Lending Tools to Your Neighbor

[Gladiator GarageWorks]

Judging by all the responses, asking for collateral seems to be a good and an acceptable idea to protect your tools and keep the peace in the neighborhood.

 

[Gladiator GarageWorks]

I have a close circle of individuals that can borrow my tools. If something happens these are people who will either admit they broke it and pay for it or they will fix it so it was better than new. Most stuff comes back cleaner or filled with gas

My bad experience was with an ex-friend who lent me his Bobcat to move some dirt on my property. I used it for about 5 hours run time and nothing really taxing. Before returning it, I filled it up and changed the oil - way cheaper than renting and the hassle associated with it. He picked it up,and a couple of weeks later I get a call that his machine is leaking hydraulic fluid. I look where it was parked on my property and no fluid, but I tell him to bring it over and we will fix it. He declines, takes it into a repair shop, then calls me and asks for ~$600. I thought that seems steep and call his repair shop for a breakdown. I talked to the mechanic and asked what I could have done to cause this - he replys that all items replaced for the $600 were basic maintenance items that were just old and worn out. I cut my ex-friend a check for a hydraulic hose and labor ($100) and never talked to him again.

Dave

Ouch! Sorry to hear that! I hope that never happens again for you.

 

[Richard Givan]

I guy I used to work with before my retirement has a son who was doing some halfassed remodeling work. My friend asked if the son could borrow my floor stapling gun which I had used to lay a couple of small rooms. I said sure.

About a month after that the son got arrested along with his wife exiting a house he didn't belong in (almost certainly looking for drugs) and they were both charged with burglary. My friend was understandably distraught and had all sorts of problems with bail, attorney fees, explaining to his church friends what was going on, selling the house he had bought and financed for the boy to live in.

I'm pretty sure the tool had long been pawned to finance a hit or two. Nothing more was ever said about that flooring gun, and I didn't have the heart to mention it myself. I figured dad had more pressing problems, and I didn't want to add to them by calling out his worthless son yet again.

Just proves that people are worse than anybody (yes, that's what I meant to say).

 

[JCQuick]

well I we built this house 5 years ago and during that time I spoke with a few neighbors. The 04 Hurricanes help that some. But when we moved in our closest neighbors stoped by to welcome us but we sort of had our own little party going on and must have scared them. They just wave. So I don't have a problem with neighbors borrowing tools. Now 2 of my 3 sons thats another story but I can get those back. Of course they only have them when i neeed them.

 

[Virago9577]

Yer absolutely right re a possible lawsuit....but only if they had been unlocked. However even if unlocked it wouldn't be as likely in Canada where society isn't quite as litigous as here in the US.

Virago 9577

 

[Bobbys60w427]

Ihave a close circle of friends I loan too. Couple of them have the code to the garage. So far the neighbors haven't asked for any. At my old place I loaned a 4ft level to the guy across the street. A couple of day's later I was reading the paper on the front porch and here comes a little 3ft tall munchkin dragging my level on the ground and street all the to me. Never loaned him anything else after that.

 

[jay50]

Ihave a close circle of friends I loan too. Couple of them have the code to the garage. So far the neighbors haven't asked for any. At my old place I loaned a 4ft level to the guy across the street. A couple of day's later I was reading the paper on the front porch and here comes a little 3ft tall munchkin dragging my level on the ground and street all the to me. Never loaned him anything else after that.

And the lesson from this is to never send a kid to do a man's job.....

 

[Art From De Leon]

What you are about to read is a RANT, nothing more, nothing less:

Not really about loaning things, but I have a neighbor that I wouldn't piss on, if he was on fire. When I bought my place it was totally overgrown with brush and vines, and the 'fence' on the property line was basically there in name only. The first thing I did was to hire a dozer to clean the place up, and stack the brush into burn piles, and clean the fence line while he was at it, I told the neighbor what I was going to do, and asked if the Cat could come over on his side 8 or 10 feet and clean things up, I was told that this was NO problem, and while he was moving dirt, to level out a couple of piles of blow sand on his side of the fence to level things up.
After every thing is said and done, I tell the neighbor what kind of fence I am going to put up, and he proceeds to tell me that "he doubts that it would hold his cows", and I am thinking that this is the same type fence that my Dad used for years to fence his property, and the cattle never bothered it, and he said he would build his own fence.
OK, after I get the place re-surveyed, the stakes are where they should be, and one day I come driving up, and find those on his/mine property pulled out and thrown onto my side of the line. For some reason I don't say anything, but before he puts his fence up, I had a problem with my water wagon, and since the welding shop is only about 1/4 mile down the road, I pull it across his pasture, and the next time I see him, he goes off about the tracks thru his pasture, rich REALLY makes me happy.
He puts up his fence comes over, and asks if I will help out on the cost, like a dumb ***, I pay him $300, and NEVER mention that I DIDN'T charge him for the 2 or 3 hours of operating time for the CAT that cleaned out the fence line, AND moved his pile of sand.
I haven't spoken 10 words to him since, and he managed to piss me off again a few days ago, when he found out I am unemployed, and said if "I ever wanted to sell, his son would be interested". **** him, and the horse he rode in on, I am not going to sell it at a loss, and I have enough to pay everything off, and I WILL find someway to keep what I have.
I know the name of only one other neighbor, he is the veteranarian, and we get along, the name of the guy across the street is ?, and the property owner to my south, well, I haven't seen him in close to a year, and I have not a clue to who owns the place to my east.
Sorry for the RANT, I have kept this bottled up for going on 6 years.

