The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Tool Chest I’d Rather Loan you’re my Wife for the weekend than………

I’d Rather Loan you’re my Wife for the weekend than loan you my tools. This has come up on a few occasions, most recently for my very expensive and 100% reliable flaring tool, and I really hate to have to tell someone especially a fairly close friend or relative that I just simply don’t loan out my tools. When I offered to come over and do the job for them the response is usually something like “Well, never mind, Joe has one I can borrow!”
I’ve worked my whole life to collect the tools that I have and keep them in good condition and it really bugs me when someone wants to borrow them. I know, I know, I’m a selfish self centered old buzzard, but in my younger days I had to go looking for the tools that I had lent someone and most of the times they were scared up, bent, broken or just plane lost. So, ya want to take my “big old wife” for the weekend, fine, but not my TOOLS!!!
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I don't blame you on this one, I can't count how many tools I have lost by somebody borrowing them and then they never come back.

Ed

Couldn't agree more.

This reminds me of 1984-86 when I was in the Army Nat'l Guard, as a Diesel Mech. I had close to $7500.00 in tools in my garage. I had our two-week vacation, in Idaho, I had a rattle snake share my slumber, the next morn I stood up and said "thanks I'd much rather sleep with sharks!" ( With salute). When I got home I had $50.00 of crap tools only. I have a wonderful family.

WELL SAID DENNIS!, I also do not lend my tools out, It took me WAY too long to get em all ..Now that my Boys are gettin older the SNEAK ATTACK on my box has stopped, I purchased each one there own tool chest and got them there own starter set of tools and they have been aquiring tools on there own and at b-days,x-mas, etc...FUNNY thing is when Ol dad touches ONNA THERE CHESTS I GET THE LOOK!...and most times they are locked ..I guess now they have there own they care now?...hmm wasnt that long ago I would find my Klien screwdrivers stuck in the dirt wherever they was tinkerin last...NOW THEIR TOOLS ARE LOCKED UP AND LIKE GOLD to em!
it makes me laugh.
Just a Tip for anyone with young boys that like to wrench, Get em a $100 craftsman tool chest and a set of starter tools, tell the granparents and relatives TOOLS for b-days & x-mas...an watch how fast they quit destroyin your tools and learn to take care of em!
Tim

The only person I share tools with is my Grandpaw, he usually helps me on my truck and I return the favor back at his house when he is working on something. I always make sure to keep his tools separate from mine and in a safe place that I won't forget, usually wrapped up in a clean rag, and return them as soon as I'm done. I do have a few that he doesn't have and he makes sure to return them as soon as he is done with them too.

Tim, thats exactly what my parents and grandparents did for me when I turned 15 and they knew I was eying old trucks for my 16th birthday. They got me a tool box with a lift out tray, and a boatload of Husky tools. I think I started out with 3 sizes of adjustable pliers, 4 sizes of vise-grip pliers, several other pairs of pliers, 2 adjustable wrenches, and a 140 piece socket & boxed open ended set in its own carrying case.

Now I catch Dad using my sockets because its more convenient for him to use my tools since he can take the case with him and not have to make multiple trips to the garage. My brother uses mine too, but I fuss at him because I've found my stuff scattered around the garage/shop/in the grass and he's no where in sight.

There is one that I'm probably over protective of, my Fluke multimeter. Dad helped me pick it out, and it was my birthday present from Mom and Dad last year.

I agree,my tools are mine!I let people at the shop borrow them and,I told all of them at my (meeting},you use it,put it back,clean it,you break it replace it,you drop it in the lake you replace it, I work at a marina..If I reach for it and it's not there,the box will be locked,period!There's only 4 of us and some of the guy's have been doing this longer than me,but still don't have good tool's,go figure.Well so far everyones been good so I'm not to worried.I still lock up every night so thats not a problem.Tom

I don't have a lot of high dollar tools or really loan them out much, but I go on the three borrow rule. If you need a tool ok, the second time you need a tool, ok borrow it again. The third time you need to borrow the same tool you better go buy the thing because it is obvious you need it.

Hmm,very true,My problem is if i need a tool,I just go buy it the first time.The guy's at mt local flap's know me by voice,I just call and say I need one of these,and hang up.ten minuts later it show's up!

I have two very close friends who I will loan tools to. And I can always borrow a tool from them if need be. But no one else including my own family.

Funny how this is an issue all over the country. I have one friend that is constantly giving me gift cards for helping him.He tells that since I won't take money for helping,to just go buy whatever tools I need. Then there is others that want you to loan them and forget to bring them back. Whats worse is that they loan them to somebody else and it takes forever to get them back.

I loan very few tools. A couple of my friends I would trust with my life...the others I wouldn't trust with my trash can.

Some time ago I learned that most folks intentions are good but they forget like I do. So, to remember what tool is where I have a little pad in the shop and if anyone wants to borrow a tool I simply make them write it in the book and initial it. You'd be surprised how that alone cut down on the borrowing. Go figure?

I also go by the 2 buy rule. If I need to borrow something once, I will usually buy one of my own.(Borrow it once - I need 2 buy one.)

I am with you guys. I don't lend tools unless I absolutely have to. I started building my tools up before I was 16, and 48 years later I am still adding tools. I guess the one that dies with the most tools wins.
Actually I was a mechanic, and I figured that my knowledge and my tools was what put dinner on the table.
I bought the tool that I wanted and could afford to do the job, and I tryed to take care of them. These tools still serve me well today.
Jim

There are some people with whom I swap tools. I know they can be trusted and visa-versa. The rest can kiss my butt.

