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Is it me or life in general


Adrian

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Hi Chaps

Just wondered,

I've shared equipment (not expensive (engine stand))  to member. And not heard anything back after 3 yrs +  -----------------Am i just stupid? I Write this on principal...

After Asthma and Cancer it seems trivial. Has it gone????

Cheers

Adrian

 

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Adrian, a delicate subject, as an apprentice I was always told that if you borrowed something you took care of it and returned it to it's owner asap. Over the years I've lent gear to friends and neighbours and been annoyed and disappointed when it has come back damaged or I've realised months later that it's gone. Even had to buy replacements for my own use. Not now. I genuinely do not like to see people stuck, only yesterday a neighbour asked if I had a particular set of items for her son to use in her house... what do you do? I'm not the local branch of Toolstation. I felt awful saying no. 

 

There are close friends that I wouldn't hesitate to help, they would trust me and I would trust them.

 

Derek.

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I sent a copy of a Triumph book to a forum member who was looking for a copy; told him to return it when he was finished with it. He promptly left the forum and I found out he was never actually a club member. Bye bye book. (Got another copy on eBay for 99p so no great loss)

I also lent a heavy duty petrol engined brush cutter / strimmer to a work mate; never saw it again. After about two years he admitted it had broken and he had dumped it; other opinions were that a family member of his had sold it to buy drugs. This may explain why he couldn't get it back to me for repairs. In any case he flatly refused any kind of replacement or compensation.

However I still lend tools; I just never learn...

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I'm the same.
I lend tools to people and sometimes have to ask them for them back after a year or so.
Even had one person tell me my compression tester was cheap chinese crap (yes it was cheap and chinese) but he kept borrowing it as it was the only one he found that he could use on his V8 Chev engined Transit van. The last I knew of that was when someone else needed it to test a motorbike engine and I told them he had it and they had to ask for it from him. Funny thing it is so cheap why dont they buy one themselves.
But the worst are family who borrow and destroy then give it back broken without any offer to repair or replace or get upset when you ask for it back even after a year.
A mechanic mate has a blackboard that he writes loaned tools on.
Personally if I borrow a tool it is straight back to the owner once I have used it as I know what it is like when it is not returned.

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think many of us that cant resist being helpful have been caught by the scums that abuse the help 

i dont loan anything , if you want to use what i have you come to me 

any club tooling we hold a returnable hefty deposit 

and yes a white board and pen hang on the wall as a memory jogger with .names and addresses 

we have worked hard to learn and develope a stash of tools   ....  keep your hands on them  

Pete

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4 hours ago, Colin Lindsay said:

However I still lend tools; I just never learn...

I’m guilty of that, too. Over the years, I’ve lost a suspension spring compressor, a pop rivet gun and a 15 inch Bacho. I still don’t recall who has them.

Fairly recently, I met someone who I had not seen for about 30 years. His first comment was “I still have your rawhide mallet” Big smile but no offer to return it.

 

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If it's any consolation we're not all bad eggs. I fall into the borrowing category and try my best to return items quickly.

Mind you, I tend to only borrow things when they're offered to me rather than go round asking. A month or so ago I got talking to a guy down the road after he saw my GT6 and it turns out years ago he ran his own restoration business. He figured I could save some money if I borrowed some tools from him. I offered a bottle of red to say thanks but he assured me there was no need.

Most of the time people are willing to lend me things on the basis they've collected dust for 30 years and are happy someone 'young' is finding them useful as they themselves once did.

I haven't really borrowed anything from anyone over the internet though so perhaps that's the distinction.

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On the opposite foot!. When I started the self build (1997), a friend offered the loan of a cement mixer, and a steel scaffold tower. Handy things to have. Fast forward to 2000/2001, build complete. Mixer and Scaffold still in my storage, having asked him several times, "You want them back?". to which " nahh, I`l let you store them, I know where they are if I need them"!!. They even moved with me when we downsized 2009. Guy, sadly, died from Prostate Cancer 2014. I still have the scaffold, He/we sold the mixer circa 2009, to another self builder. His dependants don`t want them, no storage, so I still have a scaffold tower?.

I know (roughly) where most of my missing tools are though?. 250Miles away, in my Son`s lock-up on his mooring!. The only thing my Neighbours borrow is Air,! most know I have the air compressor, So every soft tyre finishes up on our drive!.

Pete

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2 hours ago, DJB350Z said:

Heard similar things about engine hoists!

My Engine "Hoist" comprises a (reinforced) Garage beam and a 1 Ton chain block of pre WW2 vintage!, which still for all that, works remarkably well. Combined with a Wire rope sling, custom made by an old time Ship Rigger, and several adjustable Shackles. Such that it did remove an engine and gearbox from a Mitsibushi Shogun, without too much excitement.

Pete

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1 hour ago, PeteH said:

My Engine "Hoist" comprises a (reinforced) Garage beam and a 1 Ton chain block

I also have a long RSJ with a chain block. The first (possibly only, so far) thing it lifted in the new garage was the steel frame being fitted around the rim of the pit.

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If I have an engine crane and a grit blast cabinet that belong to one mate, he has no space for them. Had them for years. 

I have a car trailer belonging to another mate on what is now a very long long loan, he has no space and certainly no time to ever use it. I use it a lot. Now needs some repairs, cannot seem to get him interested.. 🙂

Used to have his Range Rover for months on end as well, was very useful. And very cheap!

Have my own now. Not cheap.

I regularly lend stuff out, and I’m sure the borrowers know I will forget shortly afterwards, seem to spend hours trying to recollect where stuff I was sure I had has gone. 😞

 

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