Thieves' New Tool to Defeat any Cat Shield in Seconds

With more and more of us putting cat shields on, it is just a matter of time before thieves will equip to defeat them as part of their standard method of operation. Here is the latest mini-cordless tool that will cut off the attachment points of any shield in seconds:






Here is the bigger brother cutting through steel like butter:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRTB7IS7qE0

I am looking to put a shield on myself, but it may be a very short term solution. I would not get too confident in any shield. Once enough trucks have them, the thieves will go to plan B.

 

Theft deterrent <> theft proof. Give anyone enough time and things will be stolen.

also, you’re video shows someone cutting through a steel stud which is nowhere near the same as plate steel or aluminum used in skids/cat protection devices.

 

True. No matter what deterrent you use, if they are determined, they will get what they want. Shields will probably work most times.
Kind of like wheel locks.

 

The point is it does not take much time. That saw will cut through cat protection just as easily as that stud. That was just the video I found that was short to post. There are other videos with much thicker steel and it cuts through them like butter. The comment about wheel locks above is spot on. Wheel locks are child's play for a thief. Good to have them, but they do not work against a savvy thief.

 

The whole point of the shields it to deter the scumbag thief, so they get the truck next to you.

That's all you can hope for.

 

Yes, I too, have seen Oceans 11

 

Not exactly. Aluminum and stainless plate is WAY different than a steel bolt. If the thief doesn't get the right blade, they won't make it 1/8 the way into the shield.

I don't think ppl that make a living stealing are well versed in metallurgy.

 

Y'all'd be surprised by crackheads. I've seen em start cars with a screwdriver, and use the same screwdriver to hook up cable from the neighbors house to the "other" neighbors house.

Make friends with your local crackhead.

 

But what if we are the local crackhead?

 

I want to be your friend apparently.

 

Yea - it’s possible to defeat - but really if a crook is that smart and well equipped - they are likely going after bigger fish than a converter.

I mean - I witnessed myself a couple who cut an access hole into a shipping container on a job site looking for copper wire. Unfortunately for them the project manager moved it the day before - and put a portable camera in the box.

The things I know about this level of crook are

- they are not the smartest
- they are lazy

Does not take much to outsmart or outwork them. They are looking for easiest targets / and won’t spend much time of there are easier targets to be had.

 

Friend of mine had someone cut a hole in his trailer because they didn't bother to check that it wasn't locked.

 

I guess we will see whether they gravitate toward this or not. I am putting a shield on my Tundra as well, but I think if too many folks do that then they will just add this one easy step to defeat them. A lot of you folks grossly underestimate these thieves. They are stealing cars and defeating all of the latest anti-theft devises, so using something like this small tool to remove a cat shield is not that hard to do and it takes very little extra time. I hope I am wrong, for my sake.

 

^^^This^^^ They would also need to go to HD or Lowe’s, buy the $180 tool and then charge the battery. In between firing up that pipe!

 

One must’ve never cut through plate steel with an angle grinder before. Because you’re equating 3/16 or greater steel plate (metallurgy varies) to a 25 ga steel framing stud. Using a small battery powered tool that has existed for quite sometime…

 

FIFY

 

Why bother getting a shield if you have so little confidence in them?
You might as well lay a battery-powered Sawzall under your truck when you park it.....

I'd bet if you went without your truck for 8 months waiting for cat parts, you might have a little more confidence in cat plates..
Thanks for thinking we are all stupid enough to think our cats are theft-proof because we invested in shields..

 

Well - I’m guessing if your clever enough to come prepared for cat guards - your smart enough to outwit security at your local big box hardware store and find a way to get around the loss prevention tags in the boxes. But yes - that requires planning and resourcefulness which is typically not a thing these guys have.

Odds are if they found a way to the local Lowes - their gonna skip the power tools section and head right to the spray paint aisle to get their fix immediately - versus going through all the effort of stealing tools, stealing cats and then selling to the recycling center for money to buy their fix.

 

That 20Ga stud is 3/80" thick, and I can cut it by hand with a pair of metal masters. Used to do it for a living. So no, it won't cut 3/16" plate "just as easily".

Yes, with the right blade it'll cut it, but it's also gonna' be WAYYY louder than a sawzall through exhaust pipe. Like you and I would probably use hearing protection kind of loud.

For the kind of increased time and noise the cat shields will add, I feel like most of the crackheads are gonna' move the half a block or 3 parking spaces away to the truck without shields.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0tv4SLoTX-c

 

Do you need me to post some videos of angle grinders cutting through 3/16 steel to prove you wrong? I can do it. I was a machinist for 11 years. I know exactly what angle grinders can do (we called them die grinders). You are dead wrong and must just like to argue about things that you do no know what you are talking about.

 

For the same reason I lock my doors (even though a thief can easily kick it in) and lock my car (even though a thief can easily break out a window). You people must either be stupid or just like to argue.

 

OP you don't need to mention cat shields to start a thread about the latest angle grinder you found

 

I guess what you missed about my post is that if the thieves start seeing enough of these shields, they will do what has to be done to get around the shield, which is easy to do with this tool. You are making the faulty assumption that there will always be more easy targets. That may change. I am now going to post some videos of a cut off grinder cutting through 3/16 plates to show you how easy it is. Stay tuned. Also, don't forget, most of these shields are aluminum (very few are steel), and surely you know that aluminum is even easier to cut through. Or are you going to argue about that too?

 

My takeaway is DAMN! another DeWalt tool I HAVE TO HAVE!!! (not to steal cats with)

 

your dad must’ve thought the same thing concerning prophylactics. Yet here you are…special member of the 18% crew.

 

Here is a video of 3/16 steel plate with an angle grinder. Child's play. Don't forget, most of you cheerleaders are buying aluminum plate shields, which can be cut twice as fast and they only need to be cut where the fasteners are located. Or better yet, just cut off the heads of the fastener bolts with a small batter operated rotary hammer drill with a chisel tool.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGPJtTKmMLM

 

Now that’s thinking with your dipstick!

might be the only logical thing you’ve said.

again, if you read my previous comment…metallurgy plays a significant part.

not sure what chapped your ass, but being a combative ass-hat, preaching your “superiority” to a bunch of strangers to make you feel good about yourself…I’m gonna say you won’t be well received.

 

I'm not even sure why this thread is here. It's not helpful to anyone (thieves maybe?) and it's not going anywhere good.