 

[bugdust]

General rule, NO, I don't loan my tools. I used to and there are still a few friends that I would loan anything in my shop, but the rule is no tools loaned.

I loaned my torch set out to a buddy once "for a couple days". I went and got it two weeks later and both bottles were empty. He wasn't home but had left $20 in the tray. It cost me $52 to fill them.

Same guy...his son needs to pick up a project car so I loan him my 16' dovetail car hauler. I had to go pick it up from his house four days later.

Another guy in this same group asked to borrow my trailer. I say no. He promises to bring it back the same day...talks me into it. He calls me a few hours later (almost dark) and says they had a few problems and it took longer than expected, wants to know if he can bring the trailer back the next day. I've been there, so I say sure. I go by his house three days later after he won't answer his phone, see the "new" car sitting in his driveway but no trailer. I finally get ahold of him to find out he left my trailer at the first guy's house! He can tow it to his house but not to mine?!

That whole group will never borrow anything from me again. The "torch guy" has helped me a few times in the past but I'm done with them.

 

[nissan_crawler]

I'll loan basic things to one of my neighbors. He's helped me out, I've helped him out on two man jobs. The rest of them, no.

I have a few friends that can ask for any tool I have. The rest of them, I come with the tool, and my time is money, or they leave a deposit worth the value of the tool until it's returned. Don't like it, don't borrow it.

One friend borrowed my mower when his crapped and went to a repair shop. It came back in 2 days, washed, oil changed, blade sharpened, and a full tank of gas. Think he can borrow anything he wants now? Ironically, mine died as soon as his came out of the repair shop, so I borrowed his, and it got the same treatment.

I borrowed car ramps from him (needed really low ones to get my eclipse on), and had everything outside of my garage to paint it. Well...I was having troubles with the paint sprayer, cleaned it out outside, set it down on the ramps, and went back inside to plug it in. Wouldn't you know, it fell down on the trigger when I walked away, and shot a nice coat of white on his black composite ramps... I asked him where he bought them, explained, and said I would get him new ones. He said to leave it alone, but I kept his old ones and bought him a new set anyway. Fair is fair.

He borrowed a propane torch from me to do some plumbing, the sparker died, which was no big deal, but he bought a new setup for me anyway, and just kept my old one and used it with matches.

If I borrow a saw from somebody (have them now, but when I did), it goes back with a new blade, and the old one, period.

I borrowed my tile saw to a guy, came back with bare metal on the blade. He can piss off if he wants to borrow something again.

 

[bugdust]

If I have to borrow a tool more than once, I try to buy one. I do not like to borrow tools. I have a Lincoln 255c welder. I was going to borrow my brother's Lincoln 135 for a sheetmetal project but instead found a gently used Hobart Handler 140 on craigslist. I borrowed my brother's sandblaster for a project. I was going to need it for a while so I returned his to him and bought a smaller one (all I could afford). It will do for now but I have started building a bigger one out of an old air compressor tank.

 

[Gladiator GarageWorks]

We've really enjoyed all the comments and learned a lot from all your stories about lending tools! It's great to hear about all your experiences and see how each person handles each individual situation. Tools and lending them are an important part of our lives and you've shown us why.

We're glad to be a part of the Garage Journal Community and we look forward to getting to know everyone.

Thanks everyone!

