Industry approval for Block Stem security system

Users of the Block Stem security system who are insured with JCB Insurance, are now eligible to receive up to 40% reduction in their premiums when it is fitted to agricultural tractors, construction plant vehicles or other self-propelled machinery.

Block Stem is marketed in the UK by Wolverhampton-based Derwent Trading International and has received full Thatcham accreditation. A low cost system, it is priced from just £240, complete with five year warranty and a money back guarantee against failure.

According to company director Richard Baxter, the secret of Block Stem’s success is its simplicity, its non-use of electronics, and its ability to do the job required – which is to prevent theft.

"Thieves are becoming ever more adept in their ability to overcome electronic immobiliser systems," he says. "The Block Stem is unique in being not only a simple mechanical means of immobilising a vehicle but is also a visual deterrent."

The Block Stem comprises just two sections, each made from hardened C40 steel which, when deployed, are locked together around a vehicle’s extended steering axle ram. This prevents the vehicle being steered and, should it be driven, restricts it to only going round in circles.

The Block Stem is locked and unlocked using a unique key and when the unit is not in use, it can be stored away in the tractor’s tool box.

With models to fit ram diameters from 22mm to 50mm and ram lengths from 80mm to 200mm, sizes which will accommodate the vast majority of steering rams, it is also possible to have bespoke units built to order.

"That a prestigious company such as JCB Insurance has chosen to offer heavily reduced premiums for users of the Block Stem is a serious endorsement of the system," comments Mr Baxter. "The Block Stem is inexpensive, simple and, above all, extremely effective."