"can I borrow your..."

[coonhunter]

If I borrow a tool, I always buy it the next time I get the chance. I hate to borrow, but can't always go and buy right then.

 

[RedneckWelder]

The only people I will let borrow my tools are my coworkers at work. I figure it's only fair since they have helped me out so much by loaning their tools to me since I'm the new guy. It helps that we all have respect for each others tools.

I have more tools than the new guys two years ahead of me. I bargain hunt like a mofo to get quality tools so I don't have to borrow from my coworkers as much.

 

[KRB52]

same response every time


whomever "can I borrow your xxxxxx?"
me can I bang your wife?
them No
Me if you dont share I wont share.

I was thinking the same thing.

 

[66354dream]

If you borrow more than once you should own it!

^^^^^ Couldn't agree with him more when I started as a tech I borrowed tools from the senior tech ( luckily he wasn't an ******* ) but I ALWAYS made sure he got them back exactly the way I got them. There where a few times I had to borrow tools from another shop but I always went over there with some collateral.

 

[BigEarn86]

The cardinal sin of borrowing tools involves ones that require sharpening: chainsaw, chisel, knife, plane, axe, hatchet, etc. Until you spend hours upon hours trying to figure out how to sharpen them and then finally you get them to your liking only to have a neighbor run them through dirt and rocks. I have used the philosophy of: if they don't know I have the tool they can't ask to borrow it.

 

[clutchee]

Only have allowed one buddy to barrow or know where keys to my tool box are…

Rancher and best thing is he knows enough to not barrow expensive stuff & he replaces the consumables….

And lets me use the tractors/ plows, backhoe cause I have tools to fix them!

 

[teletekman]

There are a select few where I work who I have no problems with loaning tools since they have helped me in the past as well. It's the people I have never met before who just because I have what they need think they are obligated to it just because we work under the same roof. They are only friends with you till you don't have what they need.

Although nothing pisses me off more than loaning a tool to someone out the kindness of your heart only to get it back broken and expect you to take care of it or them to come back and say your tool is a piece of **** when they most likely have no clue how to use it.

 

[ttpete]

Re: "can I borrow your..."

You're doing things the right way. Goodonya Mate.
The original poster was talking about parasites who leech off of others so that they don't have to spend their own money. It's one thing to borrow a tool until you can get one of your own. It's quite another thing to think you can do a job by expecting others to supply the tools you need in perpetuity.

I used to deal with this with "Carpenters". The kids I had to work with didn't even own a tape measure or hammer and could care less. In the meantime, I used to haul around a couple thousand dollars in tools as the job needed.

I made sure that my co-workers were terrified of having to borrow my tools. It never took long for the new guys to get it.

I had a "one and out" policy with my tools. You could borrow a tool if you asked, but you had to return it to my hand when you were done. If you broke it, if I found my tool laying on the ground unattended, if you didn't return it in the same condition, or if you failed to return the tool at all, you were cut off and I made sure you got the ****** jobs for the rest of the week. No exceptions, no redemption. If you don't own the tools of your trade, then you can't call yourself a tradesman.

It's one thing when you are first starting out and are still amassing your tools, it's another to be in the business for years and still not own the basics. As long as you're trying to buy the tools you need, but still need to borrow specialty tools on occasion, I don't see a problem. If I can see that you're making an effort, I'll lend a hand. But, if your professional plan involves leeching off of someone else's hard work, then I'll leave you to wither on the vine.

Those guys aren't carpenters, they're framers. The Carpenter lays their work out for them and they nail it together. Those are the same people who cut a sheet of OSB by hooking their foot under it to keep it off the ground, and that's because they're too stupid and lazy to make a pair of horses to work with.

 

[texfan91]

There is a guy that I work with that has been a tech 2 years longer than me I have only done it professionally for 5 months. The matco guy comes by every week this guy wont even step foot on the truck says its too expensive. I spend my hard earned money on getting quality tools I need. Well it seems like more and more he is walking over and asking me if he can borrow things at first I had no problem with it but now its everyday im a nice guy but after he left one of my big wrenches in the back of a truck I told him I couldn't do it anymore. I don't care if people don't wont to spend big money on tools but atleast buy the tools you need doesn't matter what name is on it.

 

[Brownsfan]

I did that when doing car audio installs at circuit city back in the day. I was serious about my work, to the point where i managed to get a snap on guy to stop buy every two weeks. Most of my hand tools were snap-on.

