How do you protect your tools from been stolen?

[LukeD]

I have a habit of DIY engraving my initials and phone number on just about everything .
I spray parts of big stuff so its easy to see if its "moving" . I keep records and i know where to go "looking" in London for stolen tools at markets etc .

last problem was a git trying to swap my nice new 18v Makita batteries over for his one year old ones. He even thought he was getting away with it until i asked him how come he has the same initials as me engraved on the side of them !

I now tend to drop off big stuff and use a small car for day to day. Vans etc just seem to be robbed all the time. Estate cars seem to be popular now as you not so 'trade"


would be nice if FLUKE etc could offer a service where you program in your details to your meter and a code. until the code is entered your details come up on start up

 

[Bigboy247]

I had my house trashed then after 40mins they filled all the kids stuff and my garage full of tools and loaded my van and took the lot. Just before christmas my van turned up but no tools and my insurance haven`t still payed up. Found some of my tools on ebay Hilti stuff only available special order in the USA police said will will get round to it. Went and brought it and collected it with the rest of my tools and then the police came and said hello sir. So am in court in about three months for explaining to the people not to break into my house and give it my dogs with a shovel, upset my christmas and scare my family to death. My house has cctv and alarm and no one saw anything. So will be going back to live abroad as soon as I can. I hate the tax man anyway and love the sun.But going to spray all my tools shocking pink I may look stupid on site but no one will steal them lol.

 

[Bigboy247]

Six other contractor where done in a month all the same M O.

 

[accordfire]

Six other contractor where done in a month all the same M O.

Somewhere along the line, someone needs to give these thieving *******s the message once and for all that thieving off hard working tradesmen is a crime that deserves what the Arabs do to shoplifters - it's time their hands were cut off.

Where's it all ever going to stop?

 

[rocker]

As long as the pigs turn a blind eye to pikey sites, and there are 'outreach' centres for people who, through their own damn choices, have got themselves hooked on junk, it's never going to happen.

It only pays to be a failure as a human being in this damn country. BBoy's got the right idea, we should all sod off somewhere sunny.

 

[Strickers]

would it be illegal to charge a capacitor from car engine attached to the bare copper around your tools with no means of discharging, well unless some little thief discharged it to the ground. lol

 

[High Tower]

would it be illegal to charge a capacitor from car engine attached to the bare copper around your tools with no means of discharging, well unless some little thief discharged it to the ground. lol

Fraid so!

Causing harm with intent

Madness!!

 

[LukeD]

Fraid so!

Causing harm with intent

Madness!!

I can think of worse !! No Urban myth etc. There was a toilet cleaner many many years ago at marlborough College who rigged his house doors up to the mains . Police went nuts ! he was lucky never to have killed anyone .

Or you set up a "bait van" and have a little action yourselves , just make sure you dont talk about it afterwards. But will certainly be talk of the town amongst the thieves.

 

[Mark_Burgess]

As for marking tools, we tend to use tamper proof labels - shiny things that you can have printed, but which break apart when you try to remove them. Has come in handy once or twice on and off sites. Like these here.

Looks like I am about to buy some of those, just realised that my Bosch 10.8v screwdriver has been nicked, traced it back to last thursday, it was a CHUBB ALARM installer in same building as me that was when I last had it.

Tempted to create a fault on the alarm, but my luck someone else will come out to repair it.

 

[BlueToBits]

About 5 years ago my van was getting broken into all the time. I placed an old drill on the nearest shelf to the back doors and connected a theatrical maroon via a 9v battery to a bathroom pull switch with the cord tied to the drill flex. Sure enough, a month later we heard the bang from the back of the house we were working in followed by another contractor who came running towards us. "...the back of your van just blew up and 2 lads went running off in a plume of smoke". They got the knackered drill but that was all. I recon they'll think twice before trying it again.

 

[grantr37]

get one of those lizards from the jungle that has a perma lock poison bite, you know the ones that bite you and about 3 hours later you turn green and topple......then they let go....and start eating you...then put a little collar on it with a tag saying something like "my name is mike and I eat tool theives" just so they can see the message before they black out.....put it in the tool box.....they open it.....chomp....

 

[LukeD]

get one of those lizards from the jungle that has a perma lock poison bite, you know the ones that bite you and about 3 hours later you turn green and topple......then they let go....and start eating you...then put a little collar on it with a tag saying something like "my name is mike and I eat tool theives" just so they can see the message before they black out.....put it in the tool box.....they open it.....chomp....

Your nuts !

 

[grantr37]

second thoughts dont, if somebody gets taken out by an exotic pet I will probably get the blame, cancel that dont go buying anything from the Lizard section at the pet shop...

 

[rocker]

About 5 years ago my van was getting broken into all the time. I placed an old drill on the nearest shelf to the back doors and connected a theatrical maroon via a 9v battery to a bathroom pull switch with the cord tied to the drill flex. Sure enough, a month later we heard the bang from the back of the house we were working in followed by another contractor who came running towards us. "...the back of your van just blew up and 2 lads went running off in a plume of smoke". They got the knackered drill but that was all. I recon they'll think twice before trying it again.

Class!

 

[High Tower]

About 5 years ago my van was getting broken into all the time. I placed an old drill on the nearest shelf to the back doors and connected a theatrical maroon via a 9v battery to a bathroom pull switch with the cord tied to the drill flex. Sure enough, a month later we heard the bang from the back of the house we were working in followed by another contractor who came running towards us. "...the back of your van just blew up and 2 lads went running off in a plume of smoke". They got the knackered drill but that was all. I recon they'll think twice before trying it again.

I love it!!