Sometimes it seems like I'll be the bad guy if I don't loan out my tools. Let me share what has happened in the last week.

A journeyman walked up and asked me if he could use my dikes to cut some wire. He blew a hole in them because he cut all 3 wires at once, and they were hot. He handed them back to me and said thanks. I said "You blew them up." He played dumb. I showed him where he blew them up, and there was a hole with fresh melted plastic around it. I looked in the ceiling, and right where he cut the wire was a big black burn mark. I let him know they are his and that he can get me a new pair. His response was that they are Craftsman and that I should take them to the store to get a replacement.

Another journeyman I work with asked to borrow my DeWalt reciprocating saw, saying he would put a new blade on it when he was done. He said he had to cut some pipe, meaning EMT. He then demoed a panel and cut at 20 or 30 pipes, along with a bunch of sheetrock. He gave my DeWalt back with a wasted blade and never put another one on like he said he would.

Another journeyman needed a drill bit. I pulled out the size he needed from my case of titanium bits. Turns out he had to drill a number of 1/4" thick steel pipes with my 3/32" bit.

Somebody pulled my flathead screwdriver out of my tool pouch yesterday, and I could not find it. Today, I found it in a box.

A journeyman used my Kleins and arced them in a box, leaving a nice divot near the pivot. He did give me the common courtesy of saying thanks.

People, especially journeymen, love to borrow things that are expendable: drills with bits, saws with blades, electrical tape, flashlights...things that cost money that the company doesn't like to provide. I am tired of providing tools, blades, bits and electrical tape for the company, and even other trades on the job. People come up, "Can I use your measuring tape for a minute?" Then I don't see it for 3 hours, have to track the guy down.

Would everybody view me as the bad guy if I say no when they ask to borrow my tools? Should I care? I'm afraid the guys I work with will treat me like an unsociable outcast if I don't let them use and abuse the tools that have cost me a fortune to accumulate. Then they might ease me off the job because I might not fit in if I don't loan my tools to everybody. Comments? Advice? This is a touchy subject, it's easy to just say "Never loan your tools", but it seems to be commonplace for people to loan each other tools. I try to never borrow tools, I'll walk a long way to get my own. It's amazing how some people have no problem with bringing minimal tools to the job and then use the myriad tools I carry in my 22 pound electrician's tool belt, plus my power tools.

What do you say to journeymen who don't bring all their tools, then borrow yours? Hopefully somebody out there has some good advice. A couple of times I've asked, "You're a journeyman and you don't have the tools to do your work?" It gets aggravating.

One guy asked me if he could borrow my Sawzall a while back and I said no because I was using it. At that moment I was tired of people borrowing my tools, sapping my batteries etc. where I couldn't do my work. It came back to haunt me. 9 months later, I have to work with him on the current job and he reminded me of when I didn't loan him my Sawzall and treats me like a dummy, overexplaining how he wants things done, posturing and making it obvious that he doesn't trust me to do basic work, giving me the lowest level and hardest work, he's paying me back tenfold. It would have been a lot more pleasant to just loan him the Sawzall and endure the wrath of the boss when I didn't get my work done.

Nowadays, when they ask, "Can I borrow your Sawzall?" I ask, "Can I borrow your car keys?" Then I tell them all the tools everybody has hammered in the last week. They must endure the long story and feel guilty, feel my pain until they've heard enough. Just when they've given up and are turning to go ask somebody else, I go ahead and loan them what they want.

It would be nice if I could handle this diplomatically and get the results I want rather than alienating myself from my co-workers and losing work. Right now I get along well with everybody, and it would be nice to keep that going somehow.

I like to take the what comes around goes around approach...

Because maybe you are a guy who never forgets anything or who never needs anything from anyone else (or who can actually afford tools) but you never know when that day will come that your hammerdrill will fall from the second floor all the way to the basement or your sawzall gets hosed or you leave your ladder at the last job and you need someone elses to finish.

On the other hand, people who borrow things and treat them with disrespect are always going to be around so its bound to happen to them someitme too...

2 cents

It's enough to make you ask for a cash deposit of 2 X what you paid for the tool.

Not a day goes by that I don't hear something that makes me happy that I work alone!

I work alone most of the time too.