 

[JD6619A]

I lost a CT 3lb sledge recently to a somebody walking off with it (probably a customer) walking thru the shop. I have the habit of closing the lid on my box when it's in the shop but sometimes I have the odd tool out for the job im working on. I get a few dumb looks from the other mechanics at work when I say "well don't you have that tool? NO? Well the SO truck comes here every week" I have told a handfull of customers NO im not lending you my tools i make a living with them, I dont ask you to borrow your tools that you need to make a living with" I usually get told "whatever or some dumb comment"

 

[Gus_Mahn]

I do loan tools but keep after them 'till they come home. Most of the time I come with the tools. The one that burns me up is my car trailer. One guy was borrowing it to pick up cars from auctions. He brought it back with broken lights and refused to accept responsibility. He even trashed a few tires and replaced them with junk tires.

I loaned it to a former neighbor who put a "small" Bobcat on it. I said it's not a good idea. He assured me it's a small one. Of coarse, the trailer came back bent. It think it's worked out fine. I told the first guy the trailer is ruined, and the second guy is carpenter who's helping me redo my garage. I had about 8 hours in fixing the trailer. I expect I'll be getting the first 8 hours of his time for free.

 

[hetkind]

I have a great series of stories about lending stuff out...once lend a utility trailer out to my boss...it NEVER came back, two years later he paid me for it, then I lend a torque wrench out to my next boss, it came back three months later, stuck on the highest setting, so I told him to keep it, a coworker asked if she could borrow a my multimeter, so I sent it out with a set of brand new test leads, plus the old worn test leads, came back with no leads.

On the other hand, guys who work with tools every day, always bring them back in good condition, so I haven't really had a bad experience since I stopped lending them to engineers.

 

[CorporateOffRoader]

I learned an extremely valuable lesson when I was only 16. I needed to borrow an engine stand and cherry picker to rebuild the engine in my car. The neighbor up the street had every tool imagineable (at least to a 16 year old) and I asked him. He was more than willing to lend me the items. I took them back 2 weeks later and left them in his garage since he was not home. That evening he called, come up here he said, OK up I went. He took me out to the garage and said "see all the grease and gunk on the engine stand?, you have a very important choice to make here. You can take that bottle of degreaser and a rag and clean them up like you got them, or you can never ask to borrow anything again" Wow, so for the next 30 minutes I worked at making that engine stand cleaner than when it was new. That lesson has stuck with me for the 30 years since. I will lend tools, usually only those that match the borrower's skill level (ie the beginner does not get to use the worm drive skill saw). But they need to come back in the same shape, or better. I am now teaching my children how to keep their tools clean and organized. They will last a lifetime with proper care.

 

[r6_cannibal]

I'm like some of the other people here and like to keep quiet about what I have. Most of my friend don't even know I have a 2nd car. I don't intentionally do that, I just don't like to talk about my stuff...but it does seem to keep my tools from walking away. I will loan tools to a select group of friends. One guy I know who proclaims to be a Hacker Type I will not loan tools to. I have known him since jr. high and consider him to be one of my closer friends, but he prides himself on finding "creative" ways to use things, often damaging the tool but completely unbeknownst to him. I don't think he has caught on that whenever he asks to borrow tools, I always end up assisting him with it.
Same guy also asked to borrow a jack to loan to his brother's friend. He was pretty shocked when I handed him a little 20 dollar Kragen jack and jack stands rather than my good floor jack.
Then there's my friend that just moved here from Brazil 2 years ago whom I've known for less than a year. He has free reign on the garage and welcome to borrow anything he needs. Always uses the tool properly, cleans it, and puts it back where it belongs with a couple quality Belgian beers sitting next to it.

 

[1950ChevySuburban]

I loan out NOTHING that wears out. No welders, chainsaws, power tools, torque wrenches...

If its a static tool, like screwdrivers, pliers, etc.... thats fine.

Nothing that can be hidden damaged either - meters, lab scopes, etc.....

We're moving into a new house real soon, so I'll start fresh with a new set-O-neighbours. Everybody gets a new start from John.

 

[ruby76]

Luckily we are in a new neighborhood on a cul-de-sac , and there is only one other house on the street, the only thing my neighbor has borrowed is my lawn spreader when I offered it after seeing him spreading fertilizer with a small hand spreader. Next week he bought his own lawn spreader. I "DO" want to borrow one of his devices though - he's got a 2 post lift in his 3rd garage bay. I've lent tools to friends before though - if they are close by - I usually hand deliver and hang out while they use it - unless I really trust them.

 

[december45]

nope not never no....sorry its just not right to borrow tools, i dont borrow, so i dont lend

one thing does bug me... if some one offers to lend you a tool... then im kind of ok with that, however it bugs the **** out of me if some comes and asks to borrow something...if a guy doesnt offer the tool then i say dont ask.

