Loaner handtool conditions

[David Ragan]

Do you all feel obliged to keep up your loaner tools to a certain condition?

How would it be if someone who was interested in WW borrowed a dull or ill-kept tool, and was turned off by it?

I have not been as fastidious with my loaner chisels. they are not as sharp as my primary set.

[Roger Nair]

In the recent past, I have contracted timber frame projects with labor that I have equipped with framing chisels, draw knives and other edge tools, my policy was to see that all tools were kept sharp to an equal standard. Tools that work must be sharp or they will be bashed up. Sharpening is a daily concern. tools in the rack were kept keen with a Makita powered wet flatstone grinder and honed on a hard felt wheel. So sharpening was fast, edges keen, somewhat round but not ideal perfect edges, in another word workmanlike. On work sites, other framers have asked me to sharpen their personal tools while working through the site tools, and I have, all to keep a job humming along. I have not loaned tools that go off site, except in the case of need of trusted skilled comrades in trade. On site I maintain supervision.

[Frederick Skelly]

I dont loan tools. They come back crappy, if at all. There are threads on that in the archives.

But here are my thoughts on your actual question, FWIW -
* If its not sharp the guy I lend it to might use a grinder on it and foul it up.
* If I was lending it to people who work for me, Id sharpen it beforehand because I want them to be able to accomplish the task I lent them the tool to do. Ditto for someone learning woodworking.
* If Im paying them and give them a dull tool, they might get hurt (if the tool bounces, or whatever). But thats Catch 22 though, right? They are highly likely to get cut with a sharp blade - happens to me every weekend - part of the game.

I look forward to hearing what other people think about your questions though.

Best,
Fred

[Paul Sidener]

I don't loan tools either. If they damage it, all you get is a "sorry man". If a friend needs something, he can come over and I'll help them. But the tools stay here.

[Tom M King]

I have a lot of friends-probably a lot more than most people do. I have one friend that I will loan a tool to. He needed to find a property line stake, and wanted to borrow a metal detector last week. I hadn't used it in years, and the bag it was in was really dirty, but he said he didn't mind. It came back looking like the bag had been washed in a washing machine, better than new. He was sure to tell me that he had taken the batteries back out, and handed me the new ones he had used. I told him when he picked it up that I used it so seldom, that I didn't keep batteries in it.

[glenn bradley]

No problem here. I don't loan tools under any circumstances. I'm pleasant about it but, the answer is no. If someone has an interest, I will show them a few things in my shop with my tools. If they are doing something somewhere else, they can go get their own ;-)

[Bill Clifton]

I don't have enough that anybody would ask to borrow a tool. But I do know that I needed to borrow a large Milwaukee hammer drill and 1" bit. The rental place wanted $50 for an evening. I needed one hole. Fortunately I was able to legitimately borrow the tool and bit from work. It took longer to put the bit in than to drill the hole. I really appreciated being able to borrow the tool. If and when somebody asks to borrow a tool I'll remember what happened to me.

[Pat Barry]

I don't have loaner tools. I have tools. I may let someone use them. I may flinch about that a bit and if given a warning before they are needed I would definitely make sure they were operable.

[Jim Koepke]

There are a few tools in my shop I call 'the beaters.' These are the only ones I would loan. In our current location people are fairly self sufficient and tend to have all the tools they need for their normal tasks.

Most of the beater tools are ones occasionally used by me, so they are kept sharp.

A friend once borrowed a screwdriver from me and messed it up in less than two minutes.

As Paul said, all I got was a, "sorry man."

Of course he was using it for something a screwdriver wasn't made to do.

He didn't think to ask if I might have the proper tool.

jtk

[Kees Heiden]

Nobody ever wants to borrow my handtools! Powertools yes, every time, but I don't really care about these anyway.

[David Ragan]

I love that term "bangers".

the thing that comes to mind is when my BF dropped on of my nice chisels right on the edge. Actually, the thing come-a-loose @ the socket. After I spent about 2 hours getting the gash out of the edge, I called L/N and asked about this ongoing problem with the hornbeam letting go, and the iron dropping. They said use cheap hairspray. I have not run across another loose chisel to try this out yet.

[Daniel Rode]

Loaning tools (or money) to a friend is a good way to lose both. I'd rather give someone the money or buy them a tool.

If I borrow something, I return it promptly and in at least as good condition. Clean, sharp, full. If I damage it, I feel responsible to repair or replace the item. In my experience, this has not often been reciprocated.

[Robert Delhommer Sr]

I do not loan my tools.....

