friends

[lawnboy82]

hey there friends. i had a problem the other night. and for quite some time now. the problem is this. i am 19 now, and a good amount of my friends are 19 as well, 19 - 20 lets say. so 2 of them do this kind of work that i do. the trees, and the grass. one friend likes to borrow my lawnmower as well as my chain saws, ropes, etc. i never get any money for loaning them this stuff. the other friend is getting into tree work and sometimes borrows my chainsaws and some rigging gear as well. now that friend if i need a saw sharpened he takes care of it for me. well thursday night i dropped off my power pole saw with him as well as my 066 to sharpen. i gave him the pole saw for as long as he needed it on the condition that he sharpen the 66 by 8 pm friday night. because i needed it for saturday. so sure enough i went to his house 8:30 pm friday and the saw had not been touched so i picked up both saws and went to an older friend's house and borrowed a file at i believe 9:30 at night. got that and went home to sharpen 2 saws until almost 11 pm. then i got the saws to the job saturday and they wouldnt cut right. so i had to go to a shop and deal with them. the friend that likes to borrow the lawn mower too then had the testicular fortitude to call me and ask me if he could borrow my spurs. no more loaning stuff out. yet another friend today asked me if he could borrow all of my tree gear including chain saws and my personal saddle and ropes to cut down 2 trees at his house. (one of his employees "knows how to climb") 2 big trees right by the house. but he is a landscraper as well. do you guys loan out any of your stuff ever to good friends? i think i am finished with all that. no more. cause all they wanna do is wreck the stuff and not have to pay for repairs.

[oneEXMARKfan]

I know exactly how you feel (betrayed & used) and hear "No good deed goes unpunished" But I do have 1 friend that can borrow anything I have. Matter of fact he just ask if he can borrow my Ford 3000 (diesel) to fix his driveway. Glad to let him use it. (But wouldn't let anyone else use it)

[1MajorTom]

Never loaned anything out, never will.

Only one person asked anyway. It was a 15yr old neighborhood boy who wanted to borrow a Stihl to trim with. Just told him no, we couldn't lend anything out.

This is our livelihood. We have to take it seriously. Lending out our stuff just to be "friendly or neighborly" wouldn't be in our best interest. And I think our friends and neighbors understand this, that's why no one asks.

[Runner]

"I make my living with my tools. Please don't ask to borrow them." This is a sticker that is available from Snap-on I've seen posted on boxes before. I've always liked this saying and I think it's very effective. However, yes, I'm guilty of loaning a few things out now and again, even to friends in the business. These are all good guys though that I know would take care of them or replace them.

[lawnboy82]

i know that it is not in my best interest to lend things out. however these guys see the equipment and they ask, i am now starting to say "no more" i am tired of gettin a chainsaw back that has a dulled out chain, or a set of dull blades, or missing pins for the velke, i can go on and on and on. no more!

[Scag48]

I don't lend things out as well. I figure that people will not take my equipment seriously and break it or something and I just can't go out and buy new stuff and most of my friends wouldn't pay to get it fixed. My dad was using my new Toro and I didn't mind that cuz he's my dad, I know he'll fix it, if he ever busted it. You guys ever had customers take trimmers out of your hands to show you how they want their lawn trimmed? I've had that happen. I didn't like the fact they were using my stuff but I suppose the customer is always right. I've also had them take my trimmer and go wack down some bushes in the back yard while I was mowing! I was sitting here thinking "Man, people these days!". Oh well.

[Evan528]

I will lend my equipment out to good friends in the business with the agreement that if you break it you fix it. They have been very careful with my stuff!

[CSRA Landscaping]

What kind of car goes 60 mph in reverse?

