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Why Mechanics lock up their tools


Sedalia Dave

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Once when Hubby wasn't home, a friend asked to borrow a tool. I loaned it to him. He got paint all over it and didn't clean it up. Hubby had to go get it back.

 

Once at an annual match, they had an unannounced Josie Wales stage. I loaned three pistols to a friend. Hubby (gunboy/gunsmith) was irritated that I did that, as the person just threw my pistols down after use. Now I know why he asked me (softy, really) not Hubby to borrow them.

 

We still like those people. However, there are some people you never loan stuff to.

 

I WILL NEVER LOAN HUBBY'S STUFF OR STUFF HUBBY TAKES CARE OF TO ANYONE EVER AGAIN.

 

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True story,

 

My workbench was in the gun cleaning room, in an area offset by one of the long cleaning benches. This is where I would make repairs to the various firearms in service within our Department. I had a medium sized Craftsman tool box, with various specialty tools I needed to effect various repairs. A common repair was to replace one of the 1.5 mm roll pins that held the right side safety lever in place on our Beretta 9's. Very simply, use a 4 oz. ball peen hammer, a pin vise to start the pin, then the correct 1.5mm roll pin punch to tap it the rest of the way in. Easy. We had one fella who fancied himself a gunsmith, and paid his way to the Beretta Armorer's course. He is built like a tank, has hands the size of Christmas hams and fingers like bratwursts. One day he decided to help me out by making this simple repair. There was no 4 oz. ball peen hammer or pin vise involved. He gingerly placed the pin in the hole, picked up the 1.5 mm roll pin punch, and proceeded to drive it home with.... a lead babbit. A short time later, I went to my bench and saw what was left of my punch; it looked like Beetle Baily did when the Sarge got done beating up on him.

Needless to say, I locked all my tools in my tool box from that point forward.

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I mechaniced for 35 years. I lost or had more stuff damaged by "friends" than by any stranger. I had to nearly cut off a coworkers finger to convince him I was serious. Now he gets it.

 

 

Imis

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Alas!  Half of my tools, all colored with BRIGHT YELLOW paint on various parts for ID purposes, went out the door to two of my neighbors never to return.  Lesson Learned:  DO NOT LOAN TOOLS - PERIOD.

 

STL Suomi

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A neighbor borrowed some hand tools. A week later, I asked him to return them.  "I don't have any of your tools."  I walked to his tool box and calmly removed all of the tools with my name engraved on them.  A week later, he wanted to borrow some more tools.  I prepared a hand receipt and told him to sign it first.

"If you feel that way I just won't borrow any of your tools!"  That was OK with me.

 

Duffield

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Problem I had with a coworker. Actually two.

 

I worked here. So my box stayed here. Numbnuts had no tools of his own (was new to the job) and asked if he could use some of mine. Sure. Then one day I come out of the office and go to here, and my box is gone. It's way the hell down at the other end of the hanger, where he's working.

 

WHAT THE HELL, MAN?

 

i needed the tools.

 

THEY SELL 'EM AT SEARS.

 

He weren't happy when I rolled my box back, and less happy when I told him NO next time.

 

6 - 8 months later. Box was unlocked, I wasn't around, and he went in and got my carbide scribe. Not no big thing. Cost less than five bucks. But he took it without asking, then used it for a prybar and broke the tip off.

 

He did fess up. i borrowed your scribe and broke it. here. And he holds out a five dollar bill to pay for it.

 

SCREW THAT SHIT. HI YOUR HAPPY ASS DOWN TO SEARS AND BUY ME ANOTHER ONE.

 

He did not comprehend the difference between paying for what he broke, and REPLACING what he broke.

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Correction to my previous post: We have a neighbor, who I would loan anything to. He takes care of stuff. I've shared some of his history with folks and they are skeptical about my trust.

 

Hubby borrows the neighbor's wood splitter and before he returns it, Hubby washes it more thoroughly than he washes his truck.

 

You get what you give.

