never agaian will anybody borrow ANYTHING

[Joe Finch]

last weekend my neighbor borrowed my dropcord-skil saw-sawsall-pressure washer to repair and stain his deck( very nice guy lives about 1/2 mile away so why not). first things first cut my new dewalt skillsaw cord in half, next nottting found its way home. i go to his house to find a choc lab dragging my sawsall by the chewed cord around the yard and pressure washer sitting BESIDE THE GARAGE NOT IN IT BUT BESIDE IT with the temps getting down to the teens at night( needless to say pump frooze seals busted) as for the drop cord who knows?

try to be a good neighbor and become a broke neighbor

[Joe Cunningham]

He gets to pay for the tools, right? If someone borrows something, it better come back in the same condition it went out in.

Being neighborly is a two-way street--if he breaks your tools and doesn't pony up the $$$, he is acting just as nasty as if he broke into your house and stole them IMO. Doesn't sound like a nice guy to me.

If he doesn't pay up, I'd take him to small claims court.

[Mitchell Andrus]

I politely say, "I don't loan my tools, and nobody works in my shop." I likewise don't ever borrow tools.

Would they ask to borrow a blender? Couch? Patio umbrella?
.

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

he turned your tools into a dog chew toy and a busted water pump....yup, I'd say he better replace them.

[Brian Kent]

My opinion. YMMV

Assume he will reimburse you.

Go over with a calm smile and a simple list of reimbursement costs.

Go the extra mile and let him know he can pay over the next month, "I know money is tight".

Charge him for the seal and cords, replaced professionally at a local repair shop, and not the whole replacement cost for each tool.

Keep a good neighborly relationship rather than yelling for him to pay for all of the tools "right now", and if he asks to borrow your tools again, say "Mmmmm, nope. But you can invite me over for a barbecue when you deck is finished!"

Brian

[Tom Godley]

I hear and feel your pain! Other than one close friend who takes care of things like me - I will not lend my good tools out or my outdoor equipment.

You want to be a good friend/ neighbor but it always backfires. Many people have never had really good tools - they have no idea how to take care of them or what they cost.

At this stage I have seconds of many hand power tools - so I will occasionally lend them out. But everything always comes back dirty and dull.

[Tom Godley]

Mitchell - I have never had someone ask to borrow a couch - but yes on the blender and umbrella!!

In fact, last summer someone asked if they could borrow all my new pool furniture for a big graduation party. I politely refused as he informed that he could just stack them and use his company pick-up for the move

[Wakahisa Shinta]

Being generous is difficult. In my experiences, my tools mostly come back damaged, dulled, dirty, and abused. Sometimes, they don't come back at all. Then when I need them, I scratch my head to try to remember if I misplaced them. One day, it will come to me that I lend out the tool to that person. I have a relative who has a policy of borrow-without-return. I don't mind letting people borrow my tools, but I'd love to find someone who understands and cares for the tools like I do. So far, no luck!

Yet, it feels horrible to say "No," like I did something really bad.

[Joe Cunningham]

Assume he will reimburse you.

Go over with a calm smile and a simple list of reimbursement costs.

Brian

I agree. I would try the neighborly way first, giving him the opportunity to either fix or replace the tools. But I'd probably also start documenting the loss just in case.

But if he declines or 'forgets', I'd definitely kick it up a few notches.

[Mike McDonough]

That includes in-laws,my bro in-law borrowed my wet saw and months later i had to go get it and the power cord was rubbed thru and the on/off shitch stayed on all the time.NEVER AGAIN.

[Al Willits]

Its a two edged sword I think, while my list of people I'd borrow stuff to is kinda short, hard to say no to a neighbor who when your power goes out for 4 days, he shows up on day 2 with a extension cord from his house to yours.
After you finally get power he won't take anything for the electricity you used.

He's not really all that tool friendly and can be a bit hard on them, so I usually follow him over and watch till he's done.

I figure for the $800-1000 we had in the freezer that we saved, it was worth it.

But I don't borrow any tool I can't replace if it breaks and return them clean and ready to go.
I expect the same in return.

Al

[Chris S Anderson]

My best friend of over 18yrs borrowed a table saw from me to do some work on an apartment buiding. He kept it in his garage, and his brother, who I am also friends with, drove over it on accident. It didnt have a stand, so it was only 1ft off the ground.

He gave it back with the sides broken off and some damage to the top. I was confused as to who to ask to fix it, as one friend drove over it, but the other left it on the garage floor where it could be run over.

It's been 12 years or so since that accident, and it still bothers me. I wish I had done something then about it, but I just let it go. Unfortunately, I really didn't let it go because it still bothers me today. But I do know it's not worth losing a friend over.

I am happy about it, though. That saw cost me maybe 90.00. Now, I have a valid reason and story as to why I never loan out any tools.

Once, someone asked to borrow my LN#7 3 days after I purchased it. That was an easy no. So, looking back, it cost me 90.00 to never have to lend out a tool again.

[Mike Henderson]

I have a tool borrowing story from the other side. My neighbor was a Snap-On tool salesman. Had the truck that he drove to places and sold the tools. I was working on a car I was restoring and was having trouble getting the tie rod ends off. He offered me a tie rod puller. I initially told him "No" and added that I didn't want the responsibility in case it broke. He said, "Don't worry about it, Snap-On tools are guaranteed for life."

So I took it and when I was pulling a tie rod end, the tool broke. I felt bad when I took it back to him broken but I didn't offer to pay for it.

Mike

[For woodworking tools, there's only a couple of people I'll lend to or borrow tools from. Sometimes you want to use a tool before you decide if you want to buy it, or it's a tool you just won't likely use again.]

[Bruce Page]

I’ve been burned. There’s only a select few they I will lend out to. I have said No much more often than yes.

I would demand the neighbor to make good on everything he borrowed.

[Lee Schierer]

I guess that unless the neighbor saw me visit while the tools were dog toys and frozen, I would pick up the phone and ask if he is done with them as I need my saws all this weekend and see what he says and does. If they come back in bad condition, politely ask what happened and ask if he will pay for the repairs or replacements. If the answer didn't satisfy me, that neighbor would never get another tool without me attached and it would come home when I do. I might also be busy the next time he asked for something.