So, my old neighbor calls me with a sob story. His lawnmower is being held hostage at the repair shop, they're about 2 weeks behind. He asks me if he can borrow mine. I have several, no problem. It's a Toro Personal Pace a few years old. It looks and runs like new, I take care of my stuff. I use it as a mulcher only, the bag has never been used. So he picks it up, bag and all. I hint that maybe he should not use the bag as I know the grass will be wet. So he returns it a few days later. He leaves it by the garage as I'm not home. Get home, notice that the bag has been used and has some clippings in it. No biggie. So today I tilt it on it's side and see what looks like moldy wet grass stuck on the bottom of the deck and discharge chute. It's caked with wet moldy grass. Spent a good hour scraping and washing the underside of the deck and chute. Then washed and serviced the entire mower. As you probably know, wet grass if left under the deck will eventually rot the deck out. If you borrow something, shouldn't you return it in at least as good a condition as it was when you borrowed it???
I agree with everything you posted. You would also hate my lawnmower. I have done nothing to it for years and I can't seem to kill it. I think I will regret that when I do need to replace it and the new ones suck.
Posts: 7540 | Location: Florida | Registered: June 18, 2005
You will probably hate mine. It's an old Troy-Bilt riding mower I bought in 2009. All I've done to it these past 15 years is one battery and one belt. Never changed the oil or blades. It still cuts grass fine.
Originally posted by Ripley: Just don't loan out tools.
I loaned a neighbor a 4" grinder . After about a month I went over there one day when he wasn't home and took it back . He never said a word about it . I never loaned him a damn thing after that .
Posts: 4417 | Location: Down in Louisiana . | Registered: February 27, 2009
Originally posted by Chowser: You will probably hate mine. It's an old Troy-Bilt riding mower I bought in 2009. All I've done to it these past 15 years is one battery and one belt. Never changed the oil or blades. It still cuts grass fine.
Hi neighbor!!! I also have a Troy Bilt Bronco with the infamous Kohler 17HP Courage engine. Bought it second hand a few years ago from a friend. He had changed all the belts and serviced it before I bought it. I cut about 1/2 an acre, take care of it. Change the oil and all filters 2X a year. Yes, I'm the nut you see waxing his tractor in the driveway......
I agree, it should have come back in the same or better condition that received.
That said, I don't baby my mower, either. It's a 1994 John Deere GT262 that I got for free in pretty rough condition about 15 years ago. I change the oil every season, sharpen the blades, and lube the spindles. I clean out the underside of the deck annually when I do the blades before I put it up for the winter. The hood is crappy plastic and mostly gone, the seat has a bunch of cracks, and the tires are 30 years old, dry rotted, and kinda bald. But they hold air, it starts and mows, and does everything I need it to do. I thought about buying a new one a few times, but to get something as well-built as this would cost $8-10k, and I'm not willing to put that kind of money into a mower.
Posts: 9551 | Location: In the Cornfields | Registered: May 25, 2006
Originally posted by Paten: You need to get an old crusty mower off Craigslist and keep that one as the loaner.
Good idea, I should have done that. I snagged a nice Craftsman with the Honda GCV160 engine last Fall from a tree lawn on trash day. Mower just needed a good service. I had it running in 15 minutes. Next time, that's the one he's getting!!!
This is why I don’t loan shit out. The worst is when you loan something out to someone and 6 months goes by. Then you have to work for your shit back. SMH
If I borrow something, yes it will be in the same condition or better than when it was loaned. I don’t even abuse rental cars. I treat them like I would my own vehicle.
What am I doing? I'm talking to an empty telephone
Posts: 13127 | Location: Down South | Registered: January 16, 2010
Do not loan out my Gravely ZTR 34inch.. baby residential..bouught2015..August2016 totally flooded water 41 inches.. stayed under water about 5 days. got it dried out... my dealer wanted a minimum of $ 400 to service.. but did it myself..... have 2 next door neighbors ( 1 on each side) that when i do my front lawn I do theirs also.. In fact last friday the mower hit a rock into our front enterance door glass.. Wife is not a happy camper right now .................................................... drill sgt.
Posts: 2154 | Location: denham springs , la | Registered: October 19, 2019
I loaned my mower to my brother in law years ago. When he brought it back it was hard to start and ran like it was abused for twenty years. I have no idea what he did to it. He only used it once.
No one's life, liberty or property is safe while the legislature is in session.- Mark Twain
Posts: 3684 | Location: TX | Registered: October 08, 2005
I'm an old guy and have learned over the years to never loan out valuable tools/equipment. People just don't take care of stuff like I will.
I have a nephew who is in the A/C business and he has taken care of us whenever we have had a problem. So, I do owe him a few favors. A while back he asked if he could borrow my tractor as he had some clearing and brush hogging to do. I told him no, I wouldn't loan him my tractor but I will load it up on my trailer and be there that next morning. I did all of the work and was happy to do it.
.....never marry a woman who is mean to your waitress.
Posts: 5186 | Location: Lake of the Ozarks, MO. | Registered: September 05, 2005
Originally posted by Bassamatic: I'm an old guy and have learned over the years to never loan out valuable tools/equipment. People just don't take care of stuff like I will.
I have a nephew who is in the A/C business and he has taken care of us whenever we have had a problem. So, I do owe him a few favors. A while back he asked if he could borrow my tractor as he had some clearing and brush hogging to do. I told him no, I wouldn't loan him my tractor but I will load it up on my trailer and be there that next morning. I did all of the work and was happy to do it.
Neighbor across the street let me borrow his Dixie Chopper ZTR a couple years ago when my Deere took a dump on me. I didn’t pressure wash it but I did give it a thorough blow out with my blower and returned it with a full tank of non-ethanol gas. I also mowed his yard and I will still occasionally do the trimming on the steep bank in front of his house.
Posts: 13882 | Location: Shenandoah Valley, VA | Registered: October 16, 2008
It's neighbors... If I know they need help I just do it myself... no loaners. Most required tools come with an operator (me) or they don't go at all!
I had a neighbor with her ZTR in the shop for about a month. When I saw her in 95 degree heat struggling to mow her ~4 acre with a push trimming mower I cruised over and mowed it for her.
Another time... was for a new renter who had just moved in next door. I didn't know them but I saw the mom and three kids taking turns trying to push mow the overgrown lawn and having a real hard time.
I hopped on my ZTR and mowed it for them... The wife was extremely grateful and offered to pay. I refused. Then she explained her husband was in the Hospital with a Heart Attack. I mowed it that summer until they were able to take it back over themselves.
Originally posted by cparktd: It's neighbors... If I know they need help I just do it myself... no loaners. Most required tools come with an operator (me) or they don't go at all!
