Neither a borrower or a lender be?
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Anonymous Poster
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I am a regular, silent reader. But I had to respond to this one.
25 years ago I let a good friend borrow an expensive piece of equipment that came back ruined without explanation. After complaining about my friend to my father, he explained "Neither a borrower nor a lender be!"
To this day, I have never again borrowed or lent, even to my brother-in-law. I just tell them this story as above. My wife once called me "stingy". I told her it was better than being "pissed off". With my temper and blood pressure, she agreed.
I find my good friends never ask anyway. In retrospect, maybe my good friend who ruined the equipment did me a favor...25 years of satisfaction. It was, kinda', "Worth it".
25 years ago I let a good friend borrow an expensive piece of equipment that came back ruined without explanation. After complaining about my friend to my father, he explained "Neither a borrower nor a lender be!"
To this day, I have never again borrowed or lent, even to my brother-in-law. I just tell them this story as above. My wife once called me "stingy". I told her it was better than being "pissed off". With my temper and blood pressure, she agreed.
I find my good friends never ask anyway. In retrospect, maybe my good friend who ruined the equipment did me a favor...25 years of satisfaction. It was, kinda', "Worth it".
MikeFLA
Silver Member
I regularly and without reluctance lend my tractor to friends and relatives!/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif
It just happens to come with an operator. What a deal for both of us!!!
It just happens to come with an operator. What a deal for both of us!!!
Soundguy
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- RK 55HC,ym1700, NH7610S, Ford 8N, 2N, NAA, 660, 850 x2, 541, 950, 941D, 951, 2000, 3000, 4000, 4600, 5000, 740, IH 'C' 'H', CUB, John Deere 'B', allis 'G', case VAC
Most of my hand tools, and etc, I make available two only two neighbors in our area. When we were building our house a few years ago, they were the only two who took any notice, etc. I remember one time coming over, and seeing that the builder had laid sod that weekend, and not watered it.When i happened to stop by, the neighbor was out there with his sprinklers and hoses watering my yard. At that point, I told him any time he needed anything, he would know where they key to my garage would be.
My other neighbor has a john deer tractor 9 850 I think ) with a fel. He has done some fel work for me, and I've loaned him my boxblade and drag harrow before. Went over and disc'ed his riding arena for him this weekend and as I was about to leave he walked out with a check for me... I gave it back and told him his money wasn't good with me.. but that I might want to borrow his bushhog later that week. We both shook hands and left it at that.
Soundguy
My other neighbor has a john deer tractor 9 850 I think ) with a fel. He has done some fel work for me, and I've loaned him my boxblade and drag harrow before. Went over and disc'ed his riding arena for him this weekend and as I was about to leave he walked out with a check for me... I gave it back and told him his money wasn't good with me.. but that I might want to borrow his bushhog later that week. We both shook hands and left it at that.
Soundguy
Will_C
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- Kubota L3560, Toro 52" and 60" ZTRs, Kubota RTV 900
This thread may never die! yesterday, another neighbor pulls in the drive (in his new Toyota Tundra) and says he needs a favor. His 30 year old mower is broke, and can I take it to the repair shop. You see, I have a utility trailer. He has a trailer, too, only it is a brand new 28' camper! Then he asks if I could mow his lawn, and he would pay me. This is the same guy who thought buying a CUT was way too much money to spend a "lawn mower." Yes, he will pay a fair rate for the lawn mowing!
wallysue
Bronze Member
Years ago I should have got my lesson in loaning. A friend of mine borrowed my valve refacer and returned it . When I noticed it was broken (cast iron handle) he said "Oh, you can fix that". A person needs to be careful of who you let your stuff out to. I do have two friends I would loan about anything to but no relatives fit that profile. I can't believe how some guys will keep your stuff if you don't go retreive it yourself, one neighbor is real bad like that. He even wanted me to tow his son's car for him as his truck was new and mine is old and "It wouldn't hurt it". I'm so dumb to have spent at least a couple of days time helping him work on his stuff. If I ask for help he'd be playing soccer or just leaving. Have turned down requests for loaning welders, the trucks, and the tractor and lots of tools. Bought an junky extra torque wrench for the borrowers and then no one asked to borrow it. Got my 40 foot ladder back bent and lost a tow bar to a borrower who loaned it to someone else, that bar I only got to use once.
On the good side the guys who will take care of borrowed stuff are great. One buddy borrowed an air nailer and nails. He returned it with an extra big box of nails and replaced what he used. It was gone for months while it was used for his new home and I didn't mind at all. Another had my Miller mig welder and chop saw. It came back with extra wire and a full tank all cleaned up too. He ended up buying a welder like it. I borrowed a magnesium bull float and still have it as the owner says "You store it, I know where it is and my brother can't get it". With the good ones it's fun.
