Lending Tools to Your Neighbor

[Gladiator GarageWorks]

This past weekend I helped out my next door neighbor by lending him some tools he needed to complete a job. It felt really good to lend a hand and help a fellow tool guy finish a project, so I wanted to see if any of you guys have any stories about lending tools to your neighbors.

 

[Mike83]

I lent a torque wrench to my co-worker / friend to help him assemble his brand new bike. He ended up cracking the aluminum clamp for the stem to the handlebar. He did have the correct torque setting. I felt bad thinking that the wrench was out of calibration. I looked into getting it calibrated and they wanted to charge as much as a new one would cost!

 

[35mastr]

I lent out an old floor jack to one of my old customers a year ago still to have seen it come back.

I lent out a jig saw to whom I can not remember quite a few years ago and never came back.

I dont lend any thing out any more. Unless you are real close to me as in across the street.

 

[sammerdog]

We're in a good neighborhood - we always have stuff going back and forth between about six houses. If one of us adds a tool to our arsenal, we let the other guys know.... makes for one less tool for the others to buy. Big stuff like my appliance dolly? Whoever uses it last has to store it in their garage. We all have keys to each others garages in case someone's not home (except for the douchebag in the yellow house - he kept breaking our stuff and is now on his own).

Lent my neighbor to the west of me a floor jack to do brakes on his mini-van. He didn't want to take the jack stands with him - "...I'll be alright with just this..."

Long story short - van fell on his leg and his nickname is now "Squishy".

Now he knows he HAS to take the stands when he borrows my jack.

 

[fireguy]

The neighbor on one side, probably. He has offered me the use of some of his tools. I prefer not borrow tools, if I break them, I replace them of like or better quality.

The neighbor on the other side, hell no! I loaned him a splitting maul once. When it came back it had a split handle and he was not man enough to tell me what happened. He also sneaks across the fence and wanders in my yard at night, & when we are gone. We have him on the security camera trespassing.

I do loan my work tools to my employees, I do not expect them to buy any power tools, pipe working tools or consumables. But they come back to me, and I put them in my van.

I never loan my trade manuals or code books. If on a job and someone thinks they need to look at my books, I stand there and watch them. That includes the inspectors. Some of my books are not replacable, when they are gone, they are gone.

 

[Brad54]

For all my bigger stuff, like floor jack, jack stands, skilsaw, saber saw, or cases with specific tools in it like pullers or allen wrenches, etc., I always write my name on it with a silver paint pen.
It's not that my friends are a bunch of thieving bastards, its that after a while you forget where something came from.

What I haven't done yet is make a sign-out sheet in my garage, which I should do. I know I've loaned a couple things, and I can't remember where I sent them.

I'll gladly loan to my close neighbors. Hell, they're right next door, so we'll always think about it when we see eachother in the yard. The problem I run into is loaning stuff to carguy friends across town, and forgetting what went where, and then I don't have it when I need it.

-Brad

 

[Tech Guy]

I started lending tools out and they came back messed up or not at all. Now I only lend tools to people I trust will look after them and have a sign out sheet in the garage for date, who and what was borrowed. Saved my *** a few times when I went looking for things and couldnt find them. Checked the sheet and knew who to call.

Now the people know they are on the list and acutally return things as soon as they are done.

I have some neighbours I wouldnt even loan my kids tools to them as they are butchers.

 

[Hoot]

I don't advertise the fact that I have a lot of tools, just so I won't get people asking to borrow them. But I had a pretty good experience when a neighbor that I didn't really know came to the door to borrow some stuff. His boat trailer had a flat a little ways down the street and was blocking a lane of traffic. It was just a side street so there wasn't much traffic, but he was pretty desperate to get it fixed and off the street. Anyway, he didn't have any tools to get the wheel off, had seen me working on cars many times in the past, and was hoping I could help him out. With a sense of impending doom, I pulled out a hydraulic jack, and a tool bag, and fixed him up with a breaker bar, extensions, and a range of metric and SAE sockets since he didn't know exactly what he needed. An hour later, he returned everything, thanked me several times, and offered to buy a replacement for one of the sockets because he had noticed the chrome was chipped after he had used it to removed the lug nuts. I told him it was like that before I gave it to him, so all was well.

