Don't use it much, Could borrow it?

[My Old Landy]

I don't think my original post has explained things

I understand people don't like lending tools

My point was more what tools don't you use that you could live without?

But that is the point with many of the replies. If you don't own it already, you will need to borrow it. As I don't lend, by the same token, I don't borrow.
It would make me a hypocrite if I said anything else!

 

[Gareth J]

I don't think my original post has explained things

I understand people don't like lending tools

My point was more what tools don't you use that you could live without?

Think it will depend on personal circumstance.
-upfront and ongoing cost of storage
-cost and availability of hire
-cost of depreciation of rarely used item
-urgency of need of item
-emotions i.e, how having "too much in the way" or "argh; if I only had that tool!" Makes you feel
-cost/time required to workaround
-etc
Will all be factors and will vary dependent on personal circumstance.

For me, personally, can think of two good examples. Plasma - I use it so infrequently, it's such a faff to set up with 4x leads, delicate consumables and produces such angry air pollutants, only gets used if I really can't use another tool. Will probably die way before I get good use out of it. Would I buy another? Not at the original purchase cost but maybe an el cheapo one. Maybe. And the flypress, used even less. Takes up a fair amount of space. But will outlast me and, for a passing spray of oil, won't measurably depreciate. I'm not too tight for space, doubt I could hire one! - I'll keep it.

 

[highseas]

i dont lend tools out simply because its such a blooming fight for me to lend a tool i need of someone else!
a HAD a mate (past tence see!) who would rock up and say i need to use ;insert tool-or consumable!
so off he would trot with grinder, drill, lawnmower, cutting discs, drill bits or best of all...proper black bitumen paint!

grinder come back broke, drill still has a bit stuck in the chuck, lawnmower dead as good friday! cutting discs never replaced,, drill bits well lets no go their! and much prized 5 gallon drum of paint? i would like to say never seen again but it is.. his van sillls, workshop roof, trailer, boat woodwork you name its black bitumen painted!

yeh no, i work hard and save to buy my tools so unless i really like you or can trade a favour then no!

 

[arther dailey]

my Brother In Law is best, can i borrow some mig wire and best of all can I borrow some gas ! like ime going to get it back , he was invited to a little local clay busting , only £8 a round, he pulls out a fiver and says can I owe you the three quid..,I pre warned them, the answer was a workshop phrase well known.....at a proper clay site its his turn ,gets half way through the stand and can I have some shells, so I walk past our group to where he hung his bag which is brimming with shells, take a huge handfull and drop them in his pocket , he carries on then comes off the stand and thanks me for the cartridges as he was thinking they were mine

 

[Munkul]

My word. You lot have friends and family who are just pure Dicks.

Having said that, a few years back we lent a MIG welder to cousins FIL, he had it around a year inc wire and gas, for welding up a car... never actually got around to welding it up... I wanted to use said machine at the time so we went to get it back... well, you should have seen him, visibly disappointed that we were taking the machine back and not a single word of thanks for the loan of it over a year.

Git. Never again!

 

[arther dailey]

your not wrong , as a lad changing car still had the first mini, bil s car broke down, loaned him the mini befor I put it up for sale ,he is married to my sis she is expecting,so he needs to get to work eh, 3 months later I visited sis saying I want it back as putting it up for sale while its still got a test on it, she said ye thats fine and thanks, go in front room and ile do you a cuppa and we will have a chat, off I go, hear bil come in, sis explains I want my car back ...he can poke it up his .......you can work out the rest . yes a complete micky taking muppet , you know how it goes though with "family" I try and tread that fine line but have given him grief when he crosses the line , only too recently I told him I wasnt put on this planet to work so I could subsidise him, yet all his "mates" constantly dip in their pockets for him ?

 

[TechnicAl]

Its the same with anything especially books......Im a Spike Milligan fan.....I can re-read his books and still burst out laughing....Ive loaned out more than one full set of his 7 part war time trilogy and ended up having to buy again....the last time is the last time I wont loan them out any longer......they stay on the bookshelf and dont even make it to my caravan.

 

[Alan Reynolds]

There's an argument there for having a second set of keys for the van so you can reclaim it.

Believe it or not, he lost the first bloody set and I had to drive 30 miles to deliver the spare set. You're right. I should have got in it and driven off. Hindsight ehh.

 

[Alan Reynolds]

I love the people who come in and ask how much a job on their kart will cost. Well it's £45 an hour. Will you show me what to do and lend me some tools please. No problem, that's £90 an hour because if you have my tools I can't work. I love the look on their face.

 

[winchman]

That must have felt like 'found' money.

It did but now I need a large trailer and have some where to store it I no longer have it!

 

[anto]

He'd be wearing plaster casts if I were you.....


You clearly have too many tools.....

I learnt a very valuable lesson on tools from this forum;

The equation for the correct amount of tools a man should own = N+1
N being the number of tools you currently own.

 

[Munkul]

I learnt a very valuable lesson on tools from this forum;

The equation for the correct amount of tools a man should own = N+1
N being the number of tools you currently own.

Unless one of the following conditions are met:
1. there's a tool sale
2. the snap-on man comes around
3. you're on ebay and had a few cans

in which case the equation is resolved as f = N + X ; X > 2

 

[RonMig]

I learnt a very valuable lesson on tools from this forum;

The equation for the correct amount of tools a man should own = N+1
N being the number of tools you currently own.

This is true.
And I've always bought mine, rather than borrowed.
I had one very nice wood-troubling saw, albeit missing a few teeth and getting a little blunt.
A friend borrowed it last October.
Not returned before January lockdown.
Then I needed a wood-troubling saw, was not allowed to go see him, but Was allowd to go to Wickes.
When lockdown is over, assuming I get the loaned saw back, my saws will match @anto 's equation
The less-than-sharp one will still be the loaner in future.

So - I thought I didn't need a tool (saw) but turns out I really needed N+1

 

[Mark 2]

Last week saw the first anniversary of middle son borrowing wheel barrow

You should invite him round, bunting and wheelbarrow shaped cake.

 

[Arc Tourist]

I don't think my original post has explained things

I understand people don't like lending tools

My point was more what tools don't you use that you could live without?

This one, it caused me a lot of pain. " Purple Thumb Award " which is a reminder that I can live with out it in the future.

 

[Tigman]

I've lent out a 1 tonne block and tackle , it hasn't been brought back and now that I need it , I can't remember who borrowed it !

I'm an idiot for lending it out in the first place !

 

[Farside]

i have a big diesel one with forward and reverse people ask to borrow it to go over there block paving err not realy unless you want all the blocks to break and get stuffed 6 inch under 4 people cant lift it its that heavy

I recall seeing the bdumph machines that pre-dated the whacker plate. Not seen one for years.

 

[Munkul]

A whacker plate would be really handy for the farm... we used to borrow my uncle's all the time, but when his big sale came along, Dad didn't want to buy it, and I didn't want to buy it just for him to borrow it either

 

[cianh91]

Iv 3 brothers and one a them we back and forth loan stuff between us . Benefit is he has tools I might use twice a year and Iv the same regards him . But we both believe if ya need something regular buy one . Other 2 brothers basically make it disappear or break it .

the main problem with borrowing rather than owning is your prob gonna want it the same day as the person you wanna borrow from a lot of the time

 

[RWD3M]

I recall seeing the bdumph machines that pre-dated the whacker plate. Not seen one for years.

Ah, wasn't that known as the Irish foot? (with apologies to the sensitive!)