Diesel thieves and how best to deal with

[Rich Rule]

Sad world we live in.

 

I know a guy who tried to defend against thieves.  He knew where they were entering his land through a gap in the hedgerow.  He left a scaffold board with some very large nails in it in the ditch they had to cross.

 

Halfway across the field all tires were flat.  So for the audacity of defending his own property the thieves took it out on his kit.  Smashed a pick through every panel and window on his work trucks, as well as all the spare tractor and mog sizes tires.  Basically tried to ruin his business just because he tried to defend his property against scum.

 

Careful how you proceed.

[woody paul]

6 hours ago, Steven P said:

A lot of the suggestions are tempting, but you'd have to sit out all night to catch them in the act or do some major work to the tractor to secure the fuel or build a barn. Not sure I'd put stuff in the fuel tank that makes the diesel unuseable unless you know it is going to go that night. Best way to go is to collect the evidence I reckon, cameras. Is there anywhere on the tractor that you could place a spy cam / trail cam pointing at the fuel tank? Couple of security lights on the tractor pointing in the right direction will get a stone through them but might scare them off that night. Not limited to where you can park if the camera goes with you. Could also use the camera as a dash cam in case of accidents? Use the tractor battery for power supply saves you buying AA batteries all the time.

 

Not sure what dash cam it is but my brother had one with move detector, so if you rocked or knocked car it would film. 

Years ago there was a couple of blokes pinching stuff, I cornered them in a cul-de-sac with a truck things got nasty so I backed off, got a message to someone how was trying to catch up with them, truck involved was found burnt out on a industrial site and there was no more crime in the area. Never asked questions if they court up with them. 

[Botty Cough]

1 hour ago, Rich Rule said:

Sad world we live in.

 

I know a guy who tried to defend against thieves.  He knew where they were entering his land through a gap in the hedgerow.  He left a scaffold board with some very large nails in it in the ditch they had to cross.

 

Halfway across the field all tires were flat.  So for the audacity of defending his own property the thieves took it out on his kit.  Smashed a pick through every panel and window on his work trucks, as well as all the spare tractor and mog sizes tires.  Basically tried to ruin his business just because he tried to defend his property against scum.

 

Careful how you proceed.

His mistake was allowing them to leave the field........

[swinny]

Tossers we're in again last week and drained the tank on tractor and my towable grinder that was on back of it waiting to go to a job... 

 

Least they put the cap back on and didn't loose the o ring ey 

[woody paul]

52 minutes ago, swinny said:

Tossers we're in again last week and drained the tank on tractor and my towable grinder that was on back of it waiting to go to a job... 

 

Least they put the cap back on and didn't loose the o ring ey 

Can you not fit locking caps, Then they may just drill tank. 

[GarethM]

9 minutes ago, woody paul said:

Can you not fit locking caps, Then they may just drill tank. 

Just turns a 100l theft at 63p into a few grand of pain.

 

I even leave the keys in mine when it's in the shed, rather they steal the whole thing unmolested and recovered possibly still usable.

Edited May 10 by GarethM

[kram]

Fit a hidden tank/filler and use the normal filler opening and tank as a urinal? That will give them a suprise.

Edited May 10 by kram

[swinny]

1 hour ago, woody paul said:

Can you not fit locking caps, Then they may just drill tank. 

Yeah thought about it but like you say bastards would drill a 800 quid tank to nick 70 quids worth of diesel and not give a toss

[dan blocker]

You were fortunate (if you could be in a case like this?) that they went to the trouble of pumping/ syphoning the diesel out? The damage drilling the tank would be far worse - new tank, delivery waiting time, labour fitting. I don’t lock any fillers, the bastards can have the fuel and we can only hope they die from drinking diesel after syphoning. Many years ago diesel thieves drove at my father in law when they were nicking diesel from his farm. He was in his 70s then and he just managed to jump clear otherwise they’d of run him down? Unfortunately he did not get a description?

[spuddog0507]

8 hours ago, swinny said:

Yeah thought about it but like you say bastards would drill a 800 quid tank to nick 70 quids worth of diesel and not give a toss

Andy at A&G had his machines done about 12 mth ago, all with locking caps, they just cut the kneck off the tank and took fuel but it cost him a fair do to replace the tanks,,