 

[ironman2424]

i wouldnt loan my neighbors a water hose if they were on fire. but i would give them a can of diesel to help them cease faster. between the loud music and hell raising and disrespect the only way they settle down for awhile is after i bust off a few 12 gauge rounds. then my family lives in a peacful area. untill they forget about 6 months later.

 

[Kurt4440]

When I was 8 or 9 years old my father's truck was stolen along with most of his hand tools. He didn't have the money to replace the tools and the truck all at once. Around the same time my neighbor (Mr. Craftsman) started to lend me tools when he saw me working on the latest bicycle or lawnmower that I had pulled out of the garbage. He continued to lend me tools until I was 18 and moved. The strange part about the situation was that he kept his garage and basement shop locked tight so that his two sons could not get at his tools. They had left his tools out in the rain when they were younger and had traded them for drugs when they were teenagers. Now, I lend tools to those that deserve and appreciate the favor. It feels like the right thing to do as there seems to be so very few young men and women capable of using their hands, minds and tools to complete a job.

 

[Gladiator GarageWorks]

That's quite a story, Kurt4440. It's a great example of you paying it forward to those who you know will do the same. Just curious...Why do you think there are so few young men and women who are capable of using their hands, minds and tools to complete a job? Do you ever offer your help for instruction in your neighborhood?

 

[GearBeer]

I apologize for answering someone else's question, but this is an issue I have a lot of interest in.

I'm 24 and very few of my friends are mechanically inclined or even capable of fixing the simplest thing themselves. It seems to me that it is a cultural change. Previous generations took pride in being able to save money by fixing things themselves, while the current 20- and 30-somethings are more interested in being cool.

 

[Hardware]

Anybody borrow their neighbors wife? LOL

I lend tools out and try to write it down somewhere.. I also tell them if they break it or damage it they have to repair it..

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

I apologize for answering someone else's question, but this is an issue I have a lot of interest in.

I'm 24 and very few of my friends are mechanically inclined or even capable of fixing the simplest thing themselves. It seems to me that it is a cultural change. Previous generations took pride in being able to save money by fixing things themselves, while the current 20- and 30-somethings are more interested in being cool.

It is more then cutural, it is economic. We went from a saver society that lived through the depression, to a CONSUMER (not customer) society, that uses up and cheaper to replace then fix. A prime example is when I was a kid, you could/would go down to any hardware store and get a new handle for your hammer/sledge or tape reel for your tape measure. Not so much anymore.

 

[GearBeer]

I think the cultural and economic effects and affects linked issues, but we're probably getting into a "chicken or the egg" kind of discussion there.

You can still find hammer/axe handles around, but they are definitely more difficult to find. I've changed a couple hammer handles, an axe handle and a hatchet handle. It'll be a sad day when they're no longer available.

I've never heard of replacing a tape measure reel. Of course I've probably never seen one that's worth replacing!

 

[agoogol]

Funny - I am in the burbs, and none of my neighbors fix anything. EXCEPT for across the street, the wife does. Husband is a lawyer and she is very handy, but borrows my tools to get her jobs done. She has a rack of her own, but thats another story....

My Dad lives on a small cul-de-sac where 5 neighbors share one lawn mower. Now I think that is conservatism at its finest!

 

[GregN]

I have a 16' Car trailer that I borrowed to my neigbor to pick-up a race car about 200 miles away. I said, no problem. A week later, I asked where my car trailer was and he said it was in FL (I live in MN a little more then 200 miles away I think). I didn't see my trailer for 3 weeks. Apparently he borrowed it to his buddy that does long haul trucking (with a pick-up, mostly smaller stuff like RV trailers and other stuff like that). This guy had my trailer all over the country. He said he put between 3,000 and 4,000 miles on it. When if finally made it back to my neighbors house it didn't have a wheel on it. He said he got a flat and had a hell of a time finding a replacement for this particular axle. So, he replaced that and bought me a spare tire and mount, along with replacing a wheel bearing he fried, a plug he broke, I made him straighten some metal he bent, replace a tail light he broke, and the wood deck is stained with oil from something leaking on it. I got that trailer for a grad present when I was 18. He borrowed it when I was 20. It only had maybe 1,000 miles on it and it was in immaculate condition. I was pissed, and am still pissed about it (I am 23 now).

 

[Falcon67]

I have a 16' Car trailer that I borrowed to my neigbor to pick-up a race car about 200 miles away.

No trailers lent here. I go with it and if I can't go, go ask someone else. exception - there are a couple I would allow but I can count those on one hand. Fellow racers and long term friends that I know respect the investment.