Associates from other departments wanted to borrow tools to put displays together... Leave me your drivers license or that expensive watch, and i will loan you a screw driver. Some people weren't happy about it... oh well

Its funny you posted this. Back in my Best Buy days I had the same issue. The store employees thought that the tools were provided by the company. I left my box unlocked once so my co worker could get in it to get something he didn't have after I left. Next afternoon I come in and see MY DRILL sitting on a shelf in the video department. One of the managers let a employee in the bay and he just helped himself. I took my drill and didnt say anything. NO ONE said anything. Didn't tell me. Next morning I brought it up in the AM meeting. That's when they said you cant not let us use your tools because they are store property. I quickly set them straight and from this point on my box is locked and if you desperately needed something you are leaving a CC or drivers license. My coworker and I were such dicks about it the store went and bought a store tool kit.
Oh and we had a Snap On guy coming every week. We were the only 12v shop in the area he stopped at. I also took my work seriously and still do to this day. I still have some customers that followed me after the Best Buy days from 2001 when I left all the way till now that I have my own business. I have branched out into vehicle electrical diagnostics and dont do hardly any audio these days. I even got my ASE A6 certification.

 

[AmishFury]

Its funny you posted this. Back in my Best Buy days I had the same issue. The store employees thought that the tools were provided by the company. I left my box unlocked once so my co worker could get in it to get something he didn't have after I left. Next afternoon I come in and see MY DRILL sitting on a shelf in the video department. One of the managers let a employee in the bay and he just helped himself. I took my drill and didnt say anything. NO ONE said anything. Didn't tell me. Next morning I brought it up in the AM meeting. That's when they said you cant not let us use your tools because they are store property. I quickly set them straight and from this point on my box is locked and if you desperately needed something you are leaving a CC or drivers license. My coworker and I were such dicks about it the store went and bought a store tool kit.
Oh and we had a Snap On guy coming every week. We were the only 12v shop in the area he stopped at. I also took my work seriously and still do to this day. I still have some customers that followed me after the Best Buy days from 2001 when I left all the way till now that I have my own business. I have branched out into vehicle electrical diagnostics and dont do hardly any audio these days. I even got my ASE A6 certification.

that's actually amusing because where i work (Walmart TLE) not only are the tools provided by the company we are also technically ONLY supposed to use the tools provided (which means we just have to hide the other tools whenever someone above store level visits) but aside from all that the rest of the store is not allowed to borrow any tools from the shop, they have to go to the assembler's station to borrow tools

 

[aaronrkelly]

Its not the act of borrowing or lending.....its the PEOPLE your lending it to.

My best friend Mitch....Id lend him ANYTHING. He recently borrowed my circular saw because his stopped working mid-project. Ive owned mine for 10 years but it saw very little use, maybe a solid 30 mins use in that time. He used it pretty hard for a month....no big deal, its not like it hurt it any but he bought a new saw and gave it to me and kept my old one. I had to refuse it and force him to give me my old saw.

Every time he borrows something it comes back better, cleaner or improved. In the rare instance he does break something....its replaced. I have a white board in my garage.....he has the key code.....he borrows something, he writes it down......and everything always gets returned.

 

[wrenchr]

Ever since i saw a guy use my vernier caliper as an adjustable wrench im very wairy about who i lend tools too

Yup, or your torque wrench as a breaker bar

 

[herfalerf]

Everyone in my shop lends tools. We are frequently very slow and so not everyone can afford to buy all the nice test kits and specialty tools they would like. I've been there for 2 years and there has never been an issue. Broken tools get replaced by the person who broke them.

My shop doesn't have much of a tool culture though. When I started I was actively discouraged from buying tools and was told to borrow until I could make enough money to buy them myself. Very few fancy or full boxes in our shop.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[1/2 Cup]

In one word No

If you need to borrow a tool of mine, I come with that tool and happy to do that.

Lessons learned,

 

[jcfields]

.

 

[TOOL FANATIK]

In one word No

If you need to borrow a tool of mine, I come with that tool and happy to do that.

Lessons learned,

I was going to do this. Lasted about two days. Asked me for a wrench I said yea give me a minute be right down. Then I get the confused look lol. Figured it'd be best to just say no. Not any more.

 

[blown94conv]

I have a few friends I will loan tools to, but I always grab a picture of them holding the tool before they leave. And they all know it better come back as clean as when it left.

I have a lot of speciality tools, and I wouldn't expect guys to have that are backyard guys, but if you are a "pro" you should have the tools to do the job you were hired for.

 

[Sask dude]

I had a buddy that worked at a dealership that always said the same thing.

I could understand someone fresh out of school that might need to borrow a few specialty tools but I figure if you've been doing the job 5 years or longer there's no excuse not to have what you need.

I mean that's part of performing the job right?

This is something I agree on. When we get new guys I say ask me first, and bring it back to me. And if they abuse the tool. (Like using my ratcheting box end of my 9/16 as a back up while impacting the bolt head with a Milwaukee 1/2 inch fuel impact which I'm still angry about) they they lose on me lending. But if guys don't bring something basic after a few paychecks........... Well then tough luck

 

[arz71]

Working as a technician at a Yamaha/Kawasaki shop the environment was different. Not everyone has false intentions of 'using' someone.

