Attention Stolen Tractor!

[a49deere]

Growing up we were never allowed to leave a wagon or other equipment parked in any field with access to a road. Dad said it might not be there in the morning.

Grampa told of taking the family to town for some Friday night shopping. When they got home the dog was missing. In the morning he found the gas barrel that had just been filled was empty.

did they steal the dog too, or worse?

 

[Old Ford Mechanic]

Thinking should start a new

Thinking should start a new thread to not hijack Old Ford Mechanic focus on finding tractor.....

Thanks. The tractor belongs to a good friend of mine. Law enforcement in several surrounding counties are working trying solve the case. Time will tell.

 

[ss55]

did they steal the dog too, or worse?

The dog was never found, was probably already dead when hauled away.

 

[Ray,IN]

Seriously what are the chances of finding a stolen tractor unless it has a simple cheap gps tracker installed. It could sit in a driveway 50 miles away in plain view and no one would give it a second thought.

You're right. Makes a good case for using air tags.

 

[Not db4600]

Look up the story of Balcom’s UDLX.

 

[psimmer]

Look up the story of Balcom’s UDLX.

Wow. Just looked up the Balcom story, read several forum articles about it. Interesting story for sure. Not sure what to believe.

 

[MoMike2]

I remember a real similar story to that about 50 years ago in Farm Journal or Michigan Farmer or something. Seems like in that story, it was a 2655 and they towed it with a 770.

Good possibility it's the one I was thinking of. Been years ago I may have miss remembered the details.

 

[JWA]

I had a co-worker that had a 600 Ford that was pretty rough that he used around some land that he was getting ready to build on, he would secure the tractor to a tree with a large chain and lock. When returned in morning he found the tractor right where he left it but the chain and lock were missing. Like I said, the old tractor was rough.

 

[Jim in LA]

231S Massey Ferguson Tractor with 1040 front loader with hay fork and 3 point mounted fork. Stolen in the past few days from field where it was parked near the town of Anderson in Lauderdale County Alabama. If anyone encounters this tractor or anyone with it please, contact The Lauderdale County Alabama Sheriffs Office @ 256-760-5757.

I looked at buying a S 231 back in 2004. I think they are not a very popular model, at least not in my area. I recall seeing only one aside from the one at the Massey dealer. It was a nice tractor but I founsd a larger JD model for around the same price.

 

[petertay]

Friend of mine bought a small JD from the dealer. He used it for field mowing. Parked it behind trees at the edge of the field. Not visible from the road or the field. Got stolen. Had to be a neighbor. The dealer reported it to the nationwide dealership system. If the thief tries to get it repaired or buy parts for it, it will be known as the stolen tractor.

This was in Illinois, but someone suggested it might have gone to Mexico.

 

[rocklouder]

About 10 years ago, my Father-In-Law had a left a tractor parked in a field with a rock picker attached. the next day when they went back out to work the trackto was gone and so was the rock picker. They were able to follow the mud prints out of the field, for about 3 miles to where somone backed the rock picker into the approch and unhooked it unharmed, but continued on with the tractor. they ran out of mud a few miles up the road and lost the sent. A few hours later the Highway Patrol called and asked about their missing tractor and said they had found their tractor on the highway sitting near the scene of what looked to be somone one in the ditch buried in mud. Oddest thing, that tractor was 19 miles away from were it was found, Nothing was damaged at all, and it was all left exactally like a farmer would have left it at the end of a long day in the field. Never did fiind any of the drunk neighboors or relatives to fess up to "borrowing" the 4440 in the middle of the night halfway between town and the Airforce base. well nothing hurt, but a few gallons of diesel. Thank the lord it wasnt 6.50/gallon then

 

[Texasmark]

Friend of mine bought a small JD from the dealer. He used it for field mowing. Parked it behind trees at the edge of the field. Not visible from the road or the field. Got stolen. Had to be a neighbor. The dealer reported it to the nationwide dealership system. If the thief tries to get it repaired or buy parts for it, it will be known as the stolen tractor.

This was in Illinois, but someone suggested it might have gone to Mexico.

Haven't been there for a couple of decades or so but I used to buy equipment at a permanent (brick and mortar) used equipment facility that had auctions periodically. You could pay the asking price and not be bothered with the auction or attend the auction and get what you get when they have the auction.

Point to be made here is that on the day of the auction you would find the parking area full of 18 wheelers with Mexico license plates. Seems that was a good market for used farm equipment. Have no idea if anything has changed.

 

[NY 986]

Friend of mine bought a small JD from the dealer. He used it for field mowing. Parked it behind trees at the edge of the field. Not visible from the road or the field. Got stolen. Had to be a neighbor. The dealer reported it to the nationwide dealership system. If the thief tries to get it repaired or buy parts for it, it will be known as the stolen tractor.

This was in Illinois, but someone suggested it might have gone to Mexico.

Thieves are a lot more ambitious nowadays so it could have been just about anybody. Thieves will check out a field that had very recent activity such as tillage or harvesting. There was a rash of farm equipment theft here back during the early 1980's and state police said it was not uncommon for the thieves to be from many miles away from where the theft occurred. They would start hanging around a local bar and strike up conversation or listen to talk as to what valuable equipment was around the community. I had a tractor worked on early this year and although I could have driven it home I was concerned about a rear tire possibly giving trouble. The little voice in my head said if it got stranded along a major road side it might not be there when I got back with some help. I paid somebody to trailer it home and the cost was not much above what the fuel would have been to drive it home.