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I have just watched Erics artile on lending tools, and I can advise that after 45years of car repairs I have concluded that tools are the best walking item that have no legs. also that it is not advisable to lend tools without a small deposit which is returned when the item is returned…. maybe harsh but no problem to a sincere chap.On a different theme with spark plug intervals so long now,and being steel in an alloy head it is considered good practice to remove them at each major service,clean the threads and a small amount of copper grease,the UK description for your anti-seize.Anyone consider this a waste of time…. it really pays well at the spark plug renewal time…………
I’ve got a very simple logic with this…
Only lend to friends and trust them with your tools until they break that trust. The moment they do they won’t be getting any tools leant by me again 😉
If I ever borrow (which is rare cos I don’t have that many auto-repair friend buddies) I will tell them when they’re going to get it back and make sure it’s at their door step at that time AND not broken!
The shop the I work in has a very tool box open atmosphere. When I started there I was not ok with it but after being there for awhile and getting to know the guys I have slowly become ok with it. Even the shop manager and lead service writer have there boxes there and the first thing they told me when I started was if you dont have it check are boxes before having to buy it.
Couldn’t agree more. I only lend to people I can track down if It doesn’t get returned to me. E.g. family, friends, workmates, certain friends of friends e.t.c. Regardless of who it is, if It doesn’t come back or comes back broken, they don’t ask first, then that was the last time I lend them any tools. Also, if they have a reputation as being as gentle as a long handle sledge hammer, I won’t lend them sensitive or delicate tools. Just go over and help them out myself, then take tool with me when I leave.
Due to past experiences, (such as someone using my small sockets as a cone to smoke weed, not returning it the first time, not cleaning it the second) I think the only ‘what’s mine is yours’ lenders I have are my father and brother. Once I borrowed a set of pipe benders off a friend of my father. He told me to return them to him when done. I was out of time, so I returned them to my Dad to give to him. My soul felt dirty for doing that hahah
Funny thing is I kinda shot this video on a whim based on my comments in another ETCG1 video. It seems to have turned into quite a ‘hot button’ topic. Lots of different ideas about borrowing and lending tools. The main trend seems to be that you only lend to those you trust, and when you borrow, you bring it back in as good if not better condition than when you got it. For those of you that don’t return tools, shame on you.
At least what’s what I’ve taken away so far. Thanks everyone for your comments.
I completely agree with Eric. There’s kind of an unwritten code that goes with borrowing tools. I’m cool until somebody pisses me off. Then you’ve lost that privilege. But I’m lucky enough to keep my tools at home with me. I work for the feds so they have a whole stock of tools at work. But that also brings in a whole new frustration of people who take stuff and don’t return it at all, or else they just come in and take like its theirs and it disappears for a week. Granted its not mine, but the boss doesn’t do squat about it and that gets me even more mad.
It’s very hard to get stuff here so the $300 grease gun I requested goes missing for a week (I had to go get it) and the boss looks at me like I’ve got two heads when I come unglued about it……. I locked it up in one of the few cabinets that have a restricted key set. I took the old grease guns out that always have dead batteries, made sure they were empty and dead. there…. You want a grease gun? You can deal with the old junk since you don’t respect the new stuff. [/RANT]
Yea, when I worked at the dealer we had similar situations. The dealer would have to purchase special tool ‘X’ and if you were lucky enough to use it once you were fortunate. For some reason many of those types of tools sprouted legs. Luckily, we had a good parts guy that would purchase multiples of the smaller tools so it wouldn’t be an issue, but when you were doing that job where you needed that one special tool that you knew had come up missing, it was a real PITA.
I’m quite choosey about who I loan to.Iv’e had bad experiences and I am learning to be careful.I’m the “easy to take advantage of” guy you know?Some of those lessons were difficult to learn.Now I use better judgement but for the most part I say no.I am forward and direct and I just say ” No I’m sorry but I don’t want my stuff broken or lost” if I don’t trust them.I know that tact is important at times but for the most part being honest seems to work better.I am not rude about it,just honest.Most people will actually respect that and it builds solid relations I think.
First off I am just a DIY guy who has been working on cars since I was 15. So I have built up lots of mis-matched tools but for, a guy that uses tools on the weekend on his cars and his friends cars I have all I need.
On to the topic, I have loaned tools and returned them in perfect condition to friends and the ratchet I broke was replaced with a new one of the same type along with an “I am sorry 6 pack”. So that guy still lets me borrow stuff. On the other had I have loaned a “friend” a drill and a belt sander and disappeared while he had them and he hand nothing to say other than some one stole them. Personally, I felt that he should have replaced the items at some point but, I also have a strong feeling that he took them.
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