Ever let someone borrow your tools and they abuse them?

[jjjrmx5]

It's not even others borrowing. I think it's more like no one will respect your property as much as you do.

That's exactly it.

If people (including friends, family and neighbors) do not use or have never used tools to make a living, they will likely have little respect for thier own much less yours.

I have a neighbor who each year aasks to borrow my drillers sledge to pound in her tomatoe stakes. This spring I;ll likely buy here her own so she gets the point.

Had a previous neighbor ask to borrow my Bosch drill driver to do some interior P&D with. Week went by and it never was returned. I let it slide a few days beyond that and asked for it back. If you can't do the job in a day or two for which the tool was borrowed for, then you need to buy your own.

Like others here, if someone needs something beyond fasteners or disposables, I come along to assit and then take the tools back home.
At work I lend tools to close coworkers, but never to someone I know less than well.

Buggered tools by friends and neighbors only has to happen once or twice befores the lending rules change.

 

[JD6619A]

Caught our parts manager going thru my tools one day, acted like nothing was the matter, he got my concern when I completely lost it when he was using a my 3lb mini sledge on a precision screwdriver to unstick a stuck screw in his hole punch (jammed), I think everybody in the city of Ottawa heard me when all hell broke loose, then after the loaning of tools from me ceased completely btw haven't talked to the parts manager since (3 yrs) I deal with his "***"-istant for parts

 

[IDidntDoIt]

Next time you need a pin punch, ask to borrow a pen or something of his, and use a drilling hammer to punch it in... give it back to him after it's turned inside out

 

[lwlobo]

I'll lend stuff to my Dad, brothers, BIL, FIL. They're all responsible.

I lent my airless sprayer to my BIL one time and it came back quite a bit cleaner than it left. He must have scrubbed those old paint spots pretty thoroughly.

I try to return things in as good or better shape than when you got it. A new pack or refill of blades/filters/fuel/etc is usually cheap rent for a borrowed tool as well.

I rode my uncle's snowmobile one weekend and had to replace the drive belt with the spare while on the mountain. Came home, found a new OEM belt on ebay and had it delivered to him later that week. He was pleased.

 

[ihredo4]

When I was working in the machine shop 2 or 3 people had access to my spare key. They knew they could borrow as needed if they just returned in the same condition a they got it. They also gave me access to their tool box also and everything was the same with them. No body else could borrow anything.

At home the box is locked and a key hid close at hand.Not even my dad knows where the key is. But 3 of my closest friends know where the key is and what is where in any drawer. I have a 3x5 card stock and pen in a drawer for them. That way they can wright down who what when where etc of the tool. That way if something is missing I know where it is. If that is not done they lose the priviledge of access to the tools. We do have a great relationship though. We don't each buy high dollar tools. One person will by say an OBD and we share back and forth but its home is the guy who bought it. If I borrow it from the owner I can't loan it to one of the others. Works for us.

 

[cide1]

When I started out, Harbor Freight was all I could afford. I have slowly replaced most of my Harbor Freight with Dewalt, Craftsman, and Snap On. When I upgrade to a better tool, I keep a box in the corner of the old ones. This way, when people need to borrow, I can say "I'm using this one, but I have this one over hear to loan."

I don't offer to loan out to many people, and when I do, I only loan out stuff that I won't get too bent out of shape over. With that said, people are more important to me than things, and I don't want to lose friends just cause they have a different understanding of how to care for tools.

 

[slob]

I stopped lending things out when I came in to find the entire contents of my toolbox spread out all over the shop, at least what wasn't missing. Turns out the worthless piece of garbage who owns the shop took it upon himself to assist a whole crew of non-union yard laborers in doing some under-the-hat work in the shop well into the night, and they used my tools to do it. That was the day I started bringing my tools home with me. It was also the day I stopped respecting his tools. For months afterwards every time I saw something of his laying around I threw it in the dumpster.

 

[wreckercologist]

My boss borrowed my 36" prybar today..........snapped the tip off. I guess that'll give the Snap-on guy something to do when he comes by next week.

