# I Hate Loaning Tools



## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Never fails I go to do something I spend more time looking for my tools that are no longer there because they were loaned whatever length of time.

Rock Bar loaned. I asked about it? I don't have it. Then month later they find they have it.

Reciprocal Saw ask about it I will bring it this evening. No I think I can work something out. Use Hack Saw Blade without handle to cut PVC Pipe.

Tiller gone two years. Get it back, Gas Cap gone.

Shovel, laid in their yard until Handle rotted out.

Post Hole Digger? Oh I wondered why I had two, go to my place it's somewhere around the Shed. Get there, laying on the ground, Handles still good.

Lawn Mower, they use it all last Summer, still at their House, they left piece of non running junk in my Shed.

Tonight went to cut Boards, no Skill Saw, it is loaned out, call I'm still using it but I will come by in an hour cut them. Fine give me enough daylight to get them up. Wrong he comes two hours later, too dark to get them up but did get them cut.

Rant over!

big rockpile


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## DaleK (Sep 23, 2004)

Last time I loaned a tool out was an air pig to a neighbour. Watched it sell at his auction a couple years later. Now if you want a tool you can use it in my shop, I can use it for you at your place, or you can do without


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Around here Lowes now loans tools. I send people there because there are too many missing from my shop.


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## dirtman (Sep 15, 2011)

With me it's my boys. Once they borrow something I may as well just go buy another one. A lot of arguments. Still nothing ever comes back. Should have raised them better.


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## Ardie/WI (May 10, 2002)

It's simple..........don't loan tools to anyone. Or anything else for that matter!.

Problem solved.


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## Solar Geek (Mar 14, 2014)

You are too nice.

Stopped loaning tools and tillers and mowers and LADDERS! Never get them back same way they went out and usually have to ask for them back.

I just say sorry, no, using it myself. To make it the truth, I go take it out to look at it.


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## retire2$ (Feb 12, 2003)

Let the borrower make the decision that he does not want to borrow YOUR tools. Tell him that he will have to leave a deposit that is 2x the price of your tool purchased new. He will have 5 days to use the tool and return it back to you in the same condition that it was borrowed (you and you alone will decide if it is in the same condition). If the terms are met he gets his deposit back. If terms are not met he gets the tool and you get the deposit. Now ask him to take out his deposit cash and let you know what tools he wants to borrow. He will probably decide he really doesn't need to borrow YOUR tools after all!


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## MichaelZ (May 21, 2013)

big rockpile said:


> Never fails I go to do something I spend more time looking for my tools that are no longer there because they were loaned whatever length of time.
> 
> Rock Bar loaned. I asked about it? I don't have it. Then month later they find they have it.
> 
> ...


Wow do you advertise? Or you are perhaps just a very social and friendly guy. Nobody hardly asks to borrow much of anything of mine. Guess it pays in some ways to be a bit socially challenged. :bored:


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## fordy (Sep 13, 2003)

MichaelZ said:


> Wow do you advertise? Or you are perhaps just a very social and friendly guy. Nobody hardly asks to borrow much of anything of mine. Guess it pays in some ways to be a bit socially challenged. :bored:


 ...........I'll bet it's Little Rockpile , or maybe Little Gravelpile ! , lol , fordy:hair


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

I tell them they can't borrow it, (no matter what IT is) I need to make soup.

"Huh ?"

Story time:

One old farmer goes over to another old farmer's place, and says "I need to borrow your chainsaw".

"Nope....can't lend it. I have to make soup today".

"Huh ? What has a chainsaw got to do with making soup ?"

"Well, nothing......but if I don't want to lend something, one excuse is about as good as another, right ? "


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## light rain (Jan 14, 2013)

Loaned a push mower to a next door neighbor and proceeded to hear every big rock hit for the next hour. Painful but instructive...


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## 1989toddm (Apr 14, 2014)

Over the weekend I used a tiller that was being loaned around in my bro-in-laws church community. 5 minutes in it loses 75% power. I fiddle till dark with no luck. Monday night I tear off the carb, teardown and clean everything, clean and adjust ignition. Re-tune carb, runs great! Check the oil, (which should have been the first thing I did prior to starting it) and it's dry as far as I can see. Learned my lesson about loaning out my own equipment, it will only go to someone I trust.


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## pijnlady (Feb 13, 2013)

I have 2 sets of hand-tools. The good ones, that I keep locked up in the freezer (not running anymore) in the garage and the cheap crap 99 cent editions that I leave laying around and people only seem to ask once to borrow. Since they borrow and break something and then they are embarrassed to ask again. Or in my husbands case, borrow and forget at some family members house.


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## JawjaBoy (Jan 21, 2013)

One of the main reasons I have good locks on my shop is to keep family members from "borrowing" my tools. I can only guess at how much I have spent replacing tools they have either broken or lost.

It has rarely ever failed: when I have loaned out tools to anyone in the past, they come back either broken or in far worse condition than they when they left.


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## Filson (May 22, 2013)

People asking to borrow simple stuff that everyone should own (hammer, shovel, 3/8 drive socket set, etc.) I just say no, and let them know they can get a lot of that stuff for just a few bucks. There is no reason to ask to borrow something like that.

Ask to borrow stuff the typical home-owner may not own, I generally have a "I don't lend tools, but you can use it" rule. They need to bring their project to my shop, not my tools to their project.

There would be some exceptions to this, depending on the person and what they are working on, and what they're asking to borrow. But so far my approach has worked well.


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## dizzy (Jun 25, 2013)

I have a small generator and hubby keeps loaning it to the neighbors when there's a power outage! I keep telling him not to, but he keeps on doing it. I think the next time we have a major storm heading this way, I'm taking it out to the farm where I have my horses and leaving it locked up out there!


