Lending Tools...Yes or No?

[ecotec]

I do not like to lend out tools. If I like you, I will lend you a perfectly usable tool that is a spare. If I don’t like you, I will still probably lend you a functional tool. If I really don’t like you, you will regret even asking me.

 

[Ricky Joe]

A little different: I was working on a truck owned by a longtime friend once, and he borrowed a torque wrench to do something on the same truck. The owner of the garage gave me pure hell for lending the torque wrench, because had I not lent the wrench he could have gotten the job. I told him that it was my torque wrench, and I would do as I wished with it. He suggested I find another location for my toolbox. In those days I had a great reputation, so had no problem relocating. My independent streak cost me a few jobs when I was young. I have few regrets.

 

[Az Scooter]

When I was a kid, we had a man down the street that had an extensive set of tools. He freely lent it out. He was also very good at giving good advice. Because i used them so often, I feel it is my responsibility to pay it forward.
Thanks Jim.

 

[d.mcfarland]

I know a guy who has a very wide (probably somewhat expensive) collection of yard/garden/construction type tools that will lend them to anyone he knows reasonably well. He expects it to be returned in the same condition it left in.

The only thing he asks in return is that when he calls saying there is something he needs help with, you show up.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

I know a guy who has a very wide (probably somewhat expensive) collection of yard/garden/construction type tools that will lend them to anyone he knows reasonably well. He expects it to be returned in the same condition it left in.

The only thing he asks in return is that when he calls saying there is something he needs help with, you show up.

My friends and I do that. All have trade experience of some kind. Works out very nicely.

 

[bbrins]

I've got 3 people that have unconditional access to my tools. They can use my tools anytime, anywhere, and any way they want, if they break something, no problem. I have a list of a dozen or so people that are absolutely not allowed to use my tools, one of my uncles is at the top of the list, he has this thing for ruining hammer drills and chainsaws. The people on the naughty list are mostly family. Most other people that might ask, sure, I'll likely loan you something at least once, just don't expect something like a chainsaw on the first go.

 

[Renegade1LI]

I didn't even pick up my new dump trailer & already my oldest son asked to borrow it. Well he really asked if I could drop it at his house & empty it when full, kids,lol.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

I’ve decided I’m done loaning out stuff. The past few weeks has been heck on my tools. I’m tired of people not having tools to do stuff they need to do. And I’m tired of people returning my tools covered in oil or whatever fluid. I have all the lube guys chasing me around all day I need this or I need that. It’s like when they snap a stud…. Blake we need your stud installer or oh we need to clean up the end of this stud or lug nut… Blake we need your thread chasers. Or the one I can’t stand I need your oil filter pliers and a oil filter socket for this cartridge filter. Dude you change oil and you don’t have oil filter pliers?? The other day one of them set my torque wrench on the back of a golf cart and the person who was next to use the golf cart wasn’t paying attention and took off with it on the back and it flew off. I about blew a gasket on the kid then. And it cost me time loaning out stuff too because I have to go chase it down if I need it. I hate telling people no but I’ve had to make some rules. It’s like I bought my own tire chalk because nobody can ever find the shops so I had it in my box. Come out of the bathroom to someone using it then when I went to get it I asked where is it at? Oh I left it at the tire machine it’s cheap enough I didn’t figure you needed it back. It will help the shop out. I was like uh yeah for one you didn’t ask to use it two IT’S MINE not the shops. And don’t ask to borrow my extractors or vise grips to get a drain plug out that you just flubbed up. I will getAnd plenty of other situations too. I’m done my tools are my tools and no one else’s.

I will still help the two guys in the bays next to me as they know what they are doing and we are friends and I use their stuff all the time but mainly because I like trying different style handles or just stupid reasons lol. But that’s different we all have tools to do our jobs but we kinda trade for the day or whatever and we don’t loan them to anyone else like I don’t have to worry about them loaning it to that guy or this guy or whoever. And if we break or lose something we make it right. Simple. Only thing I can think of that I actually borrow borrow is a hood prop for when hoods don’t stay up sometimes I’ll use vise grips but I feel better about hood props.

