Massey Ferguson is fighting rural crime by now fitting the CESAR Security system as standard on all models from the MF 5400 Series and above. This added protection is proven to prevent theft as well as provide significant cuts in insurance premiums.

“Agricultural machinery theft continues to blight the industry,” says Ben Agar AGCO’s Manager, Marketing Services for UK and Ireland. “By factory-fitting CESAR we are making a practical move to help prevent theft. We believe, as a manufacturer, it is important to act responsibly and introduce measures to help our customers to not only protect their investment, but also guard against the massive unseen costs that often follow machinery theft.”

The CESAR plant and vehicle registration scheme is now standard on all tractors built in the Massey Ferguson Beauvais factory including all models in the MF 5400, MF 5600, MF 6400, MF 7600 and MF 8600 ranges. For further protection Massey Ferguson also offers the option of AGCOMMAND - a GPS and telemetry-based tracking and monitoring system. This protects against theft by automatically sending instant alerts to owners when a vehicle leaves or enters certain areas, as well as providing a comprehensive fleet management system.

CESAR - Industry-standard security

Research shows CESAR equipped vehicles are four times less likely to be stolen and six times more likely to be recovered if taken.

The scheme provides highly visible, tamper evident triangular identification plates containing transponders to warn away thieves. Other tiny transponders are also hidden around the machine, which can be located and read by special scanners.

Hundreds of Datadots, with another unique number, are permanently concealed within the vehicle. These are virtually impossible to find and remove. Lastly, a forensic Datatag ‘DNA solution’, which is invisible to the naked eye, is applied to various parts of the machine and dripped into nooks and crannies.

This permanent identification deters criminals because it makes it far more difficult to conceal the machine’s true identity. But if a machine is stolen, it is much more likely to be recovered and returned because Police forces around the country carry scanners to quickly check and identify equipment.

Each machine is registered on a central database, with an emergency contact number. One recent example is a machine that was recovered near to the docks by a Police Officer suspicious of the load. A quick call to the owner confirmed the machine was missing from the shed – saving the owner thousands of pounds.

AGCOMMAND telemetry for security and control

AGCOMMAND, an advanced telemetry system developed by AGCO can also be used to track, monitor and control vehicles using GPS and a mobile telephone link to the internet.

This innovative system ensures owners know exactly where all machinery is at any time, night or day, as well as providing customers with a low cost, easy to use data recording and fleet management system. For iPhone and iPad owners, the system is even now easier to use with a new AGCOMMAND App, which can be downloaded from the App Store.

The first level of the new telemetry system, AGCOMMAND Standard Plus can be installed on any self-propelled machine. The system constantly logs and transmits data relating to location, engine operation, ground speed and working status, which can be easily monitored from a PC or smart ‘phone or tablet.

It will also keep owners and managers informed about routine maintenance requirements and this information can also be made available to the servicing dealer via a separate log in the AGCOMMAND server. All the data is recorded to common standards so it can be used by farm management software to create precise records and, for example, enable the calculation of operating costs.

The vehicle’s position is located by GPS and this, along with operating data is recorded every minute by the AGCOMMAND AM50 module which then transmits the data by a standard mobile phone SIM card, via the GSM network to AGCO’s central computer server.

The operating information is then made available on a special secure website. Individual user’s data is protected by a username and password and is accessed simply through a secure internet connection on a PC or via a mobile device.