 

[OccupantRJ]

I was thinking the same thing.

Another one that works is if an undesirable wants to borrow something, just say "huh?". When they repeat, just do the same thing. A couple of the "huh" response usually takes care of it.

 

[thegroundpounder99]

In our shop, I know who I can and can't loan tools to. I also will not pack up until everything is back in my box and cart. When I go to bed I know where my tools are lol.

 

[infinite97]

If you borrow more than once you should own it!

One of my old bosses said something similar...if you need to borrow my tools more than once, you need to find a new job.

 

[Tellingthem]

I always have loaner tools. Had a whole toolkit my roommates could use. Lose something or break something I'm not worried about it. I'll replace it. All cheap stuff because $50 worth of HF is better than the headaches of dealing with them. They also knew that if I caught them touching my regular tools they better be prepared for the pain that was going to come down.

Same with co-workers. Had my main partner that could use anything of mine no questions asked. The same with him. But we respected each other. Other people got the cheaper stuff. Again break it or lose it I dont care.

My mom always said never loan anything unless you are willing to never see it again. Easy way to ruin friendships. So I figure the couple of hundred I've blown on loaner tools so far is worth the saved headaches.

 

[CJM8515]

Its not the act of borrowing or lending.....its the PEOPLE your lending it to.

My best friend Mitch....Id lend him ANYTHING. He recently borrowed my circular saw because his stopped working mid-project. Ive owned mine for 10 years but it saw very little use, maybe a solid 30 mins use in that time. He used it pretty hard for a month....no big deal, its not like it hurt it any but he bought a new saw and gave it to me and kept my old one. I had to refuse it and force him to give me my old saw.

Every time he borrows something it comes back better, cleaner or improved. In the rare instance he does break something....its replaced. I have a white board in my garage.....he has the key code.....he borrows something, he writes it down......and everything always gets returned.

I have a few friends like that, they have access to anything they want no questions asked and I the same with them.

 

[Anarius]

At my work, I will not allow the hourly tire guys to borrow ANYTHING for work purposes. "Oh, you need some side cutters? Go tell the boss to buy you some!" If they are working on their own car, I have a "you tell me what you need, I'll get it for you and it comes back and is put in MY hand" policy.

On the service side, I loan out specialty tools only. Don't ask me to borrow my 8mm wrench because yours is 30 ft away. You want to borrow my hub tamer? Sure...My powerprobe...sure! My 1/2" impact? GFY.

With specialty tools I always come "help" the first time or two to demonstrate proper use.

 

[Art From De Leon]

I don't ever remember loaning any tools, but it was a small shop, so I imagine it did, or I borrowed something every now and then. Most likely it would have been a 'special' tool that we had made ourselves to make life easier.

It did get to the point where I would ask someone to help me get the two-speed of the Quad-range lifted up and started, after rebuilding one.

 

[Fugio]

Read enough Ayn Rand books, like I have, and you'll begin to see being called selfish as a badge of honor, not a pejorative. I only loan out tools that I don't expect to get back.

 

[56FordGuy]

I don't deal with this much anymore, all our guys are road guys. Hard to borrow tools when the next closest guy is 20 miles away. The shop has some specialty stuff, but I prefer to buy my own just so I don't have to deal with driving to get it, then trying to patch broken 'shop tools' back together enough to work with. On the rare occasion it's needed, I'll loan tools to coworkers. I've been with this outfit for a decade, all the techs know eachother and we often hang out outside of work. If someone needs to borrow something, it isn't out of laziness and most guys will go buy a tool so they can finish a job before trying to borrow something.

Outside of work, I only have one friend I would loan stuff to, though he's never asked. He's the best friend I've ever had, if he wanted to borrow my wife I would let him. Hell, knowing him she'd come back ten years younger with bigger ****.

 

[Cold N Dusty]

Grumpy old ******* I worked with said this to everyone he didn't trust "People that work here are called employees. Employees provide there own tools." I teach in a technical college and am willing to lend anything to a student as long as it's not on their required tool list, and when they have something of mine I hold one of their tools of equal value hostage until my tools safe return.

 

[steed andersen]

I am the tool Gestapo in my shop. Two guys are very respectful of tools and always return them in great shape. The other two do not walk within 5' of my tool box. Only had to hunt them down once each but the lesson stuck.

 

[FullRaceMerc]

I used to have a loaner timing light. The strobe was shorted to the chrome on the body. When you hit the trigger, it lit you up instead of the lamp.

We have to dig on occasion where I work. I own good shovels that ride in my truck. The company has several cheap shovels. It always amazes me that the guys who don't seem to know much & never buy their own, always end up "accidentally" picking up the better ones if I don't keep an eye out. I have started telling them that those shovels are free to use, but these cost $5 an hour to rent.