Rant over but over the last few weeks it’s gotten bad. I love showing my tools to everyone but they aren’t using them.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

^ That's how we all end up jaded and grumpy.

 

[bwringer]

Loaned car to relation twice due to blah blah life whatever. Both times "a few days" stretched into months, and we had to get pretty testy to get it back. The first time the battery "somehow" went dead; he actually bought a replacement (to his credit) but let the numbnuts at Advance install it. Of course, they installed the wrong battery, got it backwards (of course, because they're numbnuts) and the car is dead. Bear in mind that this is an extremely easy to install battery on an extremely common vehicle.

Anyway, hours of fruitless panic and running in circles ensue until an actual manager happens to show up, replaces the popped fusible link and (fortunately) all is well. Car eventually comes back to me with incorrect battery mounted backwards, not really clamped into place, cables stretched to sort of work, and one clamp reamed out so it can be crammed onto the wrong terminal... had to replace one cable and jury rig the mounting clamp. Whatevs.

Second time he borrowed the car, part of the exhaust fell off on the interstate and dragged. Not 100% his fault I guess, but at that point he had had the car for a couple months and just ignored the leaking exhaust until it fell out.

Loaned same car to different relation. Ended up towed by parking lot scammers in another state, and that was a giant *** pain to untangle.

Loaned different car to different relation - crashed and totaled 350 miles from home in another state (no one hurt, fortunately). Giant GIANT HUUUUGE *** pain to sort out because apparently no one at the insurance company had never ever heard of such foolishment as someone traveling to another state, or lending a car. To their credit, I got a call months later from an insurance company trainer who wanted more details so he could use the whole incident as a case study for customer service reps of everything NOT to do.

Loaned car to wife's co-worker who was having car issues. Long story, lots of inconvenience for me, but it was keeping my wife from needing to cover her shifts. A few days stretches into weeks, and we have to get pretty adamant to get it back. Months later find out that cow-orker had a convertible in the garage that she just doesn't like to drive in cold weather. The utter gall... Find out years later that she borrowed money from my wife and never paid it back. Just a common thief, and I suppose we're lucky it wasn't worse.

Lent motorcycle to friend doing a once-in-a-lifetime father-son trip (I had just lost my father, and perhaps had an emotional soft spot) - got a flat tire, got it plugged by some sketchy backwoods shop, returned with a slow leak. After his Dad yelled at him, he paid for a new tire, so I guess that worked out OK-er than most.

Friend loaned a very nice high-end pressure washer to another friend. Other friend then "sub-loaned" the machine to a bunch of his neighbors and failed to return it for months. WTF would you ever think lending out something valuable and complicated (or anything at all) that isn't yours? Lifelong bad blood between the two, and no one really trusts the sub-lender guy now.

Every time, and I mean EVERY DAMN TIME my wife uses my van (she sometimes has to haul a crowd for work) it goes out perfectly clean and with a full tank, and comes back with garbage, chewed nails, toothpicks, food, stains, and boogers everywhere, smelling like cigarettes, farts, and BO, and with less than 1/4 tank. "Can you please tell everyone no eating, drinking, nail chewing, or nose picking, take their trash with them, wash their nasty carcasses once in a while, restrain their bowels, and to completely finish smoking before they get in?" "Yeah, yeah, sure, sure, sorry..."

Loaned self-propelled mower to neighbor. A week later have to get a little testy to get it back; find out he likes it so much he used it to mow a bunch of other yards to earn cash. He mowed my postage stamp front yard as "payment". Left with full tank. Came back half full.

I have dozens more, small and large

No, you can't borrow it. I'm done. Go buy or rent your own.

Can't do much about my wife borrowing my van.

 

[Renegade1LI]

I couldn't belive my neighbor asked if he could borrow my new tractor to dig out some small stumps. I didn't even get it yet,wtf.

