While growing up in Sweden in the eighties, my grandfather showed me the equipment he used to use doing just that, steal power, when he was a young farmer (in the twenties-thirties). Though the farm had power quite early it was easier to drive the 3-phase motor, used when threshing, directly from the poles. An obvious benefit was of course bypassing the meter.

Some years ago, while visiting my uncle who still lives on the same farm, I sought and found both the poles and the old threshing motor. The motor was enormous and mounted on a sled though rated for only 9-10 kW. It is not only semiconductors that keep getting smaller!