Theft causes million of dollars in losses each year. As the economy gets worse, theft will probably continue to rise. Since tools are very expensive and they are the backbone to how we make money, it is vital we protect them. There are plenty of ways to protect your tools, but we found one at the Hardware show in Las Vegas that we thought was worth trying. This system is called the Cyclops Toolguard and it is a wireless alarm system that you can attach to your truck toolbox, a Gang Box or a number of other places. Cyclops offer 4 different versions depending upon your set up. For this we are using the Toolguard Solo TG 4000 which comes with the alarm and one remote.
Here is how the system works and for this we are using it on a truck box. The alarm is powered by three AA batteries. You mount the alarm on the box door using sticky 3m tape that is included. Once you alarm the system, it remembers the position of the alarm and uses that as the starting point. When in alarm mode any movement out of that positions will activate the alarm. So when the door is in the down position and it is armed, once the door is open, it activates the sensor and turns on the 110db alarm.
Overall the set up is a snap and a great way to help protect your items in your toolbox or anywhere else you can dream of. For the price of the alarm, it’s worth it. A couple downsides to this system is you can not leave the alarm armed all the time. Since it has a memory of when you arm it, movement causes it to activate. So when we had ours armed and drove down the street, it started whaling while we were driving. We thought it was funny, but the police didn’t see our point of view. Not that it is a big deal because why do you need it activated when you are driving. If someone steals your tools while your driving, you have bigger issues. However, it would be nice to set it and forget about it. We would like to see it have two remotes for the system. The higher versions come with two remotes. Also for those who want added security, they do have a system that you can mount under your truck hood. That way when they open the box, they can just rip off the alarm and silence it. Overall it seems to be designed more for the overnight storage or when you will be away from your truck for a long time.
Another good use for me is for my garage door. I have a detached garage and have a lot of tools in the garage. I do have a pad lock since the door it is not Automatic. This way I could arm the alarm and just leave it until I need it. We didn’t take an extract measurement, but it did work within 20′. Check out Toolguard.com for more info.
Win A Toolguard Alarm
We are using it on a truck box, but there are so many other uses for this alarm, as you can see on the YouTube comments below. Speaking of uses, just post how you could use this alarm and you will be entered to win a free alarm. Besides a truck box, one place I would use it is in my kids Spiderman lunch box. That way when he opens it in the small lunch room at school it will scare everyone. Ahh I couldn’t do that or could I?
