would you lend your tools?

[nickson71]

I'd only lend my tools out to a very few people.............. I'd expect them to be returned in the same condition that I lent in.

At the moment I can only think of one person that would instantly get a "yes, no problem ...... I'll bring it in tomorrow"
and thats my boss ........... and that only because we both think a like in terms of tools and the lending/borrowing of them

anybody else I'd have to think long and hard

 

[Drew]

I am always careful when anyone asks to borrow tools. There are only a few people that I would trust to use them properly. The borderline cases sometimes do a doubletake when I say "you break it you buy it". One guy laughed in my face when I said that and had the cheek to say no way. All he got was a flea in the ear. For the rest I would say most of them understand when I tell them upfront I never lend out tools.
On the sites it was different, most of the guys round were reliable and could be trusted but there were always the odd user would appear, who couldn't sharpen their own saw/plane/chisel properly but would ask someone who could to borrow theirs. Invariably they were found out and other tradesmen wouldn't lend them gear

Drew

 

[Rod]

Have a good friend who used to borrow tools but it took ages to get them back and i felt like i was hounding him after a month or so and a couple of requests.One day i needed my hammer drill back and he came round with it .He proceeded to pull it out of his car boot by the cable ,from underneath his chainsaw,spade, sledge hammer and other assorted mud encrusted gear after a fencing and decking job.After he saw the look on my face it may have made him think as he hasn`t borrowed anything for a while.

 

[Scrit]

Senior

Love the new photo. Very fetching!

Scrit

 

[syntec4]

I only Share Tools with my Dad, he's the only person I know that understand the value and gives them the respect they deserve. I also occasionally borrow stuff from him. Even though we both have a bench in our workshop we mostly have our own stuff. We do share machinery though, but again he really looks after them as I do.

Lee.

senior - nice avatar Is that your good side?

 

[Anonymous]

I would lend tool's to someone I knew well, and if I was confident they were competent, consceitious, etc. If I'd worked with them and seen their attitude in reality, are they a liar/cheater/fiddler/thief etc?? I think any one who was a good worker would have a decent set, and I woulodnt ask to borrow anyones tools as they probably wouldnt be as good as mine anyway :lol: .
If it was a chancer/diy easy come easy go chuck away type bloke :roll: Dont waste your time asking mate :roll: Dont ask as refusal often offend's

 

[engineer one]

when you start out as an engineer in the way i did, by buying your tools on the knock every week out of your meagre income, you learn what tools to lend and what not to.

never lend out measuring or precise tools, unless you are prepared to re-calibrate them.

files and so on tend to be abused cause most people can't use them in the first place. whilst in woodworking any cutting tool is a no no.

actually, in the past i have tended to offer to do the job cause it seems easier and quicker, and at least that way, you get a beer, and no agrro.
for you guys who earn a living with your tools then you can't afford to discount your prices, and no one thinks about returning the tools in a decent condition.

i have found out over many years that NO is the hardest word for most people to say, in all walks of life. No i can't do it, or no it is wrong.
somehow these days everybody wants to be a friend so then you get peed off because someone says yes, then just kind of forgets to answer. :?

so either offer to do the work, or say no, it saves all the aggro, and at least they only hate you for being a miseable sod, rather than you hating them for being a w*****r :roll:

paul :wink:

 

[Fecn]

Always buy the best tool you can afford.... All this time, I thought my policy of buying everything twice (first the cheap one.. and later the good one) was a bad thing.

I guess I'm happy to lend out about 30% of my tools since I bought a better one later that I don't lend out.

 

[Anonymous]

I happily lend out tools as one day I know I will need the favour returning.

I'm with Senior.

I'm often working on a site with other tradesmen, and invariably tools get lent and borrowed as no-one ever seems to have everything they need with them.

I recently watched a joiner attempting to take 10mm off the edge of a solid oak door with a hand plane. The loan of my power planer made me a friend for life!

I have never had a problem with tools coming back damaged.
There again, no-one can possibly abuse them any more than I do! :lol:


Cheers
Brad