Too bad that kind of responsibility and appreciation can't run rampant in more of the population......

 

[bluesman2a]

I have a sticker on one of my boxes. I found it at Northern tool... It says "Borrowing tools is for the weak".

I'll loan tools out, but typically not to anybody I wouldn't trust with my wife, dog, and/or kids (if I had any).

 

[RRmech]

Some neighbors I do.....some neighbors I don't.
YES.....the neighbor with five driving age sons.....he's always returned my tools in great shape
NO.....the neighbor whose home, makes the Addams Family mansion......look like it belongs on the cover of Home & Garden?

Steve

Steve

 

[metal1313]

i sorta feel like i should loan my tools to my neighbors, after all i was a snot nosed nosy kid a few years ago. i learned alot from them, one is an architect and the other is an engineer. so when i was younger i borrowed alot of tools...not all were returned though. so now that i have more tools than anyone, and better tools, i do loan them out. after one neighbor returned a miter saw broken and i had to fight with him to go buy me a replacement i now make them write a check or hold something important,(id credit cards, house keys) so i know i'll get it back and in working order

 

[autoist]

I lent my trailer to a friend...came back with a beat up fender...with no I'm sorry" or "Lemme pay for the damage."

My granddad once told me, "Son, when it comes to money, business or tools, there's no such thing as friends and family!"

I live by that & the trailer escapade reminded me of it & proved that "No good deed ever goes unpunished."

 

[1320stang]

I loan a couple of my neighbors tools, although they probably loan me more. We live out in the country, 8 miles from the nearest Lowes/Wal Mart/Ace Hardware (Lowes is only about 6 months old) and it's a pain to drive into town to get a 1" spade bit when I can't find mine, usually it's small stuff though.

I used to borrow a jig saw from one neighbor all the time, when I returned it, I always gave him a set of jig saw blades with it. I've bought my own finally when I wanted to borrow his and he wasn't home. I did borrow a hammer drill from him once, it was from his work (he does phone installation stuff for the state) and I got it pretty hot, but it worked when I returned it (I was replacing a PVC toilet flange in a concrete floor in my bathroom). When it went to use it later, it locked up on him, the state got him a new one, I felt sorta bad about it, but didn't know what to do, I didn't want to get him in trouble.

Later I loaned him my Bostich framing nailer and he hooked it up to his 135 psi compressor without a regulator and blew out the seal on the trigger. It cost me about $30 to fix, but I thought it probably made us even, I even loaned it to him later.

The other neighbor I loaned my cordless drill to for about 10 minutes as they were finishing something up on their roof and had run their batteries down, I've borrowed more from them than that.

I loaned my chainsaw to a buddy once, when it came back it wouldn't run anymore, had to buy a new one, but my dad had given me the old one (pretty new Homelite, I now have a Stihl) so I wasn't really out anything on it.

I loaned a 12" miter saw to a coworker for he could do some crown in his house, it came back with an 80 tooth blade

 

[nadogail]

I will/do loan tools to most of my neighbors. The other 10% are not welcome.

 

[realred2]

I haven't bought saw blades yet, but I'm guessing the more teeth the more expensive?

I live in a townhouse, and would have to guess that most of the neighbors have less tools then I do, so I always visit my Dad (or he visits me), If I can't find it in his garage it's either not made, or it will be there later that day....He's a Handyman by trade.

And My best friend is a Mechanic, so the cars go to visit him, and I work with him on them. Keeps my tools limited.

I've had good luck with My Family and friends when loaning out electrical supplies. Everything has been returned in great shape, ussually a extra roll of Tape or some Cable ends included.

