Don't like to loan tools out. Only 2 people I do, and they are totally anal the way they take care of things.

Other than a cheap Chinese wrench or the like ....... nope.

 

Did once; got back a rusted table saw and jointer. I have a couple of friends that, like John, will take care of anything I might loan them but they'd rather call and say, "I need to borrow you - bring tools!" and I'm ok with that.

 

David did you ever say what condition the jointer was in and if you were able to clean it up like the TS?

Herb

 

Not anymore. When they ask, I say Hey, I have extra time let me come do that for you. That works well and is a deterrent to them asking. Funny I just had a long PM discussion over the same issue.

 

I loaned a tool to a relative many years ago which has never been returned. So now if anybody else asks, unless they're 100% trustworthy, I tell them 'no' because of the relative who never returned my tool.

 

Depends on the tool - I've lent my 12" SCMS - a friend currently has my pancake compressor and one of my nailers. But I wouldn't lend out a large tool that's too hard to move.

My daughter (her husband actually) has borrowed tools from time to time - just recently borrowed a hammer drill and asked while I was away. She has a key to the house so told her where it was and to go get it - reason I don't mind is it takes a long time to accumulate tools and I wouldn't expect them to go out and buy something they might only use once or twice.

Having said that, I trust the people I lend things to and trust that they will take care of them. If the person asking is anything doubtful, I just say no.

 

I have 2 neighbors that I infrequently loan a tool. They both are good guys that take care of my things as well or better than their own. Otherwise not just no but HELL NO,

 

Been down that road!

My philosophy is, that, when I borrow a tool it returns in the same or better shape then when I did. If for some reason it becomes damaged I replace it with the exact same thing. With that said, very few tools get lent out. I could probably count on one hand the number of people I trust to take care of my tools.

When you spend a lifetime collecting quality tools only to have someone not appreciate that and trash them really "screws me through the roof".

Neighbors are the worst...then relatives...

Neighbors seem to think that since they are so close, that, when you need it back you'll come and get it. Relatives just feel that it automatically becomes theirs.

 

no...

 

Don't get me started, I have a hard time saying no, but know I am going to get burned ,and do every time,so don't feel too bad ,because I knew I would/shouldn't have.
My step sons were the worst, if I ever did get it back it was trash, but if I didn't loan to them ,I had to put up with the wife, did give me an excuse to go buy a new replacement though.
Herb

 

I started a simular thread before . I lent out my combo disk belt sander from HomeHardware , and it came back with the adjuster missing . Bought another on sale and lent it to another , only to come back with the disk stripped out somehow .
So I bought a belt sander from General that weighs 453 pounds , and this way there's no way to lend it!
What gets me is the fact I can use something for a decade with no issues , yet someone else can break it in a day?
I work with a guy , and when you lend him something it comes back destroyed . Found out later that he lends out your tools to half his friends afterwards , and by the time you get it back there's not much left .

My closest friend needs to use my Miter saw soon , and I'll let him use the Dewalt , but not my FesTool . Just ain't gonna happen .

I'm with you though Don , what kind of a household doesn't have a drill ? I'd tell your kid to go shopping , daughter or not .
My friends daughter doesn't have a drill either . She usually borrows her dads , but pawns it off later and claims it was stolen . You can only do that so many times before it looks suspicious.
Funny enough , she always has money for alcohol and smokes ?

 

LMAO, Thats what she pawned it for, never heard of that before. Have been told by the one who loaned it out to go get it from the loanee, and the loanee is now the loaner and there is a new lonee who won't give it to you because says it belongs to the loner not you.

Herb

 

There's a lot of low life's in Cranbrook Herb

The bottom line is always the same , just don't lend out tools

 

No one ever asks. Don't have a relative who works on anything that requires tools. Have a son-in-law I'd lend tools without hesitation, but he has more tools than I do. I've given him a couple of hand me down saws in hopes he'd get the bug, but not yet.

 

Most people know not to ask by now. Small jobs I tell them to bring it to my shop.

 

We've had this chat in the past. You know, or should know, intuitively who you can trust with YOUR tools. If you're not sure just say "No".
Like most of the members here, I've had my share of bad experiences.

My SiL drives me crazy; they live in Victoria, so when I go over to Vancouver Island I'll ask him before I leave home, "What do you need me to bring?"
"Oh nothing; I don't really need anything done." says he.
Until I get there without the tools I need to do the stuff he forgot to mention...