On remodel projects where there's more than one trade involved at a time, I often find myself working with the local plumber. He lives just around the corner from me, and we get on fine, sometimes borrow each other's tools, but no problems.

The GC I did work for up until he moved away last year annoyed me at times. One day he asked if he could borrow a screwdriver, and I later found him using one of my large fully-insulated flat-bladed ones as a concrete chisel!

I used to have a boss who, when asked to loan a tool, would say "okay but you have to leave me one of your shoes till I get it back". I think the car key idea sounds better (and less smelly too)

Some folks just don't know any better, some just don't care. On the other hand, there is that balance between working well with others and allowing oneself to be taken advantage of.

I don't have an easy answer. Maybe you can save all of the dull blades, ruined drill bits, holey cutters, etc. to use as your loaners.

My dad told me that a friend of his taught him never to loan tools except to those that are known to be trustworthy, and if he does borrow a tool from a friend, to return it in better condition than when he borrowed it (clean it, oil it, etc).

P. S. How common is it for there to be so many "whoopses" with cutters (shorting wires together like that)? We all make mistakes, but why are these guys working live?!

I can fully understand your situation and the way you feel about it because it has happened to me several times. I have been willing in the past to loan out tools because of the pressures of getting the job done when it would make it so much faster and easier to loan out the needed tool. Whenever I have borrowed someone's tool in the past, if I messed it up, I have always seen to replace it or make it up one way or another. Perhaps your frustration is coming from not expressing yourself to the borrower in such a way that they understand that "yes you can borrow my tool but if you break it, you replace it because it is money out of my pocket and food off my family's table." Maybe you need to use their need to borrow your tools to your advantage in letting them know that you value your tools and aren't a pushover. My suggestion would be to express yourself in a calm and rational way in order to get your point across in a serious way and then maybe they will realize that you mean business and will at least think about it when they are screwing you over. If you don't want to loan out any of your tools, have them show you want they need done and then do the job yourself. At least you would be getting paid for it and using your tools for the purpose you bought them for. There is no easy answer but I just thought I would add a few ideas that I have thought about before.

Spark Master Flash, who bought and paid for your tools? If any of the others had helped, then you should feel guilty about not loaning them, but being they didn't don't feel bad.

By no means should you feel that it would be better to hinder your own performance and recognition for promotion or raises because some slacker wants to make you miserable.

I have known some that would buy me an equivalent or better tool if they damaged one they borrowed. These people you don't mind loaning tools to.

I have a rotation meter loaned out right now, and if for some reason I needed it, the tool I bought and paid for is not available to me.

Hold your ground, and don't entertain the thought of being the "Bad Guy" because you don't loan you livelihood tools.

Roger

From my mechanicing days, I have a large Snap-On tool box in my garage. It has 2 sitckers form Mac and Snap-On that say "Please don't ask to borrow my (brand) tools. Maybe one of them on your hard hat would help. Another thing would be to have a couple of those 10-for-a-dollar tools for loaners.

While I don't work in the business, my hubby works at a Supply & Rental Co. and the blades don't come free or cheap depending on the tool. I agree with saving the trashed ones to offer as loaners however if they have to abuse the tool to get the spent blade to perform you may have compounded the problem by allowing them to overtax the tool or battery to get the dull blade to work.

I think a sign on your tote, toolbox, or kit that says "Don't even think about asking..." is also a good idea. Part of what happens is that there are people who borrow as a matter of habit or design (rather than pay the price for their own tools) and they know who will and who won't loan. If you are a pushover, you'll be at the top of the list for loaning and their habits won't change in the least except to walk a little farther to find you.
I also believe in the "What goes around..." philosophy but perhaps you can start a new vein of virtue by sending around the 'integrity, higher work ethic and accountability' by being straightforward with the requestor. They can ask nicely and you can decline nicely with good reason and no one has to feel guilty. If you still feel a need to assist someone else in getting their job done, you might establish the policy of loaning to those who appear to take care of the tools they do have and never loan again to those who trash or disrespect your tools.

Spark Master Flash,
I wouldn't at all feel guilty about refusing to loan out tools.
I was always taught that part of being a Tradesperson was to have a full set of working tools.
I don't loan tools to anyone, period.
I had a brand new pair of Klien Cable cutters wrecked a few years back and that was the end of my lending tools!.
If you can't turn up with the correct tools for a job, should you even be there?.