On the good side the guys who will take care of borrowed stuff are great. One buddy borrowed an air nailer and nails. He returned it with an extra big box of nails and replaced what he used. It was gone for months while it was used for his new home and I didn't mind at all. Another had my Miller mig welder and chop saw. It came back with extra wire and a full tank all cleaned up too. He ended up buying a welder like it. I borrowed a magnesium bull float and still have it as the owner says "You store it, I know where it is and my brother can't get it". With the good ones it's fun.
jtcweb
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- Ford 2N, Ford 4000 and DR Field & Brush Mower
I think it comes down to being careful who you deal with and how reasonable they are. Look at their stuff, it will let you know how they will treat yours. I have a freind that I've borowed some of his stuff over the years, but when I'm to the point where I need to use it alot, I buy it and vice versa. Myself and 3 or 4 friends each have some concrete tools, and when any one of us has a job, we get the tools from the others so that there is enough to get the job done. I also know a group of 3 friends that swap 3 PH stuff all the time, but they all take good care of the stuff, and each is willing to buy something to share. When I become a tractor owner (soon I hope) the first thing I will buy is a box scraper, which none of them have. But then I will ask to borowor the friends rake, and of course offer what I have.
I guess the thing is to know that ther person you are dealing with is reasonable, then you shouldn't have problems.
I guess the thing is to know that ther person you are dealing with is reasonable, then you shouldn't have problems.
Pajoube is right on!! I value my equipment and the safety of anyone who might fall into the catagory of "sure I can lend you that." I never lend my tractor or any implement that might attach to it. I also do not lend chain saws. I am willing to do the work for anyone who asks. Now that means that for the use of me and my $16,000 dollars worth of equipment they may have to wait for my schedule to open up, and since I work for free I am a little intolerant of peoples opinion of the work. BUT HEY!! I do the same job as I would for my own projects, and if folks don't like the quality they can go elsewhere.The bottom line is that most of this equipment is dangerous in inexperianced hands. I would feel horrible if one of my friends or neighbors got injured trying something that I could have done better and safer myself using my equipment.Pajoube also has th order of perferance right on as well.
Anonymous Poster
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You can look at my tractor, you can look at me using my tractor, you can fantasize about touching my tractor, heck--you can even fantasize about yourself touching my tractor.
Come within squirrell's nut sack length near my tractor and my rogue bull will find himself a new human pulp sack to play with.
Come within squirrell's nut sack length near my tractor and my rogue bull will find himself a new human pulp sack to play with.
Anonymous Poster
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I gotta say, I've given this some thought, and while I'd like to say I tell everyone to kiss my a$$ when it comes to borrowing, I can't do that. After Friday, telling people to kiss will come a lot easier though. My lawyer faxed me a letter he'd gotten from a fellow I loaned some antiques to 25 years ago, to display in his new farm market. The letter admits the antiques were loaned, but thei sumbich claims I loaned them to his son, and he has no idea where they went to. Too bad for him I know exactly who he sold them to. We'll be going to court soon. Has anybody got an idea what an antique kerosene fired poultry brooder is worth?
The 2 neighbors who kept the driveway plowed when I was in the hospital, so the wife could get to work, well, they can pretty much borrow anything, and I'll be there to help them if they need it, when I called to ask what I owed for plowing they both told me nothing. The rest of this neighborhood, well, till the ice storm knocked out power, they all talked about how nuts I was for owning so much equipment. When I had the only house on the road with lights, they all came over to "borrow generators", after all, I wasn't using all the ones I owned. I politely pointed out I rent and repair generators, and would be happy to quote them rental rates. Oddly, none wanted to rent one.
The scumbag who borrowed a gasoline pump during the ice storm, couldn't find my place to return the pump. He also couldn't move his motorhome to use his generator to supply his own house. 6 months later He returned the pump, missing the suction hose, after the sheriff went to visit him. I billed him for every day, weekly rate of course, and got the full amount after we went to court.
The way I look at it, if I'm gonna loose a friend because I didn't loan him something, he never was a friend anyhow, and I still have the equipment. I can easily afford to loose them clowns.
The 2 neighbors who kept the driveway plowed when I was in the hospital, so the wife could get to work, well, they can pretty much borrow anything, and I'll be there to help them if they need it, when I called to ask what I owed for plowing they both told me nothing. The rest of this neighborhood, well, till the ice storm knocked out power, they all talked about how nuts I was for owning so much equipment. When I had the only house on the road with lights, they all came over to "borrow generators", after all, I wasn't using all the ones I owned. I politely pointed out I rent and repair generators, and would be happy to quote them rental rates. Oddly, none wanted to rent one.
The scumbag who borrowed a gasoline pump during the ice storm, couldn't find my place to return the pump. He also couldn't move his motorhome to use his generator to supply his own house. 6 months later He returned the pump, missing the suction hose, after the sheriff went to visit him. I billed him for every day, weekly rate of course, and got the full amount after we went to court.
The way I look at it, if I'm gonna loose a friend because I didn't loan him something, he never was a friend anyhow, and I still have the equipment. I can easily afford to loose them clowns.