[Sean Hughto]

Yeah, it would be kind of like someone asking if they could borrow my wife. ;)

[Dave Proper]

Yeah, it would be kind of like someone asking if they could borrow my wife. ;) a long time ago I asked a coworker if I could borrow his chainsaw. His replay was "My wife, yes. My dog, maybe. My chainsaw, never"

[Jonathan Martell]

a long time ago I asked a coworker if I could borrow his chainsaw. His replay was "My wife, yes. My dog, maybe. My chainsaw, never"

The quickest way to ruin a chainsaw is to let a friend borrow it. Especially someone that doesn't have experience with them. They either get straight gassed, run out of chain lube, or find a few rocks in the dirt.
I won't loan out any tool I can't afford to replace. As a general rule, I'll tell someone to bring the part over.

[Zach Dillinger]

The way I see it, if I like someone enough to lend them one of my hand tools, then I might as well give them what they need and help push them down the slope. So I have a small stash of giveaway tools and they are handed off with the intention of never getting them back. But, if you go anywhere near my "user tools" in my tool chests, we will have words. Just ask my wife... she almost became my ex wife after I caught her using a Wenzloff half-back to cut back a lilac bush...

[Jim Koepke]

So I have a small stash of giveaway tools and they are handed off with the intention of never getting them back.

Most of my beaters or bangers are ones that wouldn't bother me much if they didn't come back.

jtk

[Dave Anderson NH]

There are no tools I own that I wouldn't lend out to the right people. Having said that, the list of right people is very short. It is composed of maybe 4 people and does not include either my wife or son. Those on the list have proven themselves to know how to both use and take care of tools and return them in as good or better condition than when they left me. On the rare occasion when something is loaned out it goes on a sticky note posted in the shop so I don't forget who has it. The note goes into the trash when it is returned.

[Prashun Patel]

Learning how to handle and care for tools has been a long lesson for me. I've caused my own blades damage, and had to deal with rust and bent adjustment wheels because I banged or dropped a plane. For this reason, I can't see myself lending planes or chisels or rasps out. I hate to be a snob, but I just don't think it's intuitive that these metal/iron things need to be handled with kid gloves. I'd only trust someone who keeps their blades and tools in better shape than I do. I've bought a number of planes and blades from people on this forum that I'd lend tools to in a heartbeat...

[Ryan Baker]

I don't loan tools. (A chainsaw would be the absolute last thing I would loan.) I don't keep a bunch of crappy tools around to loan out either. But I've never had anyone ask to borrow hand tools either.

I only make exceptions for very specific people who have demonstrated that they will treat my tools with appropriate care. One is my Father. He can use any tool I have at any time without asking. Of course, there are lots of people on here that I would happily loan tools to. But normally it is the case that the people deserving of borrowing tools don't need to because they have their own. The people who think chisels are for opening paint cans can go down the street to ACO.

But getting back to the original question, if you are going to loan a tool to someone, it should be in workable condition, even though it probably won't come back that way. What good does it do to loan someone a tool that doesn't work or isn't sharp?

[Jim Matthews]

Perhaps I'm in the minority.

I prefer to give away starter tools,
in exchange for something the recipient
will make with them.

There are good quality tools practically falling out of trees, around here.

My tools are for my use - only.
They're finicky, and I don't like fettling.

A couple chisels, a saw or two and a #4 will get most Newbies started.

[Shawn Pixley]

I have beater chisels and good chisels. The good chisels don't get loaned out. The beaters, sure. I keep them all sharp. Dull tools are more dangerous.

[Tom Stenzel]

Short answer- depends who's asking.

My neighbor borrows tools from often and has always things in good shape. One time he told me a clamp he borrowed was left out in the rain. He said he would replace it with a new one.It wasn't in perfect shape to start with so I told him just give it back, I'd clean it up. He said he'd clean it but insisted that he would also replace it. When I got it back it looked better than when I lent it out. His credit rating is still good and I told him to skip the new clamp!

If you knew of all the things that he and the family have done for us writing off a clamp or a small tool is no big deal.

The one nice power tool I have is a Delta Homecraft 10" bandsaw. It was bought new by my grandfather in the '50s, still have the manual in the shipping envelope with the Detroit zone code (predates zip codes) on it. My dad got it when grandpa passed away, then my older brother got it when Dad passed away. I got it when my brother passed away. I don't think of myself as the owner of it, just its caretaker. But I get to use it! :D When I'm gone it'll move along to someone else. Meanwhile if someone if the family needs it they just get to use it.

-Tom

[Mike Cozad]

I don't loan tools anymore after a couple of bad experiences. I have recently given starter tools to a good friend that is trying to learn the hobby. I'd rather give them to him than loan them.