A rental! (Loaner)

[David Gretzmier]

why is it when I borrow things I return them sharp, full of gas and clean, and when I loan things they come back dull, broken ,dirty and empty? I loan some stuff to church friends, but even then I am careful. Dave g

[awm]

I DONT LOAN MY FRONT LINE STUFF OUT. LAZER ,STIHL
SAWS AND THE LIKE. I DO SOMETIMES LOAN MY BACKUP STUFF .
MOSTLY TO MY SONS.I HAVE A FEW PEOPLE THAT ID GO RENT SAY A SAW OR SOMETHING. BUT THEY DONT MAKE THEIR LIVING WITH THIS STUFF SO THEY REALLY JUST DONT KNOW HOW TO TAKE CARE OF IT.

[MJ]

You might want to check with a lawyer, but in some states you could be liable for any damage or injury resulting from using your equipment.

[jeffyr]

The ironic part is that YOU BORROWED a file to sharpen your 2 saws !


:eek:

jeffyr

[Grassman]

I think Shakespeare said it best: "Not a begger, nor a borrower be". Russ

[Holloway Lawns]

I like what Runner said you took the words right out of my mouth.



"I make my living with my tools. Please don't ask to borrow them." :blob3:

[LJ lawn]

looks like you're learning the hard way. i borrowed my neighbors roto tiller once.the guy freaked out because i brought it back power washed and i touched up some paint on the frame.even put in a full tank of gas. needless to say he has absolutely no problem lending it to me again.lesson of a lifetime--"treat others tools as you would your own".i on the otherhand don't lend out anything unless the person has the scroll to buy me a new one.

[Ssouth]

Lawnboy, ever thought of going in halves on the jobs they are using your equipment for. Just tell them they can borrow you tools if you are in included in the work.
On the other hand I will only loan to competent friends / family who I know take care of their own equipment. I have had neighbors ask to borrow trimmers. Instead of loaning it to them I will just do it for them and I normally get a batch of cookies or a fresh loaf of bread in return. ( I'm really getting the better half of this deal ) when food is involved.

[Freetime]

A sign in my fathers service station/garage for forty five years “NO TOOLS LOANED DON’T ASK DON’T LOAF IN GARAGE” hand painted in red, wasn’t very nice looking but it got the point across.
Don’t loan tools to anyone.
IF someone wants to borrow something (spikes, rope gear, saw, mower) tell them ‘I go where my equipment goes” and “I just don’t have time to put money in your pocket, I am to busy tying to keep it in mine” that should shut them up.
If they don’t like it let them bum off someone else “don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out”
People will use you as long as you will let them.
:angry:

[Evrgreen]

No lending.Period.
Reasons-Guy tried to run my weedeater 80 to 1 fuel mix.I told him 1 little keg of oil per half gallon,not half a keg in one gallon.He never even tired to reason it out himself and 20-1 was engraved on my machine.
Lucky to get things back-You or they forget where is went or came from.
Every one is your friend when they want something,but not when it is time to pay.
They have jobs and ability to pay for what needs to get done just like me.
My tools were never free,even though people love to say"Your tools are already paid for"

[crazygator]

I have trouble getting tools back from my own brother, think I will lend tools to friends? NOT! Its our living, its our tools. If they are making a living from using my tools then I should be getting some kind of rent or something for the job. A little of base, but a friend of mine borrowed a keyboard (like in a band) from me dropped it and broke 1 key. He did fix it, but had the nerve to tell me he wasn't going to fix it, but for some reason did. After this I never let anything go to friends. I do let my brother have things cause he is younger than me and I can still beat him up! hahaha.

[bobbygedd]

talk about stindgy, i had a neighbor that had a lawn service for a long time. i was just starting out, had a toro 21", and needed the blade sharpened, so i asked him. he asked how much do they charge u at the shop? i said $7. he said give me $5. i said kiss my a**.

[mowerman90]

You obviously have a computer, so print yourself up a sign.

I MAKE MY LIVING WITH THESE TOOLS, PLEASE DON'T ASK TO BORROW THEM!

Hang it prominately wherever you store your stuff.