 

[Tanro]

Just starting out at small private shoo. We had one tech that was a stupid kid I didn't even loan him stuff because he would always leave stuff laying on the floor or rack.

However at this point we all loan around the shop. Mostly specialty tools I borrow more basic stuff sometimes. But I am only 2 months into this and they get that. But I respect their tools and they respect the fact I don't wanna jump 10k into debt in 2 months.

 

[mowersplus84]

I have never borrowed tools from anyone . even when i was first starting i had a sunex 5 draw cart and i was lucky if it was half full . i can remember many times breaking bolts lose using a breaker bar and a 4 foot pipe wishing i had air tools and a compressor. i have just don't felt right asking to borrow tools.

 

[Tanro]

I have never borrowed tools from anyone . even when i was first starting i had a sunex 5 draw cart and i was lucky if it was half full . i can remember many times breaking bolts lose using a breaker bar and a 4 foot pipe wishing i had air tools and a compressor. i have just don't felt right asking to borrow tools.

I don't get that. If I get more jobs done by borrowing tools even if I have to kick a few bucks to the guy that loans I can make more money and buy more stuff quicker.

Again my shop we have a group effort going on. So many non runners coming in you never wanna be the guy no one wants to help push a non runner to a rack.

 

[Labradorian]

I have Walmart/HF cheap tools like screwdrivers, sockets and wrenches that I loan out if someone needs to use something. Pretty much if it's made in USA most of my friends/relatives/roommates don't even know I own it. Luckily/unfortunately most of my friends and relatives know nothing about tools. Once I taught my brother how to use a micrometer and a few weeks later I asked him to go get my Chinese one from my workbench when we were working on a golf club project. He came back with a C-clamp.

 

[Labradorian]

I don't deal with this much anymore, all our guys are road guys. Hard to borrow tools when the next closest guy is 20 miles away. The shop has some specialty stuff, but I prefer to buy my own just so I don't have to deal with driving to get it, then trying to patch broken 'shop tools' back together enough to work with. On the rare occasion it's needed, I'll loan tools to coworkers. I've been with this outfit for a decade, all the techs know eachother and we often hang out outside of work. If someone needs to borrow something, it isn't out of laziness and most guys will go buy a tool so they can finish a job before trying to borrow something.

Outside of work, I only have one friend I would loan stuff to, though he's never asked. He's the best friend I've ever had, if he wanted to borrow my wife I would let him. Hell, knowing him she'd come back ten years younger with bigger ****.

that was funny


it's all about respect, if i do lend you a tool, it will come back, come back undamaged and within a reasonable amount of time. otherwise don't ask me again.
i instilled in my now 18year old son that when you borrow anything of mine or anybody elses, that it WILL come back......to the point where i dragged him out of bed and made him drive to someones house to get something of mine he borrowed and left it there. He brings everything back now imagine that

my buddy knows that if he needs something of mine, he can use it and returns it when he is done, and he lends me stuff as I need it, so it goes both ways.

if one cares about ones stuff, this is the only way to be, many of us use our tools in our trades or in our own garages, and in my opinion, if you"F&*k with ones tools you f*&k with their lively hood or the respect they have for you.

happy tooling

 

[NC-Shaun]

They say sharing is caring. They told us as kids to share our toys. Now I'm a grown-up and I say I don't care, I'm not sharing my toys anymore! We both work at the same joint. If I can buy the tools I need to make life easier for myself then so can they. Besides, I keep allowing them to use my tools, I'm an enabler right? Lol
On a serious note, I am a giving person, but it annoys me when I work hard to afford the luxury of an accumulation of quality tools, and someone who doesn't give any effort or make any sacrifices to attain more and better tools, but rather casually is so comfortable asking me for my tools...have I said too much? ...you get my frustration right?

No Loaners here, especially when the people who ask always seem to have money for that new "rad tattoo"

 

[TOOL FANATIK]

I told this one kid not to crank on my fine tooth 1/2 ratchet. If it gets beat on its gunna be by me, which I don't do. I have flex handles for that. Well I come up on him one day after he walked away with my ratchet, and he was dam near hanging off it. I kept my composure and simply reminded him its not good for the ratchet and to not do it. Then he uses my hex bit sockets, (cheap craftsmans) and they got returned on the lid of my box and one of the hex bits was sitting next to its socket. He's fairly new and doesn't know the tendency these have to do that. Nor was he aware mine do that every now and again and I end up putting them on the arbor press. Anyway he never says anything and so when I asked him about it he claimed it fell out as soon as he grabbed it. BS!

 

[csargents1546]

My simple rule is if you barrow it 2 times in 3 months. It is time to get your own. As a way to show respect for the other persons tool. Return it cleaner than when you got it. I usually wipe it down and hand it to them in a clean rag. It shows that you have great respect for the other persons tools.