Would You Loan It Out?

[FERLING]

I had a brother-in- law would go to an auction with me and openly say, "You buy it, I'll borrow it!" When I realized he was serious I parted company.

I have seen him one time in 35 years!

At least he was honest!

 

[How Harris]

A neighbor who lives down the road from me, a neighbor who I've only met once or twice, finds out that I have a tiller. I have a Woods RT72.40 6ft tiller. Last spring, he "hired" me to till his garden plot, about a half acre. And by hired, I mean, I drove down the road about 10 minutes, tilled up the sod where he had marked, and drove home unpaid. He suddenly had to leave and never did pay the agreed amount of $50, which, in my opinion, was a steal. I really didn't care about the money, and didn't push for it.

This last weekend he calls me, first time I've spoken to him all year. He asked to borrow the tiller and informed me that he has recently purchased a new tractor.

Being the nice and helpful person I am, and realizing that this wont take much of my time, I reluctantly agreed. The tiller has been sitting all winter, so I brought it up to the shop, checked the gear oil, greased it, and slipped the slip clutch. I checked it all over for damage and set it next to my garage for an easy hook up to his tractor. He shows up in a small Branson 2400 21 HP at the PTO.... and backs up to my 6 foot wide tiller. Upon learning that his new tractor is only 24 engine HP, I advised that his tractor is simply not enough. I offered to use my tractor. He scoffed and said that he knows what he is doing, and he cannot afford my high prices! I left him to his work of hooking up to my tiller, hoping, at this point, that his 3 point wouldn't even lift it. But it did and he drove down the road.

He sends me a text message that afternoon: He said that the tiller worked very well. He was able to till at "15-1800 RPM, 1/1," and he needs to borrow it a bit longer. I needed clarification. Why so low of RPM? What is 1/1? Why does he need it longer?

Apparently, he is running as slow as the tractor could go: first gear, first range (1/1), and had to slow the RPM of the engine down to move slow enough across the ground, to do a good job. He needs it longer because he has decided to not only do the garden, but expand his garden, and also put in a big back yard.

My wife called me an idiot. Am I too nice? Too helpful? Would you have loaned your tiller (or other attachment) out to someone like this? He still has it, and I haven't heard anything back. I drove by his house this morning and I saw his garden is bigger, all tilled up, but couldn't see his back yard.

What kind of damage could I expect on my tiller of running it at low RPM on virgin soil? Its gear driven, so I assume the gears are taking a beating?

Guess you’ve seen enough “no” replies. Good thought on the hell no!
I agree, a large pry bar would be the only exception and with that guy, I’d get a deposit on it!

 

[frcnLS]

The list or reasons to say NO is previous to mine. You are lucky he did not wrap 20 feet of galvanized pipe around the tiller and tell you to come get it because it doesn't work. He made a deal the first tiome then stiffed you. That was all you needed to know. It if was me, when he came back the second time I would have turned on the voice message recorder on my phone, told him to get off my property because he was a tresspasser, and next time he showed up I would take photos and call the sheriff. You gave him an inch and he took a mile.

 

[cullenskink]

A neighbor who lives down the road from me, a neighbor ....

I think it's really unfair to call you an idiot. Your are a very kind guy and you've helped out a neighbor who really doesn't deserve that much help. Unfortunately there are some big pitfalls in 'lending' stuff out. I'll do it with someone I know well, like a friend, but with friends I'm very clear about what "the deal" is. You break it you you fix it, no excuses no exceptions, and give them an idea of what that cost might be. I also try to get that written down, even if it's just email or text, with a "do you agree?" in there.

The other pitfall, which I haven't personally experienced yet, but which puts me off the most, is litigation. This can end up costing you 10 times more than the item you loan out. Let's say this twit manages to damage his tractor, or worse, himself or somebody else, then he can pursue you for all sorts of things. You're not making money from each transaction or have insurance for this kind of thing like a rental company.

So the potential down side can be very high and the upside for you is nothing. You're not an idiot you're a really decent fellow, unfortunately this world is full of a$$ hat$ and you might end up putting their kids through college.

 

[FERLING]

I'd loan my wife out before I'd loan ANY if my tractors out.

....and you can bet with your luck they would bring her back promptly!

 

[Jonsdeere]

A wise friend told me a long time ago that the devil resides in borrowed tools!

 

[matthewconnors]

You sound like a real nice fella. Get your wife to handle all future negotiations.

 

[redobbin]

Nope, no lending, he can rent or buy his own. “He can’t afford your high prices”, but he will take your 2.8K implement and run over and into who knows what.

I would get it back for some task I need to do now and post pick up let him know I can’t lend out implements in the future

 

[JRH02]

You DO know that there are people who will ask for something just to see if they can get away with it? What is next? And if you resist in the future then the chatter spreads because you are inconsistent and did them wrong.