 

In the words of the immortal Red Green: If it ain't broke, don't lend it.

I know of one or two people who keep a bucket of rusty wrenches and tools, strictly for loaning out.

The old farmers neighbor came over one day and asked to borrow the old farmers rope.
"Can't loan it", says the old farmer, "using it to tie up my milk".
"What kind of an excuse is that?", asked the neighbor.
The old farmer replied, "Doesn't matter what kind of an excuse it is, any excuse will do when you don't want to lend something".

I don't need to lend tools to get them lost or broken, I've got two sons who do that for me. Haven't seen my wire welder in years, fortunately I have a stick welder if I really need one.

 

It helps me to view tool lending as a cash loan, the amount being the cost of replacement. I don't get as frustrated when the tool is returned damaged, and I use it as an excuse to upgrade. Some tools are irreplaceable, or difficult to replace, and aren't lent out.

 

I broke up a lot of fights on the job over the years of a laborer getting into the carpenters tool box and "Borrowing" his chisel to clean concrete forms, or chip some concrete, or his handsaw to cut a concrete covered 2X4.
Herb

 

As Shakespeare wrote in "Hamlet"-- "Neither a borrower nor a lender be."

Learned a long time ago not to lend tools. The tool never seemed to return in the same condition and people can/will look upon you as a "Tool Lending Library". Same with doing things for people. Often times the more you do for people, the more they expect/demand and the less they do.

 

Often times the more you do for people, the more they expect/demand and the less they do.

That's usually the case Ray . I was asked to borrow my Miter saw from yet another employee , and when I told him no , you'd thought I shot the pope .
Poor baby went to Canadian Tire and bought one . I know for a fact the saws not going to be calibrated once it's left my home , so I don't lend it .
Unfortunately my 12" Delta non sliding Miter saw is going to be used by my buddy shortly , but as I said my new FesTool will only leave here over my dead body . He usually takes care of things though , and it hasn't been an issue in the past .
Interestingly enough though , he always has money for newer mirrorless cameras and lenses , but never seems to have any for tools?

Like Stick said one time , it's ok to take money out of my pocket , but not yours :|

 

I only let my S/O borrow my tools. I know he doesn't worship them like I do, but I also know that if he breaks it in any way I can just go get a better one. That's how I got my 2 dewalt screwdrivers >

Now...... what do I need a better one of?????

 

That is pretty good thinking Angie. I wish my wife would borrow my tools. She could care less about them. :smile:

 

How come no one ever wants to borrow my pick-mattock or coal shovel?

 

cause nobody has any mattocks to pick or coal to shovel...

 

Yes I agree Bill

 

I have often thought that I should go to some garage sales and buy some junker tools and have them under the bench for the tool borrowers. Where I live now , I haven't had a problem.
Before my next door neighbor thought I was his tool crib.

One time he borrowed my small cement mixer,it was one that you tip it over to empty and tip it back to make the next batch.
Well he was going to pour about 16' of side walk 3' wide and he had it all formed up ready to go. He started mixing at 6:AM when I left for work. When I got home at 5:30 PM I looked over the fence and him and his teenage son had about 5' of it poured. I didn't say anything ,just watching and he finally came over and said, man this is hard work. He had the mixer set up to move along the forms as he poured. So I watched and the kid would mix a batch and then hold the handle to tip it over to dump it and the Dad would stick the shovel in the mixer and try to shovel it out while the mixer was turning. The fins inside the drum would grab the shovel and beat the dad terribly. So the kid would turn the mixer back over and get a beating too.
I wanted to laugh but didn't. and told them to just dump it in the forms and spread it with the shovel. They worked to well after midnight pouring that side walk and the finishing looked even worse.
Herb

 

wow Herb , what a contribution to the gene pool your neighbors were lol

 

Loan my tools

Never!

Period

No discussion

 

In a word NO.

 

I generally do not like to loan tools. One main reason is that the older I get, I cannot remember who I loaned it. The second reason is that the tools are never returned in the same condition. i have two friends that I would not only loan my tools, but they can have access to my shop if needed.

Frank

 

Frank I have the same issue . Someone wanted to borrow my pex crimper tools , but I had already lent them out and long forgot who had them . Seems no one remembers borrowing them either ?
Weird lol