I want to be a good neighbor, I really do. It is just that I have loaned out so many tools in the past and then they never come back to me. I was considering buying seconds of everything. If I picked them up cheap at thrift stores maybe I could still loan tools with out getting burned.
That's tough. If you don't loan them out, you risk offending the neighbor. If you do loan them out, you risk never seeing them again. Some people have a policy that they loan one out at time. When that one is returned, the person can borrow another one. Personally, I ask them how long they will need them. I let them know that I don't mind loaning them, but I expect them to return them the day they say they will. Most return them when they say they will.
I just look them straight in the eye and say no and smile politely. Then ask about the spouse or the weather or the ball game.....
I believe you can still be a good neighbor without loaning tools. If you offer to help your neighbor when they need it or even when they may not. Send them a Christmas card, say hello or offer an apropriate greeting whenever possible, don't borrow tools, and explain why you don't loan them, and when the situation occurs offer to do the work the neighbor needs the tool for.
Continue this behavior regardless of weather or not the neighbor is offended or if you think they are. If they don't like a neighbor that treats them as such.... well then they don't like neighbors and that's thier problem.
There is nothing to say you have to do anything. But I always feel guilty if I don't. I usually will go with the tools to help out if I can at all and that helps the tool to come back home.
You could fib and say you will be using it. You don't have to actually say when but you will otherwise you wouldn't have bought it in the first place.
Little white lies never hurt anybody. The bottom line is, why don't they have their own? If they don't take hints such as "I'll be using it" after awhile, just start charging a deposit, and politely explain why.
We loan out tools and if they don't come back within a reasonable amount of time we just go looking for them. I'll show up at a neighbor's house after they've had our skill saw for a week and tell them I need it back. Period. What are they going to do? Tell me I can't have my own tool back?
Fortunately, my neighbors return what they borrow the same day. I think they know that they get on our nerves and they don't want to make matters worse. I say if you're not comfortable loaning out tools you have every right to say no.
I usually ask if they need help when they ask to borrow a tool. That way I can be helpful and get my tools back. I also go looking for my tools when they don't come back and look for them at sales and thrift stores.
I suppose there are a few people I do not mind loaning tools to but some who I won't. When I started this thread i was feeling guilty about it but now I see a lot of people feel the same way.
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