YUP, just got my 1/2 drive torque wrench back from my Brother ..still set at 110 lbs!!!!!!!!!..cant even trust family!

I agree, the last tool I lent was returned by my neighbor ,not working any more. He didn't even offer to replace it. I"m done lending period.

I have not loaned tools very often, because when I have either they don't come back or if I do get 'em back they're bent or broken. I loaned my car trailer to a fellow Inliners club member and it came back with 4 old tires but it left with 4 new ones, he said he had some blowouts and had to buy old tires 'cause he couldn't afford new ones. Oh well, another expensive lesson learned.

This reminds me of 1957. I purchased a set of Sears Craftsman tools on sale for $39.95. A friend of mine at the time asked to borrow them to overhaul his 1951 Ford engine. I said sure go ahead. A couple of days later he brought them back,minus a couple of sockets,and a couple of the extensions were beat to a pulp.I just figured I had learned a lesson,and replaced the missing tools.I still have that set of tools 50 years later,course I have added many dollars worth of tools to the set which is probably worth about $7000. today.Like I posted earlier there are two friends who I will loan tools to today,and no one else.And when the need arises I can always borrow tools from them.

I loaned out a handi-man jack and it was gone for a long time. I even forgot who barrowed it. The one week end when I was gone the person returned it. It was leaning against the shop door. It's no wonder it took so........ long to return it. I found the jack with the foot broken and unrepairable. It's too bad I don't remember who used it I would have asked him to repalce it with a new one. I also loaned a large expensive two jaw gear puller. That's been at least twelve years ago and I still do not have it back nor do I remember who has it. it cost me $130.00 to repalce it.
I now charge folks who use my tools with with large deposit. I get the tool back, they get their money back.
also loaned a spl. tool out to a fried of mine who later on returned it. I could not find it. He told even told me the date and the time he brought it back. Come to find out he brought it back to the wrong person who thought it was a gift of some sort. I did get it back later on. wow is me, wow is me.

Hey Denny, if I borrowed your wife for a week end she probably wouldn't want to come back. I'm with you on loaning tools, not a good plan......EVER!

You haven't seen my "big old wife" have you chevman????
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Denny,
she sees that post you are gonna get a GOOD SIZED CAST IRON SKILLET upside your nogin!...lool...unless yours is like MY BIG OL WIFE ..all 98 lbs. of her ..lol
Tim

Somthin' like that Tim, but at 58 she is gettin' a little middle age spread just like her old man.
Denny G

Denny,
Sometimes I feel bad when I say no to loaning tools,but over the years people have made me feel worse when they return the tool AFU.
I had a sign on my box which I got from SnapOn which said...I make my living with SnapOn Tools - Pease don't ask to borrow them.

Then theres the paint spray gun I got back after 14 years of wondering what happen to it. Seems a good buddy of mine forgot to return it, then his dad died and they had an auction of all of his tools so I went to the auction and what do I find ? My spray gun with my name engraved on it amongst all of his tools. And of course it had the last color of paint he'd used dried in it.

So I'm like you Denny- I bought them, I use them !!

Same goes for my toys/equipment - my neighbor is wanting to buy a go-cart from me.
He wanted to "borrow" it last weekend for his nieces/nephews/cousins to ride - I said "No."
How does that old saying go - "Money talks, and suckers walk..."

I unfortunately don't have a whole lot of tools, but when I do loan them out, I make SURE they know what the deal is. I make it a habit; when I borrow something, I bring it back in the same if not better shape. I've been known to wash the tractor I borrowed when doing landscaping work at my house. It always came back to the owner clean, full of fuel - no matter how much was in when I received it - and even replaced or fixed some of the things I noticed when using it. I once bought a new tire and rim for it. They may not notice, but I'll sure know it.

My brother-in-law asked to borrow my pushmower one time to cut his front yard. He just had a tree cut down and the stump ground. Stupid me thought he would at least rake the yard before he run the mower over it.......nope. I could hear the mower hitting wood all the way to my house. Needless to say, that was the last time he borrowed it, and I told his wife to make an investment in their OWN mower. She was mad that I told her that, but later understood when they had their own.

I'd rather not loan out my tool OR my wife, thanks very much. I worked too long and hard to get either of them!

I usualy offer to bring myslef and my tools over to help with whatever work folks need em for, and usualy the offer is accepted as I seem to be better at using them that the folks that need em.
I dont borrow much tho, for one I dont have too many freinds that have something I dont already have, and I figgure if I need something opce I'll probably need it again!
It is fun going to the base hobby shop, I always bring my own tools, and other than using the drill press/mill and the occasional BFWrench, I rarely ask for anything other than my check-out slip.

Jeez we're all a bunch of burnt souls aren't we!

I too have a great borrowing system.

You need a tool....sure...go ahead.

But it doesn't leave my workshop/property!

That's right....bring YOUR problem to MY tools, not MY TOOLS to YOUR PROBLEM !
Then make sure MY TOOL is back in it's box before the problem goes back out my gate again.

Funny....not many people bother me to borrow tools any more !!!!!!!!!!

Denny, does your wife read this stuff?

I know exactly how you guys feel about loaning tools out. I have a book that I write down who borrows what and the date and have them sign it along with the condition of the tool. Now some have to put a deposit down to borrow them. Now guess what that has slowed down the borrowing a lot. I learned my lesson as I loaned a chain saw out one time and it never came back.
62Blue
Don