Got a call ... and found a mess

[STx]

If somethings stops working right, leave it alone and let me deal with it please.

I can understand this but when I've been a borrower, I feel like it's my responsibility to return whatever I'm using in the same, or better, condition than I got it. I've replaced floors and axles on borrowed trailers, rebuilt the engine on a borrowed Mule (which was the result of the owner not putting oil in it, not anything I did but I noticed the problems while it was in my care so I fixed it), replaced a dented canopy on a tractor and so own. I would never leave anything in the condition the OP found his machine in though, I would have fixed it or, if I couldn't, hired someone that could.

I have all my own stuff now but if I ever needed to borrow something from a friend, they'd lend it to me without hesitation because they know I'll treat better than if it were mine.

 

[LD1]

I guess my issue is I just dont trust anyone to work on my things. I am usually the one everyone calls when they have issues. And no one knows my equipment better than myself. So if something goes wrong, the FIRST thing that needs to happen is I want to be made aware if it. And we'll go from there.

No way would I have allowed someone else to start tearing into the fuel system on my tractor. Something a little simpler......okay. But just depends on who is borrowing it. But tearing apart a fuel system and stripping all the lines off without telling me.....

And who knows hoe much farther they would have gone had the OP not been contacted. And I get the "feeling" like they werent gonna pay for a thing no matter what. Where as you (Stx) sound like the kind of guy that if you broke it you fix it. And not the type that "you broke it, you'll tear everything apart, tell what you think is wrong, then leave the owner stuck with the mess" kinda guy

 

[STx]

Honestly, for my own stuff, I think I agree with you. I'll loan stuff out if it's something like a disc or some other tool with not much to actually break on it but beyond that, I'd rather just come do the work for you than loan you my stuff. That way if it does break, there's no worry about who is responsible for it.

I would've been pretty hot to find my equipment in the condition that the OP found his in. When stuff I was using broke, I'd either just fix it and tell them about it later or if it was something more major (like the Mule), I'd tell them what I found and ask what they wanted to do. On the Mule, the owner ended up buying the parts and I did all the work, which seemed fair to both of us.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I'll loan stuff out if it's something like a disc or some other tool with not much to actually break on it but beyond that, I'd rather just come do the work for you than loan you my stuff. That way if it does break, there's no worry about who is responsible for it.

I agree with you. I would rather come do the work myself with my equipment than loan it. I am also the neighborhood "Mr Fix-It". I don't mind helping my neighbors fix things. I am the only one around with all the tools needed to mechanic or weld up broken parts. I enjoy this and rarely charge anything, actually only once did I get any payment for work and that was because the neighbor insisted on paying me something for the 1.5 hours of welding time on his bush hog.
I hate to borrow equipment which is why I have so much stuff that I rarely use, but I do have it in case I need it. I seem to do more work on my Brother in Laws stuff than on mine including maintenance items like oil changes and greasing. It gives me something to get out of the house for.