[LoneStarLawn]

bobbygedd..
You expected another company to maintain your equipment for free? LOL

If they are in the tree business why don't they have their own equipment. Unless you are paying their overhead while they keep the money. Sounds like a good deal on their part. Sucker born every minute. I would try to find some better friends.

[Premo Services]

Originally posted by bobbygedd
talk about stindgy, i had a neighbor that had a lawn service for a long time. i was just starting out, had a toro 21", and needed the blade sharpened, so i asked him. he asked how much do they charge u at the shop? i said $7. he said give me $5. i said kiss my a**.
I think that is a pretty good deal. He had to buy the equiptment to sharpen the blades, and his time.
Also, on this subject, how about when realitives want you to do landscaping work for their friends, for a real cheap price. My younger brother always had a friend that wanted work done for cheap. I put a stop to that. When they would call, I found out what they wanted, and would give them an outrageously high price, my bro got the message quickly and the phone calls stopped.

[Grasshog]

A friend of mine asked to use a mower to cut his own lawn with. I let him use one of my walk behinds. To make a long story short, He
ran over a piece of chain link off his fence. It went right through
his leg. It cut a main artery. He had to have surgery. While he was laid up in the hospital a lawyer visited him. Advised him he could sue my business and me for damages and pain and suffering.
He (thank God) told the lawyer he wasnt about to go down that road.



His mother-n-law sent the lawyer to see him.

So in a long way, I"m saying no loaners to anyone.....

[bobbygedd]

so then, what is kind of awkward is now that he has a lawn service and so do i, we cant be neighbors? neighbors help each other out. so next time he needs a ride somewhere cus his truck broke down, what do i say? charge him $5? just the whole situation is kind of awkward. i do expect a neighbor to help me out, cus i would do the same. i would not ask to borrow an expensive piece of equipment, and would also appreciate if he also would not ask me, but 30 seconds to sharpen a blade? what a bum!

[HOMER]

That wasn't very neighborly Bobby! I've done things for people and never thought about charging them.

I have loaned trimmers and edgers to other LCO's when they needed them. I have also had to borrow a 21" mower when the crapper snapper went down. As long as there is a mutual agreement and the favor will be returned I see no big problem with it. I don't loan equipment to help or family.........there will be no return on the favor. I hate it but thats the way it has to be. I have never and will never loan one of my big mowers to anyone for any reason. If they are running somewhere I'll be there and will be making something off of them.

Problem is when you start these kind of things they just keep coming back and wanting more and more. You need to shut this off and do it as tactfully as you can. When they get their own equipment I bet they won't be as eager to loan it out.

[Mowingman]

I have a good friend who is also an LCO. We each have vatious tools and machines that the other does not have. We got together and set a daily rental rate on all of our equipment. If I need one of his machines or he needs one of mine,we rent them to each other. We always brimg them back clean and full of gas. Deal is if we damage it, we fix it. Rent helps owner fix routine wear and tear stuff. Sure is good to know we have access to a ztr ,etc. if the need arises. We have had this deal going for 2 years and no problems so far.

[Alan]

I guess I'm blessed with a good relationship with another cutter here. I'm equipped better than he is, he's a part timer. In the spring we swap work, we use my equpment on his jobs and he worsk with me on mine. And he's not stingy about how much time he gives me. Last summer he messed up a knee, we ran his route together, I put him on my Lazer (all he has is a walk behind)so he could ride and I did all the trimming. Earlier that same year I was looking at some possible surgery that would have taken me out of the game for a month right at the start of the season. I called him and asked if he could take on some of my work. His response was to keep him posted and we'd figure out some way to get everything done. As it turned out I memded ok and never did have to go under the knife. As a rule I don't loan tools out, but if he needs something it's his for the asking.

[bobbygedd]

so, mowmoney and lonestar, u wouldnt take 2 min to help a new guy out? yet, u take the time to answer questions of these fine people on this site, and give away your most important tool, knowledge which came from years of experience.

[Island Lawn]

What comes around, goes around.