I have accumulated a lot of tools over the years and I've always tried to buy the best quality I can find. I really take care of them and most look brand new. My problem is that my friends will frequently ask to borrow something and I normally feel like crap if I say no. I loaned my Bosch 2" rotary hammer and Partner gas saw to a friend last week and he brought them back this morning. The Diamond Blade was wiped out on the saw and the hammer looked like it had been through WWIII. Ever go to get a tool and realize somemone borrowed it and never returned it?
I think I've finally learned to say NO...... Let's hear your nightmare loan stories.

I don't loan tools unless it's to my good friends, and then I expect them back in a timely manner.

No real nightmare stories,just when you loan them out you never get everything back. And whatever item is missing will be the one you need.

Just to my cousin.

absolutely not.

Never and I don't borrow them either.

I buy cheap tools at harbor frieght and Costco, so that I can beat the crap out of them or lose them....no worries.

You may consider him a friend, but if he returns tools in that condition I doubt he considers you one, or he just doesn't know the meaning of the word.  Let him try that with a tool rental place, he'll wind up either buying them a new tool or paying a clean up fee.

I don't let anyone carry off my expensive tools.  I keep cheap hand tools around to loan to people, but nothing expensive leaves my garage unless I know, without a doubt, the person will replace it if they lose it or destroy it.

Only to family members. When I need tools, they l oan them to me.

Depends on the tool and who asks, friends and family always, most of the time it's not a problem for people I 'know.'

If it's a stranger wanting to borrow a tool, then they get the Craftsman or SK stuff. I've had people not return tools in the past, so strangers don't get my good tools anymore.

NO, with the exception of good friends.  No to co-workers and hell no to strangers.


Buy your own damn tools.

I will only loan tools to one friend, who is an old hotrodder who lost everything due to theft by tweekers.

I only loan out tools to good friends who share my views on borrowing or lending tools.
Which is: test it at your buddies place when you borrow it-if it's breaks you bought it- and bring it back the next day if not the same day you're done with it.

Simple rules like these save friendships.
 
I very rarely borrow tools any longer due to an incident where I borrowed a saw and as soon as I plugged it in it ran for about 2 seconds and died.
i called my buddy and told him about it right away.
he said it was running fine when he gave it to me.
I stopped by home depot and bought him a new one and had the old one rebuilt.
It cost me $139.00 plus the rebuild on the old saw but I leaned a valuable lesson.

When I was younger and broke and didn't have many tools, I had to borrow them a lot, but I always returned them clean and in a timely manner.

Now that I'm older and have tools that other people want to borrow, I find that I was the exception and not the rule.

I'm still waiting for my step-son to return a chain saw I loaned him over a year ago.  Luckily, it was a crappy little Crapsman and I have a better Stihl that I never loan out, but it's the principal of it dammit.

I now never loan out anything I expect to get back.

I won't loan power tools. One time I loaned a decent B&D power drill (not a cordless) and it was returned to me completely burned out. LOL... it was like new when I loaned it out. Because of this I vowed never to loan out a power tool again.

Another time I loaned a pair of Wiss aviation snips to a guy I worked with. After several weeks of wondering when (and if) he was going to return them, I finally asked him for them. He said something like, "Oh, sorry! I've got them in my car!" I followed him to his car, and they were rusted up, in the trunk with the rest of his rusty tools. I never loaned him anything again.

I prefer not to loan tools out at all, but I have to remember the times when I needed to borrow something, so I usually do it anyway, considering who's asking. I do follow up, however, and make sure I get them back ASAP.

Years ago, when I was an auto mechanic (prior to the days when they became known as "technicians"), a fellow mechanic taught me this rule of thumb: If I have to borrow the same tool three times, it's an indication that I need to buy one. Unfortunately, not everyone follows this rule. For example, I was the only one in our shop with a complete set of Snap-On crowsfoot wrenches. I got tired of loaning them out, so I ended up just taking them home. I know, I wimped out on that one, but it was getting out of hand. In that sort of situation, you can't always afford to be a total dick, because a lot of things often require the help of others.

I now have pretty-much all the tools I'll ever need, with the possible exception of certain job-related power tools which would be seldom used at home. I try not to borrow.

I am rarely asked anymore so it doesn't come up too often.  I do have one unbreakable rule and I will tell it to anybody that asks to borrow tools in this category:

"I NEVER  ask to borrow OR LOAN OUT anything with a gas engine".

rj

My family = yes

my buddies are allowed to work on there vehicles in my property, lift, tools, etc. whatever they need to fix their shit but they aren't allowed to take it home with them.

everybody else gets an F U...

I work with one hell of a Great Crew nobody F*cks each other I have loaned and been loaned tools in time of need it's called Trust return the Tool in the same condition as it was Loaned out thats called Respect if one cannot comply G.E.S

I don't even need all the fingers on one hand to count up the folks I trust enough to allow them to borrow my tools.