I once borrowed a friends pick-up and who was also an Electrician ,during the trip I had to replace the Battery and something with the cooling system. I just did the repairs knowing that he would never hesitate to loan me the truck again.I felt obligated to do this as these problems happened while I had the vehicle.

I can not believe you let these folks get away with damaging your tools with out replacement.

I loan and borrow tools, but if I damage or lose them you can be sure I will go to the store ASAP and replace them.

I borrowed a set of Robo grips from some one and lost them, next day he had a new pair.

I was using a pair of tin snips, I did not notice they fell of my lift till I ran them over. At my lunch time I went to Sears and replaced them.

Of course no one minds if I borrow their tools as they know they will come back as before or new.

If I was you I would put a stop to this immediately, this is sleazy of your coworkers.

One thing though, why are you buying expendables, tape, blades, bits etc. this should be provided by your employer.

JMO, Bob

"One thing though, why are you buying expendables, tape, blades, bits etc. this should be provided by your employer."

Exactly what I was thinking!

GJ

Along the same line as Bob and GJ's question, your company should also furnish the power tools. If you are furnishing your own for your convenience thats fine too, but if it's required, the borrowers should have been given the same tool list.

Roger

Spark-Flash Master,

It's a tough situation. I think you've set yourself to be a tool crib for every turkey who isn't sharp enough to be prepared.

As for me, well, if someone wants to borrow something from me, and I think it's someone who's just been too lazy (or stupid) to bring their own, I ask 'em "Why are you asking me? Where are your tools?"

Basically I try to make 'em feel stupid--aversion therapy. They stop asking after a while.

If it's the first time they're asking, I may give 'em the benefit of the doubt and loan the tool--but I look 'em in the eyes and say before I give it to 'em, "I need this right back--and I mean right back". If it doesn't come right back, I go get it. If they damage it, I make it clear that they're going to give me the $$ right now to replace it. Never came to blows over it, but close.

If it's someone who's a habitual borrower (I should say asker), I just say "Nah, I'm needing it right now, go ask someone else."

And yea, some guys get real bent out of shape about this. I don't really care; they're probably not gonna have anything I need, anyway.

If someone on my crew or a fellow sub who I've worked with (and I know and trust) asks, and they're in a jam, I let 'em borrow what they need, no static. And they bail me out, like if I need a second set of big channels.

It's all about setting limits...

Good luck--

Cliff

Sparkmaster,

As some have said already, YOU have paid good money for these tools. Depending on your situation, you should let the shop provide their own tools. I have tons of tools, not only electrical. I have had both bad and good experiences with this type of situation myselt. Most of my friends know that I'm a nut about my tools. Most all are in excellent shape, are top quality, are clean, work as they should, and have many of the available accessories. I sometimes question the quality of a workman wo doesn't. Perhaps that's arrogant, but I believe that anyone that values his tools as much as I is trustworth, but then again, they would already have their own tools.

You use these tools to make your living. Anyone detracting from that also detracts from your ability to do so. Don't be offended at what the other guy thinks; if he'd screw you with respect to your tools, what the hell do you care about his opinion. It's OK for him to mistreat you and your tools?

I get on my soapbox about what being a professional and a tradesman is compared to an installer. Professionals care! I love the line one electrician gave when he didn't want to work with another electrician that didn't pull his weight. He said: I want a partner, not an opponent.

Everybody in the company did get a tool list. Why they don't bother bringing those tools to work is a mystery to me.

As for expendables, I ask for new electrical tape and it never arrives. I ask for a new blade and it never materializes. I don't want to hammer my saw with wasted blades, so eventually I buy my own blades.

Thanks for listening to me and giving me advice on this.

I'd be mighty tempted to make my concerns known to the owner if you haven't done so already.

Spark Master,
Like the rest of us mate, you are out using tools and these little things are your livelihood, this is why I am loath to lend the darned things out.
You get one guy that loans a particular tool off of you, and never gives it back, chances are you will need that tool for your next job.
I have all of my tools engraved, with my name.
I own a heap of tools, not just Electrical/Lines tools, but Electronics, Plumbing, Building and HVAC tools too.
I feel sorry for the suspensions/shock absorbers in my Van!.

Spark master, sounds like it's time to move on to a new job.