I Think This Thread Is A Good Idea

as long as there is some kind of acknowledged return etiquette by the borrower, return shipment insurance is obtained, and shipped by a reputable carrier...
i would loan stuff to a man who needed it without question.
 
Somewhere,somehow,someone is going to get his loaned tool messed up by loaning it to a person who really doesn't know how to use it. Suppose you loan a MT reamer to someone who doesn't know that his tailstock is hardened. He tries to ream the hole. Your reamer now is screwed up. No telling what this tool loaning can lead to. After all,we really do not know each other personally. We just have a fellowship here.

Chambering reamers for guns can be "borrowed" from some dealers for a fee. But,they make you pay the full price of a new reamer before they send it to you. Then,if the reamer is returned UNDAMAGED,they refund your money. That is a wise policy. There are lots of ham handed wannabe gunsmiths out there.

For example,I know only 2 people who I would let use my Hardinge lathe. And,I know them very well,they having worked with me for many years.

This clown from the golf course of the museum used to come over and use our Grizzly lathe to SAND DOWN pieces of drill rod a few thou.. He used them to make rear axles for golf carts. He did properly cover the lathe,but would have been better off using cold rolled steel.

He used to never be able to turn the lathe off with the switch rod on the apron of the lathe. He ran the lathe full speed,and several times would throw the lathe in reverse because he was too stupid to feel the notch in the switch to STOP it. This went on for a few years.

He had a budget,but had foolishly bought a milling machine when he should have bought a lathe. His mill was not cheap,either. All his maintenance work involved making new axles.

I was just about to forbid him the use of our lathe,when he got fired. He had peeled the state inspection sticker off a museum vehicle,and put it on his own car. Too lazy to take it to get inspected. Good riddance!

There are all kinds of fools out there. I advise CAUTION. Many tools like reamers,indicators,calipers,and other tools are delicate.

I don't want to sound stingy. I am not. I am very generous. But,I have known guys who could tear up an anvil!!!
 
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I have to agree with George. In my younger days I did loan expensive tools to fellow workers and friends. Unfortunately it was a learning expense. More often than not the tool came back damaged with the borrower claiming no knowledge as to how it happened. On some occasions the borrower never returned the tool and disavowed any knowledge of having borrowed it. I ceased the practice after shelling out several thousand dollars to have tools repaired or replaced.

On the other side of the coin I did borrow a few tools myself. As luck would have it they almost always broke. I had to replace the old worn out tool with a new one. Had I gone out and purchased a new tool for myself I would only had to spend the money once and wouldn't have had to worry whether or not it broke. If it did break the first time it was used it would have been replaced by the manufacturer. If all went well I would have a new tool in the inventory and used it for many years. I had borrowed a tool and had to spend the money to replace it. I still don't own it so if I need it again I'll have to shell out more money to buy one for myself. In essence I've purchased 2 tools but only own 1.

Tools are expensive. I like most people take pride in using them properly and making them last as long as possible. I have to think long and hard about whether to purchase a new tool. The last thing I want to happen is have it damaged or destroyed by someone who has little or no knowledge of how to use it properly.

I'll have to opt out on this idea and stick with the advise Shakespeare gives in his play Hamlet. "Neither a borrower or a lender be".

His logic is thus: lending money (in this case tools) to friends is risky, because hitching debt onto personal relationships can cause resentment and, in the case of default, loses the lender both his money and his friend.
 
If I don't have something, I'll try to get it, whether I make it or buy it or go without. I really don't care to borrow some thing. But what I would do, Is a couple of months ago I made a special tool/jig for a one time use that will end up taking space, I would let it go to some one else to use.
 
My feel on this is not a good idea. first off i don't like to barrow from others. Now I am always willing to loan stuff to friends. however when it come totools or other things that require a certain amout of skill then I pull back. like anyone can barrom a shovel, most a wrench or screw driver, chain fallsand comealongs I need to know your rigging skills. Cutting tools, and delicate testers I have to know you take care of your tools. so on.
At work one time I am working with a guy we are pour rocking in hand rail. he asks for my level to plumb a post.Know problem we are both trained tradesmen. A few minute later he istappingit on the side of a column like he is playing the drums. Guess who was then on the hammer spud wrench only list.

Now if I know somebody and I know they take care of stuff I have no problem loaningit to them I have a friend he used to come by and use my old tumb stone stick welder. I have a 110 wire feeder so if some thing popped up I was OK. And he lived a mile a way. I would let him keep it till I needed it. he took great care of it. (good thing for him because he now owns it).

The best money I have ever spent was loaned to poeple that did not return it (10s and 20s) how cheap a price to glimps a persons soul.
just my thoughts
Mark
 
Most of the people I work and ones I'm around often are used to tightening pipe connections with a 36" Ridgid pipe wrench with a 6 foot cheater pipe. Would you trust them with your 12" dial calipers? I know I wouldn't. I will go help them with doing measurements when needed. When they ask for a tap to clean out tapped holes, I grab one of the taps out of the "dull" box and tell them "don't worry about returning it, it's on the house".
Don't get me wrong here, I do have a couple of close friends who have shops and I know I can trust them with my stuff. Just not real sure about sending something across the country to someone I flat don't know. But on the other hand, I'd probably do it anyways.
 
I loaned some tools to a local policeman once I discovered some of them are thief's too. I'm still waiting on those to be returned yet about 7 or more years later. I just learned from that mistake the hard way!
 
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