The Best Ways To Protect Your Mower From Theft & Secure It Outside

Not every homeowner has a shed or garage to lock their expensive garden equipment up in at night, which unfortunately leaves our garden tools open to thieves and opportunistic theft attempt. 

So if you have no choice but to leave your lawn mower outside, your probably wondering how you can secure your garden and make it less of a target for theft, some of these ways could be; by using padlocks, a lock-up storage box, CCTV and more. 

To help you secure your mower from garden theft, we have composed a short article below with some simple security measures you can implement to reduce the likelihood of a thief taking your lawnmower. 

Is Lawnmower Theft a Thing?

For most of us, lawnmower theft is something we don't hear about that often, and in terms of theft, they aren't much of a target for thieves due to their sheer size, however, if your garden is exposed, then the risk of theft is much higher, especially for an opportunistic thief which is passing by.

Many lawnmowers now have active security features too such as GPS on robot lawn mower security and alarms on others, making all these new security features less appealing to a thief. 

Ways to Secure Your Lawnmower Outside 200

If you are still worried about your lawnmower being stolen when stored outside, there are some simple security tips you can implement around your garden to make it a less appealing target for thieves. 

We have listed out some ways to make your mower more secure outside below. 

• Secure with padlocks - One of the most obvious but underrated ways to secure your lawn mower from equipment from theft is by using a strong padlock to secure the mower to something heavy, this will make it less easy for a thief to take it and run.
• Install a security light - Motion security lighting is very off-putting for thieves and can reduce the risk of theft from the secure garden by a huge amount, this can also alert you to any unusual movement outside. 
• Invest in CCTV - CCTV can not only help you catch thefts from gardens and identify the person but will also put thieves off from entering your property.
• Don't leave keys near the mower - A simple way to protect your equipment from theft is by making sure you don't leave the key start near the mower. 
• Use a storage box - For those of us who don't have sheds, it could be worth investing in a lock-up storage box for your lawnmower which can be secured with locks, this not only can prevent a determined thief from taking your mower but will also protect the equipment from rust and pests around your backyard. 
• Make it less visible - Many times, an opportunistic thief will only take a lawnmower from a garden if they see it, so hide your mower from view with some tarp or behind an ornament or even a tree! Don't leave your mower visible to a public street where passers-by can see. 
• Get an alarm - You can buy a padlock alarm for your mower which will set off an alarm sound when someone tries to break it, this can act as a deterrent for thieves and will give you a period to get to the mower.
• Have insurance on your equipment from theft - To protect your expensive equipment from theft you can get insurance for it under a homeowners insurance policy or separate insurance provider.

How To Secure Your Lawnmower To a Tree 

Padlocking your lawnmower up outside when left alone is very effective and can be done by locking up your equipment to a tree, you can even buy a lock with an alarm function for added security. 

We have listed some steps to securing both a riding mower and a standard push mower to a tree below to help protect it from thieves.

Securing a Push Mower 

• Step One - Find a large tree trunk with a good diameter and wrap the chain around the tree till both ends meet the mower, use a nylon cover to prevent scratching the lawnmower.
• Step Two - Wrap the chain around any fixed points on the mower's body such as its wheels than the handle itself, don't just wrap the chain around the handle as a thief can remove this.

Securing a Riding Mower 

• Step One - Find a large tree like the above and wrap a chain around till both ends of it reach the riding mower, use a very long chain and wrap it all around the mower's body. 
• Step Two - Overlap any excess chain then insert a u-lock through the wheels of the mower to make the equipment less easy to be moved.

Storage Tips For Leaving Your Mower Outside 

If you are planning on leaving your lawnmower outside all the time, then it's a good idea to store it properly, not just so as it is protected from thieves from a security perspective. 

For example, if you are going to be storing your mower outside over winter then you would need to winterise it and make sure you are doing storage steps such as draining the fuel. 

• Add a rust protector - Having your mowers blades outside will increase the chance of rust occurring, adding a protector can stop this from getting too bad.
• Keep it raised off the ground - Building a small platform for your mower to sit on outside can keep it away from flooding and pests.
• Cover with a tarp - A tarp will make your mower less visible to thieves and also protect it from sunlight and water. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Protecting a Mower From Thieves 

How much does insurance cost for a lawnmower in the UK?

This comes down to the individual company and the amount of garden equipment that you are insuring, some companies can offer deals from £90 a year, however.

Do robot lawnmowers get stolen? 

The theft of robot lawnmowers is lower than normal lawnmowers due to the number of security features they have such as GPS and an alarm system, which make them trickier to take as a thief.

Why should you never just secure the handle of a lawnmower with a padlock?

A professional thief will be able to unbolt a handle of a lawnmower easily, giving them access to take the whole mower freely if you have not chained the whole body up.

Final Words 

Overall, the risk of theft happening to your mower all comes down to the neighbourhood you live in, how visible your lawnmower is to thieves and how secure your garden is.

As long as you take the steps above to secure your lawnmower in your outside space this will help reduce the likelihood of your mower getting stolen, investing in some security features such as security motion lights or CCTV can also help deter thieves.