Ever loan a tool and forget who to?

[ToocoolZ28]

I know a lot of guys dont loan tools at all but I will loan a few things. I have an engine crane that I bought new about 15 years ago, I only use it a few times a year so I will loan it to my friends. About 3 years ago I got to looking around my shop and it occured to me that I hadnt seen the crane for a while so I started looking for it. I looked everywhere in the shop including the loft, outside in the small shed and anywhere else I could think of. I called a buddy that hangs around and helps out at my place a lot and asked him about it, he thought he remembered me loaning it to another friend of ours so I called him. After talking to the other friend I did remember loaning it to him about 4 months ago, but he had loaned it to another friend of ours. So.... I called the other friend, he still had it but couldnt remember who it belonged to. I went to pick it up the next day and it looked like it was brand new, clean and shiney.
Anyway I dont think I'll be loaning it out anymore. Its my own fault for not keeping track of it.
BTW when I first bought it I went to a print shop and some large stickers made that say "DO NOT LEAVE OUTSIDE IN THE WEATHER" and put them all over it. Everyone that used it stored it inside.

 

[littletoes]

YES!

Hard to get me to loan one out now these days....Loaned out a bunch of Snappy stuff when I was a young guy....never was sure if I ever got it all back.

 

[coolreed]

Yepper, I have been there done that. I only loan tools to my very good friends. And I have forgot about the loan because it was a seldom used specialty tool. Then about six months after you loan it out and need that tool you forget (sometimes) who you loaned it to. Arrggghh!

Anyway, I have a little black book now that I keep in my tool box with whomever I loaned a tool too and what it was. Problem solved,..if I loan a tool.

 

[DaleK]

Had a handy little air pig that a neighbour borrowed, kinda remembered it in the back of my mind but I wasn't looking for it.... about 6 months later I watched it sell for $20 at his auction.

 

[justanengineer]

Loaning tools depends on the person to whom youre loaning. I personally will rarely loan tools but amongst my folks and their older friends its pretty common.

My funny "loan" story - my father was talking to an old friend of his about 10 years ago now, discussing the family farms, old times etc. He mentioned an old 3 pt rototiller that was loaned from-to by their parents sometime in the early-mid 60s, curious if he could recall where it might have ended up or when it had been returned, thinking it was buried somewhere on our family's farm. A few months go by and his buddy calls him up, saying that he found the tiller half buried in a hedgerow on theirs. A bit of work later, its been tilling Mom's garden for ~10 years.

 

[Fordman7795]

Yep. I bought my first sawzall 14 years ago when i was working at Ace. I loaned it to my uncle and forgot about it for 5 years until i was there one and saw it. He said "i forgot who i borrowed it from". Too bad someone stole it out of my storage locker

 

[893cv]

I too only loan tools to close friends
and I now keep a notebook.

 

[NoNN37]

I too only loan tools to close friends
and I now keep a notebook.

I keep a little notepad in my chest for writing notes or measurements of stuff and In the back I make a checklist if I let friends or family borrow stuff. I rarely let people take stuff so I always remember anyway.

 

[steveo1984]

I've had a few tools 'walk' away in the past because I couldn't remember who borrowed them. Nowadays I just use my cell to snap a quick pic of the 'borrower' holding whatever they borrow - works like a charm.

 

[STANIMAL]

Just talked to a buddy of mine about that today . I loaned a few things out and now dont remember to whom . Of course nobody brings anything back until you ask.

 

[flippin]

Been there done that and glad it's just not me that forgets. I will actually lend just about anything out to friends. I never get too attached anymore (been working on that for years) and the feeling of helping out seems to make me the happiest. Now if I can only remember where I put the book listing all the stuff I loaned out.

 

[carcajou]

I have no problem loaning out tools and equipment, heck i couldn't afford everything when i started out and friends and neighbors helped me.

 

[06 DIESEL]

I rarely loan out tools, but have been known to and let them have them until they are finished with them unless I need them again. I am going to start taking pictures of them holding whatever I loaned them though with my phone so that I know who to call when I need something that was loaned out.

 

[P0234]

I've almost completely solved my loaning issues. I keep a list. I also hate to loan stuff out. So if someone asks for something they get to retrieve the tool the last person borrowed but did not return.

 

[peterbilt89]

I rarely loan out tools, but have been known to and let them have them until they are finished with them unless I need them again. I am going to start taking pictures of them holding whatever I loaned them though with my phone so that I know who to call when I need something that was loaned out.

that sounds like a good idea

 

[May Pop]

Ive lent the nextdoor neighbor my Bluepoint flaring set to work on his junk. He had returned it before and now said he had not borrowed it this time. I cant recall if I did or not but its not in its spot. He saw I was pissed and then he offered to lend me a HF POS set. I used to lend him tools but that was the straw that broke the camels back.
Now I know where my engine hoist is and Jeff is a good enough friend that can have anything but my family.
I am going to use the notebook method as the memory is not as good as it was before.

Ron

 

[dirtmister16]

i don't loan cept to very close people. certain friends, and a few family members but thats it. im very picky about my tools ive realized. dad has been making comments on not using stuff so i don't get it dirty, i told him well if you paid a 100 bucks for one ratchet you would be careful too!

funny how i bought him his fl80 and a f80. so he doesn't have anything in his.

when i do borrow a tool i generally go with it. my neighbor had to pull the crank pulley one day, so i brought over the tools to pull it and helped him do it. he kept telling me he would do it and he tell me when he was done. i said no thats ok ill do it and help you out(i don't let my tools out of my sight!) this guy is well known swindler around here, he took his nephews car and junked it on him.

so yah. im careful lol

 

[lilscorpion]

I don't loan out tools. One exception. No other exceptions...cause I used to forget to whom and then it's just gone.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I lent out my Snap-N-Seal coax cable tool along with 30-40 connectors. Can't remember who.

 

[bbrins]

"Oh, I thought that was mine." This is what one of my relatives told me when I went over to get my hammer drill back a couple of months ago. I had to go over again when he wasn't home and "steal" the darned thing back. He doesn't get to borrow tools, or anything else for that matter anymore. My problem isn't that I forget, it's that the borrowers "forget".

 

[Danglerb]

I wish I could loan my shop crane to somebody. I have a timing belt tensioning gauge that I have never used myself, but rotates around to various people by mail, not a clue where it is now. Better used than not is my view.

 

[fred d]

My father-in-law barrows stuff all the time

But if he loses it or breaks it just says sorry and never ever offers to replace it

 

[RBailey]

I don;t mind loaning tools, I don;t make a living from them so being with out one for a week or two isn't the end of the world and we are a very small car community here.

BUT i do ask for some sort of ID or collateral to hold.

I asked one guy he said, "No, what do you need that for, blah blah blah" he didn't get the loan.
Another guy asked he said, "of course here you go, a very good idea to ask" he understood so I had no problem loaning.

 

[Thermo690]

I learnt my lesson, I lent out a Megger test meter, I just can't remember who too. ($600 lesson)

 

[oldtools808]

I loaned sooo many tools & forgot to who... I like the idea of taking a Photo of the person with the tool, no questions who had what & when...

 

[May Pop]

FRED D
Are you still using his daughter?

 

[fred d]

FRED D
Are you still using his daughter?

Had to think about that for a minute

I didn't borrow her. Married her with no intention of returning
Fact is.....smartest thing I ever did was marry that woman

Besides if you borrow something...........it shouldn't be so expensive to keep

 

[Chadwilliam1]

I loan tools to my brother on occasion, I don't mind at all. He knows I am picky and i take good care of my stuff. He doesn't take good care of his tools but has always treated my stuff with respect.

I loaned out a bunch of tools a year ago to my brother in law. At the time I was switching jobs and my new job supplied all the tools. So I let him borrow all the tools I didn't care about like my hf stuff. He needed them for collage. I have yet to hear a thank you or see anything returned. I expected that though. I made a list of everything I leant out.

