Keeping Track of Loaned-Out Tools

[28HopUp]

I am sure that there are many here who are reluctant to do it, but I will loan out my tools to family and friends when requested. It's all about karma, because there may be a time when I need to borrow something. But there will always be the case when a tool doesn't get returned, and after so much time I have forgotten who I loaned it to.

So I was wondering, what clever ideas do you guys have for keeping track of the tools you loan out? I was thinking of securing a small dry-erase board on the inside of a cabinet door in the garage, and using that to write down the name, date, and tool loaned out. Do you have any other good ideas to share?

 

[Frank The Plumber]

Easy, don't.

 

[lorne]

Don't use dry-erase... Too easy to lose the important list... Clipboard and Paper...

 

[clutch93]

Yea it's rough lending your tools, but you'd expect them to do the same if you were in a pinch. I haven't had any trouble with not getting stuff back, but I do have a pretty large DVD/Blu-Ray collection and I ended up making an excell spreadsheet with all of my movies listed.

It's really easy to set up a simple spreadsheet with the title/tool name, name of the person borrowing and the date they borrowed it. Keeps it simple and it can't be erased as easily as a white board. You can also send a copy to your email to keep incase your hard drive crashes or your computer is stolen.

 

[Interex]

Drivers license

 

[JeremyManning]

security deposit

 

[ihredo4]

I keep a 3X5 card file with card stock in my tool box. When I loan something out it has Who, What, When, Where and get them to sign it or its a no go. I then lock that cars in my box until the item comes back. The card gets disposed of in their presence then.

 

[Scoutman]

I keep track of it on a white board. It may not be the best way but it's better than nothing. JUST WRITE IT DOWN SOMEWHERE!!!! We have a large white board in the kitchen and I keep one corner blocked off for items loaned out. I will usually ping the loan-ee periodically to see if they're ready to bring back if it's been out too long. Sometimes all it takes is a reminder.

 

[zmotorsports]

I don't PERIOD!

I don't mean to sound like an ******* but I have gotten burned three times in the past and all three were expensive. One by a relative and twice by so-called friends.

I also look at that no one else will treat my tools like I do. I have seen the way some people toss torque wrenches on the bench (or floor) or drag air tools across the floor by the air hoses. Makes me cringe.

On the flip side though, I also do not like to borrow tools either.
Mike.

 

[PAToyota]

Drivers license

security deposit

Wife and/or girlfriend?

 

[Thruxton]

This just came up for me again this week with a very good friend, but my reply was as always, "I don't loan tools." It's not friendly, some folks take umbrage, but they don't ask again, which saves me a lot of trouble. I learned my curmudgeonly attitude working in a machine shop while I was in college (50 years ago) - asking to borrow a tool from a machinist there was liking asking to screw his sister, actually, maybe worse. I learned why, and then years later made it a policy for the mechanics in my own (bike) shop. My tools keep my farm running, my house in one piece, and my car on the road. And so they are too important to loan out. YMMV.

 

[OccupantRJ]

I keep a small notebook in my back pocket 24/7. It is my personal database and to-do list, as I have property in 5 counties, and countless shop projects going on at all times. Without it, I would not be very efficient in my activities. It also serves as my loan out list for tools and such, which only my true friends and sons get the privilege of.

 

[hetkind]

When I was involved in the overhaul of aircraft, we used the tool chit system...when a tool left, a "chit" or identifier card was put where the tool was, so with a single glance, we KNEW who had which tool...

 

[Frank The Plumber]

I don't PERIOD!

I don't mean to sound like an ******* but I have gotten burned three times in the past and all three were expensive. One by a relative and twice by so-called friends.

I also look at that no one else will treat my tools like I do. I have seen the way some people toss torque wrenches on the bench (or floor) or drag air tools across the floor by the air hoses. Makes me cringe.

On the flip side though, I also do not like to borrow tools either.
Mike.

I do! A guy with tools is a real popular guy, has a lot of "friends" then he gets to have friends of friends and on and on. Then his **** gets reloaned to friends of friends and he has to go hunting for his tools. Next thing he is an *** hole because he expects guys who damage his tools to repair them. Want to keep a good Friend charge him for work, When he needs work, pay him, keep it fair.

 

[383 240z]

For me to loan out a tool from my home collection, You had better be one hell of a friend, not some guy I kinda know, but a guy who I have keys to his house, you know the few good guys you really trust, as to when I was a hired wrench, I would loan tools to the entry level guys, twice, third time I would point them to the tool truck and tell them to spend some money. Keith

 

[Serj]

I don't necessarily mind loaning tools, but i like the 3-times and you're buying your own policy. You lose it you're buying me a better one, and if the tool's over $30 and you break/lose it, you better care/beg for mercy/ replace with same model/spec better condition than the original. example:

lose my wright wrench/socket? replace it. quickly!
break/lose/get stolen my Bosch Cordless drill? your *** better be hoping i don't "loan" you a sawzall to the hands.
lose my 3/8" socket kit? better be friendly with the local snap-on/armstrong/wright/cornwell dealer, cuz you're not making it up to me with a trip to Harbor Freight!

