tool loan to friend

[isb cornbinder]

I only loan my stuff to family members. Period.

My uncle wanted to borrow my sheet-metal brake. I had two of these brakes. My Dad made them for me. My ***-hat uncle picked up the brake. After a few years, I asked about getting it back. He told me, he had sold the brake for $40. That is forty dollars. When I upgraded to a PEXTO box and pan brake, I sold the remaining matching brake for $400, to someone, I do not know, who wanted to borrow the brake.

 

[WagonHo!]

His wife, she a looker? No sorry bad taste, well is she?

 

[tyyost]

In the OP’s case he is in a different spot than a friend or acquaintance. I’m in the camp of no, as it doesn't take long to bang up someone’s siding brake. If it were a more rugged tool or less valuable I’d be more inclined to let it go and bug them every day until it came back.

As a rule I don’t loan stuff, but will come help and bring the tools if I can. If I do loan stuff the return period is pretty short before I become a pest. Most recently I let my 25 yr old son take my good drill, impact driver, and a ton of bits home for a project. He brought them back the next day….

 

[steel 35]

Markm, bringm ; 2 bucks each.
I will do it here at the shop.

(Work shop Boss told him)

 

[mike93lx]

Almost daily… almost every day someone who knows what I do… usually not friends… and I do not even do my friends electrical work… asks me to do something… it is literally the worst part of being an electrician.

They are not always doing it to “avoid paying a professional”… they are often doing it because they are having a terrible time getting someone to come out and do their jobs… not my problem. When my days are over… I am tired. I do not want to go back out and do more…

I wouldn’t ask a friend for free work that is a pro in that field. You do it day in and day out...why would I want to.make you do it on the weekends too? I might ask for advice over a beer, but that's it.

I have a buddy that is an amazing trim carpenter. I sure as **** would love to have him help me make built ins, install crown, and more. But I won't ask. And I won't hire him either. I don't hire friends and family for work.

 

[ecotec]

I wouldn’t ask a friend for free work that is a pro in that field. You do it day in and day out...why would I want to.make you do it on the weekends too? I might ask for advice over a beer, but that's it.

I have a buddy that is an amazing trim carpenter. I sure as **** would love to have him help me make built ins, install crown, and more. But I won't ask. And I won't hire him either. I don't hire friends and family for work.

Most of them do not want free work. Most are willing to pay. They are just looking for someone who will actually show up.

 

[mike93lx]

Most of them do not want free work. Most are willing to pay. They are just looking for someone who will actually show up.

I hear you, doesn't change it for me. I don't hire friends and wouldn't let a friend hire me. I'd never even ask.

Getting someone to show up is an unfortunate reality, especially when you don't regularly need work done . Hard to find the good guys

 

[Whitworth]

This guy's an acquaintance, not a friend. Definate No.
OP uses tool in his job or his business? No again.
OP doesn't even know what it will be used for or where. No for sure.

In short: No, no and Hell NO.

And don't be tricked into volunteering to do free work for this leech either.

The audacity of this guy to even ask you. You loan it out I guarantee you'll never see it again.

 

[Rc_Guy]

This guy's an acquaintance, not a friend. Definate No.
OP uses tool in his job or his business? No again.
OP doesn't even know what it will be used for or where. No for sure.

In short: No, no and Hell NO.

And don't be tricked into volunteering to do free work for this leech either.

The audacity of this guy to even ask you. You loan it out I guarantee you'll never see it again.

Why would you think you he would never see his tool again?

If I borrow anything it usually comes back cleaner than when I borrowed it and if it’s a vehicle or a skid loader or something like that it will be full of fuel also.

 

[Whitworth]

Why would you think you he would never see his tool again?

If I borrow anything it usually comes back cleaner than when I borrowed it and if it’s a vehicle or a skid loader or something like that it will be full of fuel also.

Call it the school of hard knocks.

You seem to know alot about being the borrower, but what experience do you have loaning?

Recent example for me was a near-new condition hedge trimmer. Came back with a loose handle and a rattling noise coming from the engine.

 

[Rc_Guy]

Call it the school of hard knocks.

You seem to know alot about being the borrower, but what experience do you have loaning?

Recent example for me was a near-new condition hedge trimmer. Came back with a loose handle and a rattling noise coming from the engine.

I have an enclosed trailer that gets borrowed and open trailer that’ll haul three ATVs that I loan out all kinds of tools that I loaned out, I have no problem borrowing anything to someone as long as they take care of it. The only thing we will not borrow to someone is our food truck, I don’t know why people think we would but we have had people ask if they could use it to cook for a party

 

[kngelv]

I'm in the mostly "no" camp. I have two friends who I will loan pretty much anything. Everyone else is a no. I'm an electrician and side jobs are out unless it's my mothers house or my ex wife's. My son is there every other week and I don't want somebody I don't know screwing it up. It is much easier just to work overtime than deal with everyone wanting a deal and delaying payment. I may help a close friend but that is always a no charge thing. I kind of look at it like The Godfather movie. I'll paraphrase: "One day I may call upon you for a favor though that day may never come, until then enjoy".

James

 

[WWheeler]

My closest friends and family that have never been untrustworthy towards me before I will lend almost anything.

Anyone else probably not a $900 brake or anything even remotely close to it.
IF for some reason I did I'd make him come get it so I could make sure he's at least transporting it suitably, but also to get him on my security cameras agreeing to bring it back and accepting all responsibility for fixing or replacing it for any reason, even theft, before some agreed upon date. That way at the very least it would be an easy win in small claims which I would definitely do.

 

[Maddog3355]

What kind of friend is he? If he is one of these Facebook friends that wouldn’t show up or help you out if you were in a pinch I wouldn’t loan it to him but if he was a true friend that would help you out and has helped you I wouldn’t let $900 come between us. True friends are few and far between.

 

[gte718p]

100% disagree.

A good friend, my tools are definitely their tools. As is the food and beer in the fridge, truck, trailer, etc... and that works both ways of course.

Absolutely. Tools are still just stuff. People and relationships are what is important. When I was in Virginia and still had space and equipment, it was not unusual to have $30k of tools and equipment not at my house. I swear half of Norfolk drove my F350 at some point.

At the same time, I had no issue borrowing a buddies $100k F350 when mine was broken or borrowing a friend and his half million dollar excavator.

If it is fragile, critical to me, or I suspect you are not competent and you will get me and my tools. Either way it is part of being a friend. That is often more fun then just handing over a tool. Abuse the privilege and it will of course be revoked.

 

[isb cornbinder]

I lent my shop engine hoist/cherry-picker to a trusted friend. I even delivered it with my then new 1980 Toyota 4X4. After the few weeks we agreed on, I phoned and said I was coming to get my lift back. There was panic in his voice. He claimed that the lift was his and he had sold it to a mutual friend. I diverted my trip to the friends shop and loaded "MY" cherry-picker into my truck. I lost two "friends" that day.
My wife estimates that I have lost over $500 in lent tools.
Back when I was just starting my shop, I had to work extra hours and save money for the tools. I figure it may not be too much to expect others to do the same for themselves.
I am not angry with anyone other than myself.