Do you Loan your tools out ?

I’ve never had a positive experience with loan my neighbors or coworkers tools!

The last straw was one of my neighbors borrowed some pliers and did not return them. I try to be a good neighbor and one my friends once told me he never loans out anything mechanical like lawnmower, pressure washer etc but he will loan out a screwdriver or hammer

it’s just not been a positive experience for me if my current neighbors ask me it would be rather harsh telling them no
It done loan out things.

What’s been your experience?
Do you still loan out your tools ?
How long must your neighbor live in your neighborhood before you allow them the borrow anything of yours ?

 

I loan stuff Im ok people losing or breaking....never the good stuff. I have loaned out power tools with the "you break it, you buy it" caveat but with an expectation of getting it back with a bit more wear and tear. What bothers me is when theyre done, they tell you theyre done but they dont return the tools.

 

I have nice tools. I don't loan out my nice stuff. Never. I have a toolbox with misc cheapo HF chineseum tools. I'll loan those out.

 

Growing up my Father taught me if you borrow a tool, return it in better condition than you got it. Lucky my neighbor believes the same.

 

I pay a premium for my tools and loan nothing out with exception of my lawn mower.

 

I do not loan tools to random neighbors, I'll be happy to come over with my tools and help. Family gets a tool pass though.

 

Close family and 2 friends are the only ones I loan tools to. They all return them in the same or better condition than they got them and if they break it, they replace it. I have the same mentality.

Everyone else is on their own.

 

Excellent point. Alamosa has a HF. I did recently purchase a surprisingly decent multi position ladder that had great reviews from HF. Most of my tools are Dewalt, Milwaukee, and Klein. They stay home.

 

I only loan out tools in my hangar to the guy I share the hangar with. He’s A&P mechanic and has way more tools specialized aircraft tools than I have but he’s getting older and not flying anymore so he took many of his tools back to his house. Other than him, no. I don’t loan out anything, it’s a policy that saves headaches.

 

No one ever asks me for tools, because I'm tool deficient and usually never have what they might needbut..

I did come from vacation recently and I had my own screwdriver with me with a set of attachments. My aunt asked to borrow it, because she was fixing drain flange in her son's bathtub upstairs. Obviously, I couldn't say no, because I was a guest in their house. When she was done, I didn't get my screwdriver back. Had to ask for it back

It was a "dollar general class" of a screwdriver.

 

Yeah...Was a Machinist before I retired a few years ago.
It's a lot easier to loan tools at work since they're in the same building and aren't going anywhere.
But....I didn't loan out my precision measuring instruments like Micrometers or Calipers.
Most shops have tools you can borrow but if you're a Machinist you should have all the common tools.
Like Micrometers up to 6 inches,a couple of Calipers up to 12 inches,ID Mics up to 12 inches and of course your basic hand tools.
Now that i'm retired I dont know what to do with them.
While I should probably sell them I just cant bring myself to do it.
And I'm Sure As Hell not going to sell my Gerstner tool box those things are a Work of Art!!!!
And at damn near $3k I wont be buying another.
The Wife wants me to give it to Her for a Jewelry Box....told Her Nope Not Gonna Happen.
Go buy your own!!!

 

Some tools like a 12' stepladder are better served shared between like thinking families. In the 18 years I've lived here I borrowed my neighbor's twice for about an hour each time. When returned there was a slide of 100 22 Minimags on one of steps.

 

Wait...What?!
You Shit Tools?
Now thats gotta be handy!!!
Can ya Shit me a new Sawzall?
My old one is getting a bit worn out.....
Oh...I like Milwaukees.

 

I don't loan anything to anyone unless they meet two criteria.

1. They have demonstrated the character and honesty that lets me know that if they damage it they will replace it.
2. They have the means to replace it if they damage it.

Neighbors don't meet this criteria. Hell, half the time family doesn't meet this criteria.

 

Old toolmaker here. Not on the bench anymore.
My steel Kennedy roller base, mid and top box are in the garage collecting dust.
Man I envied the guys (typically older than me) that had the Gerstner boxes when I was coming up.
Those things are like fine furniture.

 

i thought about this. One time my neighbor who is a young husband and father was trying to change his wife’s oil but couldn’t get the drain plug off. I helped him get the plug off and showed him a couple things and made some other suggestions but didn’t leave my Milwaukee tool set

I felt privileged to help him.
I loaned a co worker some jumper cables once while at work and he never gave them back. he gave me an excuse and said he couldn’t find me

 

Every Man ought to have at least the basics.

 

Still have my Kennedy bottom boxes....3 of them.
They're great for the garage

 

I made a lot of flight hardware for the NASA Shuttle Program and prototype parts for the then new F22 Raptor

 

No one that knows me asks to borrow tools. They might ask for help with a project but not to borrow a tool...or to borrow my truck...or to borrow my boats

 

I do
https://www.tundras.com/threads/best-gen-ecgs-bushing-tool.59664/

 

I did small engine repair for a while. I can’t tell you how many times someone came in with a chainsaw, pressure washer etc. and they said I loaned this to my (neighbor, son in law, uncle etc.) and got it back like this (broken, 2 cycle run with straight gas etc.). After that I never loaned a tool to anyone.
Occasionally you would get someone who borrowed something and broke it and was desperate to get it fixed, to not return it broken, but that was surprisingly rare.

 

Loan more than I borrow, mostly hand tools. We have a close neighborhood and if anyone broke something they would replace it. Last year I borrowed my neighbors power washer and the nozzle threads stripped out on me pretty bad. Bought him a new nozzle and lines for it right away. When I told him, I said "remember how I said I don't like borrowing other peoples stuff, well...".

 

I have a couple of very good friends who I will loan pretty much anything I own.

I have a neighbor who occasionally borrows tools and stuff, and brings them back without me having to ask. He also does stuff like leaving a half gallon of fresh squeezed OJ from our local Mexican market on the front porch when he found out wife and I both had colds.

Beyond that, I'll probably come over and help you with the project, so I don't have to loan you my tools.

 

And it's mostly ignorance.
Like: Oil in the gas?
I've never heard of such a thing.....

 

Toolbox is always open for my son should he need anything. However, his box is two bays away and always there should I need anything. We both have one mutual friend that we trust, everyone else can go buy their own. Been burned a few times years ago, done with that.

 

I'll loan out specialty tools to a few contractor colleagues. We have a mutual respect for one another's livelihoods, so we take care of stuff and return it in timely fashion.

 

This. I will say that if I'm not comfortable loaning the tools out, often I'll say "To be honest, man, I've been burned any # of times...but I tell you what" and then I'll go help the guy do whatever. That both helps the guy out *and* allows me to evaluate them a bit further for future reference.

 

Just realized I commented on fancy toolboxes without answering the OP question.

Like some of you, yes, but with caveats.
The biggest of which is, I need to KNOW you as to what type of person you are.
That typically doesn't happen overnight.
My son and I share tools frequently. We have both bought the other tools after borrowing them once or twice.
I have a couple coworkers and two neighbors I trust enough to loan tools out to, but I would much rather head over to their place with the tools and help them out.