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

[Aqua-Andy]

Thanks for the replies. Yes I will replace the hoses before I use it next time but for now my splitting for the season is over and the splitter is sleeping comfortably in the back of my garage. I have very few friends that I have no problem loaning anything to but this is because I know we have a two way relationship and I never have to worry about what was lent. For all the others I am just going to have to start saying "no" and see who still keeps in touch. The last big ticket Item I borrowed from someone was a dump trailer. I used the trailer to move my winters supply of wood from our old house to our new house 60 miles away. While using the trailer I noticed that the spring shackles were dangerously worn some of the lights did not work and I kept getting a short message for the electric brakes. I made all the repairs and washed the trailer when I was done, cost me around $20 and a couple of hours of my time. I can't think of how much time this dump trailer saved me hauling four cords of wood I figured it was the least I could do. I have never had my equipment come back better than it left, infact most of the time I have to do some maintenance or repairs on it. Maybe my standards are kind of high.

 

[firefighterjake]

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.

Hoping he ponied up some money to repair it after this bone-headed move on his part.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

I have very few friends that I have no problem loaning anything to but this is because I know we have a two way relationship and I never have to worry about what was lent.

Yeah, it's a two way street. I once was offered the loan of a car while I was home on leave. After the third time the piece of junk left me stranded I called and told him where he could pick it up!

Yeah, we're still friends.

 

[bfitz3]

My loan policy... I look at the tool and the friend, imagining the worst thing that could happen to either. If the friendship will survive the worst, I'll loan something. If not forget it. If something has gone out before and come back damaged, all bets are off the second time.

I've never loaned the big items... Tractor, chainsaw, etc, but gladly use them to help friends all the time. A few little things have disappeared, but the friendships are still strong.

 

[davidmsem]

Last year I split the cost of a splitter with my neighbor.

Someone on the forum suggested that my neighbor and I agree to a "no loan" policy. My neighbor thought that was a good idea as well. I'm grateful for the suggestion.

So your feelings are not wrong.

The only scenario that I can see is perhaps you being there helping out so you know the tool is not abused. Is this friend worth that effort?

Either way your feelings are to be respected.

 

[Soundchasm]

I rented a splitter from Home Depot down the street to do a big hackberry that came down in my yard. Horizontal stuff was fine, but it wouldn't run vertical and I had a lot of stump rounds to get through. Turns out they rented it with radiator hoses that folded over when run vertically.

"Hey, it's got new hoses, right?". May as well been Silly Straws.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Last year I split the cost of a splitter with my neighbor.

Someone on the forum suggested that my neighbor and I agree to a "no loan" policy. My neighbor thought that was a good idea as well. I'm grateful for the suggestion.

Yeah, I can imagine the upset that would follow if Neighbor A were to loan it out to his brother in law who then trashed it, leaving it unavailable when neighbor B wanted to use it. Not pretty, especially if Neighbor A isn't able to make his BIL pay up, and hasn't got the shekels to fix it himself.

How long has your sharing arrangement been going? I don't remember seeing one of these last more than a few years. One of the parties will decide to buy out the other, in the best case.

 

[jharkin]

The cynical side of me says that there are a lot of people in this world who are cheap, lazy and just plain feel entitled. They wanted to borrow your splitter because they are too cheap to pay the rental fee, when they hear your offer not only is it suddenly going to cost them money - even worse its going to take effort! And probably mechanical skills they dont have.

So just fix it yourself and charge a rental fee

Im on the other side. I have a very good relationship with a great neighbor who lets me borrow his. He knows I have decent mechanical skills and even though I mentioned renting one he kept offering to me to just use his. Twice now he has lent it to me and he never accepts anything in return as much as I offer. The thing was running so-so, last time while I had it I tightened the fittings, topped off the hydraulic fluid, changed the oil and put a new spark plug and air filter in it without being asked. Runs like a champ now and I think he is lucky since he is a just top the oil when its low guy and the old stuff came out like molasses (even hot).

He was so grateful when I took it back he tried to give me a copy of the key to the lock saying I was welcome to just come grab it any time I wanted. I declined since he splits 6-10 cord a year all summer long and I use it once a fall at most - I'm happy to wait on his schedule. And he said of all the people he knows I'm the only one who gets that deal. In fact I dont think he lends it to anyone else, period.

I treat every relationship like that. If I have the chance to do somebody a favor I just do it, Good karma usually gets repaid in kind.

 

[Jags]

My saw often gets used at somebody elses place, but I am still the one hanging on to the handle. I don't loan out the saw alone. It comes as a package with me. Same goes for the splitter.

 

[claydogg84]

Sounds like you guys are all in need of some real friends. If someone calls and needs help and/or tools, I help them. I certainly don't ask them to replace or repair anything either..

 

[Jags]

Sounds like you guys are all in need of some real friends. If someone calls and needs help and/or tools, I help them. I certainly don't ask them to replace or repair anything either..

I have real friends. That is the reason that I am not going to allow somebody unfamiliar with a chainsaw to grab ahold of my 4.6hp 25" bar with an aggressive full chisel chain and go hurt themselves with it.

There is a good chance that if somebody needs to borrow a saw or a splitter - they aren't familiar with the tools (obviously there are exceptions).

