phone contract but may be able to get a 'prepaid contract' instead of a monthly
http://www.trailcampro.com/scoutguardsg580m.aspx
#2) build one - not as hard as I think(hmm).... a few components....am considering this, cost $250:
http://www.ehow.com/how_5772777_build-camera-live-video-stream.html
use this route refurb for http://www.amazon.com/CradlePoint-CTR35-Wireless-Portable-Router/dp/B004J16XB6/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1334143984&sr=1-1
wireless phone device , prepaid contract, $50, to send you email etc when motion is detected...your phone beeps , you wake up look at picture and go investigate:
http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/phones/prepaid.aspx?shape=laptop
camera like this : http://www.amazon.com/Foscam-FI8918W-Wireless-Network-Viewing/dp/B00466X9SY/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
I use this style on mine.
John
http://www.masterlock.com/products/category_products.jsp?category=MLCOM_GROUP_TowingSecurity_TrailerCouplerLocks_PinTumblerLocking_No.377TrailerCouplerLocks
I've got closer to $40,000.00 tied up in my LM4. I take it home with me at the end of the day, no exeptions. I can pack it up for travel in about 30 min. And the same for set up time. The piece of mind is worth more to me than an hour of my time.
Louie, you have a swingmill?
Easy solution, get a 20' shipping container, put wheels underneath, and store your mill in there overnight. I think this could be a good solution. Even better, take the wheels inside, and atach to the ground from the inside with some kind of ground screw.
Gday
I know a bloke who packed his Lucas and tools in a container every night with Me I have always just taken the head unit of the tracks and taken it home with me it only takes a couple of min and its safe and it also saves setup time in the morning ;)
Regards Chris
You are not paranoid, just cautious. I was neither and now my mill is gone, stolen out of a gated community that is regularly patrolled and curiously no-one saw anything. My next mill will wither be taken home or secured well enough to make it not worth the effort or time prohibitive and having it insured.
It's a shame that we have to have a mistrust of fellow mankind but for some the temptation is just too great.
And for the earlier post
QuoteTheir idea is if they can't have it, neither can you
I'll bet dollars to donuts that I am sure which party they vote for in the next election.
[/quote]
Brilliant minds must think alike. Same thing I thought when I saw that first quote.
Quote from: beenthere on August 17, 2012, 11:34:03 PM
For less than $1k, you can buy an iPad and just leave it with the mill. Then locate it with the GPS as we read about on another thread here today by Bandmill Bandit.
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,53586.msg878419.html#msg878419
Cheaper and the thieves may just take the iPad and leave the mill alone. ::)
In the meantime, can keep records, etc. on the iPad, take pics, use the internet, and a few other things. (Just can't take it home with you. :) )
Just a thought.
And for the earlier post QuoteTheir idea is if they can't have it, neither can you
I
I'll bet dollars to donuts that I am sure which party they vote for in the next election.
Yes indeed, there are those who see outright thievery as the purest form of free enterprise... ::)
[/quote]
speaking as a man who just had $500 worth of tools stolen from his back porch WHILE I WAS INSIDE EATING DINNER i have to agree with the notion that the best you can do is just to make it harder for the thieves. some good ideas on here with the gps/ ipad/ etc.... keep thinking and let us know what you decide.
there's nothing worse than stealing another person's tools!
QuoteI'll bet dollars to donuts that I am sure which party they vote for in the next election.
::) gimme a break man sheesh ::)
I had the receiver hitch stolen from my truck and it was parked in front of the Police Station. :o
I'm like you louie,just don't feel easy about leaving my mill out in the boondocks.I sometimes leave a big log on it with the head rig all the way to the front.Last big job i just removed the hitch and kept it with me .If i am using my boom truck i just clamp the grapple on to the mill and lock the truck.it's still a bad feeling al
Not paranoid. Clamp a log on it. Put the head at the front which makes tongue weight very high and chain it there. Take the fuel and water tanks with you.
QuoteI'll bet dollars to donuts that I am sure which party they vote for in the next election.
::) gimme a break man sheesh ::)
[/quote]
Agreed. Can we keep the political opinions to ourselves? There's nothing more divisive than politics and religion.
Here is what AT&T uses to secure their portable generators when they are left unattended at remote locations.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/Photo019.jpg)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/Photo020.jpg)
That's what the traffic cops use in Louisville when they happen on to a
parked car that has a whopping bunch of parking tickets outstanding
against it. I have seen them downtown on cars. Not a welcome sight
for the car owner. smiley_turkey_dancing
________________________________
sling_shot
My mill is stored almost 800 miles away from me...I cover it up in a tent and take off the wheels to at least make it a challenge if someone decides to go after it. >:(
This could also work...many banks started removing those nasty dye packs from the "bait cash"(which had a habit of exploding without reason) and replacing them with Lowjack devices. They stick them in the ATM's too for those brilliant minds who think wrapping a tow chain around a machine and dragging it back to their house is a good way to get beer money ???
http://www.lojack.com/ (http://www.lojack.com/)
what a coincidence we have a similar themed thread goin on our Aussie forum at the moment.
For my Lucas Mills over the years, I've done as Meadows Miller has, I take the power head home on the back of the ute, I leave the mill frame setup and also leave the bobcat out at the mill. I leave the key in the bobcat in case it needs to be moved while I'm not there too ;D
But in the past if I have been in an area, I get a feeling about, I've slept in the sawdust between the rails and used the engine carriage as 'one end' of my tent. it serves many purposes this way, one I don't have to break the mill down and set it up in the morning, two I don't have to pay for a motel or something, three I get to wake up early with daylight and get to work quicker ;) ;D 8)
Mine has been parked in my woods at the same site for 2 years with no trouble, but I always think it could be a problem. Just to much trouble to move it every day. Always cover it with a tarp every night just to protect the mill from the elements.
Another trick is to put large logs around the mill then you mill them the next day ;) You need a loader for that though I have done it afew times in the past
Imagine putting 5-6 30" dia logs around the mill, then catching some guys on tape through the night trying to lug the mill out over them only to find they did something like left the lights on the ute while they where doin it and flattened the battery on the ute bahahahaha - good one Chris
Reasonable to be paranoid. :)
Hello,
We dont hear of many stolen mills. We do have a newer LT40 Super with all the Copper cut off in the shop. Yes all the wiring was removed. The did not take the battery or any other big dollar stuf. I would guess the copper was worth about $ 100.00. The new wiring will be way over that. One harness is $ 500.00. They even cut the hydraulic lines expecting them to be copper? The mill was locked in a steel building. They pulled the steel sheets back and got in.
Marty