Am I too picky?

[LoneGunman]

I loaned an HVLP gun to a friend, when I got it back it was not in the condition it was when I gave it to him. Now it wasn't really dirty, he did clean the inside but when I gave it to him it was perfect, no paint on the outside, ETC. There was paint all over the outside of the gun, on the regulator glass, I spent an hour cleaning it. It's only a $100 gun (IR 270G) but the point is I've used it a bunch and always cleaned it, loaned it clean and got it back dirty so I will not be loaning him anything else in the future. I'm asking for honest opinions, am I making too big a deal of this? To me it's down right rude to borrow something and return it worse than received, I take it as a fluck you, let him clean it.

 

[ImportTuner]

My expectations ... If I loan you a tool, I expect to get it back in the same if not better condition than when I loaned it to you. If you damaged it, I expect a replacement equal or better.

 

[Merkava_4]

Last weekend I borrowed a code reader from my neighbor. It was all dusty from sitting out in his garage. Before I returned it, I cleaned it up with LCD screen cleaner and a microfiber screen cloth. I also had it placed in a plastic zip lock bag when I handed it back to him.

 

[krusty the clown]

i had the same problem.....i told him to keep the paint gun i didn't want it back anymore. i don't speak to him anymore.

 

[J.A.F.E.]

No, you are correct.

If you borrow something always return in the same condition you got it or better. It is just plain rude to do that. That's why most people won't lend tools.

Perhaps you should gently remind him you spent an hour doing his job. Suggest he buy dinner or something.

~Steve

 

[Thumper]

Loaning your tools is not usually a good idea. Same thing as loaning your car or your wife.....someone might throw a rod in it. !!

 

[PowderKeg]

No, you are correct.

If you borrow something always return in the same condition you got it or better. It is just plain rude to do that. That's why most people won't lend tools.
~Steve

Ditto, if something unfortunate happened to the tool, an explanation and offer to repair/replace it is expected.

 

[russlaferrera]

IMO it is mostly your fault. Prior to loaning him the gun did you tell him what condition you expect the gun to be returned in?

Most people (men) are slobs. To highlight this fact. Look at the many contractors toolboxes. Everything is thrown in, abused,cords frayed. It's a tool! We (the few) enjoy working with a fine tools. If be chance we borrow (rare) we will treat it better than our own. Plus the fact we hate to borrow.

 

[Flash21]

You are NOT too picky!! I'm with you all of the way and return tools cleaner than when I borrowed them. I expect the tool to be in the same condition as loaned. If I'm not sure if the person understands that, they don't borrow or I make it perfectly clear prior to.

KL

 

[wrenchr]

Loaning your tools is not usually a good idea. Same thing as loaning your car or your wife.....someone might throw a rod in it. !!

Very good advice!!

 

[Bolster]

No, you're not too picky. I would have real problems with a gun returned in that condition, myself.

 

[billymade]

I don't want to sound like a kill joy but I just don't lend my tools out anymore.... this is probably cynical and sounds like a scrooge who has cut himself off from the world... but..... having been burned so many times myself.... why set yourself up for disappointment?; just don't lend your tools out! The problem is.. many people just do not have respect for tools if they don't pay for it themselves; that being said, even if they pay for them, many people just leave things out, get rusted, broken and overall do not treat their tools with respect or care, most get lost and the complete "set" that was useful for getting the job done, end up being some loose odds and ends that cannot do much of anything! The power of having tools is having access to them, have them work correctly for the job at hand and when looking for the tool you "have", have it actually be where you left it last; if you don't have the tool you purchased to use, what use is it??! I don't know what they answer is but I will quote from my thread; "You KNOW your a tool ADDICT when....", here are some of my feelings/opinions/observations:

"When someone asks if they can borrow a tool, you quietly and firmly say "NO" but if you happen to be in a good mood; you may say; "but you can come over to my shop and I'll help you use it"...."

"You are irritated by people who do not have any respect for your tools, when a job is finished and they can't figure out why it "bothers" you so much, when they can't "find" that one last "wrench" you paid $50 for...."

"When mentioning how much a particular Snap-On tool you own costs (say a 1/2" ratchet), the uninformed "non tool type" person is incredulous and in shock; while you just quietly smile and appreciate the beauty of the tool resting in your hand....."

It all comes down to respect and personal integrity; a couple of characteristics that seem to be scarce in todays society!

 

[jay50]

Have have only 1 rule for loaning out any of my shop tools:

1. Along with the tool, my hands, body, and technical expertise come along with the tool at the price of $80/hr for the job you have before you.

Any questions?

I have worked hard, and sacrifice much time away from my family for what I have while others who have had the same opportunites have just sat on their asses and watched mindless tv and other time wasters.

They don't get a free-ride from this ole' guy...

