Favor's and Free Bees

[dynamike]

Favor\'s and Free Bees

How do you guys handle favors and free bees? You know the neighbor who wants you to bring your machine down "it will only take five minutes". I don't have a tractor "Yet" but I do have a Cat 246 skid steer with the two speed, cab heat, and everything else. I use it mostly for commercial snow removal and it sits in my garage most of the summer. The machine cost me over 30 thousand dollars two years ago and it still looks like new cause I keep it that way. I friend of mine is a little ticked off cause he asked to borrow it one Saturday and I asked him if he was drunk or stupid cause I know he had to be one of them to ask me such a question. My machine has a little over 500 hrs on it and I know that at least 100 of them are me helping someone out for nothing. Call me a jerk but enough already!

 

[Birdman]

Re: Favor\'s and Free Bees

I will give just about anybody a little help...ONCE. If they are the type to show you what to do and then dissapear into the house or are never available when I need help, that is all they get from me. If on the other hand they return the favor and help me with some chore, then we will swap favors for a long time. I have several neighbors that I help about any time they ask and then I have 2 different neighbors that will not get any help from me again.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Re: Favor\'s and Free Bees

I sort of follow the same theory Birdman follows. I will help you, if you later help me, then we can go on doing that for a long time. If I help you and you constantly need more help and more help and more help then you will have a very hard time finding me. Now if you want to borrow one of my toys, well sorry, you are out of luck on that. I have a couple very trusted folks who I will hand the keys to, but outside of those 2 people, nobody, not even my brother, gets to borrow equipment. Then again, for his own safety and the safety of people around him, we don't trust my brother with any power tools, so maybe that was a bad example. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[Bird]

Re: Favor\'s and Free Bees

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( friend of mine is a little ticked off cause he asked to borrow it one Saturday and I asked him if he was drunk or stupid cause I know he had to be one of them to ask me such a question. )</font>

I would not have let him borrow it either, but my answer would have been a little more diplomatic. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif Are you still friends? If so, I'd say he probably is stupid. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[YanmarFever]

Re: Favor\'s and Free Bees

Bird I have a good come back for the borrowers.
First I look them right in the eye and I ask them this.
Is our friendship worth $160. ??
Most of them say of course it is, or yes, why do you ask ?
Then I tell them (then rent one) in town.

Its worked every time except for 1 cheap knuckle head who is no longer a friend.
Ernie /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[dynamike]

Re: Favor\'s and Free Bees

oh yea we are still friends, I normally don't talk to friends that way but you have to know this guy. He is the kind of guy that I have known for years but if you met him for the first time you would probably want to hit him. Do you know the type?

 

[Bird]

Re: Favor\'s and Free Bees

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Do you know the type? )</font>

Yeah, I think I understand. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[DKinWA]

Re: Favor\'s and Free Bees

I only loan my equipment to a few select family members. One has my dump truck and tractor right now and said he'd bring it back after he washed the truck, adjusted the slack adjusters and fixed a tail light on the trailer. He's helped me out plenty of times in the past and takes good care of the equipment. I've even put him on my insurance and gave him his own key to the truck. As long as it's not on a job, he can use it whenever he wants.

If they aren't one of the select few, I start rattling off parts prices (rubber tracks $1,700 ea, steel hydraulic line $110, etc). Then I ask them if they're willing to pay for a rental machine if they break mine when I need it. They usually get the point and then ask me what I'd charge them to do the work. If they're family members or good friends, I'll either do it for nothing or charge them a few bucks. It's amazing how much work I'll do for some good home made lasgne when it comes to family and friends /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[mark777]

Re: Favor\'s and Free Bees

I know what you mean exactly....I tell (stretch) the truth. My home-owners insurance policy will NOT cover you, me, property damage or any liabilities on your land. If you could just bring your land over to my place....then it wouldn't be a problem /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Mark

 

[Buckcreek]

Re: Favor\'s and Free Bees

I did alot of freebies when i first got my BX, but i soon fig. out that if i kept it up i would never get my things done. I started telling "mostly family" That when i got all my important things done that i would help them and at the rate im going it will be no time soon. If there really in a bind i will help but not lone my tractor. I mow my sisters lawns ever week though , if i didnt it would grow over there house. But one cleans house for me and the others husband helps me out alot when hes not working 80 hour weeks . So ever thing comes out in the wash. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif