Best Loaner Story

[porsche965]

Well I find 3 Big Oak 46" already down, limbed, topped in three somewhat decent piles. Owner says "Get them out of here!" FREE!! OK!!
I cut firewood, what small amounts we use in Savannah, for myself and two neighbors that mostly use outside in firepits to sit around and drink beer at night.
Neighbor is a great guy, says I'll help! Free labor, who would turn that down?
I grabbed the 066 Mag and decided on the 028 for him not knowing his proficiency level of slinging a saw. After the intial "this is what and how and why" you do introduction I turn him loose. The guy is over 50 years old! It wasn't 15 minutes into our work that I don't hear the saw anymore. It had been running like a top with my back to him about 80 yards away. Went over and he was already loading the truck. I asked him how he was liking the saw and he said that it bogged down on him and quit. My heart dropped!
Looking at the Woodsman the chain would not budge. Chainbreak off, and the bar/chain are pretty hot. Grab my scrench, undress her so the heat don't discolor the clutch housing, picky about my saws ya know, and the bar sproket won't turn. Looking closer it looks like he was making sawdust with the thing! But the chains I hand sharpen like razors, that can't be. Guess what? We live on an Island here and everything is sand. He ran the bar into the sand, sucked it up around the bar track and sproket and coated the entire inside behind the bar cover with grit and oil and sawdust!! What a mess!! I looked and him and the bar oil that was flying with the sand covered his pants and looked like he was playing in a sandbox! Took me 1/2 an hour to break things free and clean the bar and start over! I even went over how important it was to keep the bar out of the sand/dirt.
Never again!! Going to buy one of those Wild Things or just loan out the Echo 330T, something inexpensive but still sharp and well tuned. And to think that I almost brought out the new MS361 for him to break in for me. I would have been sick, or he would have met an early death!
Never loan out a saw that is close to your heart!!!

 

[SkippyKtm]

Yep, I lent out my trusty (kinda new at the time) Husky 51 with a brand new chain on it, to my buddy. He brings it back after using it for 2 hours and says "the chain's dull. I look at the sucker and the teeth are just about GONE! I said what we're you doin' with it? He replied "cuttin' roots":monkey:

 

[smilin possum]

The lesson learned in class today, Don't loan or let anybody but a sawyer run your saws. People ask if they can borrow a saw and my response is sure.

The saw is free the operator that comes with it gets $35 an hour. That will usually solve the problem for you. Don't lone saws. We have about 30 and unless you can straddle a mud hole with a wheelbarrow, or you are a known sawyer you ain't running mine.

 

[cjnspecial]

I loaned out my makita to my buddies dad...he's a good guy, used to build log splitters, work on cars and is generally pretty well mechanically inclined. Anyway, he calls me and tells me it ran great until he refueled it and it just stopped running. He brings it back and it looked like the gas was about 2 years old from a rusty metal can. I clean the tank out, changed the filter and ended up having to clean the carb out before it would run right. He says he's going to get some fresh gas and mix. About 2 hours later he calls again and says it won't run again. I drive over to his house and look in the tank.....looks like the same ####ty gas. I ask him why the hell he didn't get some fresh mix and he said he didn't want to waste what was in the can so he just added fresh gas/oil to it and thought it would be okay.
All saw loans come with operator/supervisor now.

 

[logging22]

Loaning a saw. Sounds like an awful idea to me. Cant stand the thought of any of my saws being out of my sight for any length of time. And the problems that you guys have explained just proves it. Buy your own, stay out of mine.

 

[Mntn Man]

You can not use my saw even if you can run it better than me.

I will not "borrow" some of your gas if I run out.

 

[pioneerguy600]

Sorry that I don`t have any loaner saw stories to add, I never loan my saws. I will sell you one or trade you one, otherwise rule #1 is always enforced.
Pioneerguy600

 

[little possum]

You can not use my saw even if you can run it better than me.

I will not "borrow" some of your gas if I run out.

I do not borrow gas. Ill quit, go home, or go get more gas before I use somebody elses. Not many people round here believe in good mix.

 

[sthomas77]

I will barely lend out a hammer, never mind a saw. I'm curious if one could be held responsible for someone injuring themselves while improperly using a lent saw.....

 

[wigglesworth]

The only time I loaned out a saw, I loaned out my MS 460 to a trusted farmer friend of mine. It was right after our big Ice storm, and he had cattle getting out, as his fences fell to some big old oaks. His little 028 was no match for them. So, my mix went with it, and he understood before I handed it to him, if he broke it, he bought it, and a new one was $879+tax. Very few people will I let borrow my equipment, and they have to be able to afford a replacment....at full retail

 

[cjnspecial]

I will barely lend out a hammer, never mind a saw. I'm curious if one could be held responsible for someone injuring themselves while improperly using a lent saw.....

Absolutely! Each cases facts are different but if you contributed to the injury, you could be held liable or partially liable. Example: You work on your own saws and are in the process of replacing the chain brake. It sits on your bench for a while, you forget about it and lend it out to a neighbor. The neighbor uses an improper borecut technique, a kickback occurs while he is using it, the chainbrake does not engage and he slices his face open. If a lawyer finds out you goofed on the chainbrake, that's your ass or at least your homeowners insurances ass. Keep in mind, it doesn't have to be a chain break...it could be a dull chain and all he would have to say is "he said it was sharp."

 

[discounthunter]

this is actually a reverse loan story.

my o32 is out of commision and i didnt have my dolmar at the time ,i had a friend with a down pecan "limb" in her yard. well not wanting to turn down pecan(good for cooking,wood burning and maybe wood prodjects) i go with my trusty poulans . well the limb was 32" at the base and about 60-65' long!my neibor lets me borrow his 029 that he loans out to everybody,well new bar, new chain, tune up cleaned gas tank,new gas filter,carb cleaner, new oil cap,new gas cap andevery thing else degunked ,it ran great!i put about 85$ into his saw ,i figured rent for me using it, and use it i did! when i handed it back to him he asked me what i did cause it aint looked like that nor cut that good that in years!

 

[porsche965]

Discount Hunter,

This site has a strong stand of good people on it. What goes around always comes back around eventually.

 

[RVALUE]

The only time I loaned out a saw, I loaned out my MS 460 to a trusted farmer friend of mine. It was right after our big Ice storm, and he had cattle getting out, as his fences fell to some big old oaks. His little 028 was no match for them. So, my mix went with it, and he understood before I handed it to him, if he broke it, he bought it, and a new one was $879+tax. Very few people will I let borrow my equipment, and they have to be able to afford a replacment....at full retail

On the flip side, I "borrowed" a gooseneck trailer to move 'grandma's' stuff and a horse trailer from CA. from a guy I really didn't know. (Knew of him) I asked him "is this trailer special, sentimental etc. or would you mind a brand new one if something happens.?"

This laid the ground rules and covered us. Nothing happened, and he is now a friend. (I ended up doing a brake check over and grease the wheels as thanks). I usually don't recommend borrowing, but I needed a specific size trailer to pull two.

 

[HittinSteel]

I recently had a friend in need of a saw for cutting wood for his outdoor firepit. Was sure glad I had a $30 Wild Thing when he asked if I had something he could use.

 

[CentaurG2]

Always keep a loaner saw around. Mine is a Home depot Makita 6401. Comes complete with mix, bar oil and as many low kickback chains as I think you will need. No problems loaning this thing out with a DNR form. Somehow it always seems to survive.

 

[7sleeper]

I recently had a friend in need of a saw for cutting wood for his outdoor firepit. Was sure glad I had a $30 Wild Thing when he asked if I had something he could use.

Now why isn't that saw in your sign? Nothing to be ashamed about!

7

 

[johncinco]

Nope nope nope. Won't lend a saw out. I'll come cut whatever you want, when I have time. If the question of damage or wear comes up, I just say I value their lives or friendship to much to risk damaging either. If its just getting the wood cut, they'll understand. If they just really want to run a saw, the store is down the road and its time to go buy one.

My best buddy SWORE he would be safe, saw would come back perfect, etc. I hit a strand of barbed wire buried in the tree he needed down. He was happy he did not have to bring the saw back with a bad chain.

 

[belgian]

I recently had a friend in need of a saw for cutting wood for his outdoor firepit. Was sure glad I had a $30 Wild Thing when he asked if I had something he could use.

dang, you are cheap...LOL.

I had a Husky 42 as a loaner saw until I sold it. Now it's a Stihl 08S : slow cutter but pretty undestructible, even for a BIL...
chain sharpening gets paid in beer, lots of it....

 

[gink595]

I've never loaned a saw out yet... I will not use someone elses mix either, just isn't worth it,I'd have to no them like a brother to trust it!! But I have borrowed a friends motorcycle once when I was broke down and ended up hitting a deer with it... That cost me, LOL at least it didn't cost me a good friendship