I am not a borrower. If I need it , I rent it or buy it; mostly buy. I am very choosy about who I loan things to. The list of people is very short. I don't loan expensive tools but to a chosen few. It is a most unfortunate fact that a lot of people who borrow are those who cant afford to buy a tool or have it fixed if they break it. I am most likely to say "How bout I bring the splitter over and help you get your job done." That way I know my relatively new splitter is being run by a competent person, Me, or I am supervising some ones teenage son who is shaping up to be a fine young man. If it breaks, my bad, I fix! Recently I have had several requests to loan my splitter (the word has gotten out). I have helped some for free. I have received a load of wood in gratitude. I have traded work. I have just said "no"! I have had an acquaintance become quite stuffy when I offered to help out for free but would not freely loan. When I asked a few casual questions about what kind of wood, quantity, and distance, he became irritated and abruptly ended the conversation. I later found out that a friend of his had access to a large amount of Fir logs and the intention was to park a splitter on the property for a week and start splitting for sale. All this under the guise of a quick borrow to help out a buddy. That kinda chapped my hide! Maybe I am overly tight with my assets. I am curious about others feelings on this matter whether it be splitters, power tools, trailers or chainsaws!
People work hard to get the tools they have. Lending out is difficult, especially if you feel you would be taken advantage of. Offering to loan yourself and the tool, is offer enough.
I once loaned my chainsaw to my little brother to cut a small tree at my aunts with the help my cousin that use to work for a tree company. Will put this way I had to get a new bar chain. Then work on the carb to get it to run again Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I would do it but only if they are willing to front the value/cost of a new splitter first and then they can knock themselves out. Its nice to loan out but most likely it would not come back the same way you brought it to them. I’d loan to people who know you and you know them well and they follow through on their stuff.
Saws=no. Splitter=nope Woodworking, plumbing (PEX crimpers and cutter)= only to one buddy that knows how to use them. Very simple that way.
I have one friend who is a mechanical geek like me, I'd lend it to him everyone else only if I go with. My parents lent it out years ago to a friend of theirs........we later found out that the guy rented it out.
Depends on who wants to borrow it. My neighbor uses my splitter a couple times a year to split his wood, but he is like me, hates to borrow something, but if you have to, return it nicer than when borrowed. Always comes back cleaned up, oil changed, etc.
Have two friends like that. If one borrows my small compressor, chop saw and brad nailer to trim out his basement, it comes back with a new blade. If the other borrows my cider press, it comes back spick and span clean and with a couple gallons of cider. Never a worry about problems!
After getting burned enough times on tools I've become very picky about who I lend my tools out to. That pretty much leaves 3 friends who don't need to borrow my tools anyways because they've invested in their own. This may be my jadedness coming out but if you really think about it, borrowing tools, especially ones we're talking about here, is kind of douchey IMO. Look if you're heating your house with firewood then there are costs associated with it. If you don't have a splitter or can't afford one then head on down to your local box store and get a cheap maul (assuming you're physically able). If you require a splitter to process your firewood and can't come up with a grand to pick one up then maybe firewood is not for you. Same with a chainsaw. Everyone knows the story. Your buddy or neighbor (you know the guy with the boat ) wants to borrow yours to do some yard cleanup but can't justify buying their own saw (you know because it's only once and awhile right? ). So they figure why not borrow yours. Really? You can't come up with $200 bucks to buy a cheap saw? You want to borrow my $600 dollar saw? Pound sand buddy. Sorry, rant mode off...
The balls on that guy! "That kinda chapped my hide!" You're a much nicer person than I am I can tell you that.
I keep my all my power equipment clean n well taken care of....example....splitter has split about 24 cords of wood since new about a year ago. Several people have seen n asked if I used it much...they are dunb founded when I tell tell them what I have split...ridin tractor,my 25 horse kioti,saws,etc are in great shape. Why buy brand new if you don't care of it....sooo...no I don't LEND nothin out..but I will help people out if I go along with the equipment..
Theres not too many people I would lend my splitter to. My saw? Here, I have this "great" old Mac that you can borrow. If a friend that I would actually consider loaning my saw to asked, I would go do it with them, so I could play with the saw myself. I hate asking to borrow tools. I bought my own splitter rather than offering to rent my neighbors.
