Why can't I get anyone to fix my log splitter?

[Anumber1]

Well...

I have my neighbors log splitter in use right now but...

I retrieved it from his buddy's house where it had sat next to a barn for a few years, rebuilt the carb and replaced the hydraulic oil filter, changed the motor oil and have it running well.

He is not "handy", I am.

Now he is good to go and I have access to a splitter without having to buy one.

Win-win

 

[Applesister]

I think your friend who got angry is short sighted. He could easily get hydraulic hoses fixed, even I would attempt it. And then you would probably loan him the splitter any time he needed it.

 

[STIHLY DAN]

I borrowed a tractor once. The control valve failed immediately, It was a Kabota so the valve cost me $1,400.00 to replace. Out the money and still had to move the hardpack by hand. I have /will never borrow anything again, that's what rental places are for.

 

[Jay106n]

I would just fix them myself and learn the word no or charge a "friendly" fee for rentals.

 

[BrotherBart]

And he wanted you to deliver it too. And the horse he rode in on.

 

[Starstuff]

I would never ask to borrow anyone's splitter unless we were teaming up on the firewood processing and sharing the bounty. If someone has too much wood to split by hand--or they're not in physical shape to handle it, they need to just buy their own or rent. A splitter isn't a one-time-only device. I can't stand freeloaders.

My neighbor down the hill asked to borrow my chainsaw. I asked him if he'd ever used one. He said no. I told him I would bring over my spare Poulan (Hell no would I ever loan out my Stihl) and teach him how to use it, just let me know a time that worked for him. Never heard anything again from him. Guess I offended his inherent chainsawing prowess...

 

[Jay106n]

I don't have any friends, so nobody ever asks. I kinda like it that way. In the same breath, I would never ask to borrow unless I knew I could fully replace it, if i felt the need to borrow twice, I would go out and purchase my own.

 

[Mag Craft]

I live around a lot of my wife's family. Thank goodness that none of them burn wood. They would get told no you cannot borrow a saw or the splitter.

 

[LocustPocust]

Well...

I have my neighbors log splitter in use right now but...

I retrieved it from his buddy's house where it had sat next to a barn for a few years, rebuilt the carb and replaced the hydraulic oil filter, changed the motor oil and have it running well.

He is not "handy", I am.

Now he is good to go and I have access to a splitter without having to buy one.

Win-win

One hand washes the other.

 

[Wisneaky]

I'm the type of person that fixes stuff even though I didn't break it. I borrowed my friends splitter and which was sitting outside for years. Tires were flat. I paid fore new tires and to have new tubes put in them. I put a new plug in. Drained the old gas, cleaned the carb and gas tank out and filled it up with new fluids. Works like a champ now. I told them they should jack it up and put blocks under it to keep the wheels off the ground if they are going to store it outside. When I was there last I seen it was sitting on the ground again. Kind of bothers me since I paid for the tires and they are just going to get ruined again.

 

[Jay106n]

I once had a complete drum set...I lent the drum set to my brother, who loaned it to a friend. The friend then loaned it to my uncle who kept tabs on it. A friend then borrowed it who then loaned various parts (ie: a cymbols, snare, or hi-hat) to various people. Now it is completely gone. I look at my tools the same way now. Divy up a wrench or socket set and you may never see it again. I think I have a pair of drum sticks stashed away somewhere....doesn't do much good.

 

[TreePointer]

...the reason for this post or rant is I just got off the phone with a friend (or someone I thought was a friend) and he was absolutely pissed that I would not just bring my splitter over his house. Am i a jerk or just crazy? I guess I'm just bothered by this last call,

You actually did your disgruntled friend a favor. If he knew what nasty injuries faulty hydraulic hoses can cause, he would thank you.

 

[barmstrong2]

For what it's worth, I would definitely bring that splitter back home with nice, shiny, new hydraulic hoses on it just to surprise ya. And, to pay the rental fee.

And, the fuel tank would be full, too!

 

[D8Chumley]

Some people are just plain ignorant. I wouldn't lose any (more?) sleep over it.