Otherwise they have me come over to fix or install what they need and buy the parts needed, then feed me dinner. Works out well.

 

[35mastr]

I loaned my table saw and my chop saw that had brand new high quality blades on them. He was installing laminate flooring. Guess what,I go to use both of them a few months later. Both the blades would just burn the wood they were so dull.

I wont ever do that again.

Now when he call. I just tell him that they are broken.

 

[StingRay]

It depends on the neighbor and the tool. Some tools you just have to know them to use them or need that uncommon common sense. Like my Troy built tiller for example I only know a couple people I'd lend it too. My JD 2210 maybe one guy. My drywall screw gun no problem it's under a hundred bucks and not a big deal if it gets screwed up. My chain saws and Stihl Kombi tool fit into the tiller/tractor category too.

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

I don't mind lending the neighbors hand tools and some power tools. The hand tools I lend out are cheap, Wally World throw away tools that don't upset me if something happens to them. The rare power tools that I lend out are a HF polisher (no way they get the Makita or DeWalt) a HF drill (ditto with the DeWalt and Hitachi) and a HF Miter Saw (again, no way on the Hitachi).

That way, no big deal if something goes wrong and the good guys don't need to buy an expensive tool if they screw one up. The bad ones don't get a second chance.... If the blade is dull on a saw, they can buy one and keep it. Same with drill bits, polishing pads, etc. They can buy the "consumables" if needed because I never use those tools.

If they need something other than that, I will go over and fix it for them if I have the time. That way I can use my own tools and not depend on them to treat them correctly and the neighbor will help me when I need help and everyone stays happy.

I always let everyone in the neighborhood know when I move in that I expect very little from them. They mind their business, I mind mine, you need help, you call, I need help, I call. Other than that, I don't want to know them socially. A good friend can become a bad enemy in short order. I don't want them living next door when that happens.

 

[jay50]

Loan tools to the neighbor?...no way,

However, the one neighbor with the baby doll blonde wife I would if he could work a swap with me......

 

[mmhouse]

We also have great neighbors and we loan one another tools on a pretty regular basis.

My dad taught me to always return borrowed items in better shape than you received them. He was an honest and wise man.

 

[jake00]

When I moved in (4 years ago) I brought my parents lawn tractor to mow my grass. it had a dead batt. I walked across the street to a guy who was working on his f250. I introduced myself and asked if he had a set of jumper cables, or a batt charger I could borrow for a few minutes.

he replied "I don't have those kinds of tools" as I stared into a garage FULL of stuff.

at that point, the neighbor next to him heard the conversation and basically gave me carte blanch on borrowing anything he had (this guy has 3x the stuff the 1st neighbor has.

Haven t really talked to the 1st guy since, but he manages to wrench on his truck every weekend, with no tools apparently

 

[jay50]

When I moved in (4 years ago) I brought my parents lawn tractor to mow my grass. it had a dead batt. I walked across the street to a guy who was working on his f250. I introduced myself and asked if he had a set of jumper cables, or a batt charger I could borrow for a few minutes.

he replied "I don't have those kinds of tools" as I stared into a garage FULL of stuff.

at that point, the neighbor next to him heard the conversation and basically gave me carte blanch on borrowing anything he had (this guy has 3x the stuff the 1st neighbor has.

Haven t really talked to the 1st guy since, but he manages to wrench on his truck every weekend, with no tools apparently

maybe 1st guy had bad past experiences with loaning tools out or you came across as someone who would **** on him and his loaner tools

 

[ranunculous]

I had a b/law I'd lend things to and they'd come back(sometimes) broken,altered or generally screwed up.
Last time he came to use something I asked what he had for collateral? I might as well asked for his first born?
Best move I ever made.
My neighbor is great.We trade/bargain tools and supplies at a speedy rate.I'd hope to never do him dirty.He's a good neighbor.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I don't advertise the fact that I have a lot of tools, just so I won't get people asking to borrow them..............

