I'm getting to the point of not wanting to let anyone use any of my things any more.

[hodge]

How the hell does someone manage that? I’d be upset too

A friend of mine is fond of saying "He could break an anvil with a glass mallet". Some people have the gift to damage anything.

When I was a kid, a neighbor borrowed a 5' bush hog from my dad. He twisted the 3 point frame, almost defying geometry, and that mower never would set level unless you adjusted the side link out of level.
Another borrowed his expensive Razorback shovel, and split it. He took it to a local farmer who welded it, and he brought it back "better than new". I learned, young, that lending can taint relationships. I'll bring my equipment/tools and help, but I won't lend.

 

[pjoh784350]

Never a borrower nor lender be!

 

[GeoHorn]

“Sorry, … my insurance doesn’t allow me to let others use it.. but I’ll be happy to bring it over and help accomplish the task.” This actually just-occurred…. Two days ago neighbor, who owns and knows how to operate a tractor, called asking to borrow mine…. his wouldn’t start…to move a large rock. I told him I’d be right-over.
When I got there, looked at his tractor… blown fuse on the ECU circuit. Stole one from the horn …(what the hell does a tractor need with a horn?) …Oh, yeah…it’s an “L.S.” brand of tractor.


(As for an “insurance-excuse“…. perhaps that may work for you also…. as This is an actual truth when it comes to some equipt I own (airplane and boat)…. I am named on the policy as the insured-operator….. and that can be a good thing.)

After-thought: I have a friend who is an asst fire-chief who gave me an old-style fire-engine siren… you know the type…. a starter-motor spinning a sectored armature within a shell… like a high-pitched WW2 air-raid siren….it’s loud.. Maybe I should paint it orange and install it on the Kubota.… I could pretend to be Gen. George Patton….

 

[D2Cat]

“Sorry, … my insurance doesn’t allow me to let others use it.. but I’ll be happy to bring it over and help accomplish the task.” This actually just-occurred…. Two days ago neighbor, who owns and knows how to operate a tractor, called asking to borrow mine…. his wouldn’t start…to move a large rock. I told him I’d be right-over.
When I got there, looked at his tractor… blown fuse on the ECU circuit. Stole one from the horn …(what the hell does a tractor need with a horn?) …Oh, yeah…it’s an “L.S.” brand of tractor.


(As for an “insurance-excuse“…. perhaps that may work for you also…. as This is an actual truth when it comes to some equipt I own (airplane and boat)…. I am named on the policy as the insured-operator….. and that can be a good thing.)

After-thought: I have a friend who is an asst fire-chief who gave me an old-style fire-engine siren… you know the type…. a starter-motor spinning a sectored armature within a shell… like a high-pitched WW2 air-raid siren….it’s loud.. Maybe I should paint it orange and install it on the Kubota.… I could pretend to be Gen. George Patton….

I installed a horn on both tractors I use around the house. It comes in handy when you need to get someone's attention to open a gate, move something, let someone know you're there, etc. You sure are not going to yell over the tractor noise to get someone's attention.

 

[mcfarmall]

I love it how people expect ME to buy a $50k tractor and let them use it for FREE!

 

[GeoHorn]

Never a borrower nor lender be!

Humorous that the origins of that Shakespearian proverb comes/from lie in the Talmud and Old Testament.

 

[McMXi]

Begrudgingly loaned a table saw to my sister in law. Saw came back with the cord cut off…. She is dead to me now.

WTH!

I'm still bothered that a friend borrowed my 16ft dump trailer last year and trashed it by hauling rip rap or whatever to shore up his dock and boat ramp. What made it worse is that he bought a brand new dump trailer about a month later. That's what bothers me the most.

I've told him that he'll need to pay for steel so that I can repair the trailer. I'm looking at buying some 3/16" plate off Craigslist along with some plate from an auction and will weld it in. It'll be better than it ever was eventually, but it's another example of why I won't be loaning stuff out any more.

 

[GrizBota]

Forty years ago, I had just bought a small Poulan chain saw. A friend at work mentioned needing to do a little work at his family farm in east Texas one weekend. So I volunteered my saw, figuring he grew up on a farm so knew how to care for tools. Monday morning, he brought it back and mentioned it was hard to start. That afternoon when I got home, I tried to start it. The rope was about a foot too short. He had broken the starter cord and 'fixed' it.

I'll lend certain tools to certain people, but some tools don't get lent out. My BIL is the only one that borrows my tractor, and, so far, only to dig pet graves. I watch people, and it they don't respect the few tools they have, they don't borrow mine. And if I have to ask for their return, no more loans.

Good logic. I do the same. Funny how sometimes my trailer needs new tires before I can loan it out. With the tractor, I go with it.

 

[Mrlunchbox]

Frustratingly my closet friends ask me often to use my tractor. Even if it's just me operating it. I always tell them "Sorry Kubota insurance won't allow me to use it off my property" That is enough to generally shut them up. In all reality I have no way to transport it. I could technically drive it down the road but nonetheless I am generally appalled how many times I get requests to do work for "free". I didn't spend 10s of thousands to pass her around lol

 

[Mowbizz]

“Neither borrower nor lender be!” That’s how I lived my life and I have no regrets!