 

 

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'Bout 25 years ago, the future ex-Mrs Hardpan advised me one day that I was going to lend my tractor to her co-worker’s husband, who lived about a mile or so from us.  Okay… tractors are kinda tough…

 

So the fella shows up Saturday with his wife, and after introductions are made, drives off on my '64 Massey Ferguson-135 with a promise to return it in a couple of days.  He did.  But in short order, he decided that golly gee, this must be the “communal tractor.”  I drove past his house one day and there he was, moving earth with my tractor and scraper.  I stopped and discussed the matter with him; he grinned and said he didn’t think I’d mind so he'd bought his own key and LOOK!  he’d even bought a couple of stabilizer bars for the scraper.

 

Well, I made it quite clear to him that I was more than amenable to his using the beast, but to NEVER again take it without permission.  After all, it was mine, and I used it often.

 

So he called some time later and asked if he could borrow it.  I told him he could use it for two or three days during the week, but I needed it early Saturday.  He came and drove it off, with a full tank of gas.

 

Saturday morning, no tractor.  Couldn’t get him on the phone ‘til later that afternoon… “Well, I’m not done yet.  Can’t I bring it tomorrow after church?”  Grumpily, I agreed.  Sunday afternoon – LATE afternoon, after a reminder call, he rumbles and stutters into my driveway.  “Ha ha…!  Just enough gas to get it here!  God was looking out for me!”

 

Sure ‘nuff, it had died as soon as he drove up – outta gas.

 

He did this once again, then another time I had to walk to his place to get the thing – and the grille was missing.  “Hey, Roy!  Where in Hell is the grille??”

 

“Oh, it must’ve been stolen!”

 

I was NOT happy, but his wife was my future ex’s good friend, and she strongly suggested it would be wise to continue lending it to him.

 

Then one day he called and asked… I told him “no,” that I had a full weekend of tractor work planned… he said he was absolutely DESPERATE and PROMISED to have it back Friday evening or at the latest, VERY early on Saturday – WITH a full tank of gas.

 

Okay.  With a look from the future ex-, I relented.  

 

Saturday, early morning.  No tractor.  Late morning.  No tractor.  No answers to phone.  Finally, I got his wife on the phone…

 

“Sheila, where’s Roy…?”

 

“Oh, he left before dawn to go fishing!  He worked hard every evening doing tractor work so he’d be done by this morning…”

 

I hiked over and fetched it.  Cooled off enough by the time I got there to calmly drive it home… with JUST enough gas in the tank to make the one mile trip.

 

Phone call a few nights later.

 

“Uh… Hardpan… I don’t s’pose you’d let me use the tractor this weekend…?”

 

Uh, no.  Nope.  Never, ever, ever again. 

 

And this time the ex-Mrs Hardpan didn’t say a word nor give a look.  <_<

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Power tools are the worst.They will give them back & tell you they were working fine when they returned them.

I also worked for a rental co.for 23 yrs.That was a nitemare.

                                                                                                                      Largo

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Howdy,

I once had a car that could have the trunk closed but not locked.

Someone came along and stole the tools that I had collected.

The tools were bought as needed with many different labels.

A few days later the police called and I went to the station and

there were my tools.

Later in life I had tools borrowed by friends that didn't come

back as fast as my STOLEN tools did.

The last tool I loaned was returned broken and unusable.

A few days later a NEW replacement showed up. I was amazed.

Best

CR

 

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:ph34r:  Motorcycle mechanic for 10 years.  Many times customers would walk into the service department (right past the "No Admittance-insurance policy" sign) and ask to borrow a tool so they could "fix" their bike in the parking lot.  Our dealership owner got a collection of crescent wrenches, screwdrivers and hammers so the service manager could loan them out.  More often than not, they were left in the parking lot.  That is, when they were left at all, and not taken......

 

Ben Franklin's 'Poor Richard' said it best.....

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4 hours ago, Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 said:

'Bout 25 years ago, the future ex-Mrs Hardpan advised me one day that I was going to lend my tractor to her co-worker’s husband, who lived about a mile or so from us.  Okay… tractors are kinda tough…

 

So the fella shows up Saturday with his wife, and after introductions are made, drives off on my '64 Massey Ferguson-135 with a promise to return it in a couple of days.  He did.  But in short order, he decided that golly gee, this must be the “communal tractor.”  I drove past his house one day and there he was, moving earth with my tractor and scraper.  I stopped and discussed the matter with him; he grinned and said he didn’t think I’d mind so he'd bought his own key and LOOK!  he’d even bought a couple of stabilizer bars for the scraper.

