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dixon9

Looking at the expense of tools these days it can add up to a pretty penny indeed, so those of you who are self-employed, to what extent do you protect your tools?

Common sense says that its best to bring at least your most expensive tools indoors at night rather than leave them out in the van but what about if you´re parked up outside a cafe? Do you bring them in with you (or at least your MF/MM´s)?

Does anyone use a false bottom in their van?

What about identifying your tools in some way? Marking them permanantly with your name or company name to at least discouarge would be tea leafs?

Does anyone insure their tools? Whats a typical annual premium?
 
Metabo have a great security idea which many thieves know about .So they dont want to steal them. I gave up using a van with a sign on it in LOndon. You might as well leave the doors open.
In a Transit etc i would use a false bottom system as its a great idea/ But i still try to keep the amount of stuff i carry to a minimum.

Insurance????? whats that !
 
most vans are deadlocked these days so even harder to get into them without keys.

we tend to use vanvaults so if they do get in they then cant just nick the tools they have to break into the van vault aswell.
 
I use a van vault but don't bother bringing everything in each night as it would add 5 hours a week onto my work schedule! Break into my van and I WILL find you and you won't be able to walk for the rest of your days let alone rob anyone!
 
Yet the markets and ebay etc are full of stolen tools. In Brick lane (London Market)there are 2 stalls full of stolen hire stuff etc and stolen site tools. The police dont care.
 
garaged,deadlocks,k9 unit,reputation

i think thats it..... i am lucky enough to have a big garage and can drive in with ladders on at night,i always deadlock it when outside the job,sometimes my k9 unit is on duty,and my fearsome reputation:D:D

oh and its all insured ...but i never relax..i have that reputation to think of
 
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my van double locks and has a steel bulkhead and locks off the central ocking so no lock to jemmy tools drills etc. go in the van vault also where i live is pretty quiet, also helps that 3 traffic cops live in the street and when they are on nights check round every hour or so if they are not busy.
but i did have the van done when i was working in hull, 3 blokes tools and drills gone for good, the landlady of the digs said "thats the third van this week thats been done" needless to say we didn't stay another night there.
 
I used to fetch a Dremel to all mine and engrave my name followed by postcode onto everything. Not much point using ultra V pens and such, marking the things up conspicuously means there'll be less chance of them being casually appropriated on site as well. No one is going to want to be seen using tools obviously marked up as someone else's property. At least it's one more deterrent. I have a deep sentimental attachment to my tools (I BLOODY PAID FOR THEM!) I spend a lot of dosh and time choosing my hand tools and have a more than superficial bond with them, they are NEVER lent, EVER!
Stealing a blokes tools is removing the man's means of earning a living, you are taking food off his table and is the lowest and most immediate way of impoverishing him short of mugging. I never ever buy car boot/bloke in pub tools either, it just encourages the cycle of theft. When I was elec foreman on huge Parcel Force build we had a gypsy camp pitch up on the adjacent acreage, within 3 days all 5 of our huge site safes had been cracked open and stripped bare, the guys (130 mech/elecs) had taken to leaving their hand tools in them as well as the usual crop of drillers, leads, testers and fixings. All of it cleaned out in one night!! I forget the final figure the Q.S. worked up as the cost of the theft but it must have been close on ÂŁ250,000! for ONE night's thievery. Disregarding the fact that the electrical and mech side of the scheduling got battered it really produced a depressed and angry atmosphere for months after. It can't be underestimated how f**king enraging it is to have one's livelihood whipped from under one's nose and to rub salt in you know that they have been hawked in a pub car park for a tenth of their value and gone straight up the nose of some 'shy as a sh!thouse rat' urban scratter:mad: (lat. chavus kleptomanicum twocii.)
 
Feel better now Carter?

*Pats him on the shoulder*

What an introductory post/rant! Welcome to the site mate!

Now run along and introduce yourself in the new members forum and hope to see more of you around here :)
 
I once use to paint my tools so it was very easy to spot them etc and makes life easier to find them if nicked and sold on a market stall etc.
 
Feel better now Carter?

*Pats him on the shoulder*

Actually...yes I do :) still bugs me though.

What an introductory post/rant! Welcome to the site mate!

Sorry about that, tend to get a bit aereated with things like that

Now run along and introduce yourself in the new members forum and hope to see more of you around here :)

Shall do just that when I've calmed down a bit :D
 

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