1950 8N Front Anti Theft

Ken-in-Ky

Member
For reasons I wont disclose here ,Need to install secret switch on ignition ,key start , or transmission lock to discourage anyone trying to start up and remove ,not interested in removing rotor each time I want to use Any favorable suggestions welcome
 
Put an on/off switch on the wire going to the coil. Put it on the dash like a light switch or hide it up under the hood. Turn it off when you shut the tractor down.
 
Are you set on ignition fixes? Weld a loop to a rear rim bolt on each side (on the inside). If you run a chain with lock between them the tractor will only move until that chain hits the transmission or tries to go behind the fenders. They would get 3 feet or so. I couldn't imagine that someone would have brought the brawn to drag it without turning wheels. If they did your ignition lock won't help.

Heck, what about turning the wheel all the way to the right and then chaining a steering wheel spoke to a radius rod? Adding anything to the ignition system is just giving you another opportunity for a breakdown at some point.
 
Use a phony coil wire going from coil to distributor cap. You can make one yourself. Make a coil wire to match the one now on your tractor. Take a #30 drill its a 1/8 and drill out the core of the wire about one inch on each end. Put on wire caps and crimp on the metal ends and it will look fine but have no fire. Take your good wire in the house and when ya want your tractor for work put on the good wire.Side note I remove ground cables on my battery post on all my stuff if I am not going to use it shortly. They also make a grd lock switch for cables.They might run your battery down but they wont trouble shoot till its to late. Master of the Obvious L.B,
 
good luck on a switch to prevent theft. a hot wire from coil to battery defeats that.

unless you physically remove parts.. I can start your tractor.

if I can't start your tractor.. I can probably laod it on a trailer with a wich.. ir a pocket knife using it's own battery to roll her.

or If i really want it. i can cut your fence and let your animals out and use a roll back.


best of luck on securing a tractor.
 
The problem with using a chain anywhere is that a pair of bolt cutters,
a common thief's tool, will cost you the tractor AND the chain.

The hidden ignition switch will only keep the honest folks honest
as well, like soundguy said, a hotwire and it's gone.

One other thing about a hidden switch, once someone sees you
use it, it is no longer a secret.
Might want to hide it on the left side under the hood so you can
turn it on while you're turning on the gas without being noticed.
 
I think Soundguy and Royse are on target. Nothing you can do to keep a serious thief from stealing your tractor. You can discourage an amateur but not a thief. How about a game camera so you can see who takes it and report them to the authorities? Or a GPS locator hidden on the tractor.
 
The easy but annoying ways to prevent theft are. 1. Lock the sucker in a secure shop with all the anti theft equipment you can afford or 2. Take the wheels off every nite. Simple eh ? A locksmith once told me; " locks only keep the honest people out". Good luck !
 
(quoted from post at 16:32:35 10/18/13) Should have added get the nastiest dog available and chain him to the tractor.
ears ago we were having problems with long haired punks from a local collage stealing gas from farms. A friend of mine who worked for the forestry service and i guess was 30 years or so old at the time stayed in the barn for several nights waiting on the thief. Turns out two big football jocks came for the gas in the Case VAC and he was waiting. "They being the law" wont believe you they said. Little did they know that he was somewhat fresh out of the Corps. and loved a good fight. One ran at the challenge, he got the other down, tied hands and feet and set about cutting his long,flowing hair off with his knife and turned him loose to explain his loss to his buddies. Needless to say you would get sued out the a## for this but it is dead truth.
 
best of luck on securing a tractor.

I agree but with him using the word "discourage" I'm wondering if he's not just wanting to keep friends & family from using the tractor without permission.

But you're correct, if somebody want's it bad enough there's not enough chain to hold it!
 
(quoted from post at 21:39:13 10/18/13)
best of luck on securing a tractor.

I agree but with him using the word "discourage" I'm wondering if he's not just wanting to keep friends & family from using the tractor without permission.

But you're correct, if somebody want's it bad enough there's not enough chain to hold it!
y thoughts exactly!
 
the best thing i have seen to keep a tractor where you park it if you must keep it outside, while nothing is completly safe if they want it bad enough, this will make them work for it, and long enough so that they'[ll look for an easeir tractor to take, get 10 foot of 8 inch drill pipe, and burry it 4 feet in the ground, in concrete, then fill the pipe with concrete also this defeats most attempts to cut the pipe, get enough 3/8ths t-5 grade transport chain to go thru both rear wheels and wrap around the tractor chassis,and the drill pipe, this chain is not the stuff down at the hardware store, this chain is used by truckers to secure heavy equipment to a trailer, its some tough stuff, bolt cutters wont cut it, you might grind thru it but most common theifs [ drug addicts] arnt carrying a grinder and the generator to run it with them, and nobody has a jack to lift the whole tractor over 6 feet in the air to get it free of the pipe, , you just back up to the pipe and use the chain to secure the tractor, it will probably be there when you come back
 
Sorry, but even that won't stop the determined & knowledgeable thief. A battery powered Dremel will set that tractor free. Don't spend so much effort trying to stop it, insurance covers it.
 
like said, nothing will stop a real crook.
to discourage,

When you are wiring in your hidden switch,
connect a grounded wire at the points, so turning the switch ON
grounds the points.
slows the hot wire'ers some
hiding a switch in plain sight sometimes works better.
those rear lights that have a button in them to turn the rear light
on or off independent of the headlights is a good spot with some re-wiring of the light.

adding an inline fuse in various spots/systems,
to protect wiring is a good idea anyway,
and you can take the fuses with you

if you are familiar with your machine, switching the wires around
on the distributor cap will aggravate the thief.

park it difficult, against/between trees, a building,etc
to discourage winchers.
park something that really locks behind it.
park it keeping an eye on the approach.
other side of a mudhole or ditch to stop a truck from getting close.
one local farmer who has a small restored JD, parks
one of those giant 8-wheel monsters behind it
 
Whatever you do, do not weld on a rim or wheel bolt with a tire still on it. Can cause a tremendous explosion.
Go to Youtube and search for tire explosion.
Richard in NW SC
 
I used to have a tricked out Chevy Vega (400 small block, TH 400 tranny, beefier rear diff)Some of the local riff-raff paid more than a passing interest in the car.
To discourage this, I made a FAKE bomb out of pieces of broom handle wrapped in brown paper from some plain (no logo) paper bags. I had wire running into each of the "Sticks" and finished it off as authentic as I could. It even had a small "power" light that turned on with the ignition.
It was mounted to the firewall in front of the driver.
I let it be known that it was there and, even, showed it to some of the kids. Word got around about the "car bomb" and it was never bothered.
It helps to have some time in the military to add credibility to the façade.
I must"ve done a good job as the cops paid a little attention to the car too. They got a chuckle out of it when I showed them it wasn"t real.
 

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