 

[Kurt4440]

That's quite a story, Kurt4440. It's a great example of you paying it forward to those who you know will do the same. Just curious...Why do you think there are so few young men and women who are capable of using their hands, minds and tools to complete a job? Do you ever offer your help for instruction in your neighborhood?

I think a whole article could be written on why. I would supspect many would agree that; color television, vcr's, cable tv, computers, dvd's, cell phones, two income families, divorce rates, educational institutions, etc. would all play roles in changing society.
My philosophy of giving to others is consistent, I will lend tools, or my time and experience to many. I have spent a considerable amount of time teaching my children, some of their friends, and several neighbors how to diagnose, fix, and build.
Just to clarify, I don't lend or help to get something in return, but after too many times of "helping", only to find the person I am helping has disappeared and fallen asleep on my couch, I have become more selective in who I will help.

 

[porschedude996TT]

Did before, but I no longer loan tools out. Too many lost and broken tools.

 

[GregN]

No trailers lent here. I go with it and if I can't go, go ask someone else. exception - there are a couple I would allow but I can count those on one hand. Fellow racers and long term friends that I know respect the investment.

I won't borrow any big items like that ever again. I was young and stupid. I have been burned too many times. I guess it goes back to "Nice Guys Finish Last". I just wish I was more of the guy that would go chew some a$$ after something like that. But, nope, I just grin and bear it.

 

[wtfovr]

I just got thru the first page and lots of good stuff here. Thought I would post what was fresh in my mind before I read the next 5 pages and forgot.

I am known for borrowing my step-dads $18.00 staple gun and staples without asking and always returning before he knows I even had it. Not being deceitful with him that is just how we have it.

Anyways last trip home "Hey Jim I am going to take the staple gun to the range with me and I will bring it back by later" him to me "no problem just make sure you return it". Funny this was the first time ever we have had that conversation.

2 months go by I am on the phone with my mother, Jim in the back ground goes "ask him if he has my staple gun", ****, oops, yep it is in my range back at my house. Well I am in Afghanistan can't fix this problem today.

Yesterday shopping for tools online; a great past time and a bad way to manage money I ordered him a replacement $18.00 staple gun, staples and had it shipped to him from our Lowes 5 miles away for a total out of pocket experience of $24 on my part.

I hope he forgives me and likes his new staple gun.

 

[wtfovr]

Well that was a good read all 6 pages at once.

I am about to move into a new neighborhood and I have tons of tools and buying more (read my post above). I am on the fence about loaning stuff out. I will want to meet the neighbors as soon as I get home on this next R&R and if they seem like decent people I will loan them a tool or two here and there. But the first time I have to chase down my property it will be the last time I loan to that particular person.

Now my brothers on the other hand I will not loan them a thing that I expect to get back. I have a long memory and a long list of items that my brother has borrowed, not returned, broken and not replaced etc. Hell the kid is into me for $10,000 and I have yet to see a dime of that and he takes little trips to the coast all the time. Hey pay me first stupid. But I love him to death just no more.

My friends are all great and there is not a flake in the bunch or in the bunch that I would loan tools to.

 

[ironroad 9c1]

I got a pretty good neighbor on one side, I use his trailer and tractor sometimes , and he brings his car for me to fix, and he borrows my mower. so it evens out in the end. My other neighbors , are the ones I also would lend gas to if there houses where on fire.

 

[Farmallgray]

Trailers almost always come back screwed up. Except when I borrow my buddy's. It got completely rewired, the wheel bearings repacked, brakes checked, state inspection etc.
It all just depends on the individual. Some people are just users. A paint spray gun is something I will never lend again.

 

[zrxrider]

My neighbors mower took a **** so after bugging him a few weeks to borrow mine he does but havent seen it in a month! Good thing its my extra beater! My bro took my chipper and busted the belt & clutch feel apart.......not even sure I can get parts for that?!

 

[Limonator460]

I always feel guilty for saying "No" on loaning tools. Being in Afghanistan, my wife has had no problem saying no and keep my shop locked tight. Last loan I did, a mother / son team asked to borrow my motor stand and cherry picker. Two months later the mother came by with a brand new (much cheaper model) of each... her son sold mine to make a car payment. Felt really bad, cause she works two jobs for her kids to do her that way.
I was one of the lucky who grew up in a home where my father taught me A-Z tools, welding, plumbing, electric, on and on... My wife is always stunned we never hire a tradesman for anything in our home or cars... I do it all, (sometimes with a sixpack bribe to a real expert when needed LOL)