 

[Uncle Buck]

I loaned an HVLP gun to a friend, when I got it back it was not in the condition it was when I gave it to him. Now it wasn't really dirty, he did clean the inside but when I gave it to him it was perfect, no paint on the outside, ETC. There was paint all over the outside of the gun, on the regulator glass, I spent an hour cleaning it. It's only a $100 gun (IR 270G) but the point is I've used it a bunch and always cleaned it, loaned it clean and got it back dirty so I will not be loaning him anything else in the future. I'm asking for honest opinions, am I making too big a deal of this? To me it's down right rude to borrow something and return it worse than received, I take it as a fluck you, let him clean it.

I am sorry to hear that. I got to hear about how good loaning paint guns generally works out from my dad years before I had a gun of my own so I knew I would not loan out my gun. Actually I revised that rule through the years as I accumulated multiple guns. Fortunately I have never been asked to borrow a gun but these days if I were I would offer my oldest primer gun which still works great, but if it came back in worse shape than I loaned it I would not be angry or suprised. Actually I would expect it to come back in worse shape than I loaned it cause that is what has happened more times than not when I have loaned tools in the past. Some tools I would not suggest ever loaning under any circumstances would be tap/die sets, any precision measuring equipment such as mics, dial calipers etc. spray guns (if you only have one) drill bits, torque wrenches, really anything easily screwed up, or anything you really care about.

 

[dreaminbimmers]

I had the exact thing happen to me. It was a home depot chepo gun that was such a mess that I ended up just tossing it. The lendee was one of my best friends at the time and this was not an isolated incidence. He gave me a hard time when I started telling him no until I told him that every time I have loaned him a tool it either didn't come back to me for months, would come back broken, or wouldn't come back at all.

I'll admit that I am probably more **** than the average person about my tools and for that same reason would much rather buy a tool than borrow it from someone else.

I do have one brother in law that I don't mind lending tools to but he is the type who will drive halfway across town to borrow something and still get it back to me the same day.

 

[Uncle Buck]

I
I do have one brother in law that I don't mind lending tools to but he is the type who will drive halfway across town to borrow something and still get it back to me the same day.

^^^^^Those guys are generally the exception to the rule!^^^^

 

[gofastman]

Most people (men) are slobs.

I disagree, have you ever cleaned a womans bathroom?

 

[ImportTuner]

I disagree, have you ever cleaned a womans bathroom?

True ... back in the 60's, working as a gas jockey, I also had to clean the bathrooms ... the womans restroom was the worst; luckily, we hosed it down (drain on the floor) before we wiped it dry ..

 

[MarkH]

In the 70s worked for a short time at a gas station. Parents were trying to get me away from the farm. The women's was twice as bad as the mens, since it was the only mens the 4 guys in the back also used the mens for grease clean up. Says alot.

The farm was cleaner.

Some tools are not easy to hurt. but a spray gun should be cleaned to have no paint on it anywhere. Read the instructions or the common books or websites. I had to pitch a couple before I learned. Thus gun are on the do not borrow list unless the person was a painter whose equipment I have seen. Rare but a neighbor did borrow a primer gun for a day. Came back perfect, his internet order did not arrive on time. It did arrive, I think it is time to get the Razor primer gun vs the old Devilbiss.

 

[nissan_crawler]

If you borrow a tool from me, you have 3 options:

1. Leave enough cash to cover the full cost of the tool, which you will get back once tool is returned in satisfactory condition.

2. Leave me one of your tools equal to or of greater value than mine.

3. (This is just for guys at work.) Leave me your driver's license.

I've had one person break my tool, and after a week of badgering him about replacing it, I traded his tool in at the Snap-On truck, and got a new one of what he broke. I told him if he wanted his tool back, he could buy it from the Snap-On lady.

If it's a big tool, such as the welder, plasma, air compressor, etc., it does NOT leave my garage!! If you want to use it, YOU come to me. If I have to help you with it, YOU PAY ME FOR MY TIME. You ALWAYS pay for my consumables.

If you don't like it, you can get bent. I don't do it out of the goodness of my heart.

As for the paint, no you're not too picky. I borrowed a set of those plastic ramps from a friend to change the oil in my Eclipse. I was spraying the inside of the garage, and had everything outside. The gun was sitting outside, and I went to plug it in, and it had tipped so the trigger happened to hit those ramps, and sprayed them both. I got it as clean as I could, but white paint was all over the rough surface of those ramps.

The moral of this story? I have a set of plastic ramps with white paint, and he has a brand new set, even though he told me not too. It's just the right thing to do.

 

[Frank Elson]

If it's old enough, or cheap enough, for me to easily replace I'll loan it.
If not, not.
I value my friends as much as I value my tools. Two have saved my life.

 

[zuspiel]

The only person I will loan tools to is my father in law. You always get your stuff back in better condition than when he got it. The generator I loaned him after Hurricane Ike (we got power back a week before they did), came back in a shape that could have won a concourse...

 

[Tool Pants]

I have a friend that I have borrowed stuff from. It is usually broken or missing a part, and I have to first fix it before I can use it. I think he likes me to borrow stuff....

Many years ago I loaned him a click style torque wrench. I thnk his brother used it. Anyway, I got it back with the ratchet broken because it had been used as a breaker bar to remove a bolt.

