Do You Hide Keys on Equipment?

[norite]

I responded to the "Komsatsu Keys" thread where I stated I don't like to hide keys on equipment for use of operators, mechanics or float drivers, I prefer them to have their own keys. I got to wondering if hiding keys is common practice or not. I have found some rental machines delivered with keys in the switch, or hidden on the machine. What do you guys do?

 

[Buckethead]

Most operators and mechanics carry their own keys.

 

[nicky 68a]

Er.....yes I do..but it's extremely bad practice as if kids get them started........

 

[movindirt]

All our guys have their own sets of keys, so none are left in the machine.

 

[gtermini]

I guess I'm used to the idiot farmer world, where the keys are either in the ignition or the ash tray.

Greyson

 

[wornout wrench]

As a mechanic, I have 2 sets of master key that I have bought and another set of "special" ones of my own that I have built up over the years.

 

[kshansen]

Where I worked, quarry so machines were at the same place every night, keys were removed and were to be put in key box in the shop every night. About 25% of the time the keys would be home making noise in the dryer when the laundry was done! Nice thing about having mostly Cat equipment it was not a problem keeping a few spares. Over the road drivers who did transporting of equipment almost always had their own keys.

Just thinking of this reminded me of a problem I had many years ago. I was sent to pull oil samples out of some equipment at gravel bed and I got there just a few minutes before quitting time. No problem at that time we used the suction gun set up so did not need to run the equipment. Boss said "Do you need someone to stay and help?" "Nah" I said "I'll be done in 10 minutes!"

Pulled the last sample and made notes of equipment numbers and hours on the scraper and I was set to go. Made a u-turn next to the stock pile and then found out how loose the gravel is next to a fresh stock pile. Truck sank down almost to the axle! Did I mention this was before I had a spare key and they took them all home for the night. Also long before cell phones and also miles from anywhere easy to walk to. This was an old Cat scraper with the only key being the disconnect switch key. The actual strat switch was the "Heat/Start" switch in the dash. OK. I have a plan. A bit of a stretch but I was able to take a 1/2 bolt and jumper the disconnect switch and turn the start switch at the same time. Now I had something that could move and I had a chain, nose the scraper up to the front of the Chevy, connect chain and tow that truck back to solid ground. After that day learned two things, carry spare keys if at all possible and don't try driving a two wheel drive truck on loose gravel!

 

[td25c]

I guess I'm used to the idiot farmer world, where the keys are either in the ignition or the ash tray.

Greyson

LOL gtermini ! I'm about the same way . Keys for trucks & equipment stay at the job site hidden in plain sight . If I took them home they would get lost .

 

[old-iron-habit]

Most of my toys are to old to have keys. I added disconnects to most, and try to keep them a bit out of sight but one could find them by looking a bit.

 

[Jonas302]

Keys stay in the ignition

 

[fossill]

Most keys fit the same machine,Case,Bobcat and so on

 

[digger242j]

Just because I'm often jumping from machine to machine, to truck and back, I carry about four different key rings with the basic Cat, Kobelco, and Case keys on each, and then a couple of them have several truck keys, fuel tank keys, and tool box keys on them as well. There's probably the better part of a pound of keys in my pocket any time I'm not at work, so the chance of them getting into the washing machine is pretty low.

I sometimes help out a friend of mine, and I'm really not comfortable with his habit of hiding keys in the machine. Not long ago, two days in a row, I found his right hand man had left keys in the ignition of everything all night, not even bothering to hide them. I told him the story of friends of mine back in school, who grew up in a new subdivision where there was still work going on. (We're talking the 60s here.) They'd gotten a track shovel started, and moving. It ran in circles all night til it ran dry. I suggested that if that kids haven't changed that much, and one could get hurt or killed. Hopefully, he's stopped leaving them that way.

 

[grandpa]

This is a classic statement and oh so true these days. "Keys only keep honest people out"!!!

 

[FSERVICE]

I work on a lot of different equipment, I have found keys the owners didn't even know was hid on the equipment!! that being said there is 1 rental yard close by that when they deliver to a site with no one around always leave a key under the floormat or on the oil dipstick!! they have never had a problem doing this!! I have several rings of keys & a few "wore out keys" that will start some things that I don't have a key for

 

[Randy88]

We pull the key's and lock the machines each night as per insurance requires, it can get tiring to always have to look and take an inventory of the key's you'll need for the day each morning but after x number of years, its just routine.

I know a lot of people that don't bother to pull the key's and they seem to get by, I guess it all depends on what type of work you do and who you work for and where its done at.

 

[maddog]

I think along with this title it should also say address of vehicle

 

[digger doug]

I heard of a slightly different way, my neighbor described an old farmer would buy a new pick up truck,
put the key in, and break it off flush. The newer "steering wheel locking" locks do have those "ears"
to do the actual turning of the lockset, so I can see that method working, an older dash mount keyswitch
probably doesn't have any way to turn it on/off with out the key iself.

 

[old-iron-habit]

The company I retired from put gangbox style padlock boxes on almost all machines and used a dedicated keyway padlock system. Machines without keys had disconnects under a access panel with the panel padlocked. All employees that needed access had a company key. Different keys were used in the different divisions. I still have a dozen keys but that is all I ever needed. Cranes were an exception with the operators holding the door keys.

 

[Rajbir Lorriet]

I don't like to hide themselves. I keep them open.

 

[RobVG]

We hide them under the mat so they get wet muddy and rusty. That way we ensure the machine gets a new ign switch every year.....