 

[kennyp2339]

Wow, people are amazing sometimes. A few years back, before buying my house I would always help my one buddy split, he was very thankful and would let me borrow his splitter so I could help my dad with his supply.
I would always change the oil, degrease and powerwash the splitter upon returning it, when I bought my place I borrowed the thing for an extended time and noticed the gas tank was getting real beat up, so I ordered a new one and put it on before returning it. My friend was so thankful for everything I did, he said and in front of a group of us at a party that Iam the only person allowed to borrow his stuff because it always comes back in better condition than when he had it.

 

[sportbikerider78]

Sounds like your friends are freeloaders. LOL Keep in mind, they might also not be as handy as you either. You could also charge them a smaller fee...say $25 a day or a portion of their wood if they are tight on funds.

I would never loan even my best friend, tools that can be easily damaged in the wrong hands. Drills, saws, hammers..ect...no problem. But not power equipment.

 

[Fred Wright]

All that's necessary to lose friends is to loan them things. Sadly, this doesn't seem to apply to relatives.

 

[Jags]

No input on the loan/borrow side, but do yourself a favor. Get those hoses replaced. Very little sucks more than a hot oil bath and high pressure oil injection into the skin can be a deadly affair.

 

[firefighterjake]

For me . . . it depends on the person.

I have one friend who has bailed me out many a time . . . dropping everything to drive over an hour one way to pick me and a dead sled up and on another time driving 1 1/2 hours one way to pick me, another friend and a dead car up. He has rarely asked for anything . . . but in my mind I owe him big time . . . the few times he has asked to borrow my splitter or what have you I have never batted an eye.

Some other friends . . . meh . . . not sure things would come back in the same fashion. I value their friendship . . . and fortunately they rarely if ever have asked to borrow anything.

As for me . . . I hate to borrow things . . . and truthfully I run 50-50 on being a good borrower. Typically I try to return things on time and in the same condition or not better . . . but a few weeks backI borrowed a friend's dolly to move a large barrel of heating oil (which I helped drain with him from his oil tank that he was removing) . . . and just the other day he sent me a message wondering if he could borrow my dolly. Yeah, I was "that guy" . . . d'oh.

As for the OP and the guy being mad that you wouldn't deliver the splitter . . . I would say I would waffle a bit on the "pay to play" deal (I personally would not pay to fix another person's equipment -- just me personally -- nothing wrong with that mindset -- but I would pay if something broke while I was using that equipment) . . . however I would never expect that person to deliver the equipment or tool to me if I was the one asking to borrow it.

 

[SawDawg]

I borrowed a tractor once. The control valve failed immediately, It was a Kabota so the valve cost me $1,400.00 to replace. Out the money and still had to move the hardpack by hand. I have /will never borrow anything again, that's what rental places are for.

Doh! That was some bad luck.

 

[barmstrong2]

... it always comes back in better condition than when he had it.

As it should be. Kudos.

 

[SawDawg]

Had a friend who wanted to borrow my portable wood planer to shave some off of his house door.

Not only did he break a tensioning piece, the blades had chunks missing. I asked how in the hell this happened. Come to find out he tried to plane a METAL door. Idiot.

 

[jatoxico]

Had a friend who wanted to borrow my portable wood planer to shave some off of his house door.

Not only did he break a tensioning piece, the blades had chunks missing. I asked how in the hell this happened. Come to find out he tried to plane a METAL door. Idiot.

The really sad part is when you realize that it's your fault for not taking their stupidity into account.

 

[mwhitnee]

Had a friend who wanted to borrow my portable wood planer to shave some off of his house door.

Not only did he break a tensioning piece, the blades had chunks missing. I asked how in the hell this happened. Come to find out he tried to plane a METAL door. Idiot.

Wow. lol

 

[mwhitnee]

Yeah I just refurbished mine. Old owner took crappy care of it and put too short of a hose for it to go vertical. Went to Tractor Supply and found a pre-made hose which was very high quality for about $30. I had to cut the thing with a sawz-all, I was amazed at the sturdiness of the hose. Took me 5 minutes for me to replace after the cutting and works great.

I have a golf "friend" who keeps putting a bug in my ear to borrow mine. He isn't really that good of a friend and kind of a PITA actually. It's gonna be a big fat "no". If he were a better friend I would have just brought it over and helped him.