I now own a torque wrench that only tightens. If he ever wants to borrow a torque wrench again it will be that one.

2 years ago I went to his house to borrow an airless to paint my little garage. He had a good-sized one that looked nice, but I learned my lessons. I wanted him to show me it worked before I put it in my truck. Of course it would not spray properly and had some parts that needed to be replaced. Then he tried a second smaller one he had - same thing. Then he went next door and borrowed another - same thing.

Played around with the 3 sprayers at his house that did not work properly for 2 hours. If one of them had worked I could have painted the garage in less than an hour because it is so small.

I ended up using a roller and brush to paint the garage.

 

[84TurboBuick]

I don't think your picky at all...

Heres a quick story....

I borrowed a chain fall from a friend years ago, it was all beat to hell and looked like **** (But it worked). After using it, I cleaned and oiled the chain and even went so far as to clean the body of it and shoot a quick coat of paint on. It looked brand new and my friend was really happy.

Fast foward.....

The same friend later borrowed my pressure washer for something or other. Anyhow, when I got it back it looked like he had thrown the thing off the back of his truck or something. The paint was all scratched and it had mud all over it.

I told him about it and mentioned how I had returned his stuff in better condition than I had recieved it. His answer was something along the line that if I chose to do things like I do, then don't expect everyone else to also. I told him that I do expect people to return things to me in "As given" or better condition than I gave it to them, and so in the future he could find someone else to borrow things from.

 

[billymade]

Why are people so selfish, arrogant or just so self centered; that they don't have any respect for other people's tools? I could never do that to someone without: full disclosure about what happened, offering monetary compensation, repair or some other way to "make it right" with the owner of the tool... people just don't seem to "give a damn", anymore...

 

[speed bump]

I don't mind lending tools becuase the only people who ask are going to treat them well.

 

[Uncle Buck]

I don't mind lending tools becuase the only people who ask are going to treat them well.

Never heard of anything like that related to borrowing and lending of tools, I think it's just you. No offense intended.

 

[trackwelder]

A while back I let a friend borrow a very nice comelong to change a motor. A few months later I called asking when he planned to return it. I come home from work one day and let the dog outback and find my comelong on the deck with the cable mangled to hell. I was pissed got right on the phone and called him and he tells me his brother borrowed it and to get ahold of him to fix it. Never again will he ever put his hands on my stuff again. People who break or ruin stuff and return it in any other shape then when they got it or make no effort to pay for it are A$$holes.

 

[billymade]

I agree with you X10000!
What is classic, is when you confront people who trash things and they give you attitude back at you; like its somehow your problem and act like its your responsibility or "your problem"! I've never understood this, I even seen people get mad like their on the opposite end of the situation (as mad or more upset then you are!); it is bizarre or almost to a point of being irrational! Jeez, people are weird... kinda like fixing/repairing something for a relative; don't go there, leave the politics out of it... it generally doesn't work out well....

 

[bmwpower]

What if the tool in question is brand new when you loan it? Do you honestly expect to get it back in the same condition? Some tools just get worn as you use them.

 

[speed bump]

Never heard of anything like that related to borrowing and lending of tools, I think it's just you. No offense intended.

The only people who I know what I have are people who I have told that I have that tool and the only reason I told them I have that tool is becuase I know that they will take care of it.

 

[Danglerb]

Whether you are too picky or not is nobodies business but yours.

Never loan anything you are not prepared to make a gift of. What I am willing loan out is very related to how much I know about how the person treats the item, but I see know reason to end a friendship just because the other person has different standards for taking care of things, they just don't get to borrow anymore.

Borrowing my car, sheesh, I don't let my wife drive it.

 

[Coach James]

There are only two people I would let borrow tools. One is my dad whose well used 40 and 50 year old tools still look almost new aside from normal wear. The other is a long time friend that is as particular about taking care of things as I am. He also hates to borrow just as I do so he buys instead of borrowing.

The only exception I have made in the last 10 years was this year when a neighbor got orders for overseas. He asked to borrow a cordless drill and some bits the night before he left to put a shelf in the back of his pickup. When he picked the stuff up, he counted the bits to make sure he brought the right number back. When he brought my bits and drill back, in the bag were two bottles of red wine.

And you are not being at all picky.

Coach

 

[Stephenw]

Never loan your tools or your wife. What is returned, might be screwed.

 

[autoace]

Alot of people don't take REAL good care of their stuff, your friend probably didn't think there was anything wrong with the way he cleaned it, he's just got lower standards of tool care than you.Don't lend your stuff to people who are duh!

 

[SteveU]

What if the tool in question is brand new when you loan it? Do you honestly expect to get it back in the same condition? Some tools just get worn as you use them.

I think it is more getting it back without being abused/ruined and not normal wear & tear that is the issue. A buddy let his brother use his floor jack & we used it on my LTD afterwards. When we went to lower it the jack came down so hard & fast that the jack body punctured a hole in the gas tank. It worked fine prior to being loaned out.