 

[claydogg84]

I have real friends. That is the reason that I am not going to allow somebody unfamiliar with a chainsaw to grab ahold of my 4.6hp 25" bar with an aggressive full chisel chain and go hurt themselves with it.

There is a good chance that if somebody needs to borrow a saw or a splitter - they aren't familiar with the tools (obviously there are exceptions).

There is a huge difference between a chainsaw and a log splitter in many aspects. If someone asked for a saw, I would just go help them. The splitter can be pretty much operated by anyone.

 

[Jags]

There is a huge difference between a chainsaw and a log splitter in many aspects. If someone asked for a saw, I would just go help them. The splitter can be pretty much operated by anyone.

Agreed - but any friend of mine that has enough wood to split that they need a splitter - I am probably gonna be there to help anyhow. That is just the kind of friend I am.

ETA - then after saying that, I realize that I just lied. I built a small splitter just for my river neighbors and I to use. One neighbor heats partially with wood, the rest is just for camp fires. I have an open ended agreement - if you need it use it. If for some reason it isn't working right, let me know and I will fix it. Everything was built as overkill except the possibility of something going wacky with the engine, just for this reason. Build thread is in my sig.

 

[claydogg84]

Agreed - but any friend of mine that has enough wood to split that they need a splitter - I am probably gonna be there to help anyhow. That is just the kind of friend I am.

I always get roped into bringing the splitter and myself as well..

 

[Oldman47]

I am one of those next door neighbor borrowers. Just 2 weeks ago I borrowed a 12 foot ladder from my neighbor to get on top of my shed. I had a 8 inch plus branch from a mulberry threatening to take out the shed and wanted to get up there with my Husky 555 and remove that branch. My own 12 foot ladder is 20 miles away and right now my pickup to move it around needs a new starter. My neighbor got his ladder back in about 4 hours and I have since bucked and split that branch.
He and I often seem to help each other. I am terrible when it comes to keeping a mower working and he has given me plenty of advice over the years on how to recover one, but when I give up fixing and buy new, he gets the salvage mower. Sometimes he resurrects it and sometimes he uses it for parts but in my mind we both win. He gets something useful to him when I fail and I fail less often these days.

 

[BIGDADDY]

If you know the hoses need replaced and you consider the splitter a part of you heating system for your family then I think you should replace them. Keeping your equipment in good repair is your responsibility. Loaning your equipment is your choice. Trying too combine the two is causing you frustration. Most people that ask to borrow something want to use it for free, even though you paid for it. Rather then loan it out with a condition on replacing hoses , maybe say something like I'm not loaning out my equipment.

 

[Chimney Smoke]

I don't like loaning things out either and there are very few people I actually will loan to. But, expecting someone to fix your poorly maintained equipment for the privilege of borrowing it seems kind of like the laughable craigslist adds for free wood, all you have to do is cut down the tree without it hitting my house and please clean up all the brush when you're done.

 

[edge-of-the-woods]

Sounds like you guys are all in need of some real friends. If someone calls and needs help and/or tools, I help them. I certainly don't ask them to replace or repair anything either..

The trouble is, it takes burning through a lot of crappy friends to figure out who the real friends are. It's the terrible ones that make you appreciate the good ones. Along the way, I've learned that it's better to keep some new friends on "probation" till you find out which kind they are. Loaning out expensive equipment is just about as dicey as loaning money. You've got to either know they'll be good for it, or be okay taking the loss if they're not. At the end of the day, it was your call to make the loan.

 

[edge-of-the-woods]

I make a living with tools. You may not borrow my wrenches or my screwdrivers or my chainsaw. That's been my rule for years. Funny, last winter, I stopped by my daughter's home and her fiance was standing on the top plate of a step ladder, reaching up to put the Christmas lights on the fascia on the house. I didn't want the kids to kill himself, so, I offered my extension ladder, which is on my van. Next time I went out, I asked about my ladder. He had laid out down near the steps when he was through and it got hit by the snowplow. He laughed about it! The ladder is destroyed and cost a little over $400 to replace. But, what to do? Make my daughter pay for it? Grrr. So, I hear ya.

Hate to say it, but I'd find a way to make him pay for it. That, or at least make mention of it the next time, when you refuse to loan him something. Fiancee today, son-in-law tomorrow. He's gonna be the model for your grandkids down the line....might as well try to straighten him out now

 

[CountryBoy19]

Sounds like you guys are all in need of some real friends. If someone calls and needs help and/or tools, I help them. I certainly don't ask them to replace or repair anything either..

I have to agree here... just about any friend of mine that asks to borrow something is #1 capable of using it (otherwise they wouldn't be asking me for it) and #2 capable of being a man and taking care of it, which includes replacing or repairing it if they break it.

That being said, the saws don't get loaned out to friends. Too much at stake (risk of injury to inexperienced operator) so I normally offer to go cut for them... I have loaned my saws to my dad and 1 brother only (the other brother doesn't get any chainsaw love).

 

[Trktrd]

I am OCD about my tools/machinery. Everything is kept inside, and kept clean and maintained. Last time I lent something out (which I also delivered) it came back filthy, beat up and missing parts. NEVER AGAIN!