What would be a decent set of 'loaner-tools'?

[Alex]

--SNIP for brevity- I heard of this case where the guy gave another person CPR after they collapsed from heart attack and accidently broke a rib. The person lived and sued the guy for breaking the rib

Folks have tried that, however almost all states have good smaritan laws these days, and you are protected. Providing you have CPR training.

Most courts, if not the plantiffs, realize that the person needing CPR was dying. Broken rib is a small price to pay.

BTW I'd go with Thorsen or Mechanics Choice. Available at Wally World or local discount parts houses. Both have lifetime warranty against breakage, so if the neighbor brings it back busted, you can get a replacement.

-alex

[capnrob97]

Thanks, I will check out the Pittsburgh brand.

I mentioned neighbors, but I also have 3 brother-in-laws who I think have a couple screwdrivers and a handful of sockets (but no socket wrench) between them, sigh.....

[LoL]

[philkryder]

It seems like you have excellent intentions....

How about this....

put up a little pegboard. Have the names or street numbers of the neighbors. When they borrow something put the item on a 3x5 card so that they know you consider the tools to be valuable.

THEN - If a tool gets lost - like the current situation, you just go and buy a replacement at full price for that tool and put the receipt up with the name of the borrower.

THEN if they come back to borrow something else, you go to their name and - the bill will be there - if they pay the full price then they can borrow again...

In the past there have been computer simulations of various stratgies for "getting along". I seem to remember two strategies doing well-

1) TIT for TAT (which is what I described above) and 2) TIT for TWO TATs - which did slightly better in the simulations (you give the person a second chance...)

I think you need to establish that YOU value your tools -

good luck and report back! Phil

[Warren Weber]

Sign seen in a motorcycle repair shop. (The only tool we loan out belongs to our cat. He always brings it back)

[ameijers]

That one is easy- run out this week and get homeowner's or starter mechanics sets for them for Xmas. The $150 bucks for the wally world or sams clubs sets will be worth it in goodwill and dinner invites from your sisters.

The good tools I keep in the house. The 'disposable' tools go in the trunk of the car for road trips. Haven't got the garage set up yet, since I just moved in six months ago, but I don't think good tools, the small ones at least, will be out there unless I can get the humidity under control. Even if they do, they will be in a box, not on a pegboard, since the work is usually elsewhere.

aem sends...

[chickenwing]

when you hand someone a tool, just tellem I WANT THE MUTHERFUCKER BACK, OR I'M GOING TO TAKE IT OUT OF YOUR ASS!

[wkearney99]

Clipboard with wildly inflated retail price. Sign here, due in 30 days.

If you're lending it they're on their own. You've no liability. But add a disclaimer to the clipboard mentioned above.

Best to leave them as cheap as possible. Encourage them to get their own when they end up breaking yours and paying an arm and a leg to replace it.

I'm all for being neighborly. I've loaned a few of my more unusual tools out, pick axe, soil tamper, sawzall, etc. The sort of thing that's not expected to be in a 'normal' set of tools. But when it comes to regular tools like pliers, cutters, wrenches or a 3/8" drive socket set I never, ever loan them out. I have no desire to go hunting them down to return it when I need it. Nor do I have any interest in discovering what half-ass thing they've done with the tool and ruined it in the process. To say nothing of not even cleaning it before returning it.

Keep a MAC or Snap-On catalog handy. Let 'em see what a set of 'em lists retail. That's a subtle, but direct, hint that they're not getting loaned out. It always helps to know if the local Sears is having a sale on craftsman sets. Point them in that direction.

[Nick Hull]

Bad idea. Clipboard with inflated 'deposit', make security deposit and borrow tool, return tool and get deposit back. You will nev er get your money if you don't already have it when they 'lose' tool. They will lose much fewer if they deposited a security first.

[Nick Hull]

How about taking it out of his daughter's ass? ;)

[Nick Hull]

You can certainly trust the neighbor who lost your 8mm wrench, trust him to lose your 9mm too ;)

[chickenwing]

borrow hell

maybe you can sell them a nice set turn it into a business

the snap on man

[trader4]

"If you're lending it they're on their own. You've no liability. But add a disclaimer to the clipboard mentioned above. "

I wouldn't be too sure about that. I don;t know of any specific law here in NJ that limits your liability because you just lent someone a tool. Say I lent a stepladder to someone, it's a little wobbly, and they fall off it. I don't believe there is anything to prevent them from suing me, claiming I knew the ladder was defective, etc.

Granted, this isn't a big issue with a wrench, but if you start lending out circular saws and think you can't be sued, I think you are making a big mistake.

[trader4]

If they already aren't bringing back the ones that you personally hand to them, what do you think will happen when you make it self service? Instead of taking one thing, now they will feel free to take 6 cause they might need them too.

I would have tried to make it less obvious that I have tools, by not having them so visible to begin with. The answer to your problem is already in place. When the guy that borrowed the 8MM comes back for a new request, just butch up and say "Sorry, but I've been losing too many tools lending them out and not having people return them, so I'm not able to do it anymore." If you want, you can continue to lend a tool or two to those that do bring them back. First time they don't return it, cut them off.

Then you'll find out what kind of folks you're dealing with. If the

8mm guys is decent, you should have a new 8mm wrench within a few days. My guess is you won't. And you're kidding yourself if you think there is value in maintaining relationships with users like this. When you need something, they won't be there for you, cause they don't give a damn.

[Keith Williams]

I bought the $99 10" sliding compound miter saw. While it's no Hitachi, it's fairly decent considering it's 1/5 the price. I also bought a couple of their $20 cordless drills. Those were overpriced. ;-)

[Jim Yanik]

Keith Williams wrote in news: [e-mail]:

My Harbor Freight jigsaw,a clone of a Bosch 1581,works great,for $60USD,$100 less than a real Bosch. If I were a contractor or heavy user,I'd buy Bosch,though.

[Jim Yanik]

"badgolferman" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Joke,hell,no. No keys,no tool loan. Although there's still the matter of getting it back *in good condition*,IOW,working.

[Charlie Bress]

I've got a lot of tools too. I only lend stuff to a very few trusted, competent people. Most of the time it is an odd item that I bought to do a specific job and rarely if ever use now.

If it is a request for a "common" tool, my attitude is you should really get your own. I am not here to subsidize you.

If it is a tool with moving parts, then it is not available for loan. If it is an emergency, I will come and help with chainsaw, propane torch etc.

The last thing I lent was an extension ladder. It came back broken and the guy had fallen off. Lucky he wasn't hurt. Now he has his own ladder and I have directions to Home Depot, Lowes, Ace, Wal-Mart, Kmart and Target, as well as NAPA, Autozone and ... well you get the idea.

Charlie

[badgolferman]

You cut out the main point I was making: "He'll get the message and will either change his mind or be extra careful with it."

[Keith Williams]

I'll have to look at it. Thanks.

There was a contractor in one of the groups who bought HF power tools because he was tired of his expensive stuff getting stolen. They were throwaways and no one wanted to steal them anyway.