Loaning out stuff...

[Mrwurm]

A friend (Don) and I were discussing a request he had received . Don's friend (BIll) wants to borrow his power washer for a week to do his annual deck maintenance. Don asked me what my policy was as far as loaning out stuff. So, here it is in 'list form'

Only loan out stuff that the borrower knows how to use
If at all possible, be there to supervise (or run the machine)
Never let it become a habit (or expected)

The last point is based on my personal philosophy...

Some folks need help
Some folks are just cheap

If someone wants to borrow one of my tools and they truly cannot afford their own or truly only need it once, then I will usually help out. Don's friend, Bill, makes a generous income and lives very well. He asks to borrow Don's power washer about twice per year. I'm thinking... Get your own /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[RoyJackson]

Friends don't loan stuff to friends if they want to remain friends (especially money!!)

 

[Anonymous Poster]

The thing about borrowing is.....if you don't have the money to replace it, you shouldn't borrow it. If you have the money to replace it, then you have the money to buy one, right? That's what I teach my kids.

 

[kubotasaurus]

I ended up in a sticky situation loaning out my pressure-washer to my brother-in-law. Actually what happened is my wife offered it before asking me and then refused to retract the offer. It had a few years on it so I told her "Fine - but if it gets damaged I get a new one and no complaints."

Guess what - he borrowed it last fall for "a couple of days". He kept it for a month and returned it after the first hard frost. Yes, you guessed it. New pressure washer for me. The old one leaks like a sieve - seems to have several cracked fittings and is now only a low pressure washer.

My wife was a little red-faced about that one, but she doesn't offer my tools to her family anymore.

Some day I'll get around to diagnosing and fixing the old one and selling it. In the meantime I will enjoy the new one.

And I didn't raise my voice once or make any sarcastic comments during the whole episode.

Moral of the story - don't loan equipment unless you're looking for an excuse to replace it.

 

[Mrwurm]

/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif That reminds me of my walk-behind tiller. I loaned it to a friend (unsupervised) about ten years ago. He never mentioned that he was going to use it to till up the bricks that the builder buried on his lot. My tiller has never been the same since. But, you know, it was my fault. I should'nt have loaned it out in the first place. Currently, I make a habit of not mentioning to co-workers about what I have in my barn.

 

[Mrwurm]

Roy, my wife loaned out all my painting supplies to her sister about 15 years ago. (rollers, dropcloths, brushes,etc) I have long since given-up on getting these items back.

 

[Mrwurm]

Cindi, great quote! Can I steal that one? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Chief]

I agree with Cindi's point 1000%!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif If you need it, go buy it or rent it. Nuf said!

 

[MossRoad]

<font color="blue"> Friends don't loan stuff to friends if they want to remain friends (especially money!!) </font>

You are sooo correct! Ha ha ha ha.

Never do business with family and friends.
Never discuss money, religion or politics at the dinner table.
And most importantly,

never, but never, loan anyone your tractor!!!

 

[Boone]

If there is someone that I'm close enough that I would consider borrowing a tool, then I go with it and use the tool myself.

 

[Loges1]

Moss
You are soooo right. A few weeks back my son called me at work to see if the neighbors could borrow my tractor to move some fence posts. After I regained my composure I told him to tell them NO. I don't know if I was madder at them for having the nerve to ask or him for actually doing it. If they would have asked me for help moving them I would have put off some of my chores to help. Now I could care less how they move them. That might be cold hearted, but they asked to borrow my TRACTOR /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif Anything but that

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Jerry, you're welcome to it. I don't think it's mine anyway, probably something my daddy told me long long ago.

 

[s1120]

I tend to run on a case, by case basis. I have some frends, that I have no problem with, and others I would not give a used peice of gum to. I also have a few frends that I have been know to borrow stuff from. But I treat it like I was borworing it from myself. They get it back right after I am done, and it is in as good, or sometimes better then when I got it.