I'm the same way, don't advertise what I have. I have a couple of neighbors who I would loan to if they asked, a couple more that I would offer to ****** the tool and show them how to use it. At work, anyone who asks generally gets what they need. We have some newer "mechanic helpers" who are young and are still learning the value of tools and you have to watch them, but with my regular co-workers, they just get what they need.

Charles

 

[mag99]

This is what I was hoping for when our new neighbor was putting up a stockade fence. I noticed he was having to stop every couple of minutes and jack with his portable compressor, said it had a bad switch and would not restart once it shut off. I stretched out about 250' of hose from my dual stage 80 gallon unit, cranked up the regulator a little, and told 'em "Have at it".

My grandmother always said, "To have good neighbors, you must first BE a good neighbor".

 

[nate379]

I loan stuff out... doesn't do any good for it to sit in my toolbox you know?

When I borrow stuff, I bring it back in better shape.

Borrowed a chainsaw and I rebuilt the carb, put a new o ring on the fuel cap, new starter cord (I broke that though) and I brought it back all cleaned up and with a brand new chain, sharpened one on the bar and file for it (bought 2). Plus full of gas and bar oil of course. They guy said I should borrow more of his broken stuff.. haha.

 

[Virago9577]

My neighbor rents out the place next door. Last Sept 4 weekend the "newest" arrivals held a big labor day party Sat PM and a few of their party guests decided to borrow our stuff without asking.

We keep our 2 "fun tools" - seadoos on a couple of lifts by the shore. We were gone for the weekend and come Monday I get an email from my long time neighbor on the other side....about 2am Sunday he hears noise down by the water. Then a voice says bet I can get this running.no bet ya can't then the sound of a Seadoo runnin...out of the H20. Next one guy says lets take em for a rip. The other says can't they're locked..no problem I've got a saw in my truck....we can replace the lock tomorrow..he'll never know. fortunately they decided to call it a night also fortunate that I was five hours away and had time to cool down. Called the kids Dad and he took care of it...haven't had a minutes trouble since. Funny though we never locked either for years...did that weekend... just kinda had a feeling. Nothing worse than lending stuff without even knowing.

Virago9577

 

[nate379]

The contactor for the house next door came over today just to ask if he could borrow my water spigot so they could fill the boiler since there was something wrong with the valve on the water main to the house.

I thought it was nice that he asked. Water is free, so it's not like I would have minded anyhow though.

 

[nate379]

The contactor for the house next door came over today just to ask if he could borrow my water spigot so they could fill the boiler since there was something wrong with the valve on the water main to the house.

I thought it was nice that he asked. Water is free, so it's not like I would have minded anyhow though.

Neighbor on the other side cracks me up. He cuts his grass right to the prop. line, not an inch over or under. There is about another 1-2 feet of grass in some places where they didn't doze this past fall (I have no grass yet) and he won't touch it.

 

[jay50]

He also sneaks across the fence and wanders in my yard at night, & when we are gone. We have him on the security camera trespassing.

Sound like you might have a peeping tom checking out you and the mrs. at night.

 

[jay50]

My neighbor rents out the place next door. Last Sept 4 weekend the "newest" arrivals held a big labor day party Sat PM and a few of their party guests decided to borrow our stuff without asking.

We keep our 2 "fun tools" - seadoos on a couple of lifts by the shore. We were gone for the weekend and come Monday I get an email from my long time neighbor on the other side....about 2am Sunday he hears noise down by the water. Then a voice says bet I can get this running.no bet ya can't then the sound of a Seadoo runnin...out of the H20. Next one guy says lets take em for a rip. The other says can't they're locked..no problem I've got a saw in my truck....we can replace the lock tomorrow..he'll never know. fortunately they decided to call it a night also fortunate that I was five hours away and had time to cool down. Called the kids Dad and he took care of it...haven't had a minutes trouble since. Funny though we never locked either for years...did that weekend... just kinda had a feeling. Nothing worse than lending stuff without even knowing.