 

[Renegade1LI]

There are certain tools I would never lend, my track saw being one of them. A friend of mine was over the other day while I was using my track saw , he never saw or used one & couldn't get over how well it works. Of course he could really use it for an up coming project & would love to try it out. I hoped the look on my face answered his question but he asked any way & I nicely said no. I offered to help him, find him one to buy & explained it's not a tool I would loan, not sure he fully understood & he left not long after, was I wrong? I felt bad but it would be worse if it came back damaged.

 

[DAustin]

Sure, only my best tools from India and China.

 

[Shergar]

When I was young I worked with a wiley old Scotsman who would happily lend you absolutely anything - on the proviso you lent him something at the same time. Worked well and its something I’ve done most my working life, incredibly some people would rather walk away tool less than lend you something out there own box!

 

[Old Donn]

No, except for immediate family, in which case, If I have doubles or triples, I might just give them what they need. That said, my higher end stuff stays here, locked up.

 

[dnschmidt]

My answer is always no, no and **** off. Only two people have Denny Library Card Privileges and they know fully well if they are late at returning something they lose their library card. Why am I such a *****? Well, besides it being my nature, (that's the ***** part) I have every tool in the world and I'm never going to have to borrow any from somebody else and if I do need a tool I don't have I'll just buy it so I never get a return on my lending investment. Just one of the advantages of being anti-social. The two people with library cards are named Scott and Dennis. I never get a call from either of them unless they need something so my standard way of answering the phone when I see that one of them is calling is “What do you need?” Saves a lot of time avoiding idle chit-chat ********.

 

[joe_pinehill1]

I will tell people that I’ll do the job bring their car over, no I don’t lend

 

[kaymccampbell]

No loans. Period. Bring it by and I'll give it a poke, or I'll come see you with the tool, but I'll never lend you a tool. Now, if you want to buy the tool, by all means.

 

[superspec]

I don’t mind loading my tools. I have lots over complete sets in various brands. But before I had my tools with me I built a quick cheap roll around set and it quickly was known as don’t **** with it if you don’t ask.

I’m happy to loan a tool that isn’t common for Bob with only a screwdriver but if you need mine 3 times you need to buy it.

We/another member here have a guy in the Shop that won’t bring a single tool in. He’ll borrow all day long. I got to the point of shaming him into buying his own stuff. His first 3/8 ratchet/sockets I bought and he paid for over a few weeks.

 

[tarmy]

Nope…Not on Planet Earth!

I have a small select group of friends that I have helped WITH my tools with me there. They do the same with me…it include guns, tractors, boats, trucks and actual tools too.

 

[Lt CHEG]

I’m getting to the point that I will let someone work on something in my shop, but I’m done lending tools except for some small exceptions. Honestly that shouldn’t be a big deal either since I’m setup better than any of them anyway. They can come over, put their car on my Mohawk lift, use my 80 gallon air compressor, use the tools in my several tool boxes, cut something on my SawStop cabinet saw or joint a board on my Powermatic helical head jointer. But after not getting back SnapOn dual 80 1/2“ drive and 3/8” flex head ratchets as well as a Hansen tray of Craftsman 3/8” drive sockets and a few misc 1/2” drive sockets I’m about done. I’ve replaced the ratchets, not out of need but because I like the ratchets. And Ive replaced that rack of Craftsman sockets with Protos, but I shouldn’t have had to. I got tired of chasing down the tools from my friend and have just decided that now nobody but my uncle or father in law takes tools out of my shop. Friends and acquaintances are free to use my shop whenever but the tools stay in it.

 

[joel63]

I’m getting to the point that I will let someone work on something in my shop, but I’m done lending tools except for some small exceptions. Honestly that shouldn’t be a big deal either since I’m setup better than any of them anyway. They can come over, put their car on my Mohawk lift, use my 80 gallon air compressor, use the tools in my several tool boxes, cut something on my SawStop cabinet saw or joint a board on my Powermatic helical head jointer. But after not getting back SnapOn dual 80 1/2“ drive and 3/8” flex head ratchets as well as a Hansen tray of Craftsman 3/8” drive sockets and a few misc 1/2” drive sockets I’m about done. I’ve replaced the ratchets, not out of need but because I like the ratchets. And Ive replaced that rack of Craftsman sockets with Protos, but I shouldn’t have had to. I got tired of chasing down the tools from my friend and have just decided that now nobody but my uncle or father in law takes tools out of my shop. Friends and acquaintances are free to use my shop whenever but the tools stay in it.

