what do you lend out, and what don't you lend out?

[Bob Riefer]

Our neighbor and friend asked to borrow my trailer this weekend, and I politely declined by telling him that I don't lend the trailer out to anyone unless I'm also lending myself out (to hookup, drive, strap things in appropriately etc.). Instead, I took the trip with him and all is well. He understood my stance and was thankful for the assistance.

But it got me to wondering about lending habits.

I think for me, I'll lend out "rough and tumble" things to close friends. Stuff that isn't prone to breakage. So, all non-powered yard equipment (shovels, tarps etc.) are good to go. Similarly, non-powered construction items are able to leave my barn for a bit.

Specialty items (e.g. high end woodworking items), very expensive home items (e.g. commercial grade zero turn mower, trailer), and items that could cause serious harm to the user (e.g. chain saw) are items that I would not lend out easily (with perhaps the exception of my own dad, and my one brother in law who is very capable).

When I do lend things out, I generally prefer to lend for a specific and known period of time. And, I'm definitely evaluating the borrower based on how they return the item... a socket set returned in disarray probably means I'm less likely to lend to you in the future. Although that happens quietly in my mind rather than embarrassing the borrower.

I have not been asked to borrow money yet, but I think if I could afford to lend it and never see it again, I would give to a close friend / family in need (within reason).

So, I'm curious... how do you lend things?

[Tom M King]

I have exactly one person that I will loan anything to. That friend has a lot of tools of his own, and I knew how well he took care of them.

He asked to borrow a tractor auger. I let him get it. When he brought it back, it was not only as good as it was when it left, but he had fabricated a stand for it to sit on, that makes it a Lot easier to get on, and off a tractor.

I do keep a couple of chainsaws specifically to loan out. Those are the most requested things for borrowing. I tell them to start with that they are hard to start. They are.

[Jon Grider]

I politely say I do not loan out anything I don't want to pay to replace. Covers most everything.

[Jim Koepke]

Not many of my tools will be loaned. There are a few beaters around to be loaned without a care of if it comes back or not.

Some of my tools will be lent to my son in law when he is doing yard work on my property. A few time he has had to be instructed to not use tools in ways that can damage them.

Yep, some folks have not been properly trained in using a shovel with out breaking it.

jtk

[fritz eng]

NADA! "What part of NO do you not understand".

[Kev Williams]

I'll loan out almost anything, within reason. And it depends on the reason. I'll loan out pretty much anything that is needed to help get a job done. Like most any of my tools- or my truck, if I'm not using it, I'll loan it out. My boats, motorhome, ATV's motorcycles or the wife's Mustangs, sorry, I draw the line at financing recreational activities. (But I don't mind if you join us in OUR recreational activites ;)

--Life's too short to worry about a tool that don't come back...

[Lee Schierer]

I'm pretty selective on what I will loan out and who I will loan it to. I'm more likely to go with the tool and help get the job done.

I've borrowed tools and I always make sure they go back in as good as or better condition than it was. If it uses a bit or blade, I'll buy one to use and return it with the tool. Should I ever break a tool a similar equal or better tool will go back.

[Randy Reitz]

I have several sets of basic tools that I accumulated while accompanying my kids and their Youth Group on Habitat for Humanity trips over the years and those are available to lend, especially as they are pretty basic and are marked with identifying electrical tape in various colors. I also have a few older cordless tools that I might lend depending on who's asking. Several extended family members have gotten in the habit of using my shop for some projects, especially around Christmas, and in general I try to get them to be involved in every step, and to learn and understand each tool they are using. For some I insist on running the power tool, depending on the level of risk, but others have shown they can be trusted to use common sense so they have more leeway. In every case I must be present when they use my shop. My youngest son is one of the few I trust to use just about anything I own as he just seems to have the aptitude to pick up just about anything with a quick demonstration. Unfortunately he's also likely to set a tool down where he finishes using it and forget to put it away.

[Larry Frank]

No...I do not lend anything or loan money to anyone.

[Lisa Starr]

We have two friends that are both contractors, as is my husband. We lend/borrow things like ladder jacks, picks, or nailers. No vehicles.

[Thomas Wilson]

I get asked to lend my truck EVEN BY PEOPLE WHO OWN A TRUCK because they think mine is a “beater” for mulch or gravel. For some reason I say yes. Once in a great while, I need help too and I know whom to call.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Last time I lent out my double axle trailer, it came back with a bent axle. Enough was enough! Will lend things to son and BIL, both of whom I know will take care of them. Co owned a pig cooker with a now deceased friend. His family borrowed it for Mother's day cook out. When I went to use it in the fall, insides were eaten out by charcoal ashes left in the bottom. Cost me $120 bucks, plus a lot of time to replace the bottom. Kids at church borrowed other cooker for a fund raiser. When I go to pick it up, milk crate that was used to hold up tongue is missing, plus one of the tires is flat. It seems that a piece of live charcoal fell against tire and burnt a hole thru it. Post hole diggers are the worst thing to lend. Somehow, they forget where they belong. But I do have a 20# sledge hammer that I lend out. Never had anyone ask to borrow it a second time. Most of the time they bring it back, and say "I bought on of my own, just not quite a heavy."