 

Well, I made it quite clear to him that I was more than amenable to his using the beast, but to NEVER again take it without permission.  After all, it was mine, and I used it often.

 

So he called some time later and asked if he could borrow it.  I told him he could use it for two or three days during the week, but I needed it early Saturday.  He came and drove it off, with a full tank of gas.

 

Saturday morning, no tractor.  Couldn’t get him on the phone ‘til later that afternoon… “Well, I’m not done yet.  Can’t I bring it tomorrow after church?”  Grumpily, I agreed.  Sunday afternoon – LATE afternoon, after a reminder call, he rumbles and stutters into my driveway.  “Ha ha…!  Just enough gas to get it here!  God was looking out for me!”

 

Sure ‘nuff, it had died as soon as he drove up – outta gas.

 

He did this once again, then another time I had to walk to his place to get the thing – and the grille was missing.  “Hey, Roy!  Where in Hell is the grille??”

 

“Oh, it must’ve been stolen!”

 

I was NOT happy, but his wife was my future ex’s good friend, and she strongly suggested it would be wise to continue lending it to him.

 

Then one day he called and asked… I told him “no,” that I had a full weekend of tractor work planned… he said he was absolutely DESPERATE and PROMISED to have it back Friday evening or at the latest, VERY early on Saturday – WITH a full tank of gas.

 

Okay.  With a look from the future ex-, I relented.  

 

Saturday, early morning.  No tractor.  Late morning.  No tractor.  No answers to phone.  Finally, I got his wife on the phone…

 

“Sheila, where’s Roy…?”

 

“Oh, he left before dawn to go fishing!  He worked hard every evening doing tractor work so he’d be done by this morning…”

 

I hiked over and fetched it.  Cooled off enough by the time I got there to calmly drive it home… with JUST enough gas in the tank to make the one mile trip.

 

Phone call a few nights later.

 

“Uh… Hardpan… I don’t s’pose you’d let me use the tractor this weekend…?”

 

Uh, no.  Nope.  Never, ever, ever again. 

 

And this time the ex-Mrs Hardpan didn’t say a word nor give a look.  <_<

So I just gotta ask. What do you have better luck with wimmen or tractors?

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Not just tools. I had a co-worker who would always ask to borrow my pen. Never returned it... I always had to go back to his desk and find it. Eventually he got annoyed with me and said "It's only a pen!!!" to which I replied "It's the thought that counts". He finally got the message after that.

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1 hour ago, Yul Lose said:

So I just gotta ask. What do you have better luck with wimmen or tractors?

 

I still have the tractor.  ;)

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I have lots of tool stories regarding idiots and ignorance. Without going into blood pressure enhancing details I will just say this. I do not loan tools to anyone but family and even then it’s very select family members. If a friend asks to borrow a tool more than likely he will not get it. I will use my tools to help fix what he or she needs fixed but I will not lend them my tools.

 

I will loan my son-in-law tools. He is  a master mechanic and knows how to use them but when I hand them to him I consider them “lost” unless they return. 

 

Life is too short to make mistakes over and over. That is why I don’t lend tools.

 

 

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5 hours ago, Yul Lose said:

So I just gotta ask. What do you have better luck with wimmen or tractors?

 

4 hours ago, Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 said:

 

I still have the tractor.  ;)

 

Bought it from an old farmer back in '91... named it "Rocinante."   ^_^

 

Smokes, but still runs strong.  The Kid wants to overhaul and paint her this summer.  :)

 

                                               2007, Sassparilla Kid, age 15

2114995310_RyandRocinanteResized.JPG.71f69a953510d7b508d51a9a0224ff1a.JPG

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I got a pipe wrench in the corner I keep as a loaner.

It's 60" Made out of iron AND it's BENT.

                                                                                          Largo

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The "trick" I had to use to keep people from "borrowing" my tools was to purchase pink ones.  Easily identifiable and not too many guys would be caught dead with a pink drill or socket set.  :D

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I take my tools to the Highland games I convene at.  That’s the only time I take them out of the house.  I don’t lend them out ever.  I also have my name boldly printed in black marker on the orange sides of my travel box.  I don’t even lend tools I inherited from my father to my brothers.  If I need a tool, I go to a hardware store and buy it!!  I don’t borrow.