 

[december45]

I dont ... and true friends and good family wont even ask... they know

the problem with lending to anyone family friends what ever.. something is going to happen with that tool eventually and then you got problems.... i have thought hard about just having a tool box of tools i dont care about for lending out.... that might work.

 

[Bobbys60w427]

I have a dry erase board in the barn. I put their name , tool loaned and the date. I don't loan to just anyone. But I have been burned. But I like paybacks. One so called pal wanted to borrow my half inch torque wrench. the clicking kind. Brought it back and said it worked great as a braker bar. I went out, bought a new one and I loan him the old one everytime he wants it. He gets all the worn out broken tools.

 

[4000xt]

Offer to help out on what they are doing. Also if they dont own the tool for what they are doing maybe they should not be doing it in the first place.

 

[mmb617]

Loaning tools is almost never a good idea.

I loaned my bolt cutters to a family member who left them lay in the bed of his truck till they got rusty. No more tools for him.

I twice loaned tools to a friend then had to go get them myself when I needed them because he didn't return them when he was done with them. No more tools for him either.

My neighbor across the street is the only one I don't mine loaning tools to. He always takes care of them and cleans them up and returns them as soon as he's done with them. When he borrowed my hammer drill he needed a bit size I didn't have so he bought one and gave it to me when he returned the drill.

I would never ask to borrow a tool from anyone. I will buy or rent one first. Most people know I'm "funny" about my tools and won't ask to borrow them.

Even our son learned when he was pretty little that he could use the tools but they had to be cleaned and put back exactly where he got them promptly. Now he's an auto tech and he's "funny" about his tools too!

 

[jay50]

I would not loan my tools, but maybe trade their use for some time with their hot GF or wife...

 

[Vicegrip]

I have been burned many times but continue to loan some types of tools out. As much as we wrenching types like and appreciate tools they are just things in the big picture. (most)People are far more important. 99% of the time the tools come back on time and complete. This leaves both tool owner and person that used it all the better. It is the 1% that burns me up.

I do not loan gas powered tools out ever, period...I will kill a Saturday an go and cut the tree up before the 460 leaves the shop in someone else's hands.

I ended up resorting to making notes in a dedicated note book. When I can't find a tool I check the book to see if it is on loan and who to go get it from and then beat them with it.

 

[Wingnut65]

I have a box of colored key tags that I use. Right now, I have just a couple of friends that borrow tools and I use a different color for each. When they borrow a tool, I place their colored tag where the tool is stored - on the nail on the wall or in the tool box. When I reach for it next time, I know who has it. My problem is I don't date the tag.

Tags like these:

 

[Frank The Plumber]

I have a box of colored key tags that I use. Right now, I have just a couple of friends that borrow tools and I use a different color for each. When they borrow a tool, I place their colored tag where the tool is stored - on the nail on the wall or in the tool box. When I reach for it next time, I know who has it. My problem is I don't date the tag.

Tags like these:

I hope these are the keys to their garages so you don't hurt your foot kicking in their side doors retrieving your tools.

 

[NUTTSGT]

There's only a couple of people I will lend tools to, they are the only ones that I will ask to borrow one from too. That in itself is a rare occassion to borrow a tool.

I have a friend that writes down on paper who borrowed what, not just tools. If they fail to return them, their name gets moved over to the "big A-hole" list. It's in plain sight for all to see.

 

[rsanter]

I dont loan out tools very often but I do to select people that I trust will do the right thing.
overall for me it has worked out with very little trouble,
I recomend the use of a list like a small diary or notebook that will fit in the toolbox
you list what who and when

bob

 

[Brinskan]

Small notebook that stays in the top drawer of my tool box.

 

[LWW]

Looks like the small notebook in the tool box has a lead on all the other options.

I don't loan my tools out often, but I do loan myself out and my tools come with the deal. I've been "burned" but only on small items, nothing serious.

I like the list in the toolbox idea. Having spent the last 2 weeks trying to remember who borrowed my $250 heavy duty aluminum hand truck and finally stumbling across it at a friends house when I went to pick up a piece of equipment that he had fixed for me in trade for another piece of equipment. I loaned him the hand truck to help move it around and he returned it with the equipment when it was fixed! DOH!