[John K Jordan]

...
So, I'm curious... how do you lend things?

I lend books. I buy extra copies of my favorite woodturning books to loan to friends and students so I don't miss them in case they are not returned.

I have nine trailers. I lend one 16' dual axle trailer to only one llama farmer friend to haul hay. None of the others move an inch without me pulling.

No one will ever borrow my equipment: skid steer, diesel zero-turn mowers, excavator, tractor, even chain saws. There is too much chance of people getting hurt or damaging things. I will haul equipment to the person and operate it myself.

With two exceptions I do not loan tools. I will instead bring tools and help or do the job.
The 1st exception: I have one cheap portable wire welder I have loaned to trusted people. If they burn it up or drop it in the creek I won't even be inconvenienced. If they have something that would require my other welding/cutting equipment they have to bring the work here and I'll do it for free.
The 2nd exception: I keep a box of lathe tools I acquired with little or no expense. I loan them to students without resources. If they don't come back I consider them gifts.

On the other side of the fence I have borrowed hay equipment from a friend on his insistence. He said it everything always came back in better shape than when it went out. (I lubricate, tighten bolts, make repairs, weld broken things, paint rusty parts, etc.)

JKJ

[Bert Kemp]

I learned long ago that if its something I can't afford to replace don't load it out:D

[Tom M King]

Thinking as hard as I can, I don't ever remember asking anyone if I could borrow anything.

[Zachary Hoyt]

I loaned a hand truck and some heavy ratchet straps to someone I know who was moving recently. I don't loan things that I would be very unhappy if they didn't come back, but those things are easily replaced if necessary.

[Roger Feeley]

Most people around me wouldn’t know how to use my stuff so the problem is moot. Back in Kansas I was only asked a couple of times. I had one good experience where the guy returned an electric chainsaw cleaner than when he got it. The other experience wasn’t so good. The guy kept my tool for the better part of a year. When I asked for it back, he wanted to know why.

[George Yetka]

If its easy to replace and not registered to me Ill lend it.

I do make sure they are capable of returning it to me with all of their limbs intact before I do so

Also Its nice to know what they are using it for. My brother borrowed my chainsaw to cut roots in the ground. Its now his chainsaw. Also when I was a child the neigbot asked to borrow a snake, me being semi informed said yes of course I lent him my fathers electrical snake and he used it to unclog his toilet. My father was a bit annoyed at me.

[Dave Anderson NH]

I will loan out almost any of my woodworking tools to a very few select people. They are invariably members of our NH woodworking guild. By the same token I won't loan any tools to my son. I always ended up having to ask for them back months later and they were not returned clean. Surprising based on what I taught him and the fact he uses other kinds of tools daily for his job.

[Warren Lake]

Dont have time to read this thread but years ago I rebuilt a roof on a home and a friend loaned me his brand new 10" Milwaukee Compound Mitresaw. If and when I do think about that I think man what a nice to do, he had not even used it yet. Pretty damn nice of him. Later someone bought me a 12 Milwaukee as a gift, I think the 10 felt better in some ways.

[Clifford McGuire]

Some of my tools will be lent to my son in law when he is doing yard work on my property.
jtk

Did I read this right? :) Do you loan out your son in law? :D

[Clifford McGuire]

I have an inner circle of friends/family that I will loan just about anything to.

To me, it's just stuff.

[Brian Deakin]

Many years ago I loaned an expensive cookery book to a friend, when I asked for its return the friend claimed they had not borrowed the book
So if you do decide to loan any item a simple method to ensure its returned is to use your mobile phone and photograph the person holding the item

[John K Jordan]

Many years ago I loaned an expensive cookery book to a friend, when I asked for its return the friend claimed they had not borrowed the book
So if you do decide to loan any item a simple method to ensure its returned is to use your mobile phone and photograph the person holding the item

O books I hope to get back I write my name in big bold sharpie on the page bundle on the top of the book, on the front and on the first page inside.

BTW, on ladders, measuring tapes, levels, hammers, and other things that might be confused with those of workers who come I write "Stolen from John K Jordan".

JKJ

[Bob McBreen]

I keep a few tools that I happily loan out. A Dewalt 12" miter saw and a Bosch jobsite table saw that are on mobile stands are always ready to go. I upgraded both and decided it was better to keep them as loaners instead of selling them. They have built a lot of decks and other DIY projects.

[Jim Koepke]

Did I read this right? :) Do you loan out your son in law? :D

No, he gets paid by the hour when he works for me. My understanding is he earns more an hour working for me than his regular employer.

jtk

[Aaron Rosenthal]

I work at a place that is starting to accumulate power tools for their upgraded needs, and I’ve lent them a few of my stationary tools to see if that’s the tool/size they need.
That’s it.

[Jim Koepke]

I work at a place that is starting to accumulate power tools for their upgraded needs, and I’ve lent them a few of my stationary tools to see if that’s the tool/size they need.
That’s it.

One of my small try squares went to work with me once. It was shown to a supervisor and how it would help. He ordered one for every one in the repair shop that afternoon.

jtk