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I hate loaning tools. I don't mind simple screwdrivers or loaning them to Pards at the club. I'm sure they'll come back. Any of my other tools I don't loan. I never get them back in one piece. Heck, I loaned my truck to my brother and it came back in pieces. I won't loan it to him again. Still haven't been able to get it back together. Missing parts and I don't know which ones. All because he was going to do something nice for me, he took my truck apart then couldn't get it back together so that's how I got it back. Had to get to tie rod ends for it as it came back with a shake in the front. Still don't know how that happened.

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My dad never BORROWED tools. He borrowed a circular saw once and it burned up after not much use. Went out and bought the guy a new one. If dad could have afforded to buy a new saw he wouldn't have borrowed one. Never borrowed another tool again. I try not to.

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Back in 1992 I underwent major reconstructive spinal surgery. My wife and I had purchased a pretty nice 3 year old RV a few months before my operation. While I was laid up recovering from surgery a few family members and a couple of close friends asked to borrow the RV and we let them use it. After my recovery my oldest son and I decided to go on a fishing trip up to Wyoming and Montana before he went in to the Navy. The RV was a wreck and I had to spend some pretty serious money to get it road worthy. Of course none of the borrowers stepped up to help out. I got that one trip out of the way and the engine went out. I sold it and a few years later bought a new RV and whenever someone asked to borrow it I had no problem telling them NO and gave them the example of the first RV as an excuse. Most of them were upset and called me selfish, oh well.

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Tools are one thing. Vehicles are entirely another. If someone asks to borrow my car, truck or boat the answer is a very stern, and probably rude “NO! Not only no, but hell no. Contribute to the economy and rent one. Better yet, let me help you find one for rent.”

That usually gets the point across. 

 

I had a moron at work last year ask to borrow my motorcycle. He said “I know you have two bikes, I would like to borrow one.”

I said “Sure, I’ll be borrowing your pretty girlfriend while you ride my bike.”

He got my point.

Why do people go all “Communist” with other people’s stuff?

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12 hours ago, Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 said:

 

 

Bought it from an old farmer back in '91... named it "Rocinante."   ^_^

 

Smokes, but still runs strong.  The Kid wants to overhaul and paint her this summer.  :)

 

                                               2007, Sassparilla Kid, age 15

2114995310_RyandRocinanteResized.JPG.71f69a953510d7b508d51a9a0224ff1a.JPG

 

 Just imagine how nice that tractor would look with a grille!:ph34r:

 

 

 

 

 

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Bless you all!!

 

I always felt selfish when I was asked to loan out something but really didnt want to.  

 

Sometimes selfish is smart.  Thank you for letting me know I’m not alone.  :)

 

 

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Follow up...

 

I was taught that if you borrow a firearm, you return it clean with a new box of ammunition.  If I borrowed a vehicle I was to return it washed with a full tank of gas.  

 

Did anyone else get that training?

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2 hours ago, Eyesa Horg said:

 

 Just imagine how nice that tractor would look with a grille!:ph34r:

 

 

Been lookin' for one for close to 20 years...  :(

 

I usually clamp a screen over the front when running in tall weeds (springtime discing).  I'll find one someday.  

 

Update!  The Kid just found one!  :)

 

 

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5 hours ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

Tools are one thing. Vehicles are entirely another. If someone asks to borrow my car, truck or boat the answer is a very stern, and probably rude “NO! Not only no, but hell no. Contribute to the economy and rent one. Better yet, let me help you find one for rent.”

That usually gets the point across. 

 

I had a moron at work last year ask to borrow my motorcycle. He said “I know you have two bikes, I would like to borrow one.”

I said “Sure, I’ll be borrowing your pretty girlfriend while you ride my bike.”

He got my point.

Why do people go all “Communist” with other people’s stuff?

Because you let them.  If you want to borrow tools, find a rental store, sez I. 

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16 minutes ago, Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 said:

Because you let them.  If you want to borrow tools, find a rental store, sez I. 

Oh, no. Not me. I am pretty straightforward with my opinions on people borrowing my stuff.

 

It just bugs me when people say “Well, you have 2 bikes. You can loan me one.”

or

”Why can’t I borrow your truck? You have a car you can use while I have your truck.”

I am not very nice when people use this logic on me. 

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