Sharing with Neighbor

[tony123]

Well I'm glad to see some comments from the other side. Curly, you said what I wanted too, but with so many folks dead set on the "don't lend" side, I thought I'd look nieve to think this could work.

I'm looking for a "mutual" sharing program, not a sugar daddy for tractor implements. We store our implements a few hundred feet from each other, and it just seems downright silly to both have the same piece of iron sitting there rusting away most of the time. From what little I know of him so far, he will likely feel like I do. One clue, is that we're both using 20+ year old tractors when it is clear we both could afford new ones if we wanted.


This all boils down to defining what sort of world you want to live in. I want the world where neighbors trust each other and want to have a closer relationship than just the guy on the other side of the fence. I do believe that the risk is worth it.

I'm going to give it some more time for our relationship to develop, and take it from there. If it feels comfortable, I will ask him if he's interested, and then ask what new toy he wants me to buy

 

[RollingsFarms]

i just can't understand the nerve of some folks and what they ask to "borrow". i've been asked many times about "borrowing" my tractor and equipment and i just tell them i will do the work for them. they don't seem to go for this for some reason, its something about them wanting to operate it. i do tell them though that when i decide to sell my equipment for a newer tractor and implements, make me an offer and if its what the tractor is worth then they can drive it all they want because it will be theirs!

 

[curly]

Well I'm glad to see some comments from the other side. Curly, you said what I wanted too, but with so many folks dead set on the "don't lend" side, I thought I'd look nieve to think this could work.

I'm looking for a "mutual" sharing program, not a sugar daddy for tractor implements. We store our implements a few hundred feet from each other, and it just seems downright silly to both have the same piece of iron sitting there rusting away most of the time. From what little I know of him so far, he will likely feel like I do. One clue, is that we're both using 20+ year old tractors when it is clear we both could afford new ones if we wanted.


This all boils down to defining what sort of world you want to live in. I want the world where neighbors trust each other and want to have a closer relationship than just the guy on the other side of the fence. I do believe that the risk is worth it.

I'm going to give it some more time for our relationship to develop, and take it from there. If it feels comfortable, I will ask him if he's interested, and then ask what new toy he wants me to buy

Amen brutha...maybe it's just a SC thang

I hope it works out...is mutually beneficial...and most of all, builds a phenomenal life time bond with your neighbor. One that can only be built through "putting yourself out there on the limb".

I'm glad there are still folks out there that are willing to take those chances

 

[srjones]

"There's no shame in not owning tools. Just like there's no shame in holding your wife's purse for a minute" -Northern Tool

Before I got my own tractor, I had a neighbor who let me borrow his tractor with some implements. For the few times I borrowed it, I returned it washed with a full tank of fuel. I was extremely careful with it and scared silly I was going to break something (but never did).

After I got my own tractor, I borrowed a few implements long enough to know I needed my own so I could start customizing them. I've always felt the need to repay the favor, but so far I haven't found anything he needs to borrow, even though I let him know about every new attachment I buy or make.

I guess in my own mind, the likelyhood I'd lend a tool depends on the following variables:


P=Probablity I'd lend it.
T=Do I TRUST the person will take reasonable care and responsiblity?
R=Can this person REPAY/REPAIR and loss or damage?
D=What is the likelyhood this will get DAMAGED or lost?
I=What is the financial IMPACT of a damage or loss scenario?

This can be expressed as the formula:

P=TR/DI

So, if I have a high degree of trust in someone, and I know they have the means to replace or repair, I'm almost certain to loan them something especially when it's unlikely the item will be damaged or lost. And if it is, there's very little impact. For example, loaning your brother a crowbar. Cheap and nearly indestructable.

However, a more expensive item with more moving parts loaned to someone you view as irresponsible and lacking the means to make you whole---not a good idea at all. For example, loaning a 18 year old male with an arrest record and poor credit your new Porche that you still have 5 years of payment to make.

Bottom line, use the golden rule, but use your head.

 

[srjones]

Oh, and I forgot to mention, there's a certain motivational factor when there's something you need or want to borrow. When asking to borrow something, I try to stress that I'll be very carefull and won't break it, but if I do, I have the means and responsibility to make it better.

Mutually beneficial relationships are the things that make the world go 'round.

 

[Gryantaylor]

I'll add to the "it could work" side. I have a neighbor with a few impliments I don't have and I have a few he doesn't have. We quickly agreed that combining forces would be good for both of us. Its been working for ~2 years (moved in 2- 1/2 years ago) and we've had no problems with our freindship. I did break his post hole digger after 1 lousy hole, borrowed with worn out teeth and didn't check it. The teeth wore back to the bolts and fell off. I told him what happend, we worked to weld it back togeather. I paid for the new teeth, and I would have paid for the auger if necessary. The key to making it work is 1) treat the equipment like its your own (or better) and 2) understand the relationship is worth more then the cost of an impliment, so don't borrow something your not prepared to replace.