 

[mailpup]

I rarely loan out my tools. It's generally known by my friends and relatives that I don't like to so they rarely ask.

 

[Jure]

i will loan tools,all what's marked "made in china",i dont care if someone gonna use 2ft pipe on a wrench.

 

[Big-Foot]

I have a note pad now and only loan to trusted friends. Of course their memory's are about as good as mine so writing two notes:

1/30/2013
Loaned to Fred - Snap-on valve spring compressor
Randy

Give one to him and the other gets stuck to my bulletin board.
I tell him to put his in his wallet and bring it back with the tool.

 

[mattwgrizwald]

I have a knife sharpening kit I borrowed to someone and for the life of me i cannot remember whom I borrowed it to . +1 on taking a pictue with your cell phone and that person holding the tool

 

[uncletater]

Only loan to close friends. All of us have keys to eachothers shope. We also have chalk boards that if we borrow something we write it on the board with the date and leave a six pack. (well I normally leave a 5 pack because i usually drink one while looking for said tool). Helps out a lot. Having good friends with various talents makes the whole tool thing much easier and cheaper. If you want to work on a car you get the tools from the car guy. If you are doing wood working you go to the wood master. Etc. Etc. Works well for my circle of friends.

 

[zmotorsports]

I guess I am the only real ******* here. I learned my lesson early on and now WILL NOT loan out tools, period!

That is my standard rule and that way when someone asks I have the same answer for everyone and don't have to consider the options depending on who it is when put on the spot. Most people who know me understand how **** I am about my tools and those that don't understand me are not close and I probably would have issues with anyway so it all works out.

When there is a tool not in its' place in the toolbox or cupboard, I can feel a disturbance in "the force".

Mike.

 

[jeffmoss26]

I loan USB drives out at work and never get them back :/

 

[Albiemanmike]

I will loan a tool in my workshop so if they can bring their project over to my shop they are welcome to use whatever they want but they are not taking it with them as I will never see it again.

 

[porschedude996TT]

I got in tons of trouble with my Dad when I was a youngster loaning out stuff. The neighbors would borrow stuff and I didn’t write it down. Or they would borrow and lend to someone else and admit they did and never get it back or replace it…

I rarely loan out tool these days, and when I borrow, I always return as soon as I am finished and always return in better shape than I borrowed.

I borrowed a large log splitter from a co-workers husband who I had worked with a couple of jobs. It Log Splitter had a magneto on the engine without a kill switch; it needed a battery, and was missing a thru bolt on the starter. I added the switch and bought a new battery, and replaced the bolt. He was ecstatic when I brought it back, said I could borrow anytime, and ever gave me two pick-up trucks of Red Oak for BBQ’ing.
I always give the tool back in the same or better condition.

 

[shocksandstrutz]

i loan tools out all the time, i would have the experience and tools i have now, if i hadn't gotten a "feeler" for them when they were loaned to me and also would have know the value and all the uses either.

what i do to keep track of the items that i will loan out, is i have a chalk board in my tool storage room and it has the name of the tool and the name of the person whom has it. my BIL and FIL are avide side contractors and between the three of use we have everything, but we also borrow tools from each other occasionally, just want to make sure i get back what is mine.

 

[RCStocker]

Yes I have. That was 25 years ago. Both parties said they did not have it. I know one did. Both are still neighbors. I have not loaned a tools sense. I have a sign in all 3 of my shops that say don't ask because the answer is going to be no everytime you ask to barrow a tool. I will go do the job for free but I will not loan a tool. If you need it done buy what you need or pay someone to do the job.

I don't lend and I don't barrow. Not even to my own adult children. Of course I have given them full sets of tools and the boxes to hold them. I hate when people don't put things back. I keep it all locked now. Eeryone in my family gets miffed but I don't loose things. LOL The wife is the only thing that is not locked up and she never goes missing.

 

[bacpacker]

I used to do the loan/borrow thing years ago. Seems I ended up with a lot less than I started with. Now days my dad and I are the only ones that use my stuff and I his.