canopyboy
ArboristSite Operative
Reading a thread about a brother-in-law borrowing a chainsaw down in that forum got me thinking about my neighbor the other day. But I thought the guys reading up here would appreciate it more.
My neighbor stops at the end of the driveway and asks if it'd be alright if he borrows my climbing equipment and maybe an extra saw in the next couple weeks.
Say what?
This guy is motor head. Runs a couple of race cars every Saturday. I know I have about as much chance borrowing his torque wrench as getting him to set me up on a date with his wife.
He needs to take down a couple big, dead trees. He has a "buddy" that is going to climb them for him, but needs gear as he's sold all of his. And he figures a second saw will speed things up. (He has this little Craftsman that he likes to cut rocks with.)
I actually like the guy, and try to diplomatically tell him no by explaining that because my life hangs on that gear, I don't let it out of my sight as I don't want to find out it's been abused when I'm 80' up in the air. His wife said, "Gee, I never thought about it like that. I guess that makes some sense." Somehow I didn't have to come up with a reason for not lending out the saw.
I did offer to come help with the trees though. So a week later he asks me to come look at them. Turns out he was then going to buy $1000 in gear for his buddy, plus pay his buddy $1000 to come take these two trees down. One is next to the shed but is a notch and drop, maybe with a pull line on it. The other needs to be climbed, but it can be bombed out in smaller pieces. No clean up, just get 'em on the ground.
I should have quoted him $1800 to save him some money, but it just didn't seem right.
Anybody else ever get a request to "borrow" your climbing equipment?
My neighbor stops at the end of the driveway and asks if it'd be alright if he borrows my climbing equipment and maybe an extra saw in the next couple weeks.
Say what?
This guy is motor head. Runs a couple of race cars every Saturday. I know I have about as much chance borrowing his torque wrench as getting him to set me up on a date with his wife.
He needs to take down a couple big, dead trees. He has a "buddy" that is going to climb them for him, but needs gear as he's sold all of his. And he figures a second saw will speed things up. (He has this little Craftsman that he likes to cut rocks with.)
I actually like the guy, and try to diplomatically tell him no by explaining that because my life hangs on that gear, I don't let it out of my sight as I don't want to find out it's been abused when I'm 80' up in the air. His wife said, "Gee, I never thought about it like that. I guess that makes some sense." Somehow I didn't have to come up with a reason for not lending out the saw.
I did offer to come help with the trees though. So a week later he asks me to come look at them. Turns out he was then going to buy $1000 in gear for his buddy, plus pay his buddy $1000 to come take these two trees down. One is next to the shed but is a notch and drop, maybe with a pull line on it. The other needs to be climbed, but it can be bombed out in smaller pieces. No clean up, just get 'em on the ground.
I should have quoted him $1800 to save him some money, but it just didn't seem right.
Anybody else ever get a request to "borrow" your climbing equipment?
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