I can also see the other side, I have another neighbor (without a tractor) that borrowed my nail gun for "a few hours" 2 months later he actually had the $$$$ to call me and ask me to drive over and pick up the gun because he was done using it. I picked up my gun but it will be a cold day in #### when I lend him anything ever again.

 

[BlacknTan]

Sumthin' my dear old Dad left me with long ago...

"Partners is only for dancin"!

 

[sandman2234]

I saw the neighbor that lives behind me today, and asked him why he loaned me his little tractor with the FEL to me. He didn't hesitate with his answer, and said the following.
I have watched you run your tractor, you use it but don't abuse it. I watched you get it stuck and work your tail off to get it out, but even in the dark you didn't abuse the tractor, although I know you were getting tired and wanted it out. I saw what was happening with our new neighbor (he used another name) and knew you needed the dirt to protect your home from flooding. I figured you would take care of it, and that was all I needed to worry about.
Kind of made me feel good, coming from a man that deals with people all day long and has worked hard to get to where he is at.
I am not sure if I would loan him my tractor, unless I just couldn't be there to operate it for him, but any of my implements are his whenever he needs them. (Like his tractor would even pick up one of my big implements)
If I couldn't be there, he could use my tractor.
David from jax

 

[dieselfuelonly]

Here are my feelings on loaning stuff out to other people:

It is not that I want to be a very selfish person and not share my stuff to make someone else's life a little bit easier.

I think it is mainly just the fact that my stuff I usually buy used, I usually work my butt of to get it all fixed up to how I want it, and through that I learn all of the little quirks.

I would worry that by loaning my stuff out to someone that does not know my equipment like I do that it would be pretty easy for something to go wrong.

Take my truck for example:

Only I know that my idle speed needs to be bumped up (just haven't taken the 10 minutes lately to do so), so when starting I always put my foot on the pedal a little bit. I do not put it on the floor, I don't try to start it without pushing the pedal in at all, I simply know where to stop the pedal to start my truck so that it fires on the first revolution (gotta love those Cummins ). Also, I don't trust that people will remember to drive off the highway and park my truck and let it idle for the EGTs to come down, instead of just parking and shutting off the engine while the hot oil in my turbo burns away at the seals.

My tractor:

I know that sometimes I have to ease the clutch out real slowly so that the tractor will slip into low range from high range. You can sit there and pound on that lever all day long but it is NOT going to change ranges unless you let the gears go where they want to go. I don't try to mash the lever down while I am moving along in 3rd gear high range, I simply put just a little bit of pressure on the lever while letting my clutch out just enough for it to put a little bit of tension on the gears in the tranny to make the range splitter slip into low range.

Sorry for the long post, but that just goes to explain how I feel about lending/borrowing equipment.

If it is something simple, like lending out a push mower or some wrenches:

No problem.

But something like my truck or my tractor, I will lend myself AND my equipment.

 

[toolsorbust]

Sharing can be a benefit,,,sometimes. For example one neighbor that i have dont have any equipment to share but is a good mechanic. He approached me one day wanting to borrow my bobcat to push off a spot behind his house. I told him it wasnt running right carb problems. He took off the carb rebuilt it, great I get the thing fixed. He tells me that it wont take but an hour, I tell him it will take longer simply because you clear one spot you will see another, I told him he fixed it so use it and that i know where its at. I didnt need it and he kept it for a month. I know you all are thinking that he took advantage of my kindness but when i got it back it had a new battery, several new hoses and a fresh paint job. He accually painted it . Now he and I have an agreement if he wants to use it he can as long as i aint on the seat. That was a win win situation. Now loaning any of my tractors is a little different, I dont loan them unless i know that they know how to operate them. Now i have another neighbor that wanted to borrow my dump truck to haul off some junk let him borrow it three months later finally went to get it back, one flat tire two bad batteries and loaded with trash. Needless to say he's going to find it hard for me to do anything for him anymore. Some times you come out sometimes you dont you wont ever know till you take a chance. On one hand I found a great neighbor as well as a friend but on the other hand I didnt. I still feel as though i came out ahead.

 

[tony123]

Toolsorbust, did he consult you before painting? that's an awfully nice thing to do, but in my case, I really don't want a new paint job. I like the "beat up" look.

 

[putt_putt_green]

I'm casting my vote to sharing implements with people you trust. I have no problems sharing, but I've had the same neighbors for 10 years, but also consider them good friends. I spent $50 fixing the neighbors wore out cement mixer that I borrowed, but thats not a problem.

 

[toolsorbust]

Yes he asked first. my thoughts are its a piece of equipment its going to get scratched up and besides anything is better than the early rust look.