I'm the highest payed hourly employee in the shop, and most senior too. I needed to borrow things when I was younger, so I try not to be a **** about loaning stuff out, but some of these people are leeches. When I come across one of the "leeches", I tell them: It is not my responsability to provide you with the means to earn a living.

It's tough. A young guy just starting out, doesn't have much or make much money.........you've got to try to help them out to a certain point. It also helps if they're buying what they can in the meantime.

 

[canuckian]

I have a few hand boxes full of tools I've upgraded from. If someone needs to borrow something, it comes from those boxes. If they bring the tools back in good shape and promptly, they can continue to borrow them. If they break them and don't repair or replace the tool or don't bring It back, their borrowing privileges get revoked. But no way in hell can anyone borrow from my roller box or carts. just isn't happening.

 

[Lomotil]

I have a guy I'd trust. He's lent me his chain saw, twice. And after returning it the second time he commented how it came back running better than when he gave lent it to me. I make sure stuff like the bar oil is a new container and the chain is sharp. It makes an impression leaving something better than when I got it.

The last time I saw him he told me I "could borrow the saw anytime I wanted, it's like a free tune-up." I know, now, if he needed anything of mine, it'd be taken care of just as well.

Say, would you like to borrow my lawnmower?

 

[-Brent-]

Say, would you like to borrow my lawnmower?

The grass hasn't moved and inch since October, can you get it here for March?

 

[Beaumont67]

The GOOD - The BAD - The UGLY:

Close friends borrows my vintage chainsaw and hadn't been used in years.
Wouldn't start, so he searched down a carb kit ($10) and rebuilt it...wouldn't take a dime.


New friend borrowed my mint Miller 150 with bottle.
His brother had his welder and it was a few hours away.
I made it perfectly clear, use nozzle dip often, keep leather apron on, covering top / keeping sparks off it and don't run a grinder near it, throwing grit, all over the welder case.
- unit came back perfect, with no buildup of slag in nozzle

Guy gave me a free D/A grinder, for lending him my mig welder. (and I wasn't expecting anything)
- he never used enough gas, to worry about - and I told him this in advance
- before I left, he gave me a spare auto-darkening helmet...for free, he wasn't using

Now he has 2 of my 7 ton jack stands, supporting a Ford pickup cab...and their in good hands.
- LOL - he sold the jack stands, to me a month ago...$5 each / I got all four


But I have been burned, a few times:
a) Lent my 5" angle grinder to a good neighbors dead beat brother.
Came back all covered in fiberglass body filler.
Next time - no tools for him, when he asked
b) new neighbor asked for my 3/8 drill, and someone dragged it by the cord, across roof shingles.
I was not impressed, with new found scratches.
- next he wanted my Oxy/Act. torches & tanks...I said they were out of gas.
- next he wanted to use my Miller mig (in his driveway)...I said he did not have 220V, 50 amp plug
(he finally got the message)

 

[Lomotil]

The grass hasn't moved and inch since October, can you get it here for March?

WTF is grass?

This is strictly a weed-whacker on wheels...

 

[G1GRANDEUR]

It's tough. A young guy just starting out, doesn't have much or make much money.........you've got to try to help them out to a certain point. It also helps if they're buying what they can in the meantime.

Many techs were like you where I worked. Chill and helpful.

 

[gatewaysysop]

Ahh yes, the topic of having been burned loaning tools.

I have been burned before, as has probably most anyone that's loaned enough tools (or anything of value for that matter).

I think the problem is this whole attitude of "what's the big deal, it's just a wrench/socket/whatever" from the crowd that you often borrow stuff to. They don't have the same respect because they don't understand that some people take care of their tools, that some tools cost more because they are good quality and that some people have an attachment to their tools. That's usually either in part as a result of the investment or difficulty in acquiring the thing (say, vintage items), which also goes largely unappreciated by the borrower. I know that ignorance isn't tolerance but this has been my experience so far.

There are people I work with that I shudder to even borrow a pen to, much less an actual tool or equipment of some kind. I literally keep "throw away" pens on my desk to hand out when someone wants to borrow one. Unfortunately, it would cost too much to have (and store, and repeatedly replace) throw away tools at home, so I refuse to even bother with that.