 

[thcri]

I got two neighbors with tractors and such. We trade implements all the time.

I got, tractor, loader and fertilizer spreader.
One neighbor, got tractor, bush hog and disk.
Other neighbor, got tractor, loader and everything else under the sun.

Now the one with all the toys doesn't have a fertilizer spreader so he borrows mine. I don't got a tiller so I borrow his.

The other has a bush hog, I don't, he needs my spreader. So we are constantly trading implements, if I break something when using it, my personal policy is I need to fix it.

As far as the other neighbors, I will help them but won't let them use them. I usually use the old insurance excuse, works pretty good.

murph

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

Cindi,

That's very close to what my Dad told me over 35 years ago.

"If you borrow something and it breaks, you're going to end up spending the money you didn't want to spend to buy the tool to begin with ... and then you still won't have one of your own."

 

[Anonymous Poster]

RoyJackson:

Right on. Don't know about others, but when I lend I actually expect it back! So . . . if they're enough of a "friend" to lend I just give it (as a gift). No problem because you don't expect it back!

Did have one experience. Lent a 10hp chipper to someone who was meticulous about stuff (he cleans his car engine with a toothbrush (well, almost). Got the chipper back cleaner than new. But the governor never has worked right! Can't win.

JEH

 

[SteveBenson]

I will lend some impliments to some friends I know who will treat them with respect and know how to use them. Depends on the friend and the impliment.

Haywagons, brushhog, PHD, rake, maybe.
Finish mower, Harley rake, never.

Some times us little guys have to help each other out.

The best excuse for borrowing something (or renting it, even better) is to try it out before you buy your own /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

No one has ever asked me to borrow my tractor (except the guys I cut hay with, but that's a different story). I think I'd be pretty unhappy with that situation too if it ever comes up.

 

[r0GuE]

I always buy the tools I need (or rent). But I am fortunate enough that the $$ is not too much of a problem. I have some friends who aren't too handy. One wanted to fix the woodwork on his steps and wanted to borrow my Bosche router. I had bought it for a project, used it once, and really have no use for it in the forseeable future. I let him have it. 14 months later, I was at his house and he gave it back to me. He never even used it! It just sat in his damp basement for over a year. It was in a case, but still I wonder. Anyway, these guys think the tool is how I gt my stuff done,.. it is really the work ethic.

Also...
A guy from work loaned his Kubota (an older model) to a neighbor. The broke an oil line and fried the engine. HE EVEN HAD GAUGES!! They didn't give him any money, they said they used it easy and it shouldn't have done that. Luckily, his home owners insurance took care of it.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

My husband would be one to lend things to. He borrowed a good friends 4 wheeler once and accidently cracked one of the front fenders, so he repalced both front fenders so one wouldn't look new and the other old. In the process of replacing the fenders he gauged a hole in the seat. Took it to the upholsterers and had it recovered. The friend said....hey, wanna borrow my truck?! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Inspector507]

I'm beginning to learn my lesson for being a nice guy and loaning things out. Things that never return or things that come back broken. Been waiting for 2 years for half of my 32' wood extension ladder to return. I know it's laying in their back yard and has been for 2 years. Don't think I'd ever climb on it after this, I just would like to have it returned, so I could use it for firewood, if it's not too rotten by now.

But on the other side, when we moved out here, I got to know the neighbors real well. They travel to Florida in the winter and told me if I needed to use their tractor with blade to clear snow, the key was in it and all the cans were full of new fuel. He has since passed away but the wife has always told me where to find the keys and fuel if I ever needed to use it. I have several times to plow and disc the gardens, both mine and hers. I ALWAYS do hers whenever I do mine. Same with the driveways in the winter, but I use my tractor for that. I know I have 2 of them to do evertytime I go out. Guess I'm just returning the favor for being so nice. Just noticed yesterday that "her" tractor is gone along with all the implements. She has been selling of a lot of things since he did not leave her with any protection financially.