This just can't happen. SMH

 

[kaymccampbell]

I’m getting to the point that I will let someone work on something in my shop, but I’m done lending tools except for some small exceptions. Honestly that shouldn’t be a big deal either since I’m setup better than any of them anyway. They can come over, put their car on my Mohawk lift, use my 80 gallon air compressor, use the tools in my several tool boxes, cut something on my SawStop cabinet saw or joint a board on my Powermatic helical head jointer. But after not getting back SnapOn dual 80 1/2“ drive and 3/8” flex head ratchets as well as a Hansen tray of Craftsman 3/8” drive sockets and a few misc 1/2” drive sockets I’m about done. I’ve replaced the ratchets, not out of need but because I like the ratchets. And Ive replaced that rack of Craftsman sockets with Protos, but I shouldn’t have had to. I got tired of chasing down the tools from my friend and have just decided that now nobody but my uncle or father in law takes tools out of my shop. Friends and acquaintances are free to use my shop whenever but the tools stay in it.

No, not even family, especially family, doesn't get tool loans. They're the worst offenders.

I actually do have a loaner toolbox, out in a shed. It's got more than a full set of tools in it, made up out of the worst, rustiest, cheesiest, most useless garage sale **** I could find. I think I have about $50 in the whole deal, including the wobbly tin box. Stamped tin pliers and wrenches, pot metal ratchets n sockets, you get the idea. I point potential loaners at the box and say There you go. The entertainment value is priceless.

 

[ianguilly]

Very select few, everyone who k ows me knows how much I value my tools and they treat them with respect and I do the same to anything I borrow.

 

[Kuma601]

No.

I let bro-in-law borrow the miter saw and at the time near new cordless drill. The chop saw he'd used to cut up something containing nails and other grit so the blade had missing carbide and the dust bag had actual dirt/concrete dust in it. I spent a couple hours breaking it down to get the saw clean again for my wood working projects.

The drill came back to me with dings, gouges and scrapes. Like he'd dropped it on the road and kicked it along. (The proper thing would have been for him to buy me a new replacement. He didn't.) After that no. My neighbors don't ask to borrow stuff fortunately.

To the credit of one neighbor: he knew I was trying to snake a portion the main line with a 1/4" snake and not having results as it was poking holes and plugging back up once retracted. I called over to him for advise about renting a larger drain machine. He came over 10 minutes later with his 5/8" snake and ran it out 55'.

He said I may not have the right feel using a 5/8" over my 1/4" so I could damage the machine or main line. Or when handling the snake I could injure myself. He commented renting those machines is a **** shoot if they do not test it. I may get stuck with a machine repair bill because the prior renter damaged it. Paying $2K+ is certainly more than had I called a plumber. He says to call him but I try not to involve him except for advise. He's a good guy...

 

[dchawk81]

I'm not AutoZone and even they make you put up the cash.

 

[Renegade1LI]

I have come to realize, the only people i would lend to probably won’t want to borrow in the first place, if that makes sense.

 

[Straightgrain]

Back when I was still in high school, I loaned my brother-in-law tools to rebuild his Harley. It took months to get my tools back and when I finally did, I was missing some of the tools I'd loaned him. The fact that he needed my tools to do the work, even though he was 10 years older than me, should have been a warning sign, but I didn't have enough years on me to be concerned.

Now, I never loan anything unless I'm willing to never get back what I've loaned out.

 

[vwpieces]

I have come to realize, the only people i would lend to probably won’t want to borrow in the first place, if that makes sense.

Well stated.

I have given away a cheap no longer needed tool rather than loaning something (of value) a couple times.
I have also given away a few things with the agreement that when you no longer want it, It comes back to me. Last in this category was a 35K BTU Kero heater. Buddy got some free but dirty home heating oil. He gave up on cleaning the spark plug daily in order to keep the free fuel heating his smaller shop. I explained what was going to happen and showed him how to deal with it. But I still knew in the back of my mind he would not want to deal with keeping up on the maint. Really will not be surprised if he wants to try again this winter to use the Free dirty fuel up with the crazy costs now. I will give him the heater again... same agreement. I have 4 bullet Kero Heaters but only one will leave my shop for loan. That story comes to mind with winter on the way and the High fuel costs.

But that is a Big NO for loaning anything in the toolboxes.

 

[smackey05]

I have an entire drawer of tools that I lend out when necessary. They are tools I've replaced that I would be OK giving them away. I will lend those out whenever needed. Someone taking them is better than them taking up space in my box or having them thrown out.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

I couldn't belive my neighbor asked if he could borrow my new tractor to dig out some small stumps. I didn't even get it yet,wtf.

Suggest that he come up with a chain and borrow his Mother-In-Law's Buick for an afternoon

 

[Robinson1]

I will lend tools out
Select people can borrow select tools
Dad can borrow anything

Pretty much this

 

[AGuinn]

I lend tools to exactly two people.

Dad gets to borrow whatever he wants, whenever he wants (which isn't often). Lord knows I've borrowed or lost enough of his tools over the years, he's earned the privledge. He's a retired machinist, and always returns things in good, clean condition.

A very good friend (who was also a machinist many moons ago) gets to borrow odd/specialty tools as needed. I help him, he helps me. He returns things in good, clean condition - or in the case of a masonry bit that came back worn out - brings the old one along with a good quality, new replacement.

I think (good) machinists have taking care of tools ingrained in them.

 

[Jacko264]

The man who lends tools out is out

 

[LeonardY]

I had a neighbor tell a new neighbor that if he ever needed to borrow a tool to go see me. The new neighbor came over to tell me this. he told the old neighbor that it was not cool to tell someone about someone else's possessions.
We hung out all the time after that. I have come to find that my new neighbor is a really great guy. He rebuilds cars and brews his own beer.
And yes, I would loan him tools.
But the other neighbor. I never have loaned him a tool or ever will.

 

[merkyworks]

Keep a bag of tools (older beaten up craftsman/duplicates) specifically for lending out. If they damage/break one I don’t care cause I’ve already written them off.
Otherwise you get **** like a damage PB Swiss screwdriver tip cause they were using it as a pry bar.

 

[vga]

I have learned too many expen$ive le$$on$ from loaning tool$ and equipment. My ye$ or no an$wer depend$ upon the who the Per$on i$ who i$ a$king to borrow a $elect item, and My chance$ of $eeing it returned within a $pecified time, in an unmole$ted $tate, without any excu$e$

NO

 

[M635_Guy]

I had a neighbor tell a new neighbor that if he ever needed to borrow a tool to go see me. The new neighbor came over to tell me this. he told the old neighbor that it was not cool to tell someone about someone else's possessions.
We hung out all the time after that. I have come to find that my new neighbor is a really great guy. He rebuilds cars and brews his own beer.
And yes, I would loan him tools.
But the other neighbor. I never have loaned him a tool or ever will.

That's pretty odd - I man I can sorta see a casual "that guy over there has all kinds of tools, if you're in a pinch and need something you should probably ask him" but even that is presumptive.

 

[Crazyjake8493]

Depends what the tool is and who has it. My drywall lift is almost always on loan to a friend or family member, and then I never have to store it. I haven't seen my roofing nailer in a few years while it's been bouncing from friend to friend.

But if it's a tool I could conceivably need soon, then no loaning.

 

[Dakotadadv8]

Seldom only close neighbors and direct family, usually have their own tools but in a bind. Probably only a dozen time over 30 years. So many big box and hardware stores nearby to buy tools.