Fortunately nobody really asks to borrow tools from me at this point, which saves me the trouble of having to say no.

 

[Solo]

From Shakespeare's Hamlet, 1602:


LORD POLONIUS:
Neither a borrower nor a lender be;
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry

Solo

 

[MD11]

I don't make a living with my tools and they hardly get any wear as a result. I'm also borderline OCD about them.. as such, nobody borrows them Period.

 

[nit2wn]

Since I posted the bad, here's the good. I been friends with a guy for going on 20 yrs. He asked about borrowing my F250 4x4 to go to Louisiana. I normally don't loan out vehicles that expensive. I usually toss them the keys to one of our cheap beaters, but he's different and really what I call family. I had no problem with him borrowing the truck, just he'd never owned a diesel. So I warned him of the $100 fill ups in his future for going two states over and agreed to it. I checked the truck over, filled it up with fuel and swapped pickups. He gave me his regular cab for my extended cab [he needed the cab room for his new daughter]. I took his to work and then home under the same shed where mine sits, after a top off. I told him he owed me nothing but if he had time, just to kinda throw a rag at it, but no money. He brings it back, full of fuel, washed and a $100 bill on the console. I knew he would be that sneaky, which is why I dumped high test in his with fuel injection cleaner too.

 

[Alchymist]

From Shakespeare's Hamlet, 1602:


LORD POLONIUS:
Neither a borrower nor a lender be;
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry

Solo

Funny, I was thinking of that same quote when I started reading this thread.

Easy way to a decision when someone wants to borrow:
Ask yourself "Can I do without this tool, or afford to replace it?".
If the answer is no.....

A few years ago when we moved into the neighborhood, our next door neighbor brought his small tractor with bucket over to pull a couple of fence posts for us. Since I had more to do, he offered to leave it. I told him that while I appreciated the offer, I would decline, as if I should break it I couldn't afford to repair it, and was unwilling to take the chance.

 

[JMorrison4371]

A guy I work with has a nice little Kobalt box, and I have my KRL Snap On beside it towering over it. He has practically all the tools he needs. However, he uses my tools and it drives me completley insane. What bothers me the most is 1. he slams my drawers shut making the drawer liners slide towards the back of the drawer 2. instead of neatly placing the tool back in it's place like i have em organized, he just throws em in the drawerand slams it shut and 3. probably the worst of all, when he uses one of my ratchets, he puts it back in my box, covered on old motor oil. I tell him constatnly to please clean em off when hes done and put them in their place, no effect, finally i started tellin him to stay the hell out of my tool box, and he just looks at me like im crazy and says "why?" i would kick his *** for it, but then we'd both get fired, not worth it i don't think. that being said, he does not touch my snap on stuff at all i make sure of that

 

[plumber84]

My old boss used to buy the cheapest crappiest tools he could find because he said if he lost one on a job it woudn,t cost a lot replace it but when we worked on the same jobs together outa my truck he liked to try an use my expensive tools, so he,d use them then practicaly destroy them because he had zero respect for tools of any description. i would then go and buy a replacement with the company credit card he gave me so at the end of each month when he got his CC bill he would hit the roof and ask why id spent his money replacing my damaged tools, so i said i expected my tools returned in the same condition that he borrowed them in, he didnt borrow my tools after that.

 

[MD11]

You poor tradesmen and professional who have to put up with people touching your stuff. I know I'd personally lose it if someone just reached into my box and grabbed a Snapon and abused it, when he's got an box full of HF garbage of his own.

On the other hand, if his tools and tool box looked like mine, and he showed me he took care of them, I might look the other way if he once in a while grabbed one (so long as it came back to where it left).

 

[porschedude996TT]

When I worked on the flight line at an aircraft mfg, there were people that had the very basics and were always asking and taking if I was on a flight test. I started locking my boxes when I was gone and this same guy with the basic tool set taxies out of area and blows my tool box over. I had a lot of small hardware in a couple of drawers that didn't covers on the trays. That hardware was all over the inside of the box and lets say no longer sorted...