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Went up there today. Seen my Post Driver, Leaf Rake many other of my Tools. :bored: He hinted about me helping him on couple Jobs. I told my wife, she said well you would be able to use some Good Tools  You know not really funny!

big rockpile


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## Wylie Kyote (Dec 1, 2009)

I haven't lent any tools since my BIL borrowed my new electric drill and power planer. The drill came back burned out and the planer blades had 2 nicks. I asked the BIL what he used the drill on, concrete was his reply. I have an excellent jackhammer drill he could of borrowed but NO. No brains and happy without them. He wanted to borrow my cordless drill about a year later. I can't use the language on here that I used on him that day.

Wylie


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## Muleman (Nov 8, 2013)

Rockpile, I like the way you loan tools, what else you got??, I could use a few more good tools. No junk though, just if you got something good. I was going to make a list for you of the tools I want. But it sounds like your list of what you got left would be much easier.


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Muleman said:


> Rockpile, I like the way you loan tools, what else you got??, I could use a few more good tools. No junk though, just if you got something good. I was going to make a list for you of the tools I want. But it sounds like your list of what you got left would be much easier.


 Well I got one Ladder, Leaf Rake and my Lawn Mower. My Skill Saw and Extension Ladder is at a Job he is doing. 

He brought up the fact all his junk is in my Garage.

big rockpile


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Put his junk in the yard. Take your tools home.


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> Put his junk in the yard. Take your tools home.


 
Just yesterday I was telling Tina, load his stuff up haul my stuff back. Thing is he is doing Handyman Work doing Jobs in the city. Guess where some of my Tools are? :shrug:

big rockpile


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## dizzy (Jun 25, 2013)

If he's using your tools to make money, he should be paying you for the use of your tools.


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## Junkhound (Sep 14, 2010)

The answer is NO. I don't lone tools period.

junkhound


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## FarmerDavid (Jul 16, 2012)

In general the only person I loan tools to is one of my good friends that's more anal about tools then I am. Never had a problem with him. Have had problems with family members who decide they need to borrow something but don't tell me. Sometimes theu bring it back and I find out then they took it but many times I find it when I'm at their house, usually broken. Went to use my saws all the other night. I'd bought a large assortment of blades the last time I was at lowes. Open it up and all of the blades are there but are all mangled, broken and unusable. I'm not even sure who borrowed it, I guess at least they brought it back but they ruined $40 worth of blades and I couldn't use it when I needed it.


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## raedean52 (May 14, 2014)

i dont let anyone borrow my hubbys tools .i dont lend my stuff.only if i know or dont expect it back.
once i lent a fave book to a good friend.i told her...its a christian book i love and i do want it back.never got it back.
i am not selfish.
i dont borrow.i dont lend.
this is just me.
same with money.if i give money.i really dont expect it back.
i may be a stinker i dont know.its just my belief.


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## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

no one touches my tools!

NO ONE! 

sorry!


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

raedean52 said:


> i dont let anyone borrow my hubbys tools .i dont lend my stuff.only if i know or dont expect it back.
> once i lent a fave book to a good friend.i told her...its a christian book i love and i do want it back.never got it back.
> i am not selfish.
> i dont borrow.i dont lend.
> ...


 I'm not good about sharing but hard to say no. He has my Lawn Mower again said the Mower he borrowed from someone else quit  He has my Push Mower, they don't cost that much. Kind of like Skill Saw. He has one he is getting from a Pawn Shop, making payments. Like my wife said Skill Saws don't cost that much.

big rockpile


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## Forcast (Apr 15, 2014)

Yep I too was used and my stuff abused and being returned non working. So I say sorry what ever it is Sorry its broken. 
Lent my weed Wacker went next door to get it back, sitting in the dirt being rained snowed on since last fall. Nonworking. Same with generator, power washer. And when I am caught using a new tool and the neighbors see/hear it and come to see what I am doing and say hey I need to borrow that I just say sorry its not mine.


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## raedean52 (May 14, 2014)

big rockpile said:


> I'm not good about sharing but hard to say no. He has my Lawn Mower again said the Mower he borrowed from someone else quit  He has my Push Mower, they don't cost that much. Kind of like Skill Saw. He has one he is getting from a Pawn Shop, making payments. Like my wife said Skill Saws don't cost that much.
> 
> big rockpile


well u are kind.we are suppose to share in life.
its probably not a very kind trait of mine.
i just know how hard it was to earn the things we have and
i know how costly it is to replace.
a bit of a skin flint is what i am.
i try to give in other ways like...emotional support.
i tell people "u can get good deals on tools at yard sales".
or have u seen the cost of tools at harbor freight tools?
but i am a bit of a skin flint.


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## SouthGAMan (May 5, 2014)

Sad to see that so many people have had bad luck loaning out stuff. I will readily admit that I have both borrowed and loaned stuff out. To the best of my memory the ONLY thing that I didn't get back in a timely manner was a copy of Jurrasic Park about 20 years or so ago. All my tools and all my equipment if they get loaned out the process is normally like this:

What do u need it for?
How long do u need it?
Where are you going to use it?

Then the person gets a little speech about how it takes forever to earn trust and then only a moment to lose trust. I also say something along the lines of treat it like you just bought it because if it is broken or lost then you will pay for it.

I may not seem like the most giving person but in all reality ONCE the guidelines are laid out people tend to be much more careful and responsible with items that don't belong to them. They also only ask in the future if they REALLY need the item. 

In turn if I ask to borrow something from someone then I treat their stuff the same way that I would if I had to pay for a new one if I damaged theirs. 

In all seriousness shouldn't that be only fair?


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