Buy a Bobcat Skid Loader and the world will become your friend!
(1Q) "I'm gonna "let" you landscape my yard. (2Q) Can I borrow your "Bobcat? (3) Will you rent me your Bobcat?
(1A) Don't do me any favors ! (2A) Yes, I'll need a $34,000 deposit first however and $175.00 per day depreciation.. (3A) Yes, it will be $175.00 per day with a $34,000 deposit, or you can rent one form KC Bobcat for $125.00 per day, no deposit.
That usually solves most of the problems except those where an attempt is made to put me on a guilt trip, and I just grin at them!
As for my other tools, I'll selectively loan them out to those I trust and whom I know can afford to replace or have them factory repaired. But I have a sign out sheet they must sign before anything leaves the shop. That serves multiple purposes. (1) If I need it and don't find it where it should be I next check the loaner sheet, saves me a lot of searching. (2) The sheet contains an "Expected to return date", If it's not back then their phone is ringing.. When confronting them with "Where is my tool"? It is difficult for them to deny borrowing the item and there being some one who writes exactly like they do. EVERYONE signs the "Loaner Sheet", especially my kids and other family! When asked "Are you kidding, sign a sheet, don't you trust me"? I reply, I don't trust ME to remember I loaned it to you AND I don't trust you to return it" ! Sign up or forget it, that's the universal rule.
Initially it was difficult to implement the "Sign it out" rule, now it is automatically expected.
Don Dando