 

[Busted Bolts]

Snap on had the greatest sticker " I make my living with Snap On Tools DON'T ask to borrow"

 

[MD11]

When I worked on the flight line at an aircraft mfg, there were people that had the very basics and were always asking and taking if I was on a flight test. I started locking my boxes when I was gone and this same guy with the basic tool set taxies out of area and blows my tool box over. I had a lot of small hardware in a couple of drawers that didn't covers on the trays. That hardware was all over the inside of the box and lets say no longer sorted...

were you in Long Beach by chance?

 

[Drisco Z71]

I'm glad that I don't work in a shop like many of you describe. Although I am guilty of using ratchets as a hammer, it's my ratchet and I'll do as I please with it.

 

[idoitproject]

I learned to use a ratchet as a hammer from my dad. With that being said, he does not have the same appreciation for tools I do.

My younger brother asked if I had some extra tools he could have. I gave him a cheapo plastic box with a hammer and screw drivers and said that I will go thru my stuff and give him sockets and wrenches next week. Well, I went to his house a few days later after it had just rained. The box was outside open with water pouring out. Let's just say that he never got the sockets and wrenches from me.

My other brother had this ****** old craftsman box with all broken slides. I gave him my craftsman box which was very well taken care of. My box now looks like his ****** box.

 

[mrbreezeet1]

I'm glad that I don't work in a shop like many of you describe. Although I am guilty of using ratchets as a hammer, it's my ratchet and I'll do as I please with it.

right, if it's
yours, it's different.

I got my own story/version of stories like above, don't feel like getting my self worked up talking about it right now, but here is my new rules at work. This was pretty much directed to one person, we would/had permission/understanding it was OK to go in each others box, but He got out of hand.
Hope I get the new job this year. I can't stand some of the people I work with.
Very un-professional setting.

1. Don't take my tools home with out permission.

2. No going in my box's anymore, if you want to borrow something, come and get me.

3. If I am not there Don't take it.

4. Tools will be returned by the end of each day.

5. Tools will be returned in the same condition as I lent them out in.

6. Get your self some hammers and Chisels, I'm tired of you beating the **** out of mine. I buy tools, you can too.

7. Find your own creeper, don't just grab mine. (The headrest lock is gone from mine and I know I did not loose it.)

8. I will give you and your tools the same respect.

 

[JMorrison4371]

It would be different if the guy asked me, or put them back in their place. But he just walks up, grabs them, and leaves them lying around, and he expects me to leave my box unlocked on days that I'm not there so he will "have some tools to work with." But for some reason I think he's under the impression that I bought my box and all my tools for he and I to use. That is most definately not the case. It really pisses me off and I've told him and told him and it's just like it goes in one ear and out the other.

 

[Bronson]

I used to loan My next door neighbor tools, but no more. He broke My Big floor jack. How the HELL do You break a floor jack?! didnt even offer to pay for it. He ruined a jigsaw I loaned Him. I could go on......I was closing down My box one Friday afternoon, and My largest Snap-on flat blade screwdriver was missing. I found a co-worker USING IT FOR A CHISEL, trying to cut the head off a monel rivet. Beating on it with a BIG HAMMER that He had borrowed from another mechanic. I told Him if He ever went in My box again I would break His arm. He turned Me in to the union and I got written up. I kicked His *** a couple years later, off the clock.......

 

[plumber84]

I used to loan My next door neighbor tools, but no more. He broke My Big floor jack. How the HELL do You break a floor jack?! didnt even offer to pay for it. He ruined a jigsaw I loaned Him. I could go on......I was closing down My box one Friday afternoon, and My largest Snap-on flat blade screwdriver was missing. I found a co-worker USING IT FOR A CHISEL, trying to cut the head off a monel rivet. Beating on it with a BIG HAMMER that He had borrowed from another mechanic. I told Him if He ever went in My box again I would break His arm. He turned Me in to the union and I got written up. I kicked His *** a couple years later, off the clock.......

Good man.