Can I borrow your........

[2LaneCruzer]

I had a very near and dear friend who lived next door to me for 17 years. He had an old tree in his back yard, that had died, and mentioned that he was going to have it taken down. He had a bad back so he couldn't do it himself. I walked over one nice day, with my chain saw, and cut it down. I sawed it up into fireplace size pieces, and stacked them neatly so I could pick them up in my trailer and stack them on my patio, to burn in my fireplace.

I was raking up the last of the small branches and debris, when he came out, and walked over and thanked me; and he said: "Don't worry about those logs, just leave them there and I'll burn them in my fireplace". I just smiled, and left them there. One of the finest men I ever knew.

 

[KubotaToy]

I have been on both ends of the borrowing spectrum.

I had a neighbor who's husband passed away and he had several old JD tractors sitting around the house and shop from his small farming business. She wanted to get them running and maybe sell them. I told I would help, so I started on a over 10k hour JD 4440 which seemed to just need the dirt dabbers and bird nests cleaned out a little, I drained the fuel tank, changed the fuel filters and put fresh batteries on (which I bought). Once running, she wanted a 10 acre plot plowed, so I hooked up the disc and took care of that with no issues. I asked her if it would be ok if I plowed my 4 acre field which was just to the other side of her field just to run it some more and make sure it was good to go. I started it up and it died immediately like it lost fuel. Could not get it restarted. I walked over and told her about it and she told me flat out I was responsible for repairing it since I had "borrowed" it. After a very expensive fuel injection pump rebuilt, I will never "borrow" anything again. BTW- the JD dealership told me nothing I did caused the failure, it was slap wore out.

I loaned out my 2 month old truck one time to someone I thought to be a good friend as his truck was being serviced. It came back with dents in the bed rails and tailgate bent. When I questioned him, he just shrugged his shoulders and said, it is a truck, so what. This is from a guy that made me take my boots off once as they had mud on them before getting his truck and never hauls stuff in in the bed, ever.

I have neighbors asking to borrow equipment all the time. I tell them, when I have time I will be glad to come over and help in any way I can at no cost. But if you need it now, Bobcat, Deere, and Cat rent everything I have and you can play to your hearts desire.

 

[Industrial Toys]

You will have an easier time of life, if you realize that there are Givers and there are Takers (especially important with women). Doesn't make someone automatically bad to be a taker vs a giver. But a GOOD thing to establish early on. And always nicer dealing with givers. Best thing actually is when two Givers get together.

 

[YanmarFever]

I loaned out a boat I had to one of my step sisters, when I got it back it had a hole on the hull, the shifter was ripped off the mount, and the engine wouldn't run.
Also the new vinyl top was thrown in the bed of their truck and their dog did his business on it.
I bought my wife a new car back in the 70s and my brother asked if he could drive it around the block so I hopped in with him as a passenger, he put it in gear and red lined the engine thru the gears when I reached over and shut the key off. The new car had 25 miles on it.
Then they called me stingy when I don't lend things anymore... Go figure

 

[Steppenwolfe]

I had a very near and dear friend who lived next door to me for 17 years. He had an old tree in his back yard, that had died, and mentioned that he was going to have it taken down. He had a bad back so he couldn't do it himself. I walked over one nice day, with my chain saw, and cut it down. I sawed it up into fireplace size pieces, and stacked them neatly so I could pick them up in my trailer and stack them on my patio, to burn in my fireplace.

I was raking up the last of the small branches and debris, when he came out, and walked over and thanked me; and he said: "Don't worry about those logs, just leave them there and I'll burn them in my fireplace". I just smiled, and left them there. One of the finest men I ever knew.

Maybe you were simply projecting yourself as you would like to be treated... And he wasn't as fine as you thought. I'm a world class schmo, I would know.

 

[Williy]

I loaned out a skil saw and when I got it back I plugged it in pulled the
switch got smoke so left it in the bed of my pickup and some thief
removed it from my pickup.

willy

There was one hell of a crash on I20 and 87 there was a mustang and a thunderbird and all that was left was horse **** and feathers

 

[Industrial Toys]

Too bad! At least with an operational saw, you might hope they could have an accident. Nah! What am I thinking. They would probably just pull prints off the saw and sue you.

 

[civilian]

I loaned out a boat I had to one of my step sisters, when I got it back it had a hole on the hull, the shifter was ripped off the mount, and the engine wouldn't run.
Also the new vinyl top was thrown in the bed of their truck and their dog did his business on it.
I bought my wife a new car back in the 70s and my brother asked if he could drive it around the block so I hopped in with him as a passenger, he put it in gear and red lined the engine thru the gears when I reached over and shut the key off. The new car had 25 miles on it.
Then they called me stingy when I don't lend things anymore... Go figureIn

I loaned out a boat I had to one of my step sisters, when I got it back it had a hole on the hull, the shifter was ripped off the mount, and the engine wouldn't run.
Also the new vinyl top was thrown in the bed of their truck and their dog did his business on it.
I bought my wife a new car back in the 70s and my brother asked if he could drive it around the block so I hopped in with him as a passenger, he put it in gear and red lined the engine thru the gears when I reached over and shut the key off. The new car had 25 miles on it.
Then they called me stingy when I don't lend things anymore... Go figure

I have heard of similar stories about the cars being borrowed and driven that way. Stories were always the dads borrowing their kids cars and burning rubber out the drive while the kids look on. Dad's replied when questioned, just paybacks of what you did to my cars in the past. LOL, Jon

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Maybe you were simply projecting yourself as you would like to be treated... And he wasn't as fine as you thought. I'm a world class schmo, I would know.

He's been gone about 20 years; I doubt I will ever change my mind.

 

[jjp8182]

Have been on a few different sides of this - and have gotten to the point that I would rather help or be helped rather than either loan or borrow anything out (with case by case exceptions).

One instances was when I loaned a tarp to a church so they could use to cover some wet concrete since it rain was in the forecast and one of the members (who knew it belonged to me) decided they could loan it out to someone else and I never saw it again. Fortunately it wasn't one of my better heavy canvas ones - so it wasn't much of a loss or frustration, but it definitely highlighted that it's not always easy to determine who can/can't be trusted to return an item.

Another instance I borrowed a chainsaw from a coworker, but had to pick it up from the person he'd previously loaned it. When I got it the chain was dull and the bar was full of dirt, so I called him to ask what condition it was in when he'd lent it out before proceeding to clean it up as best as I could since I still needed to use it.

Turns out the individual who'd previously borrowed it had used it to cut tree roots without even bothering to uncover the roots (would have been questionable usage if they had), but instead they had just jammed the bar and chain into the ground to cut away.

That event ended up being the final straw for the coworker loaning things out as it was the latest in a long line of loaning things out and the item either not being returned, him having to track it down (potentially through multiple other people it'd been loaned to without his knowledge), or getting an item back in a completely worn-out condition. While he said I would remain an exception to that new postion of his, it was enough for me to decide it's not worth borrowing things - or loaning them out. Though where I'm at it's about as fast to go buy something for myself as it is to try borrowing one for most things - plus I don't assume the risk of inheriting their problems/lack of care.

Though what I really don't understand from those experiences is the mindset that as a borrower that it's acceptable (or that there's even any authority) to further loan out someone else's stuff to others.