Virago9577

If they would have gptten it out on the water and gotten hurt; big time lawsuit could have come at you.

 

[Will67]

Wow, most of you here are way more trusting than me. Christ i have friends I have know since elementary school and we don't even loan each other tools often. If I am not there helping you, then most likely not.

 

[Brad54]

The contactor for the house next door came over today just to ask if he could borrow my water spigot so they could fill the boiler since there was something wrong with the valve on the water main to the house.

I thought it was nice that he asked. Water is free, so it's not like I would have minded anyhow though.

That reminds me...
I was cleaning one of the deer I shot this year, in my back yard. I have a walk-out basement with 12-foot ceiling, so my back deck is real high. I strung a rope up, hung the gantry, and had the deer strung up on it.
I'm half way into dressing it out--blood on my pants, some on my boots, hands and forearms covered...
Boy Wonder peeks around the corner and says he's getting a ride to Baseball practice. Great. Thanks.
Then I hear him talking to someone. And they're talking for a little while--an adult. Last thing I hear is Boy Wonder say "You'll have to ask my dad. He's in the back yard."
So I decide to walk around the corner and see who he's talking to. Didn't even cross my mind to set the blood-covered 9-inch blade butcher knife down.

I round the corner, and this guy is walking down the driveway, sees me and about craps himself.
"Can I help you?"
a...a...a...a...I'm cleaning the house across the street... the bank hired me to clean the carpets... that's what I do--I'm a carpet cleaner...and...um...I need some water...the water is turned off over there, and I need water to run my machines and I was wondering if I could borrow some water.
"How would that work?"
I just need to run a hose I've got one in the truck so I wouldn't need to borrow yours I can use mine. I'll pay you for it for the water.
"Hey, no problem. (I said, pointing with the blood-dripping knife) The spiggot is on the front of the house by the front steps. You don't have to pay me."
Thanks. (and somewhere between the "n" and the "k" in "thanks" he turned around and started walking away... a little quicker than he was sauntering down the driveway 45 seconds before)
Then it dawns on me.
"Oh, hey--this probably looks a little strange. I was deer hunting this morning and got one. I'm back here dressing it."

I could hear the guy laughing the whole way to his truck.



I am "that" neighbor.

-Brad

 

[fireman]

My neighbor and I have were friends before I moved in 30 years ago. He has a key to my shop (and the alarm code) and can use my lift or tools any time he wants. Isn't that what friends are for?

Jim

 

[Terry Kennedy]

I wanted to see if any of you guys have any stories about lending tools to your neighbors.

I live in a very urban area just outside of New York City. Most of the neighboring buildings are apartment houses, and there's a fair amount of on-the-street wrenching going on.

Normally I don't lend out tools, but I saw one guy in the back of a neighboring apartment house jacking up a van with the el-cheapo jack that comes with the spare tire, and he had a pile of odds and ends (old lumber, a couple dismounted tires) that he was going to use as jackstands. I asked him what he was doing and he said he needed to change the differential because his brother screwed it up somehow.

I told him what he was doing was very unsafe. I offered to lend him my jack and jackstands so he wouldn't kill or maim himself. [Jack is a DK13HLQ, stands are 3000N's, so not cheap stuff.]

He accepted and brought them back a couple hours later.

The only other loan / borrow I've done is when my water service line broke a couple years ago, just before the July 4th weekend. The utility shut off my water, so I asked my neighbor if I could run a hose from her house's hose bib to mine so I'd have water over the weekend until I could get a new water line installed. [Never try to hire a plumber on the Friday before July 4th.]

 

[nate379]

Well it's not like I don't know where they live

Wow, most of you here are way more trusting than me. Christ i have friends I have know since elementary school and we don't even loan each other tools often. If I am not there helping you, then most likely not.