 

[sitric]

Wow, I'm sure glad I have "better" friends than those on here. We, all do for each other. I may have better and more equipment, but they bring skill sets that can make up for it. And most are respectfully and competent with equipment. Then again, in my 70 years, these are the type of people I gravitate towards. Wish the rest of you the best in your endeavors.

 

[GrizBota]

Wow, I'm sure glad I have "better" friends than those on here. We, all do for each other. I may have better and more equipment, but they bring skill sets that can make up for it. And most are respectfully and competent with equipment. Then again, in my 70 years, these are the type of people I gravitate towards. Wish the rest of you the best in your endeavors.

Can’t beat good friends. The kind you’d give the shirt off your back, even if you knew you wouldn’t get it back. I’ve only got a handful of those.

Lots of acquaintances though. And some of those get to borrow my tools/equipment. And others don’t. The ones that destroy their nice trucks inside of two years and leave tools/equipment out in the rain, and start with nice stuff that turns into junk in short order, nope. If they don’t respect their own hard work in buying those things, I certainly don’t expect them to respect my efforts any more than that. They do not get to borrow my tools. But since I’m a nice guy, I’ll let them know where they can buy the same thing and what a good sale price on it is. Or maybe I’ll stop by and fix it for then with my tools.

I have a family member (not blood) that bought a new Kubota the same year I got my first new Kubota. Mine looks almost new, his is damn near ready to be scraped and looks it. Same environment, similar usage and tasks. Different owners with different levels of respect for the value of their time. Same person stores “new” chain saws, miter saws and generators under a tarp (in the Pacific Northwest) for the first year or two (until the tarp rots off) and by the third year the tool is non-op rusty trash. Obviously it pains me to see it (since I’m gripping about it), I have even offered to store them properly, nope. My comparable equipment still looks pretty good (but not new, since they are used) and work like or nearly new, 1 or 20 years old.

 

[PaulL]

Same person stores “new” chain saws, miter saws and generators under a tarp (in the Pacific Northwest) for the first year or two (until the tarp rots off) and by the third year the tool is non-op rusty trash.

Storing stuff outside is a recipe for ruining it. I guess unless you live in Utah. If you don't have enough shed space, don't buy more tools, and spend your money on more shed. (Or, in my case, tidy the sheds you have and throw some stuff out)

 

[kubotafreak]

Specifically about chainsaws, those of you who do lend them, also lend your premix. Cant even count how many I have repaired for those that had “borrowers” put straight gas in them.

 

[jyoutz]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B072J2JG2S/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1#immersive-view_1685850719019

 

[lynnmor]

Specifically about chainsaws, those of you who do lend them, also lend your premix. Cant even count how many I have repaired for those that had “borrowers” put straight gas in them.

I helped my daughter buy a house that had a steep bank in front, so I saw to it that she had a 2 cycle mower and a weed wacker. They didn't make it thru the summer since she left a neighbor borrow them.

Another time I lent her a homemade magnetic sweeper to pick up nails, it had two large magnets and the kids broke one in half. Just price a large magnet.

The last thing and final thing I lent was a digging iron that was in the family since steel was invented, what could possibly go wrong? Bent it severely and broke the loop handle off.

 

[SDT]

You'd think I'd learn, whether it's friends borrowing trailers or flail mowers or whatever, and doing some sort of damage, but no one seems to take care of anything any more. This past weekend I had a friend come over to help me switch around the M6060 wheels and weights. He's currently had my 16ft dump trailer for close to three weeks so I didn't feel too bad about having him help me in return. I had him drive the tractor since he's older and recently had COVID for at least the second time.

At some point towards the end of the afternoon, a neighbors tenant stopped by (I've known him for a couple of years now) and figured he'd help despite not being asked, and jumped in the MX a couple of times. Once they both left and I was putting tools away and moving tractors, I noticed that one of them had scratched up the cab frame which is really annoying. I've got in and out of that tractor hudreds of times and never once scratched it. I'm really at the point of not letting anyone borrow anything ever again.

I have Kubota gray paint and will try to match it up, but it's annoying that I have to fix other's carelessness. Yes, I realize that it's a tool, and tools will get damaged, but I still try to look after things.

View attachment 103976

I never borrow or lend anything.

Books, tools never come back.

Equipment usually does but often with damage, abuse, etc.

I will sometimes take equipment to a friends place to help with something but always operate my own equipment and NEVER mow anothers ground because there is always something out there to hit despite what you may be told.

 

[Fladogman]

I'll loan my stuff out, but it always comes with an operator (me)

 

[rut3556]

Simple... I don't loan anything out that's motorized.

 

[GeoHorn]

I helped my daughter buy a house that had a steep bank in front, so I saw to it that she had a 2 cycle mower and a weed wacker. They didn't make it thru the summer since she left a neighbor borrow them.

Another time I lent her a homemade magnetic sweeper to pick up nails, it had two large magnets and the kids broke one in half. Just price a large magnet.

The last thing and final thing I lent was a digging iron that was in the family since steel was invented, what could possibly go wrong? Bent it severely and broke the loop handle off.

My Great Grandfather fought in the Civil War as an artillerist. I had his thumb-guard and gimlet which he’d used at Fredericksburg.

His great great nephew destroyed them trying to use them somehow building a soap-box racer.