~5 years back I had my nearest neighbor ask to store his TWO Kubotas in a brand new pole barn over the winter. I had this building erected so I could get my 410j inside without extending the backhoe if I needed to work on it. Oh, no problem, he'll leave me with the keys so I can shuttle his equipment around if I need to use my own building. I said no thanks. He hasn't talked to me since.

 

[anchorhd]

What if he gets hurt, or hurts someone else with your equipment? Tills up a shallow direct buried fiber?

 

[Pks]

Well since everyone is taking the expected stance of HELL NO, I guess I will be positive and say, don't worry about it.

He's running the tiller slowly, because he has to. This won't hurt your tiller. Why worry about running it through grassy soil? It's made to do that. His weak little tractor won't hurt it unless he has some severe operator error.

But! Come up with a reason you need to till something and go get it back ASAP.

Running it through an area that is unknown is a great way to find big rocks that can injure the chaincase and certainly bend the tines.

 

[JWR]

This has to be some kind of record. In 52 hours or so there have been 191 comments. You think maybe this hit a nerve with ALL of us who have loaned stuff in the past !?

 

[Pks]

One thing I like to do when I am willing to help somebody is to try and determine if the person would help me if the situation were reversed. The fact that he stiffed you fifty bucks when you did the work for him tells me that he's not interested in helping you if the situation were reversed. So this is a lesson learned and it's an easy 'no' the next time he asks for something like this. Let him rent.

 

[sd455dan]

that trailer does not depend on a pto shaft being trimmed to a specific length. gearboxes are expensive.
I borrow trailers, tractors,skid steers, trucks of friends often. I also do a lot of stuff for them for free. all balances out.
I don't borrow their pto driven implements nor do mine go on their equipment.
cause that tiller was trimmed for org posters tractor.

True story on the PTO lengths.
I have a wheeled PTO driven seed/fertilizer spreader.

family member needed it for their large fields.


I was busy using my tractor and they had inherited Dad's restored JD model R and we all thought it should work.

They picked up the spreader and they got the job of fertilizing done, but said the R started making a bunch of grinding sounds with the PTO running the spreader.

Driveshaft must have been just a bit to long and my guess was when turning it was jamming the shaft against the PTO support bearings.

The R still runs- but if they plan to run the PTO the tractor will need some bearings and maybe some other parts replaced.

I have used the spreader since then and it didn't seem to affect it's bearings.

My worry as posted before is that this borrower sounds like the type that would blame the guy he borrowed the implement from, if he damages his new tractor.

I would not blame Branson either if they denied coverage for a similar outcome as the families Model Rs damaged PTO
Also I really doubt Branson would approve of running that big of tiller on that size model.

Heck you may be doing this person a favor by no longer allowing your tiller to be mounted up to his as it is set up for your tractor.

 

[Pleease]

Yep... I'm too nice.

Don't get me wrong. I am a very friendly person and help out my closer neighbors all the time. They borrow all sorts of things, and in return, I borrow their things, services, etc. It's give and take. This guy seems to only take. He is a rookie, and I knew that when I saw him hooking up his tiny tractor to my large tiller. But I couldn't morally stop him after saying yes. I shouldn't have said yes. When (not if) I get my tiller back, it will be the last time he borrows it.

I am afraid that he will damage it. And if he does, I will pester him about repairs, which will likely fall on deaf ears.

I have spread the word about him to my neighbors. Some of which have no idea who he is.

The worst part is that your wife was right....again, lol.

Don't take it hard; you were trying to help a guy. Any bad acts/karma are on him, not you.

 

[Cameron Smith]

A guy who was like a brother to me asked to borrow my tractor and saw rig to do firewood for his home. He never checked the oil and ran it 2 plus quarts low and spun a rod bearing. Engine rebuild #1---my nickle. A second friend borrowed another tractor from me to grade and level his long driveway; he never noticed a water leak that developed and fried the engine. Rebuild #2, my nickle. When a third friend years later asked to borrow that same tractor, I said "Only if I go with it and you fill the fuel tank when we are done". Job done, tank full, tractor in good shape with no necessity of rebuild! I'm a slow learner, but I finally learned!

 

[twowoode]

I would also vote for not loaning, learned my lesson the hard way, and with his attitude I would never offer to do it for him. He sounds like the type that if something did happen he would try and hold you responsible.

 

[mxr662]

I would like to loan my tractor to my neighbor, he really needs a tractor. But he is not a tractor person and I do not want him to hurt himself.

 

[wheelbuilder]

I too have had loaned equipment wrecked, and seen plenty wrecked that friends and family had loaned. One was a sander my brother in law had given to me. I loaned it back to him and he wrecked it. No apology, comment or anything.
There are 3 people I do trust to loan some things to. My Dad, my best friend, and my step-Dad, with one exception. I won't loan my chainsaw to my step-dad, he doesn't know how to run one safely. Rarely do I even loan things to my sons (mostly because I end up there and helping anyway)
Anyone else that wants to use my stuff, gets me, using my own stuff, or nothing.

 

[McCaskey]

Rule 1
Never loan Trucks, Tools, Tractors, Tillers or Trailers