Datatool Fortress 3 garage Defender.

[mpjbiker]

Hi all, the thieving scumbags round my way had another crack at my garage recently. After losing a bike before christmas, I made it like Fort Knox, with all the bikes chained and ground-anchored, galvanised steel bar at waist height padlocked into 5mm steel brackets inside the door, chav mine shotgun blank tripwire, and datatool defender.
This is what they made of the Defender;

SOCO reckoned it was bolt croppers. I'm really disappointed that an Sold Secure approved and tested device which is "designed to deter the most determined thief" was so easily breached. I've e-mailed my concerns to Datatool, but as yet have received no reply. The thing which saved my bikes appears to be the chav mine, which hopefully frightened the crap out of them! The police thoughtfully left my garage door wide open, so that anyone passing could have a good poke around and recce my security ready for the next attempt-useless tossers!

 

[billyt53]

Determined cretins they were!!!

 

[STUBBS]

thats scarey thats what i use, mind you just prooves if theyre determined theyll find a way around the problem

 

[shuck raider]

Glad to hear your bikes are OK, but it's a bugger when you can't leave stuff in a secure garage without the worry of wee scrotes having a tilt at it. No great advert for Datatool either, be interested to hear their reply when you get it.

Love the thought of the chav mine going off in an enclosed space, hope it busted their friggin' eardrums Pity you couldn't use some of these to re-arm it next time

 

[alimey4u2]

As a possible point of interest, I went to a notable motorcycle insurance site & requested a quote including my security device ( after checking their long list.) I then requested a quote without.....
You guessed it, no f*cking difference in cost. So I said to myself, why would they go through all that trouble listing all these devices for you/me to peruse/select ?
The only answer can be, "Well Sir we can't pay out as the security device you said was in place was in fact not"...

Ps Digressing, sorry to hear of your attempt at thievery...

 

[mpjbiker]

Still no reply from Datatool-not even a computer generated acknowledgement, pretty disappointing, I reckon. I'll give it a couple more days, then I'll write to their Managing Director, enclosing photos, and invite their comments.
Been thinking about the design of the door defender. I'm guessing that it's the way it is (i.e so the bar is several inches up the door and the metal plate is easily accessible) to allow for a certain amount of slope in front of the door. If the drive/door angle is 90degrees-ish, it would be far better to have the plate tight on the mount and flush with the door. I probably haven't explained that very well, but it is fairly logical. I might get a couple more bits of steel welded to the replacement I bought so that there is like a square section-should slow down the thieving feckers for a bit longer!

 

[davegs]

Security

There was a U tube vidieo on here a few weeks ago when it showed in a demo on of these massive square section sold secure chains a pair of bolt croppers went through it in 24 seconds!!. Just shows if they are detiermined
it will go. Along with your security devices put a good alarm with a loud
sounder this will put them off as they can't stay there long enough as some one will appear e ven if just to complain about the noise. Put the bell box in a prominent position I'm sure this will help. I thought of wiring things up to the mains electricity supply but I just know who would grab hold of it first!, especially during an early start being half asleep!.
Do try an alarm system not expensive and easy to fit, get a wireless alarm and there's no wiring to do easy installation and they work.
dave GS. PS, don't put too many details on here, just remember even scumbags can read and use a computer

 

[swissrob]

There was a U tube vidieo on here a few weeks ago when it showed in a demo on of these massive square section sold secure chains a pair of bolt croppers went through it in 24 seconds!!.

some of them lasted about 3 seconds so much for the sold secure and thatcham tested marks = means feck all.

 

[PIGGLET]

Thieving swines! Glad your mine worked. The thing that's put me off security devices like the datatool is that they're mounted outside. If you've got another way into the garage apart from the up and over door could you weld some L shaped brackets on the bottom of the door through which you could drop locking pins into the garage floor?

 

[mpjbiker]

Hi all, just to update you, I've just spent a very frustrating half hour on the phone to Steven Bright at Datatool. Just to clarify, the Fortress 3 is neither Sold Secure or thatcham approved, but the claim on the website is "designed to beat the most stringent security tests".
Apparently, my mistake was assuming thet the device would stop someone from getting into my garage-this is not what it is designed for. It is designed so that it takes the thief longer to get into the garage......about three or four minutes, it seems. In my book, a thief with a pair of bolt croppers and three or four minutes to spare is not "the most stringent security test". I'm a realist, and I'm perfectly aware that most devices can be overcome in time and with the right equipment, but I think we are being ripped off. Steven Bright was unrepentant, and refused to accept that the device was unfit for purpose, neither replacement or refund was offered, and his only suggestion was to contact the supplying dealer. When I said that I could get my local blacksmith to knock up a similar device for a few quid, he was unable to disagree.
I've just spent a few minutes on the UKKtm forum watching the Thatcham and Sold Secure approved chains being cut through with bolt croppers in under a minute-why do we allow ourselves to be conned by the manufacturers?
I think most of us need to review our security-it seems that most of the stuff being marketed is almost a complete waste of money, it will buy you a few extra minutes, that's all!