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

[Jstpssng]

My father rarely lent his tractors or tools, but made an exception and let an old friend borrow his 8N. When it came back we heard it way down the road, coming back with a broken manifold.

 

[oosik]

I have never loaned my motorized vehicles - truck, tractor, lawn mower or motorcycle. For two reasons - my vehicle insurance will not cover the vehicle/driver/occupants when loaned - I do not want to get into a repair/replacement situation with a friend.

I will "go with" my truck, tractor, lawn mower to help a friend. NOBODY knows my vehicles as well as I do and knows their limitations as well as I do.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I'll only loan stuff to certain people, that I know well and have a proven track record of responsibility and friendship. My best friend, for example, all he'd have to do is ask. But when it comes to tractors or most powered equipment, I would come along with him because of his lack of experience with it. Not due to any trust issues. Any hand tools would be loaned without a thought or worry.

My old neighbor would be mostly the same, I'd probably come with the equipment, but any hand tools, etc I'd just hand them to him and not worry about it.

Any of our new neighbors at our new place, Nope. None but one have made any attempt to even be friendly. It's fine, but if I can't even get a wave out of you when I drive by, you're sure as h*ll not going to borrow anything here. My "friendly" neighbor, I'd probably come over and help him, but I'm bringing the tools and taking them home with me when we're done.

 

[RalphVa]

There have been many scattered comments on TBN about problems caused when someone borrows something and breaks it, or returns it better than when it left.

I was reminded of this by a local news story. Here's part of it.
========================
Two luxury cars, a Maserati and Jaguar, crashed into each other, and then one of the vehicles knocked over a light pole, Kapp said. The drivers of both vehicles fled the scene, but a witness told police the cars appeared to be racing, she said.

The owners of both of the vehicles reported that they allowed people unknown to them to borrow their cars, according to the police department.
======================

Here's one of my own good borrower stories. I'm lucky that I don't have any bad stories.

My neighbor borrowed a hand tool and broke it. He returned it, and a new replacement.
He mentioned that he could probably fix the broken one, so I gave it to him.

Everyone should have neighbors like that.

But I won't loan my tractor to anyone without me going with it.

Let's hear your story.

Bruce

Loaned a shovel to a friend at church (with a pHd). He returned it with mud caked all over it. I looked at it rather funny; I guess. He asked whether anything was wrong. I said, "nothing".

Have heard from a couple other friends about their FELs getting dented or bent when loaned out.

Tiger Woods was in a loaner doing 87 mph before his crash.

 

[shooterdon]

I hate borrowing anything but if I ever did any damage it is repaired or replaced. I lent a buddy (ex now) my Jeep and it came back with a dent....he told me it must have been that way when he picked it up.

 

[mwemaxxowner]

I lent out my Stihl chainsaw once to a neighbor, who then himself lent it to someone else, and it never came back. They both blamed it on the other one.

I was pretty upset about that. I got the chainsaw for peanuts compared to what it was worth, but I couldn't justify replacing it with a new Stihl because of my infrequent use of a chainsaw. I replaced it with a Remington which won't half run.

I also once, years ago, lent a trailer to someone. It had an odd type of coupler lock that has a little divot in one side to allow you to just rotate it while leaving it in the hole and the trailer will uncouple. Rotate it the other way and it locks the trailer to the ball. I explained this to him, but he had always been a "trailer person" and I think wasn't paying attention to me because he "knew what he was doing". Well, turns out he did not have the pin right and lost the trailer into the woods. They fished it out and the damage didn't seem bad, but later upon closer inspection it was worse than I thought.

I don't lend stuff out much any more except to my closest family members or my very best friends.

If I happen to borrow something and it tears up, even if it was not my fault at all, I repair or replace it, no questions asked!

 

[grsthegreat]

I simply don’t borrow....anything. I cant recall a time when I have for past 30 years ive been married. If I need something I buy it.

 

[PILOON]

Once I lent my CUT to an employee but on condition he'd trailer it and not drive on road.
Well I had to beg him to return it.
I was at a job site that was on his return route when I heard a roaring vehicle drive by and the grinding of gears as he downshifted. (my cut is not synchro)
OK nothing damaged.

Year later I needed to do some minor excavation and asked to borrow his mini digger.
The answer was that since this was his company tool he could not lend it out in case it might be damaged.
Nice guy! (Could add more but I'll refrain)

 

[TheMan419]

I try not to loan stuff out. Neighbor saw that my tractor was in the shop and came over w his. He said I usually did the weekly filling of the manure bin on Saturday. So he did it for me. He left w a full tank of fuel.

I know he wants to put in a garden soon. I have a tiller. He doesn’t. He knows to call me when it is time and I’ll come over and do it. Like 20 min work tops. Of course I’ll do that for a neighbor.

 

[ovrszd]

How about a good "borrow" story?

My wife and I have been together 20 years. She was a City Girl. I never lock my house or shop. Her and I went on a Jeep vacation to Moab. Gone two weeks. When we walked into the shop upon our return there was one of my 5 gallon gas cans sitting just inside the shop full of gas. I picked it up and carried it to the back where it belonged. She said why did you leave that there? I said I didn't. She asked who put it there? I said whomever needed gas. Went completely over her head so I explained it. Someone ran out of gas. They went in my shop and got a can of gas. Used it to be on their way. Came back by with the can refilled and set it in front of the door so I would know. I still have no idea who it was. I'm extremely Blessed to live where I do. I have very good neighbors and friends. We "share" things all the time.