 

[Mike in Ohio]

Dad is 2 houses to the west. Cousin next door to the east, uncle on other side of him. Dad uncle and I have garage door openers that work for all the doors. Cousin has different brand of openers. Sometimes it takes a while to track down a tool. Guy between me and dad just moved in, but looking in his garage from the road he may be better equipped than the rest of us put together. Probably should get to know him better. Mike

 

[Thomarann]

...Long story short - van fell on his leg and his nickname is now "Squishy".

Thanks. I almost wet myself laughing.

Marc

 

[jake00]

you came across as someone who would **** on him and his loaner tools

must be me and the rest o the neighbors, he doesnt talk to anyone

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

That reminds me...
I was cleaning one of the deer I shot this year, in my back yard. I have a walk-out basement with 12-foot ceiling, so my back deck is real high. I strung a rope up, hung the gantry, and had the deer strung up on it.
I'm half way into dressing it out--blood on my pants, some on my boots, hands and forearms covered...
Boy Wonder peeks around the corner and says he's getting a ride to Baseball practice. Great. Thanks.
Then I hear him talking to someone. And they're talking for a little while--an adult. Last thing I hear is Boy Wonder say "You'll have to ask my dad. He's in the back yard."
So I decide to walk around the corner and see who he's talking to. Didn't even cross my mind to set the blood-covered 9-inch blade butcher knife down.

I round the corner, and this guy is walking down the driveway, sees me and about craps himself.
"Can I help you?"
a...a...a...a...I'm cleaning the house across the street... the bank hired me to clean the carpets... that's what I do--I'm a carpet cleaner...and...um...I need some water...the water is turned off over there, and I need water to run my machines and I was wondering if I could borrow some water.
"How would that work?"
I just need to run a hose I've got one in the truck so I wouldn't need to borrow yours I can use mine. I'll pay you for it for the water.
"Hey, no problem. (I said, pointing with the blood-dripping knife) The spiggot is on the front of the house by the front steps. You don't have to pay me."
Thanks. (and somewhere between the "n" and the "k" in "thanks" he turned around and started walking away... a little quicker than he was sauntering down the driveway 45 seconds before)
Then it dawns on me.
"Oh, hey--this probably looks a little strange. I was deer hunting this morning and got one. I'm back here dressing it."

I could hear the guy laughing the whole way to his truck.

I am "that" neighbor.

-Brad

ROTFLMAO

I have a good neighbor next door, I've loaned him a few things, but most things, when loaned, I've gone to help, as he wasn't sure what he was doing or needed more a spare pair of hands, then the tool. I've loaned him my miter saw (deck work), serpentine belt tool (how often does a non mechanic need one?), ladder (his old one was obtained from a neighbor, and it is at least 70 years old, and wood), etc.

There has been a couple of times I would have liked his help, but it wasn't convienent, like the day he wasn't feeling well, went to the Dr. (was going to help me lift a window unit in), and had emergency surgery (9 feet of intestine removed). That is just my luck and I know that was WAY more important. So I am used to doing things myself (including moving, which I could REALLY rant on). I have access to a lot more tools if I need them, and there are some that I would have no problems loaning the tool to, others that I would go show how to use it, and some that are just SOL.

Heck, I've got quite a few tools, left down at the garage, and I haven't part timed there in quite a while. When I need something (help, oil filter, tool I don't have), no issue and no charge (there are times when I am short on time and would love to hire them to do it. I don't feel right about free work. Help, yes, work, no)

Now, the other house is a rental, and the people are TRASH (censored for your tender ears). The guy that owns the house, is a contractor, who I helped and loaned tools to. He was great, but moved to due getting engaged. His step kids however were MAJOR pains. Especially his thieving stepson. (the reason I moved in the house)
Its that way with several families around here. One part (or more then) you would give the shirt off your back for, another part, you would speed up and swerve on, if they were lying in the road, bleeding to death.