It would have saved me 2 weeks of aggravation if I had a list to remind me where it had gone in the first place! Now I'm headed to WalMart for a 2x3" spiral bound notepad!

 

[scout57]

this **** happens to me all the time and I allways forget who and end up replacing the sht ....

 

[flatheadguy]

You can borrow ANY of my tools anytime you wish.
I simply get a 300% replacement deposit.
Cash only.

 

[jclem40c]

Lent out a log splitter once. 6 mos later it wasn't back yet. Went to get it and the borrower had lent it to someone else and I had to go retreive it from them. Lesson learned. Loaned tools are like loose women, once they get out of the house they forget to come home.

John

 

[fomocoforrester]

I never feel comfortable lending my tools, but refusing a loan sometimes makes me feel even worse, so I try to lend from my duplicates or spares collection that are headed to the flea market or e-bay. Then if they don't come back, it's no big deal, lifes too short to worry about it.

I don't lend anything with a cutting edge, electronic components, batteries, or that requires callibration. I'd rather go and do the job for them and rely on the karma effect and know there is no possibility of hidden damage.

 

[Skin]

I never feel comfortable lending my tools, but refusing a loan sometimes makes me feel even worse

a few moments of feeling bad is better than days or years of animosity toward a friend. I cant stand it when people borrow something and either dont tell me, dont bring it back, or do bring it back but its either filthy or cosmetically/functionally ruined.

Not for nothing but i'm the kind of guy where if i 'lend' you something, i want it back exactly how it left. No different. I feel the exact same when i'm on the other end borrowing something. I make sure to bring it back exactly as it left. If i lose it or it gets damaged, i'd replace it without thought.

All of this seems like common curtousy to me, but like common sense, its not entirely common.

 

[DanCo]

I only lend out tools to trusted and I mean TRUSTED people. At my last shop there was a tech, he's a real stand up guy. Over time we devloped a good friendship, to the point where we exchanged keys for our boxes. He had a Snappy Classic 96, loaded to the ****, he always told me if he gonna call out or if he is making road calls to treat his box like it were my own. And I gave him the same respect. Never had an issue with him. At the other shop I worked in, we worked in 2 man teams, so my partner would always ask to borrow, and when he was done he would make it a point to show me whatever he borrowed was going back into my box. And likewise I'd do the same. Back to OP i guess it comes down to trust, you know who the people who you work with. You know who they treat their tools. If they just chuck the **** on the floor then they don't care about their tools, let alone yours. I knew a tech who just go the closet box near the truck he was working and just take. That **** pisses me off. Who in their ******** mind would use a 1/2" torque wrench and use it as a breaker bar with a 1/2" impact gun on the other side?

It's all about the trust. Respect the man who lends you his tools...but respect his tools even more, that tool feeds his family.
My opinion.

 

[demographic]

I only lend tools to people of over 80 years old if they are accompanied by both parents





















Well, actually joking aside I do lend some tools out but only to trusted people and that takes a while to develop.

 

[brownbagg]

loan tools, harbor freight. I keep a box of harbor freight tool that can be loan out, you want my what.... snap on,,ha ha here a harbor freight , break it no problem.

 

[Thorold]

If I'm looking for ANY of my tools I know where to find them - they are at my buddy Tim's house.

To avoid loaning to my Son ( who just moved into a new house ) I keep giving him my old tools and buying new for myself..

 

[bazzateer]

Yea it's rough lending your tools, but you'd expect them to do the same if you were in a pinch. I haven't had any trouble with not getting stuff back, but I do have a pretty large DVD/Blu-Ray collection and I ended up making an excell spreadsheet with all of my movies listed.

It's really easy to set up a simple spreadsheet with the title/tool name, name of the person borrowing and the date they borrowed it. Keeps it simple and it can't be erased as easily as a white board. You can also send a copy to your email to keep incase your hard drive crashes or your computer is stolen.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^ THIS!

 

[ZRX61]

The last time someone borrowed one of my tools was the final straw...

He borrowed a 1/4 drive 9/16 wobble socket to remove a nut on the exhaust clamp of a P&W R2800 radial. It was a tight fit so he took a grinder to the socket. Ground off so much metal it cracked in half when he tried to use it. Then he just handed it back to me.
It BARELY misssed the back of his head as he walked away...

 

[LWW]

The last time someone borrowed one of my tools was the final straw...

He borrowed a 1/4 drive 9/16 wobble socket to remove a nut on the exhaust clamp of a P&W R2800 radial. It was a tight fit so he took a grinder to the socket. Ground off so much metal it cracked in half when he tried to use it. Then he just handed it back to me.
It BARELY misssed the back of his head as he walked away...

Holy ****! I can't imagine someone that disrespectful with someone else's tools. I probably would have decked him.