 

[gemini5362]

I also share things with people I trust. I do live by the rule that I dont share anything that It would hurt me a lot to lose. I wont loan out my tractor if something happened to that it would be too much money for most people to just shell out to replace. I would not worry much about loaning out my brushhog, plow, boxblade, etc They are not something you are going to hurt easily and if they do they are easily replaceable. One of my friends has a 18 foot car hauler trailer ( wider than most utility trailers) a lot of us borrow it from him when we need to get something wider than we can handle. One guy borrowed it and bent the hitch. He bought a new hitch for the trailer but the guy that borrowed it did not have any way to put the new hitch on. He gave the trailer and the new hitch back to the owner. The owner straightened up the old one until he had time to put the new one on. I had to borrow the trailer shortly after that and I talked to some of the other people that had borrowed it and we went together and bought him a new bulldog hitch for it. When I returned it I told him I had trouble getting it to unhook from my ball but I fixed it. He went to see what I had done and you should have seen his eyes light up when he saw the new bulldog hitch. Sometimes when you make that leap of faith and let people borrow your stuff you get a lot more out of it than just the monetary value of the item.

 

[Rara Avis]

Synopsis:
One camp -Share and share alike
One camp -Over my dead body
One camp -some variation of the above two camps...

 

[KennethBrown]

For awhile there, it seemed that everybody I knew wanted to borrow something. I have what I have because I want it and need it. I don't want to have to go find it, fix it, or be suprised by what's happened to it.

When asked if they could borrow something, I say sure, just give me the cash for what it would cost to replace, and I'll return it to you when you bring it back just like it was. It seems like a fair offer. All they have to do is return it just like they say they will, in the condition they borrow it it.

So far, not one person has agreed to this.

Eddie

If ya ever get the dozer out of the shop I'll write ya a check or drop off the credit card. I'll know that its all good because you spend more money on that thing than I make in a year. Your about 2 hour drive from me so it won't take ya long to get here either, just go down 155 to ********* and then 79/84 to Buffalo, I'm about 15 miles from there. I'll be sure and return it right before it breaks again.





I say buy what the man needs. My Dad and me trade out all the time. He has a 2610 Yanmar that I need sometime to get into tight spots. He uses my 5500 Mahindra when he needs some power. Granted this is my Dad.
I also have a freind who can use anything I have. We don't bother to ask each other anymore, just go get it. He hasn't asked to use my tractor but he could if he did. He's off working a pipeline job right now so my folks are abaysitting his horses and I've got his extra truck. Its a farm truck beater so theres plenty wrong with it and I've fixed plenty of it. I drive it almost everyday just like he asked me to. Its good for the truck and good for me, I love his flatbed vs my regular. As others have said its about trust.

 

[AlanB]

For me it depends entirely on the person, I tend to start small, and work from there. Sometimes I have been burned, and sometimes it works out ok.

I have borrowed bikes often and returned them in better shape then when I got them. One time I borrowed a 4 wheeler, that had been lent to someone before me, the owner, a close freind, had not seen it in quite a while, I put swingarm bushings, new chain and sprockets, new rear axle bearings etc in that thing, It started smoking like a mohican, he took it apart and I don't think I will forget the look on his face when he looked at me after pulling the airbox boot off and it was full of mud (past the airfilter) He was unhappy with me, and we had never had it in the mud, still wish I had serviced that part of the thing, but I wander.

Anyway, some folks, will destroy your stuff, and return it and just act like nothing happened. Others will treat it better then you will.

Spent the day working on my buddies bobcat, at my house (where the bobcat lives) For us, it works out great, I use his bobcat regularly, he uses the tractor when needed. Glad I don't have to buy everything. And yes, if the bobcat blows while I am driving, I would rebuild it, and if it did while he was driving, We would rebuild it.

Hope it works for you. I think it can. Sometimes you have to bite the bullet a bit, and do a little extra on the equipment, and it will come back to you many times over.

 

[Tororider]

I agree that it depends totally on the person, but here is why I wouldn't share. You said that you could be neighbors for 20 years, all it would take is him not noticing a ding he put in the thing before you borrowed it and thinking when you returned it that you banged up his implement. Then you would have a neighbor who, maybe he doesn't say it, but is ticked off with you, and some people can hold a really quiet grudge.

Now if you needed to borrow something that you were only going to need to use once every couple years I would offer to rent it. When he says to just borrow it, offer again to rent it. When he insists you just borrow it, borrow it and treat it well. Then when you are done, get him a gift card for someplace he frequents food or stuff, or take him and the mrs. out to dinner.

Thats what I would do.

With regards to lending, I would offer to do the work myself when I can get to it, then if something breaks it is my fault, just ask for a case of your favorite beer or to get taken along to the ball game next time they head down.

Again, it all depends on the person, like everyone has said, there are certain people I give the keys to my stuff without thinking twice, and they do the same...I think.

 

[CDsdad]

I'm in the "I'll come help you myself" group on this.

I don't have neighbors with anything worth borrowing and the one time something was mentioned, I bushhogged the neighbor's field across the road. It was just knee to waist high grass and I knew what was there, so no harm. I think he knew he wasn't going to get my tractor himself, so he was appreciative.

He can't do too much. He works a lot and drinks like a screen door in a submarine when he's home. I'd help him before some of my relatives, though.

 

[Double Orange]

drinks like a screen door in a submarine .

LOL
Frank